Published: February 6, 2010
The Economists’ take on the DSM-V That way, madness lies
ON FEBRUARY 10th the world of psychiatry will be asked, metaphorically, to lie on the couch and answer questions about the state it thinks it is in. For that is the day the American Psychiatric Association (APA) plans to release a draft of the fifth version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Mental illness carrying the stigma that it does, and the brain being as little-understood as it is, revising the DSM is always a controversial undertaking. This time, however, some of the questions asked of the process are likely to be particularly probing. link to read full article
Source: The Economist
Published: February 6, 2010
David Van Nuys Wise Counsel Podcast , a podcast interview series sponsored by Mentalhelp.net, covering topics in mental health, wellness, and psychotherapy. interviews Paul Ekman, Ph.D. on Emotional Expression.
Source: Mental Health.Net
Published: February 6, 2010
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Exposure to ecstasy or cocaine during adolescence increases the “reinforcing effects” that make people vulnerable to developing an addiction. This is the main conclusion of a research team from the University of Valencia (UV), which has shown for the first time how these changes persist into adulthood.
“Although MDMA and cocaine are psychoactive substances frequently used by teenagers, very few studies have been done to analyse the short and long-term consequences of joint exposure to these drugs”, José Miñarro, lead author of the study and coordinator of the Psychobiology of Drug Addiction group at the UV, tells SINC [continue reading…]
Published: February 5, 2010
Physicians use a variety of therapies to treat depression, including antidepressant medications. A new study reviewing research on these drugs shows while they offer a substantial benefit in treating very severe depression, they seem to have little or no effect treating mild or moderate depression. Catherine Dolf has more in this week’s JAMA Report.
Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
