There are numerous books, websites, and other media outlets that are devoted to educating people about various types of mental disorders. Recently, I found a very unique website that provides a new take on mental illness issues in teen populations (www.copecaredeal.org). Cope, Care, Deal organization provides numerous resources on various aspects of mental health. One …Read More
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Recess?
Jan 18, 2010
In my last blog, I highlighted that importance of play for decreasing childhood stress. I recently reviewed an article titled “Playtime in Peril” by Lean Winerman (published in the September 2009 edition of the Monitor, a publication of the American Psychological Association). As greater and greater emphasis has been placed on high stakes testing, school …Read More
Coping with Childhood Stress
Jan 10, 2010
According to an article entitled The Kids Aren’t All Right, published in the January edition of the Monitor on Psychology (a publication of the American Psychological Association), a significant number of children ages 8 to 17 experience significant stress. Specifically, in a recent survey, 44 percent of children reported sleep difficulties related to worrying, over …Read More
To Do…or To Do Tomorrow
Jan 5, 2010
Most people, myself included, have procrastinated about something at one point or another. Depending on the scope of the project, the result of procrastination can be relatively minor to producing significant anxiety symptoms. If procrastination generally leads to negative outcomes, how come the vast majority of us continue to engage in this behavior? I recently …Read More
ADHD in Adult Populations
Dec 31, 2009
In an article by Joel Young, M.D. Why Now? Factors that Delay ADHD Diagnosis in Adults, discussed many relevant issues related to adult diagnosis of ADHD. The article reported that in the past decade adults have sought evaluations for ADHD symptoms at a higher rate. Oftentimes, adults seek evaluation after learning that their child has …Read More
What Works in the Treatment of ADHD in Children
Dec 29, 2009
Given that ADHD is the most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis in childhood, it seems important for researchers to understand what interventions are most effective for children with ADHD. The MTA study is one of the first large scale, NIMH funded projects to compare the effectiveness of several different intervention approaches. The MTA study consisted of a …Read More
My New Year Resolution: A “to do” list that may actually make life a little less stressful.
Dec 27, 2009
Like most people, I often write long to do lists with numerous items I know will never get done. Sometimes, I question whether my to do list is actually helpful, as I often feel overwhelmed when I look at the seemingly infinite number of items that need to get taken care of and the relatively …Read More
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Compassion?
Dec 17, 2009
A recent article titled “More Compassion, Less Competition” by Richard Davidson presents the benefits of having a broader definition of education that focuses not only on academic growth but also overall emotional well being. Specifically, he argues that focusing heavily on competition and passing tests has resulted in teachers and students discriminating against those who …Read More
Seven Thoughts That Are Bad For You
Dec 6, 2009
In our day to day lives, most people experience a number of emotions throughout the day—some positive, some negative. When, however, an individual experiences more negative emotions, these emotions can start to take a toll on both an individual’s sense of well being and health. A recent article on www.livescience.com entitled “7 thoughts that are …Read More
The Advantages of Early Identification and Early Treatment of Autism
Dec 2, 2009
Given the significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with an Autistic spectrum disorder in the past decade, it is not surprising that a number of early childhood autism treatments have been developed. Such interventions have often been viewed with caution by psychologists as research demonstrating their effectiveness was scant. A recent study by …Read More