Harvard Mental Health Letter articles from July 2005

Harvard Mental Health Letter archives from July 2005

The adolescent brain: Beyond raging hormones.
July 1, 2005... Neuroscience research is suggesting some reasons why teenagers are that way. In every generation, it seems, the same lament goes forth from the parents of adolescents: "What's the matter with kids today?" Why are they so often confused,...

Drug treatment for alcoholism today.
July 1, 2005... Finding a reliable treatment for alcoholism has been a frustrating quest. In the best studies, all common psychosocial approaches have been found equally and only moderately effective. So physicians and mental health professionals have turned...

In brief; Why the innocent confess.
July 1, 2005... About 20% of proven wrongful criminal convictions result from false confessions. Research based on psychological experiments and case records and summarized in a 2005 article in the journal American Psychologist suggests some reasons for this...

In brief; Mental illness and the death of a child.
July 1, 2005... The loss of a child is one of the most severe forms of stress, on a par with the death of a husband or wife or the loss of a parent in childhood. A large survey based on Danish records shows that for some, it can lead to psychiatric...

Questions & Answers: What is body dysmorphic disorder?
July 1, 2005... Q. What is body dysmorphic disorder? A. Being self-conscious about one's looks may be a problem, but it's not a psychiatric condition -- unless it takes the distressing and sometimes disabling form of body dysmorphic disorder. People who...