Leading Stories, Articles
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Often unrecognized and difficult to treat
By Phyllis Hanlon
Sleek physiques, flawless skin, and perfectly symmetrical facial features. For some individuals, achieving physical perfection becomes an obsession. This atypical behavior may be an indication of body dysmorphic disorder. Rachel Simmons, Ph.D, defines BDD as an intense focus on one or more aspects of appearance with the belief that they are abnormal, although in most cases, these perceived flaws are minor or non-existent. Simmons is a clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School. She noted that some patients spend between one and eight hours a day focused on thoughts [More]
Tags: psychosis, BDD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, appearance, abnormal, ugly, unacceptable, flawed, delusional
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
ACLU-NH lawsuit seeks due process for ER patients waiting for beds
By Catherine Robertson Souter
According to state law in New Hampshire, individuals held against their will because of a mental health crisis must be provided a hearing before a judge to determine if they present a risk to others or themselves. That hearing must happen within three days of the signing of an Involuntary Emergency Admission. However, because of a shortage of beds in the state’s psychiatric care facilities, people are often held in emergency rooms until a space opens up. And the mandated hearings are only offered at psychiatric facilities. The result is that some patients are being held, against their will, in [More]
Tags: New Hampshire, mental health crisis, state law, present a risk, Involuntary Emergency Admission, lawsuit
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Maine and Conn. make top 10 list for best mental health care
By Janine Weisman
States with a high rate of access to mental health care tend to have low prevalence of mental illness, according to a new report ranking which states had the best overall mental health care in the country. QuoteWizard, a LendingTree company, analyzed data from Mental Health America to rank each state one to 50 as determined by a composite score of prevalence and access rankings. North Dakota ranked first while Maryland came in second and New Jersey was third. Each scored high for access to care and low for prevalence of mental illness. Nevada was at the very bottom behind [More]
Tags: mental illness, Maine, Connecticut, best mental health, ranking report, best overall mental health by state, health care providers
Posted in Leading Stories | No Comments »
Link between video games, violence again examined
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Following recent mass shooting tragedies that killed 31 people in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, President Trump condemned the “glorification of violence in our society,” specifically “the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace.” This claim of a link between the tragedies and the use of video games was repeated by other lawmakers, who claimed that the rise of video game use is directly linked to the rise in gun violence. But is it true? Does playing violent video games cause violent behavior? Or, maybe more importantly, would removing these types of games from our culture curb [More]
Tags: kids, aggression, link, video games, violence, teens, mass shooter, moral compass
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Adventure programs: Learning to confront and overcome fears
By Phyllis Hanlon
The benefits of engaging in outdoor activities have been well documented. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that play in an outdoor environment enables children “…to explore both their world and their own minds.” AAP adds that outdoor activity can enhance “…creativity, curiosity and associated developmental advances.” Some residential schools are embracing this message and offer a variety of adventure and wilderness programs for children with behavioral issues. The residential program at Mountain Valley Treatment Center in Plainfield, New Hampshire, accepts children with a variety of diagnoses, from anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression to autism, eating disorders, and [More]
Tags: therapy, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, adventure programs, confronting fears, Mountain Valley Treatment Center, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, executive functioning difficulties
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Even providers need help overcoming addiction stigma
By Janine Weisman
The instructor is explaining what addiction is to a group of health care providers at the Veterans Administration Connecticut Healthcare System campus in West Haven. But while the instructor talks, all of the physicians, nurses, administrators, psychologists, chaplains, social workers, and others assembled in the conference room are holding their breath. Fifty seconds into the discussion, the participants in this mini-residency on substance use disorders are not really focused on the topic anymore. But once they resume normal breathing, it’s an opening to talk about what addiction can feel like, said Brent A. Moore, Ph.D., research psychologist at VA Connecticut [More]
Tags: psychologists, substance use disorder, addiction, stigma, healthcare providers, nurses, physicians, social workers, opioid use disorder
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Dismissal of three legal insanity cases causes stir in VT
By Eileen Weber
Three cases—two murder and one attempted murder—were dismissed in Vermont’s Chittenden County by State’s Attorney Sarah George as a result of legal insanity defenses. Some called her decision to dismiss into question, specifically Governor Phil Scott who asked Attorney General T.J. Donovan to review these cases. George, however, felt the governor’s reaction was insulting and set a bad precedent. In a tweet in early June responding to Scott’s request for review, George made it clear that she feels his move is politically motivated. “It is awful that our mental health agencies are failing us, but real leadership requires digging in [More]
Tags: Vermont, Department of Mental Health, mental health institution, Dr. Thomas Powell, legally insane, case, justice system
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Research: Number of suicides continues to rise
By Susan Gonsalves
Surge seen especially in young males New research found that suicide rates reached their highest recorded levels in adolescents and young adults, particularly males aged 15 to 19. Appearing in the medical journal JAMA, the research analyzed data on U.S. deaths between 2000 and 2017 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Underlying Cause of Death database. Oren Miron, MA, research associate at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Biomedical Informatics, led the study. His interest in the topic sparked from personal experience. Miron’s high school friend committed suicide. “My friend was bullied. I realized it’s an age where [More]
Tags: adolescents, suicide, bullying, men, young adults, suicide rates, data, opioid epidemic
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Involuntary shock therapy court-ordered for Connecticut man
By Eileen Weber
This past spring, a probate court ordered a 26-year-old man in Connecticut to undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and involuntary medication at Yale New Haven Hospital. The man, identified only as John Doe, secured the Connecticut Legal Rights Project (CLRP) for his defense in the appeal. The hospital’s attorneys argued for a dismissal, citing the patient has a conservator who must agree. The defense rebutted that state law allows conserved individuals to challenge such cases on their own even if their conservator disagrees. Gina Teixeira, JD, Doe’s attorney at CLRP, contended state law requires less intrusive treatment before implementing the procedure. [More]
Tags: Connecticut, court order, Involuntary shock therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, ECT, involuntary medication, Greater Bridgeport Community Mental Health Center, consent
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »
Shifting cultural patterns challenge therapists who specialize in addiction
By Phyllis Hanlon
The Addiction Center reports that nearly 21 million Americans have at least one addiction; and drug overdose deaths have tripled since 1990. Furthermore, alcohol and drug addiction cost the economy more than $600 billion annually. As addiction continues to take a physical, social and financial toll, mental health professionals strive to help those who struggle. To determine a diagnosis and appropriate course of action, Sean J. McGlew, Psy.D, LP, traumatic stress and addiction psychologist at the Cambridge HealthAlliance outpatient center, created the Comprehensive Use Assessment, a tool that looks at a patient’s current and past relationship with substances, frequency of [More]
Tags: PTSD, alcohol, substance abuse, Addiction Center, cultural patterns, benzodiazepines, cannabis, opiates
Posted in Leading Stories, Articles | No Comments »