January 1st, 2012
By Jennifer E Chase
Considered the bible of psychiatric disorders, practitioners know the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association, describes symptoms and criteria for diagnosing mental disorders and provides a valuable common vernacular for discussing diagnoses. The DSM has been revised four times since its first printing in 1952 with a new iteration scheduled for May 2013. But according to the Psychiatric Association, the last 20 years have provided such an unparalleled spike in information about the brain and human behavior that the collective understanding of mental illness is greater than any point in history, making [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Catherine Robertson Souter
First published in 1952, the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” is used throughout the U.S. and in many places around the world, in the diagnosis of mental illness and, as such, each revision is carefully debated and dissected. DSM-5, scheduled to be completed by May 2013, has prompted feedback and criticism. Several American Psychological Association divisions have added their voices to the discussion. In an open letter/petition posted online in October, the Society for Humanistic Psychology (Division 32) and five other APA divisions raised concerns about both the process and revisions themselves. “The main concerns we have [with [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Pamela Berard
New American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines recommend primary care physicians initiate an evaluation/treatment for ADHD for children ages four to 18 who present with symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity. The previous AAP guidelines covered children six to 12, but AAP says emerging evidence makes it possible to diagnose and manage children as young as four and the organization wants to stress that ADHD is a “chronic” condition, and therefore, consider children with ADHD as having special health care needs. Area psychologists see pros and cons to these new guidelines. “Mostly, I think it’s a positive change,” says Rachel [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Janine Weisman
The Providence Center has received a $1.5 million federal grant to work with housing providers and homeless advocates to secure access to behavioral and primary health care services for chronically homeless people in three Rhode Island cities. The three-year grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration allows Providence Center staff to launch Home Base, a program that offers individualized services to those with a history of homelessness over a span of several years and veterans who have a co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorder. Working with nearly 20 partner agencies, The Providence Center is coordinating case [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Pamela Berard
Maine state budget task force recommended a two-year MaineCare limit on Suboxone – a replacement drug used for the treatment of opiate addiction – as part of an effort to trim $25 million from the state budget. The recommendation was one of the many cuts submitted to the Streamline and Prioritize Core Government Services Task Force by the Department of Health and Human Services, which was asked to submit proposed cuts to the task force. The overall package included administrative efficiencies like reduction of the cost of leased space and reduced travel expenditures and reductions in funding of certain programs. [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Phyllis Hanlon
On Nov. 1, Milestone Foundation, a detoxification program for alcoholics and substance abusers in Portland, Maine, faced possible closure because of perceived non-compliance with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements. Mental health advocates appealed to the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as to Senators Olympia Snowe-R and Susan Collins-R, fearing that homeless individuals and those with alcohol and substance abuse problems would be left on the streets. In what appeared to be a last minute reprieve, the facility’s doors remained open. Guy R. Cousins, LCSW, LADC, CCS, director of the Office of Substance Abuse [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Ask anyone if they get enough sleep at night and most will say, “No way.” Then ask why not. Full schedules, demanding jobs, social media, television…it all gets in the way of a good night’s sleep. No matter how often Americans hear that even minor sleep deprivation has been linked to everything from injury to chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and depression, it’s still a rampant problem in this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than a third of American adults sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours per night. Amy Wolfson, Ph.D., [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Paul Efthim PhD
“Doing Therapy with Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome” By Richard Bromfield John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, N.J. 2010 Use of case material impressive Reviewed By Paul Efthim, Ph.D. The blurb on the dust jacket says it all: “This should become the primary text for psychotherapists working with children and adolescents with Asperger’s.” The blurb writer? No less than Tony Attwood, the renowned authority on the subject. He’s absolutely correct. Boston-area psychologist Richard Bromfield’s latest book draws on his extensive work in clinics and private practice to offer a supremely accessible yet nuanced guide to therapy with children and [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By James K Luiselli EdD ABPP BCBA-D
“The Mind-Body Mood Solution: The Breakthrough Drug-Free Program for Lasting Relief from Depression” By Jeffrey Rossman Rodale Books New York, N.Y. 2011 Author’s view will resonate with readers Reviewed By James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D According to psychologist Jeffrey Rossman, “We are living in an age of depression.” Indeed, mental health statistics suggest that approximately 25 percent of Americans will experience depression in their lives. The annual cost of treating depression is billions of dollars with heavy emphasis on medication as a primary therapeutic modality. And yet, there is controversy about the actual effectiveness of antidepressant pharmacology and its [More]
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January 1st, 2012
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
January reminds us that there is only one inexorable thing and that is the passage of time. The proactive response to this realization is the New Year’s resolution or what we psychologists might view as a behavioral short-term goal or collection of goals, affirming our determination to make the most of the time we have left. This year, before I start making promises to myself that I probably won’t be able to keep, I resolve to give a bit more thought to the challenges that the passage of time brings and what it takes to meet them head on. When [More]
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