Psychotherapy
October 13, 2009 Charleston, S.C.--A new neurosurgical procedure may prove helpful for patients with treatment-resistant depression. Bilateral epidural prefrontal cortical stimulation (EpCS) was found generally safe and provided significant improvement of depressive symptoms in a small group of patients, according to lead researcher Ziad Nahas, M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Patients who participate in a structured telephone program to manage their depression appear to experience significant benefits and only a moderate increase in health care costs when compared with those who receive usual care, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
SEATTLE -- When people get brief, structured, phone-based cognitive behavioral psychotherapy soon after starting on antidepressant medication, significant benefits may persist two years after their first session, with only modest rises in cost. Over two years, this treatment is cost-effective, according to a randomized trial in the October 2009 Archives of General Psychiatry.
(Boston) -- The joys of motherhood for many women can also lead other new moms to experience postpartum depression and even worse -- ideas for committing suicide.
KANSAS CITY, MO -- September 1, 2009 -- New research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is being presented this week at the Military Health Research Forum (MHRF), a scientific conference hosted by the Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. More than 1.3 million adults in the U.S. suffer from RA with 75% of those afflicted being women. Patients with RA experience pain, stiffness, swelling, and deterioration of joints.
A marked and broad expansion in antidepressant treatment occurred among Americans older than 6 years between 1996 and 2005, although treatment rates remain low among racial and ethnic minorities, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Providence, RI -- A year ago, a study by Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University researchers reported that fewer than half the patients previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder received an actual diagnosis of bipolar disorder after using a comprehensive, psychiatric diagnostic interview tool --the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID).
CHICAGO --- John Csernansky wants to take your measurements. Not the circumference of your chest, waist and hips. No, this doctor wants to stretch a tape measure around your hippocampus, thalamus and prefrontal cortex.
(Boston) ? Psychotherapists who treat mothers suffering from postpartum depression and other mood disorders with their infants have developed a proven process that contributes to a greater positive experience with immediate insights for the mothers to develop healthy connections between their maternal experiences and their infants' behaviors.
"Picture from Peggy and me (5-07-2008, Bavaria, Germany)"
*Maurits van den Noort received his MA-degree in Social Psychology and Neuro- & Rehabilitation Psychology from the Radboud University Nijmegen (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) and his PhD-degree in Psychology from the University of Bergen (Bergen, Norway). His main areas of interest are: human rights/life aid work, art, science. He is currently working for the Free University of Brussels (Brussels, Belgium) and he is visiting professor at Kyung Hee University (Seoul, Republic of Korea).
A tuberculosis drug called D-cycloserine (DCS), used in concert with psychotherapy, is an effective treatment for some anxiety-related disorders, according to scientists. In the study of 28 people suffering from acrophobia, which is an abnormal fear of heights, either DCS or placebo was given to study participants, followed by two virtual reality sessions that simulated standing in a rising glass elevator. Compared to subjects who took only placebo, those treated with DCS experienced a significant reduction in their fear of heights that was maintained for at least three months (the longest time tested) after concluding therapy.
A new study from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and 12 other medical centers shows the most effective treatment for adolescents with major depressive disorder is a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Researchers say the study's findings indicate this combination treatment may be best for both improving depression and reducing the level of suicidal thinking in adolescents.
New research confirms what most women have probably known all along: most men aren't really good at sharing their feelings. The findings come from a study of the differences between men's and women's responses to short-term group psychotherapy. The results, which have been published in the latest edition of Psychotherapy Research, indicate that women generally had better outcomes in both supportive and interpretive short-term group therapy relative to men. The research also showed that men were less committed to their therapy groups and were perceived by other group members to be less compatible than women.
Results of a new study suggest that disulfiram, a medication used to treat alcohol addiction, is effective in combating cocaine abuse. The researchers also conclude in the same study that combining disulfiram with behavioral therapy provides more positive results in treating cocaine dependence than disulfiram in combination with another form of therapy. In the study, 121 cocaine-dependent individuals randomly were assigned to receive disulfiram (also known as Antabuse) or a placebo, in addition to undergoing one of two behavioral therapy interventions. Participants received either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in individual sessions during the 12-week project. Results showed that participants given disulfiram reduced their cocaine use significantly compared with people given placebo.
