Monthly Archives: September 2016

Discrimination and stigma are concerns, but coming out can be a boon to your career—if the conditions are right Dave, a 52-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a difficult childhood. In his job at a … Continue reading →

All of us–researchers, journalists, patients and their loved ones–are desperate for genuine progress in treatments for severe mental illness. All of us—researchers, journalists, patients and their loved ones–are desperate for genuine progress in treatments for severe mental illness.But if the … Continue reading →

I have first-hand experience of the devastation of depression, in myself and those close to me. Although I have been tempted to try antidepressants, I’ve never done so. Of course, like everyone reading this column, I know many people who … Continue reading →

Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America (Crown 2010), by the journalist Robert Whitaker, is one of the most disturbing, consequential works of investigative journalism I’ve read in a long … Continue reading →

The persistence of “color therapy” reveals the weakness of conventional treatments for mental illness. I recently reported on the proliferation—or persistence—of treatments for mental illness that involve stimulating the brain with electromagnetism. These electro-cures (my term) confirm a thesis I advanced in … Continue reading →

The public is deeply skeptical about the profession—but given the problems of addiction, depression and other forms of mental illness, we need it more than ever By Nathaniel P. Morris on August 11, 2016   Psychiatry needs help. Mental health … Continue reading →

Like many psychiatrists, I have been amazed by the debates surrounding the DSM-5, the first major revision of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in nearly twenty years, which was just released. Never before has … Continue reading →

A new law requires better insurance coverage for mental illness For decades, research has suggested that mental illnesses are just as real—and devastating—as more “physical” ailments such as cancer. Now health care coverage will finally reflect this scientific understanding: in … Continue reading →

It too often ends in tragedy, but specialized training for officers is starting to make a difference You’ve undoubtedly heard about the recent report issued by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice condemning various police practices … Continue reading →