Boycotts and Protests To Meet APA Keynote Speaker, Desmond Tutu
February 2nd 2011The selection of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, to present the convocation lecture at the American Psychiatric Association’s upcoming annual meeting has so outraged some APA members that they have arranged meeting boycotts and protests.
Desmond Tutu: Target of Planned Protests Against APA Keynote Speaker
February 1st 2011Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, invited Convocation speaker at the American Psychiatric Association’s upcoming annual meeting, last year called for academic and cultural boycotts of Israel. Now, he is the target of planned protests by APA members who view him as making anti-Semitic statements.
Inside the Mind of the Most Violent Prisoner in Britain: Bronson
January 26th 2011The movie Bronson loosely follows the true story of the infamous "most violent prisoner" in the UK -- a man named Michael Peterson who later changed his name to Charles "Charlie" Bronson on the advice of his bare knuckle boxing promoter.
Electroconvulsant Therapy Under Review-Once Again
January 25th 2011FDA regulators are deciding whether to downgrade the risk classification of ECT from high to medium risk. In 1990, FDA regulators proposed declaring ECT devices safe for major depression but because of an uproar by ECT opponents, a final decision was never made.
Who Can Forgive Jared Loughner?
January 25th 2011Is it possible to “forgive” Jared Lee Loughner for what he is alleged to have done? Is it morally justifiable to do so? There are serious ethical problems with the notion that anyone other than the survivors of this horrific shooting can “forgive” the assailant.
The Link Between Substance Abuse, Violence, and Suicide
January 21st 2011Emerging research suggests that some individuals with particular types of substance use and abuse may be more likely to engage in suicidal behaviors. For example, those who use opiates, cocaine, or sedatives may have a noticeably higher risk of suicide than those who use other drugs.
Understanding and Overcoming the Myths of Suicide
January 20th 2011What goes on in the minds of those who attempt suicide? Here: a psychologist who explores the myths that surround suicide notes "We need to get it in our heads that suicide is not easy, painless, cowardly, selfish, vengeful, self-masterful, nor rash."
Mental Illness and Political Violence: Reckless Rhetoric, Weapons, and the Media
January 19th 2011The recent mass murders in Arizona are the latest in our country's epidemic of horrible, hate inspired crimes. The 24/7 media punditry and political spinning has been disappointingly off point in a way suggesting that once again we will learn nothing from our mistakes and that such tragedies will continue to recur with distressing frequency.
Quiz on Vicarious Trauma, Working With Other Physicians, and More
January 19th 2011Should malingering be considered more likely than factitious disorder when a patient exhibits pseudologia fantastica? What condition persists for longer than 3 months, accompanies a disease process, and is associated with a bodily injury that has not resolved over time? These questions and more in this interactive quiz.
Psychiatric Community Convenes to Offer Condolences in Arizona
January 14th 2011The Arizona Psychiatric Society and the American Psychiatric Association joined together to remember the victims of the Tuscon tragedy. The shooting left 6 dead and 14 others wounded, including US Rep Gabrielle Giffords, who lies in a medically induced coma recovering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Managing the Aftermath of Patient-on-Staff Violence
January 14th 2011Violence by patients towards staff members is an inherently complex matter for the physically and/or psychologically injured person. An expert in the field of forensic psychiatry answers a reader's question about what clinicians can do in the aftermath of an assault.