“The 21st Century Cures Act that gained congressional approval on Wednesday has been championed as a way to speed up drug development, but it’s also the most significant piece of mental health legislation since the 2008 law requiring equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health. The bill includes provisions aimed at fighting the opioid[…]
“Each year, nearly three times as many Americans die from suicide as from homicide. More Americans kill themselves than die from breast cancer. As Dr.Thomas Insel, longtime head of the National Institute of Mental Health, prepared to step down from his job in October, he cited the lack of progress in reducing the number of[…]
“New York is set to begin a $30 million program aimed at providing mental health services to low-income residents with little or no access to care. The program, Connections to Care, will tap existing community organizations that reach low-income residents but are not providing mental health services. Chirlane McCray, chairwoman of the Mayor’s Fund to[…]
“Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the ENIGMA study is co-authored by University of Sydney scholars at the Brain and Mind Research Institute. The research is the largest international study to compare brain volumes in people with and without major depression. It highlights the need to identify and treat depression effectively when it first occurs, particularly among[…]
“In order to keep somebody healthy, you might have to treat their brain and the rest of their body together,” Murphy said in a phone interview. “That means that when you walk into a community health center, and you present with a behavioral health issue, you shouldn’t be sent offsite.” Sen. Murphy is backed by[…]
“The road to wellness begins with you. Below are some tools to help you communicate better with your doctor, keep track of your symptoms and moods, record the progress you’re making, and reach recovery!” Access the resources here Source: dbsalliance.org
“The first large study to compare mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)—a psychological therapy designed to change the way people think and feel about their experiences—with maintenance antidepressant medication suggests that MBCT could offer an alternative to antidepressants for preventing depression relapse. The study investigators aimed to determine whether MBCT with support to taper or discontinue antidepressant[…]
“Her plunge into suicidal darkness began at 39, after the birth of her daughter. Could it be hormonal? Her gynecologist shook her head, then told Stowe about an Emory neurologist named Helen Mayberg she had just read about, who was doing a special type of brain surgery with electrodes for treatment-resistant depression, with promising results.[…]
“Parenting is difficult enough when you feel fantastic, but when you’re struggling with depression, it can seem downright impossible. It need not be so, though. Experiencing depression doesn’t mean you can’t be an incredible, loving, smart, and effective parent … Don’t hesitate to reach out. Ask for help from your spouse or partner, friends, an extended[…]
“Although the holy grail of personalized therapy — be it with psychotropic drugs or psychotherapy — has proved elusive, we’ve learned a lot recently about individual factors that might predict a better response to one type of treatment over another. Dr. Helen Mayberg, a professor of psychiatry at Emory University, recently published a study in[…]
