August 18th, 2017
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
“Starting Your Career in Academic Psychology” By Robert J. Sternberg American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2017 Book full of practical advice Reviewed by James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D Psychologist and author Robert J. Sternberg is the perfect person to write a book about starting a career in academic psychology. Currently a professor of human development, he has previously served as a university dean, provost and president. He is active as a researcher and student mentor, has published widely, and was past president of the American Psychological Association. Sternberg wrote this book “for graduate students and postdocs who are just [More]
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August 18th, 2017
By Kerry Morrison, Psy.D
“Trauma-Informed Treatment & Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence.” By Casey T. Taft, Christopher M. Murphy, and Suzannah K. Creech American Psychological Association Washington, D.C., 2016 Book examines the impact of trauma Reviewed by Kerry Morrison, Psy.D. Trauma, especially childhood trauma, is life altering. It has pervasive effects on all spheres of functioning and relationship development. Trauma also can hinder therapeutic relationships that attempt to treat interpersonal violence. Models of treatment for intimate partner violence must be trauma-informed and recognize the multitude of ways trauma impacts behavioral change. Trauma-informed care has recently been recognized as essential for treatment of survivors of [More]
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August 18th, 2017
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
I have always wanted to be a dual citizen. Don’t get me wrong, the United States is a great place to live and my grandparents went through a lot of trouble so that my parents and I could be born here. Even so, a second passport wouldn’t hurt. The UK or Ireland would be nice, carrying overtones of James Bond or James Joyce. Not that anyone would ever mistake me for either of them, but still two of my heroes all the same. Just when I thought my dream of dual citizenship was beyond reach, the passport came earlier this [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Phyllis Hanlon
Museums house innumerable works from masters such as Renoir, Monet, Rodin and Jackson Pollock. But creativity doesn’t stop there. The family refrigerator might feature the creative renderings of a three-year old mind. And the fields of technology, science, health, education and more have produced their share of creative geniuses and innovation. Area psychologists helped to unravel the underpinnings of creativity and how it shapes a person’s identity. The research community defines creativity as something new or novel, original and task-appropriate, according to James Kaufman, Ph.D., professor of educational psychology at the NEAG School of Education at the University of Connecticut. [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Susan Gonsalves
The Department of Public Health conditionally approved UMass Memorial Medical Center’s plan to eliminate 13 of 27 inpatient psychiatry beds as part of a $30 million renovation project designed to increase the number of medical/surgical beds instead. In late April, hospital officials responded to a DPH request to outline how it would accommodate the region’s psychiatric patients following the bed reduction. In an 11-page letter, they described how they would address concerns about other facility options, patient insurance and transportation to alternate sites. UMMC CEO and President Eric Dickson has said that the remaining 14 beds in the “8 East,” [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Phyllis Hanlon
On May 11, the New Hampshire Senate unanimously passed an amendment to House Bill (HB) 400, which is intended to significantly improve access to beds for psychiatric patients and reorganize the state’s Division for Children, Youth and Families. Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem) and Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) originally brought the mental health component to the legislation, which was introduced in January 2017. Citing a shortage in the capacity to provide emergency mental health care and long-term treatment for patients, the Senators proposed that the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services undertake and complete specific actions. [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Pamela Berard
Appointment availability is low – and wait times, long – for a family seeking care for a child with depression, according to a recent study. The study, published by the International Journal of Health Services, from Harvard Medical School researchers and others, found that access to outpatient pediatric mental health care, whether with a child psychiatrist or a pediatrician, in the five metropolitan areas used in the study was limited, even for those with private insurance or willing to pay out of pocket – although it was even more difficult for those on Medicaid. The authors used the Blue Cross [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Catherine Robertson Souter
According to a federal study, a high number of military personnel are given less-than-honorable discharges in spite of the fact that they had been diagnosed with conditions such as PTSD and traumatic brain injury. In 2010, Congress passed a law requiring the military to assess the impact of a PTSD or TBI diagnosis before separation for misconduct and the DOD issued policies to address separations for misconduct that involve PTSD or TBI. The study, mandated as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), also found that Department of Defense policies on addressing the impact of these injuries are [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Pamela Berard
Mental health professionals have expressed concern about “13 Reasons Why,” the Web television series on Netflix that tells the story of Hannah, a teen who leaves behind tapes outlining 13 reasons why she committed suicide. The National Association of School Psychologists issued guidance for educators and families about the series and said in a statement, “We do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series. Its powerful storytelling may lead impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies.” The Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent [More]
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July 1st, 2017
By Janine Weisman
Nearly 1.3 billion daily active Facebook users around the world spend an average of 50 minutes each day using the social media network or one of its apps, according to the company. But they might be using Facebook at the risk of their own health and happiness. A recent study documented a negative association between Facebook use and overall well-being in contrast to the positive impact of in-person interactions. A pair of authors found that liking the content of others and clicking links significantly predicted later self-reports of diminished physical and mental health and life satisfaction. “If I go out [More]
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