Category Archives: News & updates

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 →

All types of Mood Disorders have been associated with Suicide. These include Bipolar Affective Disorder, Depressive Episode, Recurrent Depressive Didorder, and persistent Mood Disorders, (e.g. Cyclothymia, and Dysthymia), which form categories F31-F34 in ICD-10 (1). Suicide is therefore a significant … Continue reading →

Ask yourself this set of simple questions every few weeks to help gauge how much damaging stress you are experiencing Overwhelming stress cripples. Neuroscientists have begun to learn that even acute, everyday stress can turn off the brain’s command-and-control center, … Continue reading →

My experience with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) began in 1995, when I opted for ECT as a last resort for treating my bipolar disorder. For so many people who were termed medication resistant and suffering with depression or bipolar disorder, ECT … Continue reading →

As we focus attention on mental health and suicide during National Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 7 – 13, a new national survey about mental health and suicide provides some insight on Americans’ understanding and perceptions. According to the survey, U.S. … Continue reading →

Despite many efforts and much progress, suicide continues to be a major issue across the country. Both the total number and the rate of suicides increased every year from 2005 to 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading →

A growing movement is using the semicolon, and in particular a semicolon tattoo, as a symbol of hope for people with mental illness. The Project Semicolon website describes the meaning behind the symbol: A semicolon represents a sentence the author … Continue reading →