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The brain and autism: Challenging traditional testing
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareAbout 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to estimates from the CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Studies have shown that parents of children with ASD notice a developmental problem before their child's first birthday. Concerns about vision and hearing were more often reported in the first year, and differences in social, communication and fine motor skills were evident from six months of age.
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Psychopharmacology: When drugs are right for treating mental illness
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalPsychopharmacology in the treatment of mental illnesses is gradually gaining more attention among mental health providers because they are beginning to formulate more balanced therapeutic approaches into their interventions.
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Where social media and violence collide
Jessica Taylor Mental HealthcareIn 2010, Anthony Elonis' wife left him, and he also lost his job. Because of the upsetting factors occurring in his life, he turned to social media to vent his frustrations — something I'm sure each one of us has seen from a friend or acquaintance online.
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Is nursing really for everyone?
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareLast week, nursing student Jennifer Burbella filed a lawsuit against Misericordia University after failing a required class for the second time. The lawsuit claims she suffered from severe anxiety, depression and poor concentration and was not given appropriate accommodations during her final exam.
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Scientists are closing in on the root cause of schizophrenia
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareSchizophrenia was once thought to be just a catch-all term for forms of mental behavior that we don't understand. In fact, however, schizophrenia is a diagnosis that describes a psychiatric illness characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality. These impairments most commonly manifest as auditory hallucinations, paranoid delusions or disorganized talking and thinking in the context of significant social or occupational dysfunction.
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What is the origin of Nurses Week?
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareEach year, Nurses Week begins on May 6 and runs through May 12, Florence Nightingale's birthday. This is a week where the worker bees of the healthcare world get some time in the spotlight. Many nurses look forward to the week of gifts, praises and a reminder of the greatness of nursing. But how did all this celebrating actually originate?
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Mental Health Awareness Month aims to knock down stigma
Jessica Taylor Mental HealthcareWords of hopelessness are spoken day in and day out from individuals with mental illnesses, but they're often pushed to the side. Because of the stigma around mental health, it’s harder for people who may need help to seek out the resources that are available to them. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, there's no time like the present to discuss what can be done.
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Researchers examine link between creativity and mental illness
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareThe link between creativity and mental illness has been a fascinating topic for many researchers. For example, well-known author Kurt Vonnegut was intermittently depressed, but that was only the beginning. His mother had suffered from depression and committed suicide on Mother's Day when Kurt was 21 and home on military leave during World War II. His son, Mark, was originally diagnosed with schizophrenia and later, bipolar disorder.
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The impact of Alzheimer’s disease on women
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareIn a role that won her this year's Oscar for best actress, Julianne Moore plays Alice Howland, a college professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice." The Alzheimer's Association praises the film and describes it as "a movie that gives us a rare window into the experience of living with Alzheimer's disease — a glimpse of the inside looking out."
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Finding a path forward after the parent‑teacher conference
Nancy Gahles Mental HealthcareThe angst of parenthood rears its ugly multiheaded hydra appearance around this time every year — it's time for the parent-teacher conference. The parental hopes and dreams that your child did, in fact, incorporate all the lectures from you on bringing up his/her game hang in the fateful balance of this night.
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