Is There Really an “Epidemic” of Psychiatric Illness in the US?
May 2nd 2012If claims in the non-professional media can be believed, there is a “raging epidemic of mental illness” in the US, if not world-wide-and, in one version of this narrative, psychiatric treatment itself is identified as the culprit.
Sybil Exposed: A Look at Dissociative Identity Disorder
May 2nd 2012Sybil Exposed makes the case that the 1973 book Sybil misrepresents the facts of Shirley Mason’s life, diagnosis, and treatment. It also points to concerns that extend beyond a single case, to the diagnostic concept of multiple personalities. Still, perhaps the books suggests the need for a more systematic look at not just the case of Sybil, but also the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (DID).
Dr Charlie Maher on the Major League Mind
April 27th 2012Here, a psychiatrist interviews Charlie Maher, PsyD, CC-AASP, author of The Complete Mental Game of Baseball: Taking Charge of the Process On and Off the Field. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Maher is Professor Emeritus of Applied Psychology at Rutgers University, and serves as the Director of Psychological Services for the Cleveland Indians.
Sixty-Five Years After World War II: A Family Secret
April 24th 2012The Holocaust is well known and has been well researched. The purpose of this study was to evaluate persons 65 years after the Holocaust who remained in Poland and discovered the “secret” of their Jewish ancestry, despite not being raised as Jews.
The Loman Family’s Lessons for the Young Psychiatrist
April 19th 2012After seeing Death of a Salesman on Broadway, I knew I had seen something extraordinary-but it was only after a few days’ separation from the performance when my mind cleared and my emotions settled that I realized 2 of the reasons that made me very appreciative to see this play as a young psychiatrist.
Definitive Study Rejects the Diagnosis of “Psychosis Risk” and Finds No Treatment Benefit
April 17th 2012An excellent study has killed two birds with one stone. It is a clear caution against the DSM-5 proposal for a psychosis risk syndrome and it should temper enthusiasm for rushing ahead with "ultra high risk" prevention programs.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Therapeutic Creativity
April 16th 2012After Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne suffered a traumatic brain injury and PTSD from a near fatal horseback riding accident, he retired from public life, secluded himself in one of the towers of his château, and devoted himself to writing.
DSM-5’s Bereavement Bind: Time for an Independent Review
April 6th 2012Opponents in the now well-worn, “Bereavement Exclusion” debate can probably agree on one thing: of all the proposed changes in the DSM-5, the move to eliminate the bereavement exclusion has ignited the most intense emotional reaction among the general public.
Does Evidence-Based Medicine Discourage Richer Assessment of Psychopathology and Treatment?
April 5th 2012The paradigm for modern psychiatry is evidence-based medicine (EBM)-it represents proven treatments for defined diagnoses. But there are major problems with this position, starting with the fact that while they are superior to placebo, evidence-based treatments too often are ineffective.