#suicide health community psychiatry

[trans-axolotl]

hey do you have an antipsych reading list or anything like that? i’m trying to learn more about the topic. thank you!

yes!! This is more a list of mad studies books than like, sociological theory from the 60s because disability justice + mad pride is more what I vibe with, but if you want some more in-depth theory recommendations I can do that as well. blanket trigger warning that all of these books discuss psychiatric abuse, institutionalization, and many of them candidly address topics of suicide, mental distress, and sexual assault. If anyone wants more specific trigger warnings please feel free to ask!

Books:

The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang: This book is a fabulous collection of essays based on the author's own experience of schizophrenia, and explores the complexities of diagnosis and institutionalization.

Brilliant Imperfection by Eli Clare: This book is incredibly important to me and explores the concept of cure, what it means to have anti-cure politics, and all the nuances of cure. Truly a beautifully written book and I really recommend it.

Disability Incarcerated: Imprisonment and Disability in the United States and Canada edited by Liat Ben Moshe: This book is an amazing exploration of institutionalization and incarceration from so many different perspectives, including the special ed to prison pipeline, segregation, psychiatric medicine within prisons, and how institutionalization functions as incarceration. This book can be challenging to read as a psych survivor, but I highly recommend it.

How to Go Mad without Losing Your Mind: Madness and Black Radical Creativity by La Marr Jurelle Bruce: I highly recommend this book. It really delves into complex meanings of madness, how that's tied to radical tradition, aesthetics, art, liberation, so much more, and also really engages mad studies and Black cultural studies.

Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill by Robert Whitaker: I think this book can be a good foundation for learning the history of psychiatry in America in particular, and although I don't necessarily vibe with everything in this book, I think it is still absolutely worth reading and engaging with critically!

The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease by Johnathan Metzl This book does a really good job looking at the history of psychosis in the context of the United States, the civil rights movement, and how pyschosis diagnoses connects to eugenics and slavery.

Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates by Erving Goffman I have not actually read this yet, but it is a classic and it's been on my reading list since @bioethicists recommended it to me!

Open in Emergency: DSM II: Asian American Edition edited by Mimi Khúc This collection of essays has so many different fabulous perspectives on mental health, disability justice, community, and resistance.

Miscellaneous:

Girls do what they have to do to Survive: Illuminating Methods used by Girls in the Sex Trade and Street Economy to Fight back and Heal by the Young Women's Empowerment Project I'm including this on the list even though it might not connect as clearly to antipsychiatry as some of the other titles, because reading this was transformative to me for understanding my own experiences and the ways in which social services like the medical system are not our friends. I also view liberatory harm reduction as essential to building alternatives to psychiatry and YWEP is so completely foundational and groundbreaking in many ways.

Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs

Cutting the Risk: Harm Reduction and Self Harm I want to add an extra trigger warning for in-depth discussion of self harm and anatomy, including anatomy diagrams.

Asylum Magazine

Mad In America Website--this can be a good place to keep up with psychiatric news in America.

This is very much not a complete list, so followers PLEASE add on!

[uselessheretic]

i feel like i see the thing relatively often where someone will say that ed's not actually that mentally ill, fans are just racist and also somehow this is izzy's fault because the only time he shows symptoms of mental illness is through izzy supposedly. even though in episode four alone we see him talk about suicide ideation, how discontent he is in life, and how burnt out he is.

but when people urge others to add an antiracist lens to their analysis and point out the historical racism within the psychiatric system it seems like?? they think that the only explanation is for ed to just be a lil depressed and that poc who are otherwise perfectly fine are constantly being slapped with extreme diagnoses. which, that is a thing that happens btw. people will call the cops on and forcefully institutionalize black folks who they have disagreements with and weaponize psychiatry against them.

that said, when talking about something like the uneven diagnosis distribution between poc and white people of schizophrenia (since that's something that's been researched) it's not that doctors are talking people who are otherwise perfectly mentally healthy and attributing their behavior to mental illness (although again it does happen.) usually though what people are referring to is how doctors are quick to diagnose poc with schizophrenia before doing their proper diligence and going over the other possibilities including histories of depression, trauma, and abuse. certain traits they exhibit are overemphasized and others minimized or ignored. a black person and white person may show the same exact symptoms, but the doctor will first have the white person tested for PTSD or BPD and try alternative treatment plans, while marking the black person off before considering other possibilities.

it's dangerous and disturbing where poc will be put through a series of medications that do not help, receive no treatment for the actual root of the problem, and then in the process often be criminalized as well since there is a much greater social stigma and forced state control over people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

i just feel like if you're gonna talk about ed and misdiagnosis through a racial lens, it'd be more accurate for him to immediately get diagnosed with something like schizophrenia without the doctor doing anything more to look into him. ignoring things like his history of child abuse and how trauma can cause certain responses. or for something he said metaphorically to be taken as literal where he might describe himself when angry as "the kraken" and the doctor marks that down as a sign of delusions. overemphasizing verbal expressions of angers as signs of violence. hearing ed say "it feels like my boss is out to get me" where he means that the boss keeps picking on him and it feels racially motivated, and the doctor puts on the record that he suffers from paranoia.

also just saying but there is actually a LOT out there you can read about māori mental health and the issues surrounding NZ's system. about 1 in 3 māori adults meet criteria for a mental disorder and this is a result of a racist health system, poverty, and, very importantly, colonialism. but like? i promise you don't need to create your own theories on how ed's identity interacts with mental health as if you're the first person to considered that. kaupapa māori mental health services are literal resources in place to address māori mental health needs within a cultural context. like! it's very cool actually for these things to be made available through hard community work that rejects colonialist psychiatric systems and instead utilizes a holistic and indigenous approach to wellness.

idk it's just so much more complicated than ignoring ed's very real mental illness and writing it off as no biggie. tbh it feels very um american centric as well to make assertions about relationships to mental health and race without ever acknowledging the specific community history here and that this isn't a new conversation. if you want to say you're examining ed through an anticolonialist framework then it would help if you did literally any work to find out what that looks like currently.

[ewan-mo]

“At home” in Kisiizi, and encouraging developments

2nd March 2023

“At home” in Kisiizi, and encouraging developments

2nd March 2023

In one of our conversations at Kisiizi, Moses the hospital secretary reminded us that Kisiizi was our “second home”. Our welcome certainly suggested that we were part of the family. How lovely.

Georgious is the Psychiatric Clinical Officer who leads the mental health service at Kisiizi. His report was exciting as he told us of new developments and possibilities. And perhaps most importantly, we heard Georgious’s enthusiasm, leadership and vision. 

The ward and patient shelter

mhGAP training, sponsored by JF, has proved to have had remarkable results. 

When Covid struck, and senior mental health professionals couldn’t travel to the outlying clinics, the newly trained staff at the rural health centres carried on providing mental health treatment and support as they now know what to do.

A young clinician trained in mhGAP has been promoted to in-charge of the mental health ward.

Prima, who qualified in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, was inspired to renew her adult mental health skills by mhGAP training. 

On her way to school

Georgious is much more confident that if he has to be absent, the young team collaborate to share the responsibility of caring for the patients together. Georgious is in no doubt that mhGAP has made a significant difference. He says that staff are eager to apply their new knowledge and skills, and he can see the development in the way they work. His newly trained colleagues say they are not just wanting to pass exams as they were during their studies, they really want to use what they have learnt. And a good proportion of the mhGAP trainees have continued to practise their new skills. 

Georgious has also led the workshops for Community Leaders’ Sensitisation. He says there is now clearly much better understanding of the nature of mental illness and epilepsy. The mental health team have a very good partnership with local teachers, and the police continue to refer potential patients. 

Perhaps most excitingly, some of the pastors have really begun to change both their thinking and their practice. One pastor, for example, has identified 12 people who might have epilepsy or mental illness, brought them to the hospital, and stayed with them as they were assessed and started on treatment. He is now following them up and ensuring that the patients continue with their treatment.

This is a wonderful development, as the local church pastors are key people in their communities. Both we and Georgious are very hopeful that many more might follow this example. 

If you have contributed to Jamie’s Fund in the last few years, your donation has helped to bring about all of this remarkable progress. Thank you so much for that.

Mobile phones get everywhere!

Georgious would like to expand the workshop programme to district level – he says that the district teams meet many patients and have the potential to be very supportive. Conversations with Kuule, who works at Bwindi hospital, have encouraged Georgious to make plans also to sensitise Village Health Volunteers – more key players in the life of village communities. 

We were pleased that Dr Henry, the relatively new Medical Superintendent, was listening closely to  Georgious’ report. Together with Moses we needed to have some discussion on matters less encouraging and more challenging. The team lost a patient to suicide recently, and this has provoked a renewed discussion on security, and their protocols on risk assessment and observation. 

Another challenging issue is the number of patients who stay too long! Several patients have been left on the ward and abandoned by their families. In some cases they can’t even tell the team where they come from. In spite of best endeavours using community networks to try to trace the families, these have failed. The ward is left with these people who are technically no longer patients and have long been ready for discharge. Others are held until the families come to pay the fees due. 

Kisiizi’s aim has always been “care for the vulnerable” and the management see this group of people as in that category. But the situation means that the mental health service has a big bill assigned to it, even when these individuals should not be there and aren’t a cost in terms of mentally illness. It is more a social work issue. This is a huge challenge. There is also an imbalance of unwell and well people, and too many extra beds down the middle of the wards.

We also talked of the Good Samaritan Fund, which provides for patients and families who cannot afford to pay for their psychiatric medicines. Georgious is of the view that if they could further expand community services and keep people well, patients would be less likely to relapse and need comparatively expensive medication. I think he is right. 

When we were here last year we were struck by the negative impact of covid. It seemed to us that the whole country was depressed. This time it’s not so obvious, but there are still some concerns.

There is increased poverty, and fewer patients attending the hospital, resulting in a lower income. Patients not attending means they don’t get care from the team, and they probably don’t get medicine either, resulting in a higher number of patients relapsing. 

There are psychosocial effects: increased rates of gender based violence, for example. Children have not been in school, and Georgious feels that many of them are losing hope. Some teachers took to alcohol during lockdowns.   Higher pregnancy rates in girls and young women have negative results in many ways. 

Families are less likely to afford medication because they have so little income; in addition, the drugs have became much more expensive, something we’ve seen around the world.

Kisiizi Hospital has, as always, tried to help the most vulnerable, and the School of Nursing has provided food for poorer patients where relatives cannot prepare meals for the inpatients.

The discussion took much of the morning. You remember that in a previous blog one of the sisters said they appreciated us coming because they felt loved. Moses commented that “when Ewan and Mo come it’s like an Annual General Meeting”!

But he also reminded us that “even if it’s a flying visit it’s important for us.” It’s important for JF too – we need to know that the funds you donate and we distribute are being put to the best use. 

They are.

The vehicle bought by JF years ago with funds raised from a sponsored cycle. Still going well and 190,000 km on the clock.

[dalisay17]

Dear Friend,

Kumusta ka na? Last tayo nag-usap, kakapasa ko ng boards, tapos nagtanong ka ng second opinion for your condition. You'd told me that all the doctors you've seen had brushed you off, and no solution seemed to have been reached. After that, radio silence.

We were never close, and you were just an acquaintance who happened to be someone I went to school with both in elementary and high school, but the news hit me like a train wreck yesterday. How is it that I find out na wala ka na in passing? In a minor detail during someone else's life update, and that it occurred YEARS before now, during the pandemic? Akala ko dahil sa sakit, na lumala yung condition mo at hindi ka na nakahanap ng akmang doktor for you. But to hear that you decided to close your life story with your own hands, due to circumstances you couldn't escape - ang sakit.

Andami naming kina-counsel na psychosocial cases sa clinic sa work ko ngayon. And as we grew older, mas naging aware ako sa mga kwento ng dilim na kinailangang harapin ng mga batchmates natin even before high school, from places that were supposed to keep them safe - you included.

The realizations about these got me thinking of possibly taking up Psychiatry eventually. And with the journals and books I read in between community health work, with the added knowledge of what happened to you - napaisip ako na baka yung chronic fatigue mo was not a syndrome in itself, but the unfortunate consequence of things you couldn't tell me about. In my line of work, I hear about and meet a lot of people who hurt themselves, some we can save, some with fates we've failed to follow-up.

Hindi ko alam if sobrang desensitized ko na sa death, but it seems every long post I've had lately since graduating, I've written about people we've lost. Like you. And just two, three weeks back, we had 2 more deaths - one a suicide, another from an unfortunate surgical case addressed too late. Earlier this year, a fellow doctor's death also shook us. The circumstances may have been different, but losses deeply felt all the same.

I don't know if our thoughts ever reach the dead, but I hope you aren't hurting anymore, wherever you are. Or if reincarnation is a thing, your next life is kinder, happier and with better circumstances. We'll keep doing our best to hold the line here, to create a better world, so people don't need to follow through with the pain the way you did.

But for now, I hope you rest to make up for all the times you couldn't, and get to do all the things you wanted that you were prevented from doing! And when we see each other again, you'll have the smile you've always deserved to have.

Good night. Until we meet again.

[deepaksan]

Mental Health & Psychiatry Conference 2025

The fields of mental health and psychiatry are closely linked and crucial for understanding and caring for individuals’ well-being. Although mental health includes various emotional, psychological, and social aspects, psychiatry specifically focuses on identifying, treating, and preventing mental disorders. Having a thorough understanding of both domains is essential in developing a complete perspective on how society can assist individuals in maintaining good mental health. We are excited to inform you about the Mental Health & Psychiatry 2025 International Conference, set to take place on June 23-24, 2025, in Las Vegas, USA.

This year’s focus will explore how traditional psychiatric techniques and alternative therapies can be combined to improve mental health, under the theme “Integrative Approaches to Mental Health: Bridging Psychiatry, Psychology, and Holistic Care.” Attendees will be able to engage with distinguished international professionals and influential thinkers who will present groundbreaking research and creative approaches in mental health treatment.

Psychiatry Conference 2025, spanning two days, will include an interesting schedule of scientific talks, interactive conversations, and chances to make connections, bringing together experts and groups at the forefront of the psychiatry field.

The 2025 International Conference on Mental Health & Psychiatry aims to serve as a worldwide stage for exchanging ideas and highlighting the most recent advancements in mental health. We are looking forward to your participation in what promises to be a beneficial and cooperative opportunity.

Research Topics

Here are a few trending topics in Mental Health & Psychiatry Conference .

Advances in Depression Treatment

Latest research on psychiatric medications, including new drug developments and personalized medicine approaches.

Anxiety Disorders: New Approaches in Therapy

Stress Management Techniques and Innovations

Neuroscience and Mental Health Research

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Applications and Outcomes

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Psychiatric Disorders and Comorbidities

Innovations in Psychopharmacology

Mental Health and Addiction: Integrated Approaches

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Management

Bipolar Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment Advances

Managing mental health in individuals with chronic physical illnesses and the interplay between physical and mental health.

Schizophrenia: Current Research and Therapeutic Developments

Telepsychiatry: Expanding Access to Mental Health Care

Personality Disorders: New Research Insights

Psychiatric Nursing: Evolving Roles and Practices

Mindfulness and Meditation in Mental Health

Suicide Prevention: Strategies and Interventions

Eating Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment

Psychiatric Rehabilitation: Approaches and Effectiveness

Crisis Intervention in Mental Health Care

Mental Health

Mental health pertains to our overall cognitive, emotional, and social welfare. It impacts individuals’ thoughts, emotions, actions, relationships, stress management, and life choices. Having good mental health enables individuals to reach their maximum potential, handle everyday challenges effectively, maintain a high level of productivity at work, and actively participate in their communities.

The state of mental health is always changing and can be influenced by various factors like biological traits, life events, and surroundings. Mental health is more than just not having a mental illness; it involves having overall well-being with psychological strength and stability.

Importance of Mental Health

Mental well-being is crucial for overall health and is strongly connected to physical well-being. It impacts every aspect of our lives, from our job performance to our social interactions and our resilience in facing difficulties. Decreased mental well-being can greatly impact quality of life and result in social withdrawal, joblessness, and even long-term physical health issues such as heart disease and diabetes.

Furthermore, mental wellbeing is crucial in:

Cognitive Functioning: Having a healthy mind is essential for effective decision-making, problem-solving, and clear thinking.

Emotional stability is supported by mental health, enabling individuals to cope with stress, anxiety, and challenging life events.

Social connections: They make it easier to build and sustain strong bonds with loved ones, buddies, and coworkers.

Factors effecting Mental Health

Various factors can affect an individual’s mental health, including:

Biological Factors:

Genetics: Hereditary factors can predispose individuals to certain mental health conditions like schizophrenia, depression, or bipolar disorder.

Neurochemical Imbalances: Imbalances in brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine can affect mood, emotions, and behavior.

Physical Health: Chronic health conditions or diseases can contribute to poor mental health by causing emotional distress or limiting a person’s ability to engage in life activities.

Psychological Factors:

Personality Traits: Certain personality traits, such as neuroticism or low self-esteem, may increase the risk of mental health issues.

Cognitive Patterns: Negative thinking patterns, rumination, or an inability to cope with stress can affect mental well-being.

Social and Environmental Factors:

Life Experiences: Traumatic events such as abuse, neglect, or violence can have long-lasting effects on mental health.

Socioeconomic Status: Poverty, unemployment, or low education can lead to chronic stress and increase vulnerability to mental health problems.

Family and Social Support: A lack of strong family support or social networks can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression.

Common Mental Health Disorders

Feeling sad and hopeless for an extended period of time is a sign of depression.

A mood disorder marked by continual feelings of sadness, decreased interest in activities, tiredness, and alterations in sleep or eating habits.

Disorders related to anxiety:

Some of these conditions are generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, and phobias. They entail an abundance of concern, anxiety, or tension that is out of proportion to the circumstances.

Manic-depressive illness, or bipolar disorder, is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings.

An illness that results in severe changes in mood, from extreme sadness to intense happiness, impacting energy, actions, and decision-making.

A mental disorder characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to understand what is real.

A serious mental disorder that impacts an individual’s thoughts, emotions, and actions. Hallucinations, delusions, and distorted perception of reality can be part of it.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

A state characterized by unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive actions (compulsions) done to reduce stress.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD:

Occurs following a traumatic experience and includes flashbacks, nightmares, and intense anxiety.

Introduction to Psychiatry

Role of Psychiatrists in Mental Health

Psychiatrists play a crucial role in mental health care by:

Diagnosing Mental Illnesses: Through interviews, clinical assessments, and diagnostic tools (such as the DSM-5), psychiatrists evaluate symptoms to diagnose mental health disorders.

Prescribing Medications: Psychiatrists can prescribe psychiatric medications like antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and anxiolytics to help manage symptoms.

Providing Psychotherapy: In addition to medication, many psychiatrists offer various forms of psychotherapy to address psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues.

Collaborating with Other Professionals: Psychiatrists often work with psychologists, social workers, and other mental health professionals to offer comprehensive care.

How Psychiatrists Help

Psychiatrists help people with mental health issues by:

Listening to Their Problems: They will ask about your symptoms, such as feeling sad, anxious, or confused, and use this information to diagnose what’s wrong.

Creating a Treatment Plan: Based on the diagnosis, a psychiatrist will develop a treatment plan. This might include medication, therapy, or both.

Monitoring Progress: Psychiatrists regularly check in with their patients to see how the treatment is going and adjust medications or therapy as needed.

Diagnostic Methods in Psychiatry

The process of diagnosing mental health conditions is multi-faceted. It involves:

Clinical Interviews: In-depth conversations to gather information about the patient’s history, symptoms, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Psychometric Testing: Standardized tests that measure cognitive abilities, emotional functioning, and personality traits.

Physical Examinations: To rule out underlying medical conditions that may be causing or contributing to mental health symptoms.

DSM-5 Criteria: Psychiatrists use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a reference for diagnosis, which provides detailed descriptions of mental health disorders.

Treatment Approaches in Psychiatry

Psychiatric treatment involves both medical and therapeutic interventions, tailored to the individual’s specific needs. The main approaches include:

Medications in Psychiatry

Psychiatrists often use medications to help manage mental health symptoms. Medications work by changing the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, which can help improve mood, reduce anxiety, or control psychotic symptoms. Some of the common medications include:

SSRIs: These are antidepressants that increase serotonin levels in the brain, helping to lift mood.

Antipsychotics: These help reduce symptoms like hallucinations and delusions in people with severe mental health conditions like schizophrenia.

Benzodiazepines: These are used to reduce anxiety, but they can be addictive if used for too long.

Pharmacological Treatments:

Psychiatrists often prescribe medications to stabilize mood, reduce anxiety, or manage psychosis. Common medications include:

Antidepressants: For treating depression and anxiety disorders.

Mood Stabilizers: For bipolar disorder and other mood disorders.

Antipsychotics: For schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Anxiolytics: For managing anxiety and panic disorders.

Psychotherapeutic Treatments:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Focuses on changing negative thinking patterns and behaviors.

Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores unconscious processes and past experiences to gain insight into current behaviors.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Helps people manage emotions and stress, particularly in cases of borderline personality disorder.

Family Therapy: Addresses family dynamics and relationships that may be contributing to mental health issues.

Psychopharmacology and Psychiatric Medications

Psychopharmacology is the study of how medications affect the brain and behavior. In psychiatry, medications play a key role in altering brain chemistry to alleviate symptoms of mental illnesses. These medications include:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Commonly used to treat depression and anxiety by increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain.

Antipsychotics: Help manage symptoms of psychosis, such as delusions and hallucinations, by influencing neurotransmitters like dopamine.

Benzodiazepines: Often prescribed for short-term management of anxiety due to their calming effects, though they can be addictive if used long-term.

Therapeutic Interventions in Psychiatry

Therapy is often used alongside medication to address the psychological aspects of mental health

Preventing Mental Health Problems

Prevention focuses on early detection and intervention to reduce the impact of mental health issues. Steps to maintain good mental health include:

Managing Stress: Practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or exercise.

Building Strong Relationships: Maintaining connections with friends and family can provide emotional support during tough times.

Seeking Help Early: If you start to feel overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed, talk to someone or seek professional help before it becomes more serious.

Challenges in Mental Health Care

While awareness of mental health issues is growing, many challenges remain, such as:

Lack of Access: In many places, especially in developing countries, there are not enough mental health services or professionals to meet the demand.

Stigma: Many people are still afraid or embarrassed to seek help for mental health problems because of the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Cost: Mental health treatment can be expensive, and insurance doesn’t always cover the cost of therapy or medication.

[tallmantall]

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Suicide is Preventable. Anyone can Make a Difference! September is National Suicide Prevention Month

By Justine Cowan Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, Md  –  September is National Suicide Prevention Month to raise awareness and increase knowledge about a problem that has sadly affected too many people across the country. In observance of National Suicide Prevention Month, Walter Reed will host a “Heart of Hope and Resource Fair” on Sept. 9 and 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days in the America lobby (Bldg. 19, first floor). Also, there will be the following staff/provider suicide prevention training offered at Walter Reed: • SafeTALK Workshop, a half-day training focusing on the four basic steps in suicide alertness skills to create a life-saving connection, will be held on Sept. 4 and 25 in Bldg. 85T, second floor, room C209.• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), a two-day training offering participants information to identify people at risk of suicide and tips to intervene to help them stay safe, will be held on Sept.17-18 and Nov. 12-13 in Bldg. 85T, second floor, room C209. • Additional staff suicide prevention training (hosted by Columbia University) will be held on Sept. 24 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) in the Memorial Auditorium. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Link for 40 Habits Signupbit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealth If you'd like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here's the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub Suicide is a leading cause of death and affects people of all ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s a major public health concern that not only claims the life of the victim, but can also have long-term repercussions on family, friends and communities. Walter Reed’s Directorate of Behavioral Health and Department of Pastoral Care offer services to assist people with challenges. The Directorate of Behavioral Health includes psychiatry, psychology and social work. Regarding the holistic benefits of behavioral health care provided at Walter Reed, Army Col. (Dr.) Aniceto Navarro, who heads the directorate. “There are Behavioral Health providers in different clinics now, embedded there, working hand-in-hand with medical and surgical staff to help address the patients with challenges of new diagnoses,” he explained. The Department of Pastoral Care, a robust team of military chaplains, enlisted religious program specialists and contracted religious professionals from various faiths, provides care spiritual care and support to patients, staff, service members, and their families at Walter Reed, with the goal of developing and strengthening personal and spiritual resiliency for facing life’s many challenges. In addition to religious services and pastoral care, Pastoral Care provides a number of “life- skills” trainings and workshops, including suicide awareness and prevention education. Through the Navy’s Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operation (CREDO), chaplains and religious program specialists receive training to facilitate suicide prevention and intervention workshops known as SafeTALK and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), designed to enable participants better recognize and help those who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. U.S. Navy Chaplain (Lt.) Luis Martinez, DPC’s division officer, explained that SafeTALK is a half-day interactive training that focuses on “suicide alertness” and teaches participants how to better identify persons at risk and connect them to other resources for intervention, while ASIST is an intensive two-day training program that teaches participants how to do suicide interventions for those at risk. Both SafeTALK and ASIST teach practical skills based on evidence-based research. For instance, if you notice a person’s behaviors are different from that person’s normal behaviors (e.g., withdrawn, change in attitude, giving away possessions, etc.), the person may be consciously or unconsciously inviting you to ask them if they are considering suicide. Will you care enough to ask, “Are you thinking of suicide/killing yourself?” “Believe it or not, it seems that the hardest thing for someone to do is to ask that very important question in an explicitly direct way,” said U.S. Navy Chaplain (Capt.) Chris Hester, chief of Pastoral Care. “Most people actually avoid asking about suicide directly, which may mean that they really do not want to know the answer. Asking the question directly in a nonjudgemental manner gives the person at risk permission to discuss this sensitive subject and also means that you are willing to listen.” SafeTALK and ASIST teach participants effective ways for asking the question of suicide directly and also how to do so tactfully so that it does not seem abrupt. Hester and Martinez noted that everyone experiences times of trouble and significant loss, so anyone can be at risk for suicide. It is important to remain on suicide alert for all persons, regardless of rank or pay grade, they added.Hester also mentioned the importance of “spiritual readiness” or “spiritual fitness” for the military, noting that there is significant data and evidence-based research indicating that religion and spirituality can have positive impact on both mental and physical health, including reducing suicide within the ranks. Fellows in the Social Work Fellowship Program are responsible for arranging to have staff training conducted by Columbia University at Walter Reed. The Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scale (CSSRS) is a widely used tool for assessing suicide risk.In addition, the sociology and psychiatry fellows plan the annual labyrinth suicide awareness walk at Walter Reed. The walk encourages participants to reflect while walking the labyrinth in the America Bldg.’s courtyard, picking up a rock, writing a message or the name of a suicide victim on the rock, and putting it down as a way of symbolically releasing the grief and inspiring hope. For more information about Pastoral Care at Walter Reed, call 301-295-1510. For information about Behavioral Health, call the Adult Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic at 301-295-0500, or the Child & Adolescent Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic at 301-295-0576. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS IN CRISIS: Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Lifeline provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. Call 911 in life-threatening situations. Read the full article

[protected-and-loved-by-castiel]

The med/psych system is losing or failing most neurodivergent people. This is the most common theme I am hearing from patients, parents, teachers, and therapists alike. And it’s not just that we are “falling through the cracks” in the system or being neglected, though those are valid concerns. The bigger concern is that the med/psych system is actively harming many neurodivergent people by forcing cultural assimilation.

The current system of treating mental health is designed to force one culture to act like another. Psychiatry in its modern form is still deeply influenced by a history of eugenics, sterilization laws, and incarceration under the guise of treatment.

The pathology paradigm creates separate groups - the ingroup and the outsiders, the normal and the abnormal, the socially acceptable and the socially unacceptable. Treatments and interventions are then sold to the outgroup to “help” them become like the ingroup. Those who still cannot conform even with “help” are assigned to yet a third group - the treatment resistant, the lost causes, the broken people.

A study in 2019 found that psychiatric diagnosis is scientifically meaningless because there is too much subjectivity in diagnosis and not enough understanding of trauma. And when we look beyond simple accuracy and also consider impact, the failure of diagnostic labels becomes clear. Diagnostic labels as they are currently given are worse than useless, they are all too frequently harmful.

Self-image, Depression, and Shutdown

When we receive diagnosis we are typically also indoctrinated into a system of meaning that says we are disordered, diseased, doomed, or broken. What does it do to a person’s self esteem to internalize the idea that their neurology is broken?

Our neurology determines the way we move our bodies, how we feel, and how we think. It is the foundation of our sense of self and our understanding of others. What does it do to a person’s daily motivation and functionality and quality of life to assume that the foundation of their being is flawed? What is the impact on the body of us believing this?

The story of being broken is not a safe story for us to hold. Such intense negativity about Who We Are commonly triggers fear and panic in the short term and chronic freeze or shutdown states, depression, and hopelessness in the long term. Holding a belief that we neurocept as threatening also causes cognitive dissonance and can be perceived as a rupture in the attachment relationship with Self.

To give credit where credit is due, I first began to consider the deep impact of diagnosis after reading about Gary Sharpe’s experience of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s (a type of neurodivergence). In several blog posts, he clearly articulates “just how much the ‘negativity narrative’ and lack of provision of helpful information at diagnosis may still be impacting our condition today.”

Social rejection, abuse, and PTSD

Since society generally listens to neurotypical doctors regarding what traits and behaviors are good/bad, normal/abnormal, right/wrong, etc. neurodivergents are systematically marginalized in every day life. We understandably get the impression that we don’t belong here, that there isn’t space for us in this society.

Parents, teachers, employers, and intimate partners constantly invalidate us, confident that their way of seeing things is the only way, assured that plenty of doctors and scientists agree with them. Many of us become suicidal because we acutely feel this lack of belonging.

Dr. Rebecca Shaw says, “We must be careful of the message we are sending autistic people, that their true self is not acceptable in society. We must work with the autistic community to build a more compassionate society that is more accepting of neurodiversity, so autistic people feel that they belong.’

This is true for all neurodivergent people, not just autistics. The constant messaging that our true self is not acceptable is experienced as emotional and psychological abuse. The pressure to conform to neurotpyical culture also puts us at a higher risk for coercion and abusive relationships.

When our natural way of being in the world is repeatedly threatened, we develop a form of complex PTSD, and become socially avoidant to protect ourselves. This is so common that I do not know a single neurodivergent person who does not have complex PTSD. Isolation becomes our norm, but we want to belong just as much as anyone else.

Mistreatment, Re-Traumatization, and Forced Treatment

The pathology paradigm gaslights us about our natural nervous system responses. Our sensitivity and other unique traits are labeled as dysfunctional. Even in trauma-informed clinics, our evolutionarily adaptive responses to stressors are sometimes labeled “faulty neuroception.” Suppression of neurodivergent traits is marketed as regulation strategies. Common interventions promise to limit how much our stress responses impact others rather than support any actual healing.

Shame from therapists and doctors fuels anxiety and shutdown. I already spoke about the shame that often accompanies stigmatizing diagnosis, but there are many other topics on which neurodivergent people encounter shaming approaches from professionals, particularly – disability, support needs, finances, sexuality, spirituality, relationship styles, learning styles, and communication styles. Professionals (whether they are neurotypical or highly masking neurodivergents) frequently do not realize when they are enforcing a normative cultural ideal.

While speaking different social languages makes relationships difficult, invalidation makes real connection impossible. The neurodiversity paradigm recognizes our different languages and seeks to understand miscommunications instead of pathologizing them. These are some of the reasons that shifting from the pathology paradigm to the neurodiversity paradigm is essential liberation work.

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💛 This is an excerpt from a blog post called Found in Translation: The Social Language Theory of Neurodivergence. (I also have an older blog post called Lost in Translation.) The end of the post discusses 7 key ways that neurodivergence can be supported, accepted, and embraced. https://www.traumageek.com/blog/social-language-theory-part-2

🧠 Over 700 people have participated in my 8-week Study Group so far. The next cohort begins this week! Study group was focused on the nervous system for 8 rounds, and this round the theme is Neurodiversity + Trauma. https://traumageek.thinkific.com/courses/neurodiversity_study_group_2

[roga-el-rojo]

Blueprint and Asylum

TW: Discussion of Suicide, No Depiction

Hello friends,

For my first recommendation this month, in honor of September being National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I wanted to highlight a couple projects that address mental health issues from a radical lens that y’all might find valuable!

The first is an old magazine called “Blueprint” which was founded by Micha Frazer-Carroll, the wonderful author of “Mad World” which I reviewed in July. Its mission was to platform people with lived experience of mental health problems, and it was mostly active between 2017-2019. I’d also generally recommend reading her material, it’s really thought-provoking!

The second is an ongoing UK-based magazine called Asylum. It was launched in 1986 after being influenced by the anti-psychiatry movement and visits to England by mental health workers from Italy, believing that patients subject to psychiatric violence deserved a space to discuss and process their experiences and fight for a new future alongside sympathetic professionals.

Their newest edition has a couple of sample articles that are well-worth reading, such as a book review of “Undoing Suicidism” by Alexandre Baril which cuts to the heart of this month's awareness initiatives. Other thoughts on how to build the community support needed to counter the social ills increasing the risk of suicide, as well as a re-framing of what suicide tells us about madness in the first place.

I’d love to know if any of y’all have any recommendations on this topic, especially as someone very interested in radical mental health care. I also want to provide some resources in-case they may prove helpful, I hope we can take care of each-other better each and every day!

National 988 Crisis Line - call or text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org

Crisis Textline: text TALK to 741741

Trevor Project: text START to 678-678, call 866-488-7368 (support for LGBTQ youth)

[sa7abnews]

Limit of 3 hours of weekly screen time for kids has ‘positive effect’ on behavior, mental health: study

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/limit-of-3-hours-of-weekly-screen-time-for-kids-has-positive-effect-on-behavior-mental-health-study/

Limit of 3 hours of weekly screen time for kids has ‘positive effect’ on behavior, mental health: study

When it comes to screen time and kids, less is more.That’s according to a recent Denmark study led by Dr. Jesper Schmidt-Persson from the University of Southern Denmark. It looked at the effects of reduced screen media exposure on youth mental health.Eighty-nine families with a total of 181 children and teens were randomly assigned to one of two groups. KIDS AND SMARTPHONES: HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG? EXPERTS REVEAL IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONSThe first group had to surrender their smartphones and tablets for a two-week period, and limit use of other screen media — such as TV and computers — to three hours or less per week, not counting work or school. The control group did not have any limitations. The average ages of the children ranged from 4 to 17, averaging at 8 to 9 years old.The families filled out a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at the end of the study period that gauged the children’s psychological symptoms.SCREEN TIME FOR KIDS UNDER AGE 2 IS LINKED TO SENSORY DIFFERENCES IN TODDLERHOOD, NEW STUDY FINDSThe groups that limited kids’ screen exposure saw improvements in mental health — particularly in how they managed their emotions and communicated with peers in helpful, considerate ways, plus a decrease in behavioral difficulties.”Our study provides causal evidence for a link between a family-based reduction in screen media use and improved mental well-being,” Schmidt-Persson told Fox News Digital via email.”The size of the effect was surprising to me, because we only included healthy children and adolescents,” he went on. “Thus, it is important to note that healthy children and adolescents also benefit from reduced screen media use if parents also reduce their use.”In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory related to youth social media use, emphasizing mental health concerns.”There is evidence that children who have excessive screen time or access to social media at young ages are more likely to be depressed or anxious,” Dr. Joshua Stein, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical director at PrairieCare in Minnesota, previously told Fox News Digital.The expert cited a Gallup research study from 2023, which noted that teens who were on screens more than five hours a day were 60% more likely to express suicidal thoughts or self-harm. “Those children were 2.8 times more likely to have a negative body view and 30% more likely to describe ‘a lot of sadness,’” added Stein, who was not involved in the Denmark research.LIMITING SCREEN TIME IN INFANTS MAY DECREASE RISK OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, STUDY FINDSAccess to smartphones and social media increases the risk of cyberbullying, depression, sleep-related concerns, self-harm and body image issues, according to Stein.”It can also lower self-esteem, and can socially pressure people to act outside their morals and family beliefs,” he added.The study did have some limitations, the lead researcher noted.”One of the key limitations is that the mental health outcome was parent-reported,” Schmidt-Persson said.”Thus, parents in the screen media reduction group may unknowingly have overestimated the effect if they believed that reducing screen media use is healthy for their child.”For kids ages 2 and older, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends capping screen time at two hours per day. It discourages any use of media for children younger than age 2, per its website.The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) outlines specific guidelines for each age group on its website.For babies up to 18 months, it recommends limiting screen use to video chatting with an adult.Between a child’s age of 18 month and 24 months, its guideline is to use screens only for educational programming.For kids between 2 and 5 years of age, the AACAP recommends a limit of one hour per weekday and three hours on weekends for any non-educational screen time.It does not specify an hourly limit for ages 6 and older, but does recommend encouraging healthy habits and limiting screen-based activities.”To be honest and point-blank, the least amount of screen time is healthy for children,” Dr. Zeyad Baker, a pediatric physician with Baker Health in New Jersey, previously told Fox News Digital.He admitted that it gets trickier for parents to moderate use when kids need to do homework online — and he believes the quality of screen time comes into play when setting limits.For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health”I think if you are doing family screen time on an educational level or if kids are using screen time to dig deep into valuable information and topics at a limited capacity, that is very different from watching and absorbing mindless content on the internet on a consistent basis,” Baker said.He recommends only allowing children to have access to social media or certain television channels on the weekend and limiting screen time to academic-related content during the week.Parents should not make screen time limitations come across as punishment, the expert noted.EXCESSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA USE HAS MANY OF THE SAME EFFECTS AS SUBSTANCE ABUSE, SAYS EXPERT”Instead, they should encourage other activities, like going outside to play,” he said. “Not only is that good for physical health, by adding activity and increasing vitamin D levels, but it’s also great for their mental health.”CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERSchmidt-Persson recommends that parents attempt to reduce family-wide media use and make room for more leisure time without the use of screens. “I recognize that it is not easy, but making simple and understandable rules for children, adolescents and parents could be key,” he added.

[dspoject101]

Assignment Week 1: Impact of Employment on Mental Health Globally.

Data Set: GAPMINDER

Motivation: The relationship between employment rates and mental health, specifically suicide rates, is a critical area of research that addresses fundamental issues of economic stability, social welfare, and public health. Understanding how employment status impacts mental well-being is essential for developing effective policies and interventions that can mitigate the adverse effects of unemployment and economic downturns on individuals and communities.

Research Question:

Is there an association between employment rates and suicide rates across countries?

Refined Research Question:

How do employment rates impact suicide rates globally, and does this association change when considering income per person, urbanization, and alcohol consumption?

Key words used: Unemployment + mental health + suicide + alcohol + urbanisation

Literature Review References:

Nordt, C., Warnke, I., Seifritz, E., & Kawohl, W. (2015). "Modelling suicide and unemployment: a longitudinal analysis covering 63 countries, 2000–2011." The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(3), 239-245.

This study explores the relationship between unemployment rates and suicide rates, providing evidence of a significant correlation, and emphasizes the importance of economic factors in mental health outcomes.

Stuckler, D., Basu, S., Suhrcke, M., Coutts, A., & McKee, M. (2009). "The public health effect of economic crises and alternative policy responses in Europe: an empirical analysis." The Lancet, 374(9686), 315-323.

This research examines the impact of economic crises on public health, including mental health outcomes like suicide rates, highlighting the influence of employment status on these outcomes.

Blakely, T. A., Collings, S. C. D., & Atkinson, J. (2003). "Unemployment and suicide. Evidence for a causal association?" Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 57(8), 594-600.

This paper discusses the potential causal relationship between unemployment and suicide, contributing to the understanding of how economic and employment factors affect mental health.

Chang, S. S., Gunnell, D., Sterne, J. A., Lu, T. H., & Cheng, A. T. (2009). "Was the economic crisis 1997-1998 responsible for rising suicide rates in East/Southeast Asia? A time-trend analysis for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand." Social Science & Medicine, 68(7), 1322-1331.

This study analyzes the rise in suicide rates during economic crises in East/Southeast Asia, underscoring the relationship between employment and mental health in different cultural contexts.

Kawachi, I., & Wamala, S. (Eds.). (2006). "Globalization and Health." Oxford University Press.

This book covers various aspects of globalization and their impact on health, including how changes in employment patterns influence mental health and suicide rates worldwide.

Hypothesis:

Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant association between employment rates and suicide rates across countries.

Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Higher employment rates are associated with lower suicide rates across countries, even when controlling for income per person, urbanization, and alcohol consumption.

Codebook and Variables:

Group 1: Employment Rates

employrate: This variable measures the employment rate in each country, representing the percentage of the working-age population that is employed.

Group 2: Suicide Rates

suicideper100th: This variable measures the rate of suicides per 100,000 people in each country.

Control Variables:

incomeperperson: This variable measures the average income per person, representing economic status.

urbanrate: This variable measures the percentage of the population living in urban areas, representing urbanization levels.

alcconsumption: This variable measures the average alcohol consumption per person, representing potential influences on mental health.

References:

Nordt, C., Warnke, I., Seifritz, E., & Kawohl, W. (2015). Modelling suicide and unemployment: a longitudinal analysis covering 63 countries, 2000–2011. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(3), 239-245.

Stuckler, D., Basu, S., Suhrcke, M., Coutts, A., & McKee, M. (2009). The public health effect of economic crises and alternative policy responses in Europe: an empirical analysis. The Lancet, 374(9686), 315-323.

Blakely, T. A., Collings, S. C. D., & Atkinson, J. (2003). Unemployment and suicide. Evidence for a causal association? Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 57(8), 594-600.

Chang, S. S., Gunnell, D., Sterne, J. A., Lu, T. H., & Cheng, A. T. (2009). Was the economic crisis 1997-1998 responsible for rising suicide rates in East/Southeast Asia? A time-trend analysis for Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. Social Science & Medicine, 68(7), 1322-1331.

Kawachi, I., & Wamala, S. (Eds.). (2006). Globalization and Health. Oxford University Press.

[jcmarchi]

Symposium highlights scale of mental health crisis and novel methods of diagnosis and treatment

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/symposium-highlights-scale-of-mental-health-crisis-and-novel-methods-of-diagnosis-and-treatment/

Symposium highlights scale of mental health crisis and novel methods of diagnosis and treatment

Digital technologies, such as smartphones and machine learning, have revolutionized education. At the McGovern Institute for Brain Research’s 2024 Spring Symposium, “Transformational Strategies in Mental Health,” experts from across the sciences — including psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and others — agreed that these technologies could also play a significant role in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders and neurological conditions.

Co-hosted by the McGovern Institute, MIT Open Learning, McClean Hospital, the Poitras Center for Psychiatric Disorders Research at MIT, and the Wellcome Trust, the symposium raised the alarm about the rise in mental health challenges and showcased the potential for novel diagnostic and treatment methods.

John Gabrieli, the Grover Hermann Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at MIT, kicked off the symposium with a call for an effort on par with the Manhattan Project, which in the 1940s saw leading scientists collaborate to do what seemed impossible. While the challenge of mental health is quite different, Gabrieli stressed, the complexity and urgency of the issue are similar. In his later talk, “How can science serve psychiatry to enhance mental health?,” he noted a 35 percent rise in teen suicide deaths between 1999 and 2000 and, between 2007 and 2015, a 100 percent increase in emergency room visits for youths ages 5 to 18 who experienced a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation.

“We have no moral ambiguity, but all of us speaking today are having this meeting in part because we feel this urgency,” said Gabrieli, who is also a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, the director of the Integrated Learning Initiative (MITili) at MIT Open Learning, and a member of the McGovern Institute. “We have to do something together as a community of scientists and partners of all kinds to make a difference.”

An urgent problem

In 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the increase in mental health challenges in youth; in 2023, he issued another, warning of the effects of social media on youth mental health. At the symposium, Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli, a research affiliate at the McGovern Institute and a professor of psychology and director of the Biomedical Imaging Center at Northeastern University, cited these recent advisories, saying they underscore the need to “innovate new methods of intervention.”

Other symposium speakers also highlighted evidence of growing mental health challenges for youth and adolescents. Christian Webb, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, stated that by the end of adolescence, 15-20 percent of teens will have experienced at least one episode of clinical depression, with girls facing the highest risk. Most teens who experience depression receive no treatment, he added.

Adults who experience mental health challenges need new interventions, too. John Krystal, the Robert L. McNeil Jr. Professor of Translational Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, pointed to the limited efficacy of antidepressants, which typically take about two months to have an effect on the patient. Patients with treatment-resistant depression face a 75 percent likelihood of relapse within a year of starting antidepressants. Treatments for other mental health disorders, including bipolar and psychotic disorders, have serious side effects that can deter patients from adherence, said Virginie-Anne Chouinard, director of research at McLean OnTrackTM, a program for first episode psychosis at McLean Hospital.

New treatments, new technologies

Emerging technologies, including smartphone technology and artificial intelligence, are key to the interventions that symposium speakers shared.

In a talk on AI and the brain, Dina Katabi, the Thuan and Nicole Pham Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, discussed novel ways to detect Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, among other diseases. Early-stage research involved developing devices that can analyze how movement within a space impacts the surrounding electromagnetic field, as well as how wireless signals can detect breathing and sleep stages.

“I realize this may sound like la-la land,” Katabi said. “But it’s not! This device is used today by real patients, enabled by a revolution in neural networks and AI.”

Parkinson’s disease often cannot be diagnosed until significant impairment has already occurred. In a set of studies, Katabi’s team collected data on nocturnal breathing and trained a custom neural network to detect occurrences of Parkinson’s. They found the network was over 90 percent accurate in its detection. Next, the team used AI to analyze two sets of breathing data collected from patients at a six-year interval. Could their custom neural network identify patients who did not have a Parkinson’s diagnosis on the first visit, but subsequently received one? The answer was largely yes: Machine learning identified 75 percent of patients who would go on to receive a diagnosis.

Detecting high-risk patients at an early stage could make a substantial difference for intervention and treatment. Similarly, research by Jordan Smoller, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Precision Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, demonstrated that AI-aided suicide risk prediction model could detect 45 percent of suicide attempts or deaths with 90 percent specificity, about two to three years in advance.

Other presentations, including a series of lightning talks, shared new and emerging treatments, such as the use of ketamine to treat depression; the use of smartphones, including daily text surveys and mindfulness apps, in treating depression in adolescents; metabolic interventions for psychotic disorders; the use of machine learning to detect impairment from THC intoxication; and family-focused treatment, rather than individual therapy, for youth depression.

Advancing understanding

The frequency and severity of adverse mental health events for children, adolescents, and adults demonstrate the necessity of funding for mental health research — and the open sharing of these findings.

Niall Boyce, head of mental health field building at the Wellcome Trust — a global charitable foundation dedicated to using science to solve urgent health challenges — outlined the foundation’s funding philosophy of supporting research that is “collaborative, coherent, and focused” and centers on “What is most important to those most affected?” Wellcome research managers Anum Farid and Tayla McCloud stressed the importance of projects that involve people with lived experience of mental health challenges and “blue sky thinking” that takes risks and can advance understanding in innovative ways. Wellcome requires that all published research resulting from its funding be open and accessible in order to maximize their benefits. 

Whether through therapeutic models, pharmaceutical treatments, or machine learning, symposium speakers agreed that transformative approaches to mental health call for collaboration and innovation.

“Understanding mental health requires us to understand the unbelievable diversity of humans,” Gabrieli said. “We have to use all the tools we have now to develop new treatments that will work for people for whom our conventional treatments don’t.”

[mindlibertas]

Libertas Mind's Breakthrough in Ketamine IV Therapy

In the realm of mental health treatment, innovation is often elusive. Yet, amidst the traditional therapies and medications, a breakthrough has emerged: Ketamine IV Therapy. Libertas Mind, a leading pioneer in this field, is spearheading a transformation in mental health care, particularly in Albany, NY, with its revolutionary approach. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the science behind Ketamine IV Therapy, its efficacy, and Libertas Mind's role in redefining mental health treatment.

Understanding Ketamine IV Therapy:

Ketamine, initially recognized as an anesthetic, has garnered attention for its profound effects on mood and cognition. Its application in mental health treatment, particularly for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain, marks a paradigm shift in psychiatric care. Unlike conventional antidepressants that may take weeks to manifest results, Ketamine IV Therapy offers rapid relief, often within hours.

The Mechanism of Action:

Ketamine functions by modulating the brain's neurotransmitter systems, particularly glutamate, which plays a pivotal role in synaptic plasticity and mood regulation. By antagonizing NMDA receptors and enhancing AMPA receptor activity, Ketamine induces synaptic potentiation, leading to the formation of new neural connections. This neuroplasticity is crucial in alleviating depressive symptoms and promoting resilience.

Efficacy and Clinical Studies:

Numerous studies have demonstrated Ketamine's efficacy in treating treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and other mood disorders. A meta-analysis published in JAMA Psychiatry concluded that Ketamine exhibits rapid and robust antidepressant effects, even in individuals who have not responded to other interventions. Furthermore, research indicates its efficacy in reducing suicidal ideation, providing a lifeline for those in acute distress.

Libertas Mind's Approach:

At the forefront of Ketamine IV Therapy in Albany, NY, Libertas Mind distinguishes itself through its patient-centric approach and commitment to excellence. With a team of experienced clinicians and medical professionals, Libertas Mind provides comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and personalized treatment plans tailored to each individual's needs.

Comprehensive Assessment:

Before commencing Ketamine IV Therapy, Libertas Mind conducts a thorough psychiatric evaluation, encompassing medical history, symptomatology, and previous treatment responses. This comprehensive assessment ensures that the treatment plan aligns with the patient's unique profile and optimizes therapeutic outcomes.

Personalized Treatment Plans:

Recognizing that mental health is multifaceted, Libertas Mind integrates Ketamine IV Therapy with adjunctive modalities, such as psychotherapy, mindfulness practices, and lifestyle interventions. This holistic approach addresses the underlying factors contributing to mental illness and fosters long-term resilience and well-being.

State-of-the-Art Facilities:

Libertas Mind boasts state-of-the-art facilities equipped with cutting-edge technology and amenities designed to enhance the patient experience. From comfortable infusion rooms to serene environments conducive to healing, every aspect of Libertas Mind's facilities is meticulously curated to promote relaxation and tranquility.

Community Engagement and Education:

In addition to providing clinical services, Libertas Mind is committed to community engagement and education. Through workshops, seminars, and outreach programs, Libertas Mind endeavors to destigmatize mental illness, raise awareness about Ketamine IV Therapy, and empower individuals to prioritize their mental health.

Navigating the Regulatory Landscape:

As Ketamine IV Therapy gains traction as a novel treatment modality, navigating the regulatory landscape is paramount. Libertas Mind adheres to stringent ethical and legal standards, ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies and prioritizing patient safety and well-being.

Future Directions:

Looking ahead, Libertas Mind remains at the vanguard of innovation in mental health treatment. With ongoing research and advancements in Ketamine Therapy Albany Ny, Libertas Mind is poised to expand its scope of services, reach more individuals in need, and continue transforming lives.

Conclusion:

In the quest for mental wellness, Libertas Mind emerges as a beacon of hope, revolutionizing mental health care through Ketamine IV Therapy. With its unwavering dedication to excellence, patient-centered approach, and commitment to innovation, Libertas Mind embodies a new era in psychiatric treatment—one characterized by compassion, efficacy, and empowerment. As the journey unfolds, Libertas Mind remains steadfast in its mission to foster healing, resilience, and liberation for all.

[unfilteredglassglobe]

Bangsar Beacon: 20240404

Epidemiologists Sound Alarm as Suicides Persist Despite Solar Eclipse

In the wake of the recent solar eclipse, which had cast a shadow of foreboding over the community of Bangsar, epidemiologists Dr. Mandy Lee and Dr. Tan Wei Ling have been working tirelessly to unravel the mystery behind the surge in suicides that has plagued the neighborhood in recent months.

Despite initial hopes that the eclipse might bring an end to the disturbing trend, the suicides have persisted unabated, leaving Dr. Lee and Dr. Tan grappling with a sense of frustration and urgency.

“We had hoped that the eclipse might provide some closure for the community and bring an end to the tragic loss of life that we’ve been witnessing,” remarked Dr. Lee, her voice tinged with disappointment. “But it seems that the suicides are continuing at an alarming rate, despite our best efforts to intervene.”

Drawing on their expertise in epidemiology and psychiatry, respectively, Dr. Lee and Dr. Tan have been conducting extensive research into the underlying factors contributing to the suicides. Their findings have yielded some troubling insights, pointing to a complex interplay of social, psychological, and environmental factors at play.

“Our investigations have revealed a disturbing pattern of social isolation and psychological distress among the victims,” explained Dr. Tan, her brow furrowed in concern. “Many of them appear to have been struggling with underlying mental health issues, exacerbated by the stressors of modern life.”

In addition to their research into the individual circumstances of the victims, Dr. Lee and Dr. Tan have also been exploring the possibility of broader environmental factors influencing the epidemic. Their investigations have led them to consider a range of potential explanations, from environmental toxins to socio-economic disparities.

However, despite their best efforts, skepticism from some residents has persisted, with many questioning whether the medical professionals should have taken the lead in investigating what some consider a potentially supernatural phenomenon.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Lee and Dr. Tan remain committed to their mission of unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic and restoring a sense of peace and security to the community. But with each passing day bringing new challenges and fresh tragedies, the road ahead remains uncertain, and the specter of the suicides looms large over the neighborhood of Bangsar.

[krystalfamilypsychiatry]

In psychiatric care in Mesquite, Texas, one of the most critical aspects is suicide prevention. Mental health care professionals emphasize the importance of early intervention and support for individuals in distress. Recognizing the signs of suicidal ideation is crucial, as prompt action can save lives. Suicide prevention involves a multifaceted approach that includes therapy, medication management, and community support.

[embarkbehavioralhealth]

How Embark in Berwyn Uses Creativity To Regulate Emotions 

At Embark Behavioral Health, co-regulation is an essential part of treatment. It’s the process by which children connect with caregivers, including parents, and experience healthy management of emotions and behaviors. By providing a reliable, nurturing, and safe presence, caregivers facilitate youths’ ability to develop the self-regulation skills required for healthy emotional development.   Because reliable and predictable co-regulation leads to self-regulation, teens — and young adults — can navigate emotional highs and lows on their own. This skill is important, as indicated in a 2022 Frontiers in Psychiatry editorial, which shared that emotional dysregulation is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant- and conduct disorders, personality disorders, self-harm, and suicidality.*  To help teens and young adults develop self-regulation skills, Embark outpatient and residential treatment programs provide them with a safe space to co-regulate with caregivers. At Embark Behavioral Health in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, for example, one way therapists provide this safe space is by offering multiple forms of creative art therapies. This experiential therapy practice lets preteens and teens at the outpatient clinic express and manage their emotions through different types of art, including visual art, movement, and music.  “Co-regulation, in general, relies less on verbal communication and instead focuses on sensory-specific characteristics inherent in each expressive art form,” said Yun Jung Lee, licensed professional counselor, art psychotherapist, and clinical director of the Berwyn clinic. “For instance, art-based experiences emphasize interaction primarily through tactile, visual, and kinesthetic senses.”  To gain a clearer understanding of how using creativity through creative art therapies helps teens and young adults co-regulate with others, we spoke with Lee and Stella, a teenager who completed outpatient therapy for depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at the Berwyn clinic.     How the Clinic Uses Creativity for Co-Regulation “Teenagers who come to our clinics generally don’t know how to regulate themselves,” Lee said. “Developmentally speaking, they’re very emotionally fragile. For them to practice self-regulation, they need to start from co-regulation.”  Lee said some teenagers are so frustrated and dysregulated during group therapy sessions they have trouble processing their emotions and talking about their distress. In response, she’s sat with these clients privately and engaged in art activities with them, such as doodling. She’s created a safe space by speaking in a calm tone and making eye contact.  “Engaging in the creative process together is a co-regulatory moment,” Lee said. “When I see the client is grounded and calmer, they can rejoin the group. And later, when they engage in the same kind of activity and they’re not with the therapist, they can remember when they were able to breathe and regulate better. They carry that moment after the session is over so they can regulate without having someone sitting with them.”  Art therapy helped Stella, 18, process her emotions.  “I struggle with putting my emotions into words,” she said. “So, coming out of a tough individual or family session, it was nice to go to art therapy and put my emotions into a drawing or painting. It helped things seem less scary by being able to visualize my emotions versus just thinking about them. And then it helped me put my emotions into words so I could process them further.”  Lee has found that engaging in the creative process gives clients a greater sense of control, making it effective for all types of mental health treatment, including substance use. She noted teens turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like cutting, drinking, or taking drugs to gain relief from emotional pain. By using art to process and regulate their emotions, they have a healthier way of coping.  “When you think about adolescents in a mental health setting, they don’t feel like they have a lot of choices in their lives,” Lee said. “They don’t feel like they have a lot of control. But art is a very validating activity. Clients are not going to be judged, they have a sense of control in what they’re creating, and they’re practicing regulation with someone they trust.”  Benefits of Art Therapy at Embark While art activities like drawing, dancing, or songwriting can all provide coping mechanisms for youths, Lee emphasized that art therapy is different from participating in art activities.  “Art therapy needs to be facilitated by therapists who know the psychology and defense mechanisms of the clients, who know how to lead clients to do more analytic work,” she said, explaining that art therapists are trained to see the latent content, or the meaning behind the art. “There’s going to be some interpretations of the pictorial information, and based on that interpretation, the therapist will ask questions that are therapeutically relevant.”  This leads clients to gain better insights about their art and themselves.  “My first paintings and drawings were pretty dark and depressing because I was in such a low place mentally versus going through the program and working on regulating my emotions — you can see things brighten up,” Stella said. “My last piece was a painting with a line down the middle, with sunshine and happiness on one side and clouds and rain on the other. And I think I did that to represent that you can have ups and downs, but it doesn’t mean your progress isn’t going well if you have a bad day.”  After completing outpatient therapy, Stella continued using art as a coping mechanism and form of self-expression, this time by taking a ceramics class at her school.  “Ceramics is something I use all the time now as a coping mechanism because it’s something I can put all my energy into, something that I love to do,” she said. “I think that the sensation, the texture is something that helps a lot of kids with anxiety — the stimulating part of it. So, I do that in my everyday life.”  She advised incoming clients to embrace art therapy and view the act of creation as a healthy way to cope with and process difficult emotions.    “When you’re super depressed, nobody wants to go draw a picture,” she said. “But if you give it your all and make a piece you really love, you can take it home to serve as a reminder of the beautiful art you can create. And when you make art at Embark, you can carry the meaning of that art out of Embark with you, into the next chapters of your life.”   *This article is for informational purposes only and not to be considered medical advice. If your child is having a mental health emergency, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for immediate support by calling or texting 988 or chatting online. You can also text HOME to 741741 ─ the Crisis Text Line ─ from anywhere in the country to talk with a trained crisis counselor. Read the full article

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Transforming Lives: The Power of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

In the world of psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has emerged as a powerful and effective approach for individuals dealing with emotional dysregulation, self-destructive behaviors, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s, DBT combines elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with Eastern mindfulness practices, creating a unique and comprehensive treatment modality.

This blog will explore the principles, techniques, and real-life applications of DBT, shedding light on its transformative potential in helping individuals achieve emotional balance and build a life worth living. Throughout this journey, we will refer to key studies and research findings that showcase the evidence-based nature of DBT.

Understanding Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy is founded on several core principles:

Dialectics: DBT integrates the idea of dialectics, recognizing the need for balancing opposites, such as acceptance and change. This principle underlines the importance of acknowledging and validating one’s emotions while simultaneously striving for personal growth.

Mindfulness: Borrowing from Zen Buddhism, DBT incorporates mindfulness techniques to help individuals observe and accept their thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment. By fostering awareness, mindfulness assists in reducing emotional reactivity.

Emotional Regulation: DBT equips individuals with strategies to identify and regulate intense emotions. This is particularly valuable for individuals with BPD, who often struggle with emotional instability.

Interpersonal Effectiveness: DBT emphasizes the development of effective communication and relationship skills. It teaches individuals how to assertively express their needs while maintaining boundaries and respecting the needs of others.

Evidence-Based Efficacy

Numerous research studies support the effectiveness of DBT across various populations and mental health challenges:

Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder: A landmark study published in JAMA Psychiatry (Linehan et al., 2006) demonstrated that DBT reduced suicidal behaviors, self-harm, and hospitalizations in individuals with BPD.

Substance Use Disorders: Research published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (Linehan et al., 1999) found that DBT is beneficial for individuals with co-occurring BPD and substance use disorders, improving both substance-related outcomes and emotional regulation.

Depression: DBT has shown promise in treating depression. A study in Behaviour Research and Therapy (Lynch et al., 2007) reported that DBT effectively reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced overall well-being.

Eating Disorders: DBT has been adapted for the treatment of eating disorders. A study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (Safer et al., 2001) demonstrated that it was effective in reducing binge-eating behaviors.

Real-Life Applications

DBT isn’t confined to the therapist’s office; it’s a practical approach that can be applied to everyday life. Here are some examples:

Managing Stress: DBT skills like mindfulness and emotion regulation can help individuals cope with stress and prevent emotional overwhelm.

Effective Communication: The interpersonal effectiveness module equips individuals with tools for more constructive and assertive communication in their personal and professional relationships.

Emotional Resilience: Learning to tolerate distress and regulate emotions can enhance emotional resilience, making it easier to navigate life’s challenges.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy has revolutionized the field of psychotherapy with its evidence-based approach and holistic principles. It offers hope and healing to individuals grappling with emotional dysregulation, borderline personality disorder, and various other mental health concerns. By striking a balance between acceptance and change, DBT empowers individuals to lead fulfilling lives.

As more research continues to validate the effectiveness of DBT, its influence in the mental health community is set to grow, offering a brighter future for those in need of support and transformation.

                                                                                     – Urveez Kakalia.