Harvard Mental Health Letter articles from February 2007

Harvard Mental Health Letter archives from February 2007

Electroconvulsive therapy.
February 1, 2007... With new methods and accumulated evidence, this treatment survives its critics. Passing an electric current through the brain to induce a seizure is not everyone's idea of a therapeutic procedure. So it's no surprise that electroconvulsive...

The risk for PTSD: New findings.(post-traumatic stress disorder)
February 1, 2007... New studies explore the high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women and an unexpected association between IQ and PTSD risk. It's well known that many more women than men are given a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress...

In Brief; The social voice of conscience.
February 1, 2007... "Conscience is the still, small voice that tells you someone may be watching," according to a cynical aphorism. A series of psychological experiments in various cultures suggests that, properly interpreted, this aphorism states a less cynical...

In Brief; Obesity and depression.(Medical condition overview)
February 1, 2007... Obese people are more likely than average to be clinically depressed and anxious, according to a national survey, but only when they are also white and college educated. In the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, nearly 10,000...

In Brief; Act, don't think, to relieve depression.(Disease/Disorder overview)
February 1, 2007... That's the conclusion of a study comparing standard cognitive behavioral therapy with an expanded version of behavioral therapy called behavioral activation therapy. Cognitive therapy targets persistent self-defeating thoughts. Cognitive...

In Brief; Thwarting alcoholism in the brain.
February 1, 2007... A brain imaging study shows that high levels of a nerve receptor for the chemical messenger dopamine may help prevent children of alcoholics from developing alcohol problems themselves. Fifteen people who did not abuse alcohol but had a...

Questions & Answers.(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, branded or generic)
February 1, 2007... Q. I've been taking Zoloft. Recently, my pharmacist filled my prescription with a generic form of the drug. Does the brand name matter? A. The patent expired on Zoloft, one of the popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)...