The Sound of Madness
From Harper's Magazine: People who hear positive, encouraging voices often seen as spiritual guides or messages and people diagnosed with schizophrenia are usually thought of as...
Differing Depression Diagnostic Tools May Influence Research Findings
The type of diagnostic assessment used in research settings, either fully structured or semi-structured interview, may affect which participants in receive a diagnosis of major depression.
Hopeless But Not Broken: From George Carlin to Protest Music
From CounterPunch: Although people are often pathologized and shamed for feeling hopeless, hopelessness is sometimes a natural reaction to an oppressive political climate. George Carlin...
Rethinking Madness and Medication: Researcher Discusses Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal and Survivor Movements
New understandings of medication and withdrawal experiences warrant rethinking conceptualizations of health and “madness."
Social Scientists Question Growing Neuro Discourse
Anthropologists analyze discourse surrounding anthropological engagement with the neurosciences in an editorial recently published in Medical Anthropology.
The Shamanic View of Mental Illness
From UPLIFT: In the shamanic view, emotional distress and psychosis signal a spiritual awakening or emergence, not a pathology. Western cultures can learn a great...
Yoga Improves Quality of Life for Elementary Students
A new study finds that a school-based yoga program improves third graders’ emotional and psychosocial quality of life.
Temperamentally Blessed
From Aeon: The finding that only one in five people avoid any kind of mental health problems or psychiatric diagnoses through their lives has prompted...
Researchers Question “Gold Standard” Status of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Researchers argue for plurality and diversity among psychotherapy approaches and question the perceived superiority of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Homogenization of Psychotherapy and Counseling
In this piece for Transcend Media Service, Dr. Anthony J. Marsella critiques the standardization of mental health treatment, arguing that it overlooks cultural and individual...
People Think Research is More Credible When It Includes “Extraneous” Brain Images
People show greater trust in studies with neuroscience language, graphs, and especially brain images.
New Meta-Analysis: Mindfulness Interventions Effective for Psychiatric Disorders
A meta-analysis of mindfulness-based interventions shows efficacy for treating depression, physical pain, smoking, and addictive disorders.
Here’s How to Beat Anxiety Without Medication
From The Independent: The medication that is frequently prescribed to treat anxiety often does not work in the long-term. According to a new study, a variety...
Philosophers Question the Separation of Medicine and Culture
Radically questioning the distinction between the objectivity of science and the subjectivity of culture can give way to powerful biocultural methods of healing.
How Victimization Affects Political Engagement in Adolescence
Study examines relationships between experiences of victimization, beliefs in government, and political participation among 12th grade students
Bright Light Therapy More Effective Than Medication Alone for Bipolar Depression
A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial has found bright light therapy to be a powerful intervention that could provide an alternative to medication for people with “bipolar depression.”
Antonio Damasio, Feeling, and the Evolution of Consciousness
From the Los Angeles Review of Books: In his new book The Strange Order of Things, neuroscientist Antonio Damasio highlights the role of feeling and subjectivity...
Social Inclusion and Stipend Enhance Recovery, Study Suggests
A new study explores the benefits of a befriending program in the recovery of those with “enduring mental illness.”
Judi Chamberlin and the Fight Against Institutionalizing Women
In this piece for Rooted in Rights, s.e. smith chronicles the life of Judi Chamberlin and discusses the important role she played at the intersection of...
Physical Activity and Exercise May Prevent Depression, Study Finds
Everyday exercise, regardless of intensity, can prevent the development of depressive symptoms.
Psychiatric Diagnosis Can Lead to Epistemic Injustice, Researchers Claim
A discussion of the role of epistemic injustice in the experiences of patients diagnosed with psychiatric disorders.
Why U.K. Doctors Are Doling Out ‘Social Prescriptions’
From CBS Radio: U.K. doctors are increasingly prescribing social interventions — community based solutions such as art classes, gardening clubs, and walking groups — as an alternative...
Mindfulness Intervention Can Prevent Depression, Study Finds
A combined mindfulness and behavioral activation intervention is shown to reduce depressive symptoms and serve as a preventative factor for major depressive disorder.
Study Explores Māori Community’s Multifaceted Understanding of “Psychosis”
A new study explores how “psychosis” and “schizophrenia” are viewed within the Māori community in New Zealand.
Soteria: Reflections on “Being With”
From the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care: Yana Jacobs, LMFT reflects on her experiences providing art therapy at a Soteria House and "being...
