Researcher Concludes That Pharmaceuticals Are A Market For Producing 'Lemons' And Serious Harm
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Psychological treatments build on the benefits of drug therapy for severe migraine sufferers, according to a new study by Elizabeth Seng and Dr. Kenneth Holroyd from Ohio University in the US. Their comparison of the effects of various treatment combinations for severe migraine – drug therapy with or without behavioral management – shows that those patients receiving the behavioral management program alongside drug therapy are significantly more confident in their ability to use behavioral skills to effectively self-manage migraines.
A randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of behavior therapy for pediatric trichotillomania was recently completed with 24 participants (ages 7 to 17). The broad age range raised a question about whether young children, older children, and adolescents would respond similarly to intervention. In particular, it is unclear whether the younger children have the cognitive capacity to understand concepts like “urges” and whether they are able to introspect enough to be able to benefit from awareness training, which is a key aspect of behavior therapy for trichotillomania. Check the end of this report for a link to download this open access article.
A new survey of child psychiatrists indicates that insomnia is a major problem among children in mental health treatment and at least a quarter of these patients are given sleep medication. The results of the survey, conducted by Judith Owens, MD, a sleep expert with Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and colleagues, suggests that management of insomnia in this population is a common practice, although the clinical approach varies widely. The study is published in the August 2010 edition of Sleep Medicine.
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a brief psychological screening instrument designed to measure symptoms of depression in primary care settings. Like the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, Big Five Inventory, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale previously reviewed, the PHQ-9 is available to healthcare providers completely free of charge. Pfizer Inc., the legal copyright holder, explicitly states that “no permission [is] required to reproduce, translate, display or distribute [the PHQ-9].” Check the end of this report to download the PHQ-9.
In a study published in the journal Addiction, researchers have determined that treatment for smoking dependence is as effective among people with severe mental illnesses as it is for the general population. Importantly, they also found that offering such treatments does not appear to cause deterioration in mental health.
The Annals of Family Medicine released a research summary / health-care provider tip sheet for May/June based on recent studies with patient populations that range from children to the elderly. This summary covers topics from mental health, including health psychology and behavioral medicine, and physical health that psychologists and physicians alike may be interested in. [...]
When pediatricians see a child for a check-up, they may want to spend a few minutes checking out the mother’s well-being, too. New research suggests that depression is common in disadvantaged mothers, well beyond the postpartum period. In addition, if depressed moms are treated briefly, their symptoms improve as do their perceptions of their child’s [...]
While antidepressant medications have proven to be beneficial in helping people overcome major depression, it has long been known that a small subset of individuals taking these drugs can actually experience a worsening of mood, and even thoughts of suicide. No clinical test currently exists to make this determination, and only time – usually weeks [...]
For women smokers worried about their weight, combining cognitive behavioral therapy addressing weight concerns with the medication Bupropion appears more effective than counseling alone to help them quit smoking, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Medication and behavioral interventions help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) better maintain attention and self-control by normalising activity in the same brain systems, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust. In a study published today in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers from the University of Nottingham, show that medication has the most [...]
Doctors at Rush University Medical Center are offering pediatric patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses acupuncture therapy to help ease the pain and negative side effects like nausea, fatigue, and vomiting caused by chronic health conditions and intensive treatments. The confluence of Chinese and Western medicine at Rush Children’s Hospital is part of a study to [...]
A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to interview friend and colleague Stephen Elliott, Founder and President of COHERENCE L.L.C and life scientist. Stephen is the principal author of The New Science of Breath, Coherent Breathing – The Definitive Method, and his latest book Wuji Qi Gong And The Secret of Immortality (also about breathing). [...]
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