I met Mark Meier last week just as he was about to mount his bike and cycle across the continent to raise awareness about depression …
Category: Mental health
How depression in mothers affects kids
In case you haven't seen it, the Wall Street Journal has an interesting article today on depression in mothers, and how a mom's treatment can …
Bin Laden's death: What it means to 9/11 family members
Like many people around the world, I've been thinking a lot today about the death of Osama bin Laden. The family members of 9/11 victims …
Study shows common painkillers may block antidepressants
If you take antidepressants to manage depression, anxiety, or other conditions, new research suggests using caution when you reach for anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin …
Searching for better PTSD treatments
During a recent conversation with Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, about treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, the Stanford psychiatrist explained to me that "the situation is …
Antidepressants don't improve all symptoms of depression
Antidepressants aren't a cure-all. That's according to a new analysis from UT Southwestern Medical Center, which found that many patients for whom the medication citalopram …
Is living in an always-on world diminishing our ability to think and work?
Today it's not uncommon to simultaneously watch TV, respond to e-mails, and browse friends' status updates. But just because technology allow us to take multi-tasking …
Can chronic depression increase risk of certain illnesses?
Long-term depression, especially if it goes untreated, may be associated with accelerated immune cell aging and predispose patients to certain types of physical disease, according …
What happens when people witness violence and death?
In the light of murders, drug wars and other recent acts of violence, Keith Humphreys, PhD, has written an incredibly compelling post discussing what happens …
Five ways social media may change mental health care
Much has been written about how social media have changed medicine and health care. But how will things like online patient advocacy sites, blogs and …
Virtually You: The dangerous powers of the E-Personality
In the past several weeks we've seen social media used as sort of a virtual ballot box to advance democratic reform and alter the geopolitcal …
PTSD a problem among some parents of ill children
Today's San Francisco Chronicle has an article on post-traumatic stress among parents of children with cancer. The piece discusses the problem ("I feel fragile and …
New year, new (less stressed) you
One goal on my list of New Year's resolutions is to reduce my stress level. The motivation to be less stressed in 2011 was largely …
A focus on pediatric bipolar disorder
Stanford's Pediatric Bipolar Disorders Program, one of only two sites on the West Coast to study the disorder in children, is the focus of an …
KQED health program explores mental health in California
In 2004, California voters passed Proposition 63, also known as the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), which expanded mental health services to persons who have …
Stanford psychiatrist David Spiegel's path west
Today's Stanford Report has a lengthy profile of well-known psychiatrist David Spiegel, MD. The piece chronicles Spiegel's path from a young Harvard doctor who came …