Cultural Psychiatry

Editors' choices of noteworthy psychiatry-related news, blogs, CMEs, research studies, cases, and videos from around the Web.

In the spirit of Freud’s recommendation to free associate in psychoanalysis, perhaps we can be inspired to do whatever we can for freedom, human dignity, and the future of children.

Like the body’s inevitable arrival at homeostasis, a bereaved person's mind settles-eventually. A peer-to-peer conversation from someone who has been there.

Many people like to spend at least part of their free time playing video games. However, for some, what starts as innocent recreation becomes an addiction and, at times, tragedy ensues.

Watchman Nee’s suggestion of a potential link between spirituality and mental health is no longer foreign to the field of psychiatry. Recent studies indicate that spiritual beliefs may have a positive effect on mental health.

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?

A list of noteworthy psychiatry blogs, CMEs, research studies, cases, and books from around the Web.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

Consider Nico-he is a bilingual dog-he understands and responds to both Russian and English because both languages are spoken at home.

Dr Wayne Katon (1950-2015) revolutionized care for patients around the world.

Editors' choices of noteworthy psychiatry blogs, CMEs, research studies, cases, and books from around the Web.

Violent intolerance seems to be on the rise, and psychiatrists must contribute more of our understanding about the origins of these problems, and to development of solutions to reverse these trends.

Is it okay for the media to show terrorist-sponsored torture videos? Are there no psychological effects of this kind of “show”?

Many years ago, the model approach to mental health treatment was the therapeutic community: "As Aristotle noted long ago, man is a social animal and only in a social unit can he experience a whole life." More in this blog.

Dr Moffic takes us around the world to celebrate the lives of psychiatrists who made important contributions to the field.

Everyone who has ever billed a third party for psychiatric care knows that lack of “medical necessity” is the catch phrase used throughout the insurance industry to deny care that the clinician who has actually evaluated the patient has determined is needed.