Posted under Mental Health

Irish Singer Sinead O’Connor in Rehab Treatment for Depression

Last week, Sinead O’Connor tweeted about her current medical condition revealing her recent hospitalization for depression. O’Connor told fans not to worry that she’d be off the radar for several weeks as she pulls herself out of her state of depression and seeks the help she needs, according to a recent post on MSNBC. Continue Reading

Posted under Mental Health

Will Budget Cuts Threaten our Mental Health Care Systems?

When American families at their respective dinner tables discuss cuts in the family expenses, who decides which priorities will rule? How do they reach consensus?

It’s an important question as the nation is in the middle of family budgeting on a grand scale and individuals ought to be contributing to the decisions regarding what gets cut and by how much. Some are worried that mental health budgets are not getting the voice necessary to keep their services available at appropriate levels. Continue Reading

Posted under Mental Health

Substance Abuse among Veterans with Mental Illnesses

Substance abuse treatment centers are becoming more focused at providing treatment for the whole person, screening patients for mental disorders and other health problems. Their focus is in helping the patient achieve full recovery and avoid relapse. Continue Reading

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Cyberbullying Linked to Increases in Mental Health Problems in Teens

For children growing up in the technological generation, the threat of bullying has excelled to a new playing field. Nowadays, adolescents have the capacity to harass each other through cell phones, text messaging, picture messaging, e-mail, chat rooms, social networks, and beyond. New scientific data is revealing that both teenage victims and perpetrators of cyberbullying undergo notably similar psychological and emotional conditions.

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After a Suicide Attempt: What Now?

If you’re in agony over the suicide attempt of your loved one, no doubt you’re perplexed as to the best course of action to take. What should you expect? What should you do? In fact, this is the most critical time – immediately after an attempted suicide. But, what, exactly should you do now?

Short-Term Planning

The first thing to do is to ensure the person is stable. This will most likely require hospitalization, depending on the method of the attempted suicide and how life-threatening the situation is at the present. The suicidal person cannot be left alone during the days immediately following the attempt. They are not rational, and, contrary to popular belief that once they’ve tried to commit suicide and failed, they won’t attempt it again, the truth is that many times they are likely to try it again at some time in the future. Continue Reading

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Young and Old: Populations at Greatest Risk of Suicide

Isn’t it ironic how we feel about age? When you’re young, you can’t wait to be older so you have more freedom to do what you want. When you’re old, you often wish you could just be young again. The fact is, however, that both populations – young and old – have one thing in common: they’re at the greatest risk of suicide.

Emotional distress may have a lot to do with it, along with physical disabilities or conditions, substance abuse, and other factors. We’ll look more in depth at some of the causes of suicide among the young and the old in a minute, but first, let’s examine some statistics. Continue Reading

Posted under Mental Health

Phone Treatment Program Found Effective in Treating Depression

Depression can be a life-consuming ailment for both the individual suffering from the condition and his or her family. Recent research found that those patients who participate in a structured telephone program to manage their depression actually experience significant benefits and only a moderate increase in health care costs.

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How to Beat the Holiday Blues

By Leslie Thompson

Although many people find the holiday season to be full of joy and merriment, millions of people find themselves depressed, lonely, and deeply sad during the holidays. This condition—commonly referred to as the holiday blues or holiday depression—can occur throughout the year, but becomes heightened during the months of November and December, when holiday cheer is in full bloom. The symptoms of holiday depression may resemble those of clinical depression, and there are several triggers.

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Friends and Your Mental Health

By Leslie Thompson

Most people will attest to the fact that friendships play an important role in one’s life. A good friend is there for you during the good times and the bad, through thick and thin, and during moments of despair and those filled with joy. Friends are priceless. But do friendships actually affect an individual’s psychological state and mental well-being? There is a new theory that friendships—whether good or bad—have an impact on an individual’s mental health for the positive and the negative.

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Research Finds Persistent Job Insecurity Impacts Worker Health

In an environment where job security is not always present, new research findings suggest that persistent job insecurity poses a major threat to worker health. This study, out of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, used long-term data from two nationally representative sample surveys of the U.S. population to assess the impact of chronic job insecurity.

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