Demystifying Psychiatry
A resource for patients and families
Charles Zorumski M.D., Eugene Rubin M.D., Ph.D.
Research indicates that 10 percent of adults experienced depression during the previous year. About 50 percent of those had received some sort of treatment.
Psychedelics may have therapeutic value for people with certain psychiatric disorders. But are the individual and societal risks worth it?
There are drugs that rapidly lead to increased connections between nerve cells and have therapeutic potential for treating psychiatric illnesses.
Marijuana contains two chemicals that have very different effects.
Medications can help children and adolescents with depression and anxiety, but they can have significant side effects. It may be better to try non-pharmacologic approaches first.
A study that evaluated thousands of participants over several decades concluded that depressions occurring during middle age do not lead to dementia.
Psychotic symptoms increase in frequency and severity as Parkinson’s disease progresses. Non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments can be helpful.
Although ketamine may decrease suicidal ideations in persons with depression, little is known about its use in other conditions associated with suicidal thoughts.
The patterns of functional connections between the amygdala and other brain regions may be useful in predicting early psychiatric symptoms in children.
A prospective epidemiological study indicates that marijuana use is associated with nonmedical use of prescription opiates three years later.
Forty-seven percent of individuals who experience acute psychotic symptoms following marijuana use later develop schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Half do so within 3 to 4 years.
A technique to selectively stimulate specific brain regions without the need for surgery has been developed recently. Such technology has tremendous therapeutic potential.
A six-week course of bright light therapy administered midday led to substantial improvement in 68 percent of persons with depressive symptoms associated with bipolar disorder.
Data support the long-term use of antipsychotics in persons with schizophrenia. However, less is known about the efficacy of long-term use for other conditions.
Over 40 percent of ex-football players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy exhibited behavioral changes.
Neuroimaging studies show that specific brain regions work together to accomplish specific tasks. Methods to analyze data for individual people may lead to personalized treatments.
The delivery of mental health care is changing in response to increased recognition of mental illness together with a decrease in the number of practicing psychiatrists.
Recent research demonstrates significant changes in the brains of developing fetuses as a result of marijuana exposure during pregnancy.
A neuroactive steroid whose levels increase dramatically during pregnancy and then fall rapidly after delivery is reported to be effective in treating post-partum depression.
With a specific type of memory training, individuals can alter connections within and between brain networks to resemble connections found in the brains of elite memory athletes.
Several studies have found adverse relationships among poverty, low parental educational levels, and brain development.
Specific brain regions change in volume when a woman becomes pregnant. These areas are associated with skills that may help a mother better understand the needs of her baby.
A recent study indicates that increasing activity in the amygdala during positive memory retrieval can have a strong antidepressant effect in depressed individuals.
Little is known about the effectiveness or safety of repeated use of ketamine in treating depression. Recent recommendations urge caution.
Changes in the use of psychotropic medications during a 5 year interval varied among individuals in different generational cohorts.
The number of deaths resulting from self-injury is staggering and growing. Over 70% of these deaths occur in people less than 55 years old.
Ketamine may significantly diminish craving for cocaine in addicted individuals.
Alcohol use disorder is associated with a 5.8-fold increase in mortality rates. The reasons for this increase differ for younger and older individuals.
A recent study compared 12 to 15 months of intensive specialized treatment to routine psychiatric care for patients with persistent depression.
Two recent studies demonstrate that environment influences brain growth and emotional behavior in children and adolescents.
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