October 1st 2007In part 1 of this essay, I argued that individual freedom is not only compatible with determinism but dependent on it. I also argued that freedom is not an "either/or" condition. Rather, actions may be more or less free, and therefore, more or less "responsible," depending on a number of contingent factors, yielding various degrees of freedom. Psychiatrists, I suggested, can be most helpful in so far as we can describe, study, and categorize these degrees of freedom and the psychopathological conditions that undermine them. In part 2, I elaborate on the "naturalistic" model of freedom and autonomy and suggest how it may be applied to psychiatric disorders and medico-legal determinations of culpability.
Social Behavior
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April 30th 2024
It’s time to center homelessness in the conversation around mental health.
April 29th 2024
How do the current student protests compare with that of the late 60s?
Dania Albaba, MD
April 17th 2024
Explore the devastating impact of substance abuse, human trafficking, and conflict on individuals and communities.
April 10th 2024
An analysis of polarization: “To be aware of the abyss of polarization is already to be forewarned and forearmed.”
April 8th 2024
The suicide rate in the United States recently reached its highest peak since 1941.
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Why You May Want to Swipe Left on Social Media
Based on recent data, it is looking more and more like the answer may be that social media is not particularly beneficial for most of us.
A Case of the Chicken or the Egg: Social Media, GAD, & Substance Use
Like it or not, social media has become a constant in our lives, and it is getting harder to unplug. But, is social media actually causing harm?
Psychiatry Comic: I'll Have What You're Having
This just in from the Center for Infectious Joy.
Can the President-Elect Yield Gross National Happiness?
On a daily basis, our patients demonstrate their resilience to face reality and rise above their challenges, despite the odds. So shall we.
Hinckley Haunts the House of Psychiatry
The public has questioned the wisdom of a judge to release a psychiatric inpatient, but not just any patient. Enter our metaphoric haunted house at your own risk.
Psychiatry Roundup: Tricks or Treatments?
What do behavioral activation, video therapy, family constellation, ibogaine, and psychomagic have in common? These topics and more were chosen for this month's roundup.
Election Addiction Disorder: Mackey Rules!
“Election addiction disorder, undifferentiated, DSM-5A-177.6x” is characterized by an overwhelming need to watch anything and everything related to the current race for the White House, no matter how microscopic. Clinical details and prognosis are examined here.
The Astonishing Non-Epidemic of Mental Illness
The supposed “epidemic” of mental illness turns out to be mostly a myth in the US adult population, 2000-2015.
Psychiatry Countdown to the Election
What do you have to say about the Presidential election? Here are the latest offerings from your colleagues about this historic election.
“Doctor, Am I Gay?” A Primer on Sexual Identities
It is not unusual for patients to seek consultation with questions about their sexuality. This article provides useful definitions and clinical examples for therapists who wish to address these patient concerns.
Frankly, My Dear, They Don’t Give a Damn
I hope readers look seriously at what the Presidential candidates have to say-or if they say anything at all-about addressing the current and increasing disaster in the mental health system before casting their votes.
Global Mental Health and the Demolition of Culture
Suggestions for what psychiatry can do to alleviate, contain, and eventually prevent or avoid the demolition of culture and health.
Women and Abortion: The Psychiatrist's Role
Former President of the American Psychiatric Association, Nada Stotland, MD, MS, speaks here about abortion-a subject that is especially important for psychiatrists in several ways.
Autism Spectrum and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
This article aims to provide the general psychiatric community with an update on the major findings on the biology of ASDs as well as the advances in diagnostic and interventional strategies.
The Long War Comes Home
Most military families successfully adapt to a service member's deployments for military duties. Nevertheless, almost a decade of wartime stress associated with the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has presented unprecedented challenges for military families.
Sabbath Psychiatry
While I sit in the third row of my synagogue on Saturday morning, reciting the traditional portions of the Sabbath service, I have running through my mind an additional and more intensely felt prayer-that none of my fellow congregants will approach me later to discuss their personal psychiatric care.
Social Interaction Increases Survival by 50%
July 31st 2010Recent findings indicate that social interaction is a key to living longer. Theoretical models have suggested that social relationships influence health through stress reduction and by more direct protective effects that promote healthy behavior.
Harmful Family Alliances
My parents lived in 2 different worlds together. One, the outside world, was where they sparkled. Their business was so successful, and they were urbane, sophisticated, and very smooth. At home, the inside world was very different. They were competitive with each other, more critical than affectionate; there was none of the togetherness they presented to the outside world.
Rape and the Heart of Darkness at Richmond High
The press reported it in various ways-either as a “brutal gang rape” or, more forensically, as a “2½-hour assault” on the Richmond High School campus. Anyway you look at it, the horrendous attack on a 15-year old girl raises troubling questions for theologians, criminologists, and, of course, psychiatrists.
Neuropsychiatric Masquerades
June 1st 2008The mind-brain dichotomy has been on a roller-coaster ride over the past few hundred years. Clinically astute European neuropsychiatrists in the 18th and 19th centuries described various neuropsychiatric disorders based on observations of their patients.
Managing Autism in Children
No other psychiatric diagnosis has more profound negative implications than autism. On the surface, autism impacts social, emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning. However, autism is pervasive in ways less immediately observable, and, as a result, children with autism require developmental and educational interventions that are different in both form and intensity from those required by children with other special needs.
Treatment Resistance in Youths With ADHD and Comorbid Conditions
Since its introduction in DSM-III in 1980, attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has proved to be a developmental disorder with many causes and complex behavioral, cognitive, and emotional manifestations that can impair academic functioning, occupational achievement, social relationships, and self-esteem.
Psychiatric Naturalism and the Dimensions of Freedom: Implications for Psychiatry and the Law
In part 1 of this essay, I argued that individual freedom is not only compatible with determinism but dependent on it. I also argued that freedom is not an "either/or" condition. Rather, actions may be more or less free, and therefore, more or less "responsible," depending on a number of contingent factors, yielding various degrees of freedom. Psychiatrists, I suggested, can be most helpful in so far as we can describe, study, and categorize these degrees of freedom and the psychopathological conditions that undermine them. In part 2, I elaborate on the "naturalistic" model of freedom and autonomy and suggest how it may be applied to psychiatric disorders and medico-legal determinations of culpability.
Children and Video Games: How Much Do We Know?
There is no shortage of hyperbole when politicians of all stripes describe the nature and effects of video games. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney proclaimed, "Pornography and violence poison our music and movies and TV and video games.
A New Adaptation of Integrated Psychological Treatment for Patients With Schizophrenia
Integrated psychological treatment (IPT)--which was developed by a research group in Bern, Switzerland, for patients with schizophrenia--is a distinctive and practical approach to rehabilitation.
Envy-The Forgotten Narcissistic Issue
Of the 7 "deadly" sins that are committed by humans, envy is primarily directed toward the destruction of an external object. Over the centuries, this unfortunate emotion has been the subject of inquiry by many disciplines (philosophy, religion, sociology, fiction, and so on).
Oxytocin, Pitocin, and Autism: Researchers Wrestle With Links
An imbalance in blood levels of oxytocin may be associated with certain forms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
Is Bigotry a Mental Illness?
There were only 3 Jewish students in my high school, and I was one of them. In the small, western New York town where I grew up, most people were tolerant. But a small clique of anti-Semites made life tough for us Jewish kids. Most of the time, we just shrugged off the jokes and insults or came right back at these louts with a snappy retort. Sometimes, the bigotry grew more menacing.
Religious/Cultural Heritage and Patient Perceptions of Psychotropic Drugs
One of the major concerns of health professionals working in the area of psychiatry is understanding the conditions under which patients adhere to prescribed treatments. While adherence is linked to some extent to the patients' comprehension of their illness, it is also a function of their social and demographic characteristics, such as age, social milieu, or sex. Another attribute also merits our attention, however: the patient's cultural affiliation and in particular, his or her religious background.
Psychotherapy for Social Anxiety Disorder
While social anxiety disorder (SAD) may cause observable signs of anxiety and social awkwardness in some, many others suffer silently. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be helpful for most patients with SAD, with alternative therapies such as psychodynamic therapy and interpersonal therapy filling the gaps.