News

In his Editorial, Dr Allan Tasman reflects on a recent meeting he attended in Asia and considers the implications for psychiatric service planning in the US.

Keeping the season in mind, what is your first impression of this image?

The author applies psychodynamic psychology to understand and recognize so-called "homegrown" terrorists, individuals who are familiar with American culture and thus more difficult to detect.

That’s how he’d like to go, he tells me, not by this slow seeding of liver and spine, not with all the tears and long good-byes.

Therapeutic lying, a concept that is currently seeping into the medical literature, is the practice of deliberately deceiving patients for reasons considered in their best interest.

“I may never know who you are,” writes this psychiatrist, “but if you provided medical or psychiatric care for the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525, we are colleagues. And you too are his victims, of sorts. I hope your reputation does not suffer unduly.”

The recent tragedy with the Germanwings crash in the Alps has started a worldwide discussion about mental illness and suicide. NIMH Director Thomas Insel reflects on the larger issues we continue to face.

Was the business of the heart always so heartless?

A recent report that argues against descriptive diagnosis in medicine is historically ill-informed and medically naive, in the opinion of this psychiatrist.

We all become much better therapists if we have confidence in our healing gifts and focus on enhancing our relationships with patients.

Should racism be considered a psychiatric disorder?

A blog on the cultural components of minority groups, mental illness, and stigma.

Years ago I read somewhere that dying is easy-the hard part is being left behind. But I recently met an older woman who taught me otherwise.

A look at a multidisciplinary team -- and its focus on meaningful recovery -- for patients with schizophrenia.

What if we were able to harness the immense power of our digital connections to create tools that can potentially make our lives happier and healthier?

This review focuses on post-stroke depression, apathy, anxiety, and PTSD, because these disorders occur and have been studied most frequently.

Your patient is recovering from a traumatic brain injury. He asks you, “Doc, why do I need so much extra sleep?”

The authors differentiate between 3 types of deliberate self-harm: nonsuicidal self-injury, culturally sanctioned body modifications (tattooing or body piercing), and unintentional or accidental injury.

Dr Thompson introduces a Special Report meant to provoke thoughtful contemplation on various topics related to aggressive behavior.

What role might electroconvulsive therapy play for short-term treatment of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia?

This review critically addresses 4 central assumptions that underlie many US political and popular associations between gun violence and mental illness.

The key focus is on understanding violent offending (eg, reactive, proactive, firearm violence) tied to antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy using a psychobiological lens.

Here: a close up look at impulsive aggression.

When did human rights become negotiable in the US? A commentary on dismantling and closure of federal and state mental hospitals.

Neither facile liberal censure nor rabid applause from the right speak to Eastwood’s purposes in this superbly crafted picture.

The authors review mechanisms of suicide and the effectiveness of current treatments, and zero in on ketamine--a potential novel, rapidly acting treatment for suicidality.

Here: assessment approaches, treatment options, and potential risks inherent in treating tobacco dependence in individuals with major mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

What psychiatry needs is a new approach to “psychiatric theory.” Here are a few practical suggestions.

Here's how a single question I don't normally ask changed the course of one patient's life. The story highlights how widespread the effects of violence are.