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Monday, July 29, 2013

UK soldier and veteran suicides 'outstrip Afghan deaths'

Interesting, yet tragic article with an accompanying video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23259865


From the article: More British soldiers and veterans took their own lives in 2012 than died fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan over the same period.

The Afghanistan death toll was 44, of whom 40 died in action. Some of the soldiers' families say the men did not get enough support.

The British government, unlike its American counterpart, does not record the suicide rate among ex-soldiers.

Monday, July 8, 2013

The Bystander Effect

From Wikipedia: The bystander effect is a phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer help to a victim. The probability of help is inversely related to the number of bystanders. In other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help.

Here's an interesting, yet scary example of an experiment where a child is being kidnapped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-7zcDZnWhU

Monday, July 1, 2013

Can we make ourselves happier?

Alright, I've been on an extended vacation, so I haven't kept up to date with mental health :>/ . Let's get things rolling again!

This is a neat article about happiness. Studies show that indeed we can make ourselves more happy, but happiness may not be where we are looking for it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23097143

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Inside the Teenage Brain

Great little link Helena Dayal sent me: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/

Learn about how the teenage brain is wired differently which helps explain some of the behavior patterns you see during adolescence.

Here's the link for the Online Video Program:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p392&continuous=1

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

This is one of the better blogs I've come across. It gives you some insight into OCPD, a personality disorder. It is not the same as OCD! The writer sheds light on this commonly misunderstood personality with an interesting, yet unconventional way of looking at this condition.

giftofocpd.com

Saturday, April 13, 2013

How to Avoid a Late- Life Crisis

From BBC news: 

It appears that 'mid-life' might not be the only time people suffer a crisis in their lives according to new research.

Psychologists have found that many people in their sixties also find themselves questioning their worth and place in the world, often following personal illness or the loss of friends.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22130907

Sunday, March 31, 2013

An Overview of Mental Health Therapies

Here's a great clip made by Diane Bederman!
http://www.dianebederman.com/the-many-voices-of-mental-illness-podcasts/podcast-episodes/6-episode-2-mental-health-therapies

Here you learn about the different talk therapies from cognitive behaviour therapy to psychoanalysis, drug therapy, and spiritual care.

Diane has a number of great clips on her website, so check it out!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

From the DSM-5: Binge Eating Disorder

Here's a neat article from the APA. The DSM-5 is coming out with several changes. Binge eating disorder was previously categorized as a "diagnosis for further study." Read the article to find out why this change was made!

http://apahealthyminds.blogspot.co.il/2013/02/raising-awareness-for-binge-eating.html

Friday, March 1, 2013

Mental Illnesses share common DNA roots

The biggest study yet into genetics and mental health has come up with a stunning result: The five most common mental illnesses -- autism, attention deficit disorder, bipolar disease, schizophrenia and major depression -- all have a common genetic root. Read the article for more!

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/27/17121643-mental-illnesses-share-common-dna-roots-study-finds?lite

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Bad sleep 'dramatically' alters body

Wonder why you can easily catch a cold after a poor sleep? Wonder why you can't recall information from a lecture after 4 hours of sleep?

A run of poor sleep can have a potentially profound effect on the internal workings of the human body, say UK researchers.

Blood samples were analyzed comparing periods of plenty of sleep versus sleep deprivation. There was a dramatic change in the function of many different kinds of genes!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21572686

Sunday, February 3, 2013

No Flowers on the Psych Ward

A beautiful narrative that focuses on the hope that nature will someday play a bigger therapeutic role in the healing of psych patients, and artist Anna Schuleit's exhibit commemorating the closure of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center.

"So many items cannot come onto a locked psychiatric ward. Administration looks at everything as a possible weapon of self or mass destruction. No curtains. No jewelry. No art. No glass. And, I learn, no flowers, no plants, no nature."

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/11/no-flowers-on-the-psych-ward/264923/

Monday, January 14, 2013

Sharing Psychiatric Records Helps Care

Another great find by Deb!

Sharing psychiatric records with nonpsychiatric doctors has been a contentious issue. Only a fraction of hospitals in the US allow nonpsychiatric doctors access to all psychiatric records.

However, a survey of hospitals found that those with both full electronic psychiatric records and unrestricted accessibility to them had a lower rate of readmissions.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/sharing-psychiatric-records-helps-care/

 

Friday, January 11, 2013

Storm Weakened a Fragile System for Mental Care

Another great find by Deb!

The odds of securing mental health treatment in New York City have worsened significantly since Hurricane Sandy knocked out hospitals and disrupted outpatient services.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/nyregion/new-yorks-mental-health-system-thrashed-by-services-lost-to-storm.html

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Mental Health Services Absent for Traumatized South Sudanese

This is a great follow up clip to Sarah's article. South Sudan was engaged in a civil war for almost 5 decades with the north, and in 2011 gained independence.

Here, you get a glimpse of the postwar situation. Because there are no psychiatrists, health professionals have to rely on sedation and imprisonment to handle mental illness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP1VCjeP1p8