Harnessing the Innate Plasticity of the Brain for Recovery
May 27th 2014We talk about mental disorders as brain disorders, but what does that really mean? How does it change the way we think about autism, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar, and other illnesses? The answer to these questions are still evolving. More in this video exclusive with NIMH Director Thomas Insel, MD.
Integrative Management of Schizophrenia
May 13th 2014Select natural products have been evaluated as adjunctive agents that may be combined with conventional antipsychotics, with promising preliminary findings. Music therapy, meditation, and mindfulness training may improve quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia. Details here.
These Days, You Have to Rob a Bank to Get Mental Health Treatment
May 13th 2014I get a strong and encouraging response whenever I write or talk about saving normals from excessive treatment. I get almost no response when I write or talk about the shameful and wasteful neglect of the severely ill. We mistreat them barbarously and almost no one seems to care.
Neuroscience of Morality for the Mental Health Practitioner: A Review
May 8th 2014The study of moral cognition now carries age-old questions and observations into the era of neuroimaging and cognitive neuroscience by the shift toward a capacity for asking, “What are the structures necessary and sufficient for moral reasoning?”
The Current Status of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression
May 7th 2014Evidence has accumulated on the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in major depression. The authors review its potential mechanism of action, findings from recent clinical trials, and potential role in the treatment of depressive disorders.
Eating Disorders: Understanding Anorexia Nervosa
May 6th 2014How are individuals with anorexia nervosa able to ignore signals regarding hunger that otherwise motivate eating, even when they are severely emaciated? Expert insights and online coverage by Psychiatric Times during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
Shedding Light on Grief, Major Depression, and the Bereavement Exclusion
May 5th 2014The removal of the so-called “bereavement exclusion” (BE) from DSM-5 was one of the most difficult and controversial decisions the DSM-5 work groups made, and many clinicians continue to find the distinction between ordinary grief and major depression confusing.
Treating Patients with Visual Loss: How Our Workshop Evolved
May 2nd 2014It seems ironic that the Oedipus myth about self-inflicted blindness is so central to psychiatry, but there are few guidelines on treating sensory loss. Here, the evolution of an APA workshop on treating patients with visual impairments.