Leading Stories
Telemedicine protocol helpful to depressed elderly people
By Ami Albernaz
A telemedicine-based protocol for treating depression among homebound elders has shown promise in a preliminary study, pointing the way for more rigorous research.
The...
Unit uses softness to connect with kids
By Jennifer E Chase
A Massachusetts-based child inpatient psychiatric unit is breaking from the traditional use of restrictions and seclusion for managing troubled patients with a much softer...
Q&A: Strengthening emotional well-being is primary goal
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Mental health is not just the absence of mental illness. Mental health is about being resilient, having strong relationships with others and yourself and carrying a sense of...
Study examines potential of psychedelic drugs to relieve distress
By Ami Albernaz
Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin, which largely fell out of favor among researchers in the early 1970s, have re-emerged in studies of severe depression and...
Giving thanks enhances quality of life, strengthens connections
By Phyllis Hanlon
Bing Crosby was on to something when he sang “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” to Rosemary Clooney in the movie “White Christmas.” Clinical...
Escalating prescription drug abuse of concern
By Ami Albernaz
For the past decade or so, substance abuse counselors, law enforcement and families have been faced with a particularly pernicious problem: the skyrocketing abuse of...
Practices started to better control abuses
By Ami Albernaz
Between 2002 and 2007, more Americans died of opiate-related overdoses than were killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. In Massachusetts alone during those years, 78 soldiers...
Fewer dollars challenge Maine’s mental health services
By Phyllis Hanlon
The news is not good, but not as bad as it could be, according to Brenda M. Harvey, commissioner of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Over...
Work ‘addiction’ on the rise?
By Ami Albernaz
We all know someone we could classify as a workaholic – maybe that person works 70-hour weeks or never seems to take a vacation. Now, the topic of work addiction –...
Study: Are insomnia medications effective for children?
By Ami Albernaz
Despite uncertainty about the safety and efficacy of insomnia medication for children, a new survey finds that child psychiatrists endorse using medication in at least...