Category: Mental Health
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.
Want to ward off the winter blues? Start by counting your steps – new research
We found that reaching 5,000 steps or more per day was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and the prevalence of depression was 42% lower in adults who took 7,500 steps or more per day.
With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research
Marijuana access introduces an alternative treatment to traditional prescription medication that may provide easier access for some patients.
Hallucinogens approved for treating psychiatric disorders: what does the science say?
Hallucinogens are now being presented as a breakthrough in the treatment of severe psychiatric disorders, such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes in combination with psychotherapy).
Despite being presented as innovations, the therapeutic potential of psychedelics is not a new discovery. In the 1960s and 70s, these substances were explored for medical use but quickly fell out of favour due to regulatory restrictions.
Now, in 2024, the question remains: Are psychedelics genuinely effective for treating psychiatric disorders?
You could be stress eating these holidays – or eating your way to stress. 5 tips for the table
Stress eating can include binge eating, grazing, eating late at night, eating quickly or eating past the feeling of fullness. It can also involve craving or eating foods we don’t normally choose.