Harvard Mental Health Letter articles from October 2005

Harvard Mental Health Letter archives from October 2005

Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
October 1, 2005... Battling persistent unwanted thoughts and senselessly repeated actions We all use the words "obsessive" and "compulsive" loosely to describe people who worry too much, spend too much time on details, or become deeply immersed in a single...

In search of Alzheimer's disease.
October 1, 2005... Does the diagnosis of dementia come years too late? There's plenty of evidence that the processes leading to Alzheimer's disease and other dementing illnesses begin as early as age 30 or 40. Moderate dementia, according to the standard Clinical...

In Brief; Sick, not sad.
October 1, 2005... People who don't have to live with chronic illness or the long-term effects of a debilitating injury sometimes imagine the prospect with dread; they may envision themselves consumed by frustration, regret, and depression. It isn't so, several...

In Brief; Common humanity: Universals of personality.
October 1, 2005... A survey of college students in many countries and cultures shows that people all over the world, with a few interesting exceptions, think the same way in forming their judgments of personality. The authors note that past re­search on...

Questions & Answers: Does Accutane cause depression?
October 1, 2005... Q. Does the acne drug, isotretinoin (Accutane), cause depression and suicide, or are the psychiatric risks exaggerated? A. The debate about the safety of isotretinoin (Accutane) parallels the debate about the safety of antidepressant drugs...