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Archive for the ‘Mental Health’ Category

Does Pot Use Produce Psychosis?

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Does Pot Use Produce Psychosis?If you think marijuana is harmless, think again. A new study shows it can have powerful mental health side effects.

In the movies and among many teens and college students, the perception is that pot is relatively harmless. It mellows you out and the worst side effect is a bad case of the munchies, right? Not according to a new study. An article published in the latest issue of the professional journal Archives of General Psychiatry shows a much scarier potential effect of marijuana. It turns out that a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), found in pot, increases the brain processes that can lead to symptoms of psychosis.

So what does that mean for the average person? Can smoking pot lead to psychosis? Are there are other possible health concerns uncovered by this new study?

Previous research has found that THC can induce symptoms of psychosis in healthy people and worsen psychotic symptoms in people already experiencing them. Long-term cannabis use is also associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, the study suggests.

The study is groundbreaking in another way: Its findings are the first to use images of the brain to demonstrate that the reason symptoms of psychosis arise in marijuana users may be because THC interferes with the brain’s ability to distinguish between stimuli that are important, and those that aren’t, according to the study. (more…)


Are Parity Laws Making an Impact?

Monday, October 17th, 2011

Are Parity Laws Making an Impact?A new study finds that more individuals aren’t seeking substance abuse treatment, but the parity act has lowered costs for those who are covered.

Thanks to the Federal Mental Health Parity Act of 2008, employers who provide health insurance plans for mental and substance use disorders are now required to provide benefits that are equal to those given for general medical care. But three years later, is this act actually making a difference in the number of individuals seeking treatment? (more…)


Addiction Recognized as a Brain Disease

Friday, September 30th, 2011

Addiction Recognized as a Brain DiseaseA new official definition of addiction may help limit the stigma that it’s somehow related to a weakness of character or a choice.

It’s official: The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has officially recognized that addiction is not solely related to substance misuse and is, in fact, a chronic brain disease.

For decades, addiction specialists and those battling substance abuse have had to fight against the stigma that addiction is some sort of character flaw or personal weakness. But experts have long known that “at its core, addiction isn’t just a social problem or a moral problem or a criminal problem. It’s a brain problem whose behaviors manifest in all these other areas,” ASAM Past President Michael Miller, MD, said in a news release.
“The disease is about brains, not drugs. It’s about underlying neurology, not outward actions,” added Dr. Miller, who oversaw the development of the new addiction definition. (more…)


Does Motherhood Raise Depression Risk?

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Does Motherhood Raise Depression Risk?Treatment experts see this new finding as important because mental health issues like depression can make individuals more susceptible to substance abuse.

Working moms are less likely to show symptoms of depression than stay-at-home moms, MSNBC.com reports, citing a new study. Working moms aren’t off the hook, though. Those who are harder on themselves when it come to setting realistic expectations at balancing work and family end up having higher rates of depression than their more laid-back counterparts. (more…)


Mental Health Screenings for Teens May Prevent Addiction

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Mental Health Screenings for Teens May Prevent AddictionA new study shows testing teens for mental health issues may get them help before they turn to drugs, alcohol or suicide.

Could routine mental health screenings for high school students become the norm? A new study suggests it could be a valuable tool in identifying adolescents at-risk for mental illness and connecting those adolescents with recommended follow-up care. The study, reported by Science Daily, included nearly 2,500 high school students and was the largest school-based study conducted to-date by the TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. Findings are published in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (more…)


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