Articles, Leading Stories
ADHD: research expands understanding of a complicated and common diagnosis
By Phyllis Hanlon
In the last 15 years, research into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has shed more light on this complicated diagnosis, reaffirming some concepts and dispelling others. While new interventions have been, and continue to be, studied and new assessment tools created, some of the previous therapies still prevail. In recent years, ADHD has gone from being a specialty diagnosis to one of the most diagnosed and treated disorders, according to Barry Josephson, Ph.D., of Psychological Associates in Warwick, R.I., a multi-disciplinary practice. Six to ten percent of the population carries a diagnosis of ADHD, which translates to two children in [More]
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Colleges focus on threat assessments
By Pamela Berard
In the aftermath of the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shootings, the issue of students and mental health is again in the spotlight. Kristine Bertini, Psy.D., senior psychologist, University Health and Counseling, University of Southern Maine, says since Columbine, threat assessment and follow-through has been more closely examined at academic institutions across the country. Bertini says it’s important to spread the word about warning signs. “People need to know what to look for and how to make a referral to a professional.” USM has trained faculty and staff in both areas, with an emphasis on a “warm transfer” to counseling services. [More]
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Reform slow for licensure restrictions
By Janine Weisman
Blame a little something called the Tenth Amendment. The U.S. Constitution guarantees states rights. That means individual states get to determine who may practice psychology and what type of license they must have. But things can get confusing when a psychologist licensed in one state has to travel to another to provide services for a client. Skype and other examples of modern technology make the situation even more complicated. Massachusetts allows psychologists licensed in another state to provide services within its borders one day per month or 12 days per year. Vermont requires the filing of an application form and [More]
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NHPA advocacy helps create independent board of psychology
By Phyllis Hanlon
This past July, the N.H. Psychological Association (NHPA) made history with the passage of House Bill 1508, creating an independent board for psychologists. Previously, Granite State psychologists belonged to the Board of Mental Health Practice (BMHP), which included social workers, pastoral counselors, marriage and family therapists and other mental health disciplines. Kathryn E. Saylor, Psy.D., executive director of the NHPA says that in recent years, structural changes and some questionable practices by the BMHP raised concern and prompted an audit by the Joint Legislative Committee on Rules (JLCAR). She says, “JLCAR found something wrong with the rules that were detrimental [More]
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Legislation to remove information access restriction
By Phyllis Hanlon
Determining the reasons insurers deny coverage of services can be a time-consuming, resource-draining task. But thanks to the combined advocacy efforts of the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society (MNS) and the Massachusetts Psychological Association (MPA), consumers and practitioners will gain greater access to information with the passage of the “Transparency Bill.” According to neuropsychologist Karen Postal, Ph.D., ABPP (CN), instructor of psychology in Harvard Medical School’s department of psychiatry, patients who received denial notices have the right to appeal individually to the Office of Patient Protection, a lengthy and frustrating exercise. She says insurers have “found a clever workaround” when it comes [More]
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Maine agency changes structure to improve services
By Jennifer E Chase
Spurwink is a cute name for a serious, nationally recognized agency that for 50 years has provided mental health and educational services to New England children, adolescents, adults and the families that care for them. The Portland, Maine-based collaborative prides itself on what President Dawn Stiles calls “a comprehensive array and continuity of services across the lifespan of individuals, from preschool services for kids with autism or behavioral issues, to in-home support services.” To keep offering the best services within the bounds of its finances and resources, however, this summer Spurwink strategically closed its flagship program and moved its youngest [More]
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N.H. takes top spot in child well being survey
By Catherine Robertson Souter
New England is a good place to be a kid these days…or at least the best in the nation, although that is not exactly the same thing. In the 2012 “Kids Count Data Book,” released in July, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private, national philanthropy, ranked the states according to their success in areas of economic well-being, education, health and family and community. The top three spots were taken by New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont. Connecticut was seventh, Maine 13th and Rhode Island 25th. New Hampshire showed progress in eight of 16 indicators, notably in education and health. “There [More]
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Men and violence link prompts discussion
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Most violent crimes are committed by men. This is true across the world and throughout history. The US Bureau of Justice Statistics puts the figure at 78 percent in 2008. Other studies put that number closer to 90 percent. These figures don’t surprise most people. Yet, whenever the discussion is raised, most recently in light of the shootings in a Colorado movie theatre, there is often a backlash, a defensive retort. In a recent Hartford Courant article, Linda Scacco, Ph.D., and Molly Turro brought up the subject, insisting that we take a closer look at the problem and try to [More]
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Job forecast: shifting niche areas present opportunities
By Phyllis Hanlon
As the economy wends its way back from the brink, the job outlook for psychologists presents as a mixed bag. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, the profession is expected to grow by 22 percent between 2010 and 2020. The growth rate for all occupations is 14 percent. While this eight-percentage point difference appears encouraging, the total number of new jobs will only be 800. With approximately 5,000 doctoral students graduating annually from psychology programs, as reported by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Center for Workforce Studies, finding a job [More]
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Study focuses on explosive disorder in teens
By Pamela Berard
Nearly two-thirds of adolescents admitted to having anger attacks that involved destroying property or threatening or engaging in violence and one-in-12 of those adolescents meet criteria for Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), according to a recent study. The study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, is among the first to measure the prevalence of IED in teens. The survey of teens 13-17 and their parents published this summer in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that the disorder has an early age onset – age 12 on average. Study leader and epidemiologist Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D., department of health [More]
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