Harvard Mental Health Letter articles from July 2004

Harvard Mental Health Letter archives from July 2004

The addicted brain.
July 1, 2004... Neuroscientific research reveals new ways of understanding drug and alcohol dependence. Drug addiction has been a stubborn problem for thousands of years, but only in the last generation have scientists come to understand clearly one of...

Hypochondria.
July 1, 2004... Worries about imaginary illness often attract humorous or derogatory comments, but true hypochondria (or hypochondriasis) is neither a moral failing nor a laughing matter. It is a real psychiatric condition that causes genuine suffering and...

Emotion in economic decisions.
July 1, 2004... When it comes to making a decision -- even one that seems to involve no more than simple self-interest -- how you feel is as important as what you think, and the two are not necessarily compatible. Brain scans performed during a psychological...

In Brief; Do women make better leaders?
July 1, 2004... Men still run the world, but according to a recent survey, it might be in better shape if women were more often in charge. The meta-analysis of 39 studies, based on standard questionnaires answered by both leaders and followers in a variety of...

Questions & Answers; What is repetition compulsion?
July 1, 2004... Q What is a repetition compulsion, and how can it be changed? A Repetition is necessary for all living organisms, including human beings. Life would scarcely be livable if every experience was a new problem requiring a new solution. Most of...