Mental Health Resources
A Novel Mental Health Treatment Program Dramatically Reduces Suicides
4 Jan 2011 at 11:57 amIf you've seen the photos of crumbling Detroit buildings that are being circulated lately, you'd probably expect the whole city to be full of miserable, despairing people, a place where a suicide rate of zero is unthinkable. Think again! Detroit is struggling but not nearly as badly as those photos suggest, and this Crain's article on the Henry Ford Health System that serves southeast Michigan sug
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Mental Health and the Holidays
21 Dec 2010 at 12:20 pmAs Christmas and New Year's draw closer, many of us are bracing for changes to our routines that could shake anyone's mental health. Travel and jetlag, a break from the rigid schedule of work or school, meals at unusual times, and the distractions of family can all contribute to forgetting to take medication. Many therapists and other mental health providers are out of reach while they enjoy their
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APA Releases New Depression Treatment Guidelines
1 Oct 2010 at 7:50 amThe American Psychiatric Association (not to be confused with the American Psychological Association) has released new treatment guidelines for depression. According to Medscape Today, the guidelines include:
A clinician- and/or patient-administered rating scale for psychiatric symptoms to help with treatment strategies; A recommendation for the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT or "sh ... read more
Can Toxoplasmosis Cause Schizophrenia?
5 Aug 2010 at 11:25 amToxoplasma gondii is a parasite that infects mice and makes them less afraid of cats. The fearless mice are more likely to be eaten by cats, and the parasite reproduces in the cats' digestive tract. Toxoplasma's ability to alter mouse behavior has led to a bit of evidence and a lot of theories about how human brains might be affected by the parasite. Since about a third of adult humans worldwide h
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May is Mental Health Month
28 Apr 2010 at 10:31 amMay is Mental Health Month.
Across the country the National Alliance on Mental Illness will be hosting walks and other events to address the need for an improved mental health treatment program.
Date Walk Site Location May 1, 2010 NAMI Fresno Fresno, CA May 1, 2010 NAMIWALKS Ventura County Ventura, CA May 1, 2010 NAMI Delaware Wilmington, DE May 1, 2010 NAMI Greater Orlando Maitland, ... read more
Shootings at Fort Hood; alleged gunman is mental health worker
6 Nov 2009 at 6:53 amThirteen people were killed and several more wounded in a shooting in Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday.
The alleged gunman, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a psychiatrist at Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood, has been taken into custody.
Hasan is a licensed psychiatrist and has treated soldiers for post-traumatic stress disorder. Military officials say Hasan had recently received orders to deploy to
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Trauma Therapy from the Client's Perspective
28 Jul 2006 at 2:26 amBonnie Burton is a trauma survivor who writes about therapy from the inside. As a gifted writer, she conveys some essential truths about the process of therapy, and shatters some stereotypes along the way. Her experiences with good therapists and not-so-good therapists are essential reading for client and therapist alike.
Ms. Burton's own experience of therapy convinces her, for example, that t
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Resilience
26 Jul 2006 at 2:33 am
Why do some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder after a trauma and others remain symptom free? We are still trying to understand resilience, one characteristic of good mental health.
Researchers studying survivors of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack have been surprised to find many of them to be free of PTSD symptoms. Resilience was less common among people who were
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Sustained Release Schizophrenia Drug may be available Soon
24 Jul 2006 at 2:26 amAstraZeneca announced last week that they have submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA for a sustained release version of their antipsychotic medication Seroquel (quetiapine). The company reports the new medication has a "short titration period" - meaning that patients may receive a therapeutically effective dose of the medication as soon as the second day of treatment.
Drug companies come
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FDA issues an advisory on the Use of Triptans and Antidepressants
21 Jul 2006 at 2:47 amThe U.S.Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory about potential risks of taking certain migraine medications - triptans - together with certain antidepressants. The advisory states, "A life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome may occur when triptans are used together with a SSRI or a SNRI."
Serotonin syndrome occurs when the body has too much of serotonin, a
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