Category: Mental Health
Wings, booze and heartbreak – what my research says about the hidden costs of sports fandom
The researchers found that fans consume more calories – and less healthy food – on the day following a loss by their favorite team, a reaction the researchers tied to stress and disappointment.
The growing fad of ‘microdosing’ mushrooms is leading to an uptick in poison control center calls and emergency room visits
Microdosing involves the ingestion of small quantities of psychoactive mushrooms, less than a regular dose and not in sufficient quantities to induce a “trip” or psychedelic experience, but to boost mood, creativity, concentration or productivity.
Medicaid cuts are likely to worsen mental health care in rural America
Medicaid cuts in the massive tax and spending bill signed into law earlier this month will worsen mental health disparities in those communities, experts say, as patients lose coverage and rural health centers are unable to remain open amid a loss of funds.
Dogs are helping people regulate stress even more than expected, research shows
Dogs aren’t just good company. They might just be one of the most accessible and effective tools for staying healthy in a stressful world.
Suicide Rates Remain Higher in Rural Areas, Study
Between 2018 and 2020, the suicide rate again increased across the country, but more so in rural areas, the researchers found. When looking at urban areas overall, researchers found that suicide rates averages about 14 suicides per 100,000. Looking at the overall rural area, average rates neared 20 per 100,000.
Online therapy as effective as in-person therapy, finds large study
We aren’t certain why remote care works, but one reason might be that the most important aspects of good therapy – things like building trust between patient and therapist, using evidence-based treatments and regular follow-up – can still occur online. In fact, for some people, meeting by video can make it easier to show up and feel comfortable.
Proposed Federal Cuts Put Rural Behavioral Health Resources on the Line
The proposed FY2026 Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) budget would cut nearly $1 billion and dozens of programs from SAMHSA following a March announcement that SAMHSA would be one of five agencies folded into a new, centralized Administration for a Healthy America. BCOR is one of the grants eliminated in the current budget proposal.
Five prescription drugs that can make it harder to cope with the heat
As temperatures rise, so does the risk of heat-related illness – especially for people taking certain prescription drugs.
Book Review: A Clear-Eyed Look at the Risks of ‘Diagnosis Creep’
Are normal differences among individuals being diagnosed as medical conditions?
Teachers and librarians are among those least likely to die by suicide − public health researchers offer insights on what this means for other professions
National and state data shows that educators in the U.S., including teachers, professors and librarians, are among the least likely to die by suicide.
Cutting Edge: The Cautious Optimism for Psychiatric Brain Surgery
Originally known as psychosurgery, this uncommon approach to mental health care involves operating on the brain to alter its function. After lobotomies left many vulnerable patients disabled in the mid-20th century, the practice lost momentum and acquired a stigma. But surgeons in the field continued to refine their techniques. Now, psychiatric neurosurgery, a more nimble descendent, has seen an uptick in the treatment of conditions like severe OCD, and — more rarely — treatment-resistant depression and anxiety.
‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience
Given the effects early-life stress exposure has on a child’s development, many people worried the pandemic would create a generation of children who wouldn’t achieve their potential. But the most recent evidence suggests that pandemic babies are doing better than anyone expected.
Eating disorders don’t just affect teen girls. The risk may go up around pregnancy and menopause too
Eating disorders and body image concerns are most common in teenage girls, but their prevalence in adults, particularly in women, aged in their 30s, 40s and 50s, is actually close behind.
Decluttering can be stressful − a clinical psychologist explains how personal values can make it easier
Hoarding disorder is a psychiatric condition defined by urges to save items and difficulty discarding current possessions. For adults with “clinically severe” hoarding disorder, this leads to a level of household clutter that impairs daily functioning and can even create a fire hazard.
‘A scarlet letter’: States aim to end stigma of doctors seeking mental health care
More than 40% of physicians, as well as medical school students and residents, cite fear of disclosure requirements on licensure forms as a main reason why they don’t seek mental health care.