Surgery for Mental Illness

NY Times article entitled "Brain Surgery for Mental Ills Offers Both Hope and Risk." The article discusses an experimental surgery for severe mental illness, such as OCD. The surgery is risky, and not all patients improve, yet those that do report significant improvement. How might psychiatrists, neurologists and psychologists determine which patients are appropriate for surgery versus medication versus psychotherapy? What are the ethical implications of doing a surgery that seems to help, but no one knows why?

Happy Doctors

From the Chicago Tribune, "Happiest Doctors Treat Children, Elderly." The article discusses a recent study indicating medical professionals that treat children and older adults are the most satisfied with their jobs. Why do you think this might be? How could other fields of medicine be improved so that doctors have higher job satisfaction?

Treating Trauma -- Vicarious Trauma

CNN.com article entitled "Treating Trauma Victims May Cause Its Own Trauma." Psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who treat trauma (military or otherwise) are at risk for vicarious trauma -- meaning that they experience an emotional toll after hearing about trauma in their work. How might a mental health professional prevent experiencing vicarious trauma? What should colleagues watch for to prevent emotional distress in their fellow professionals? Do you think this is a risk in non-mental health professionals?

Rates of Preemie Death

CNN.com report entitled "More than 1M preemies die in the first month annually." Nearly 10% of the world's babies are born before the 37th week of gestation, which is considered premature. Preemie babies are at higher risk for death in the first month and if they survive, they are at risk of higher rates of medical problems later on. The highest rates of premature birth are in Africa and North America. What could be done to lower the rates of premature birth or preemie death? How could improved pre-natal care impact the outcome of birth?

Communication with Infants and Toddlers

NY Times article entitled "From Birth, Engage Your Child with Talk." The article explores a modern phenomenon of mothers and other caregivers spending more time on computers, cell phones and blackberries than talking to their children. The article then reviews positive communication strategies that parents can use to facilitate language skill growth in their children. It also gives some specific tips on building language skills. Have you seen parents with their children, but not talking to their child? What kind of communication skills do you use with your children? How might different strategies impede or facilitate growth?

Interruptions in the Doctor's Office

NY Times article entitled "Your X-Ray Shows.... Oh, Excuse Me." The article discusses a research study that explore interruptions during physician's visits, and found that on average, a doctor is interrupted twice during each visit. Interestingly enough, patients also get interrupted during their doctor's visit. Would you answer your cell phone during a doctor's appointment? Would you mind if your doctor answered his/her phone during your appointment? How could patients and doctors work together to reduce the interruptions?

Working in Late Life

CNN article entitled "Workers Thriving at 70, 80, and even 100." The article talks about how many older workers are choosing to work later in life, rather than retire, and gives three examples of older adults who are thriving in their late-life work. The article also discusses workers who would like to retire, but are unable to do so because of economic reasons. Do you plan on working past retirement age? What are the pros and cons of working in late life? How might it impact your sense of meaning and purpose in life?

Bedtimes and Health

CNN article entitled "Enforcing Bedtimes Improves Kids' Health." The article reviews a study that indicates that when parents enforce a consistent bedtime, the child's mood improved. Those parents who have a bedtime routine (e.g., bath, story time, etc) have an easier time putting their child to bed. How do you help a parent who has difficulty enforcing a bedtime with their child? What strategies might you employ?

Treatment Center for Web Addiction

NY Times article entitled "Center Tries to Treat Web Addicts." The article discusses a new treatment center that opened in Washington state that exclusively treats people addicted to the internet. Although internet addiction is not currently a diagnosis in the DSM-IV-TR, web addictions fit some of the criteria seen in other addictions. Is addiction to the internet (e.g., social networking sites, online games, etc.) becoming a life-threatening problem? How might a family member or friend intervene if you suspected your loved one was becoming addicted?

Even Babies Discriminate

A Newsweek article (lengthy, but a good read) entitled "See Baby Discriminate: Kids as Young as 6 Judge Others Based on Skin Color. What's a Parent to Do?" This article explore the results of multiple research studies that examined children and discrimination. One study explored childrens' attitudes towards other ethnic groups based on skin color, and what those children felt like their parents' attitudes were towards other groups. Theis study author points out that those parents who talked openly with their children about race had children who were more positive about other groups. Should we openly talk about race from early childhood or wait until our children bring it up? How does the research in the article indicate parents should do this?

Multi-tasking is Bad for the Brain

CNN.com article entitled "Drop that BlackBerry! Multitasking May be Harmful." The article discusses research that indicates the more you multi-task with technology, the worse you do on tasks that require switching attention. The researchers indicate that this could result over the long term in reduced productivity. Do you find that it is more difficult to switch from one task to another after spending time multi-tasking? What might be some other factors influencing attention and short-term memory?

End-of-Life Comfort Care

NY Times article entitled "Months to Live - At the End, Offering Not a Cure but Comfort." This article explore a fairly new but rapidly expanding field of medicine called palliative care. The focus is not on curative care, but rather providing relief from physical and emotional suffering. How can medicine provide a "good death" while at the same time honoring a patient's wishes? How might culture impact an individual's desire for palliative care?

The Brain and Stress

NY Times article entitled "Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop." This article describes animal research that indicates the brain gets "stuck" in bad habits when exposed to chronic stress. The article also discusses how this might apply to human behaviors and what happens when stress is removed. What are the implications of this research for stress-management programs and for individuals dealing with chronic stress?

Drugs That Slow Aging

NY Times article entitled "Tests Begin on Drugs That May Slow Aging." The article discusses two lines of research focused on slowing the aging process: caloric restriction (see other articles in this blog regarding this) and single-gene changes. Do you think aging is a process that should be slowed? How would human life change if the average longevity was 150 years (think about work, family, finances, resources)?

Acupuncture Boosts Effects of Painkillers

LA Times article entitled "Acupuncture Boosts Effects of Painkillers, Natural or Prescription." The article reviews recent research that indicates acupuncture makes certain key brain cells more receptive to pain-killing opioids. Acupuncture is still considered an "alternative" treatment by many insurance plans. Given this recent research, should acupuncture be part of routine pain-management treatment for individuals with chronic pain? What additional research needs to be conducted?

Mentally Ill Offenders in Juvenile System

NY Times article entitled "Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System." The article discusses the difficulty for those young offenders who have mental illness to receive proper treatment and the struggle of state prison systems to pay for appropriate care. How could the juvenile system more appropriately work with young, mentally ill offenders? What are some alternatives to a punishment-based jail system? How could the state pay for treatment?

Disabled Students More Likely To Be Spanked in School

NY Times article entitled "Disabled Students More Likely to be Spanked in School." The article reports on a survey that reveals that of the children who are spanked in school, a disproportionate number are those with disabilities. Ohio's governor just signed a ban against corporal punishment in schools but in other states it is still legal. Why do you think this is? How effective is spanking in children? What are other ways to effectively discipline children within the school system?

Patient Consent Forms

NY Times article entitled "Doctor and Patient -- Treating Patients as Partners, by Way of Informed Consent." This article explores the complexity of discussing informed consent with patients and how the understanding of medical procedures goes beyond a simple discussion of the risks and benefits. Is it appropriate for physicians to have patients sign consent forms without proper training to do so? How might informed consent be better collected?

Suicides Rising in the Military

NY Times magazine article (quite lengthy) entitled "Suicide's Rising Toll -- After Combat, Victims of an Inner War." This article discusses the emotional cost of war, and explores the emotional trauma that military personnel experience both during the war and when they come back home. Suicide rates among returning military personnel have risen dramatically, despite great efforts in the U.S. to prevent military suicides. What more could be done to prevent suicide and the emotional trauma of war? How can the greater healthcare system support these soldiers?

Post-Partum Depression

CNN.com article entitled "Are You At Risk for Post Partum Mood Disorder?" The article discusses the symptoms of PPMD, as well as the difficulty of new mothers being willing to admit that they may need help with regulating their moods after giving birth. What are some ways that hospitals and pregnancy healthcare workers could screen for PPMD? How does the healthcare community overcome the stigma of treating PPMD versus just "sucking it up"?

Autistic Mice

Chicago Tribune article entitled "Autism Study: Scientists Engineer Mice with Chromosomal Syndrome Associated with Autism." Researchers have developed a strain of mice that show anxiety and poor social skills, traits typically associated with autism. Abnormal chromosomes have been shown to be a cause in between 10-20% of autism cases, including one that is associated with chromosome 15. What are the implications of this study? How might research on chromosomes and genes impact treatment for autism in the future?

Home Burials

NY Times article entitled "Home Burials Offer an Intimate Alternative." This article explores a small but growing trend towards simple burials without the involvement of a funeral home. In a way, this is a return to the trends of burials a century ago. How would you feel about caring for a loved one's body at home and burying your loved one close by, rather than at a cemetery? What are the cultural differences in burial rituals that home burials might impact?

Benefits of Eating Fish

NY Times article entitled "Large Study Points to the Brain Benefits of Eating Fish." This article reviews a large study (15,000 participants) and reveals that those who eat fish have better brain health and lower risk of dementia than those who do not eat fish. This article also mentions research that indicates that higher levels of red meat in diets corresponds with higher rates of dementia. Do you eat fish on a weekly basis? What changes in your diet would you be willing to make now in order to maintain your brain health after age 65?

Surrogacy and Parenting

NY Times article entitled "No Stork Involved, but Mom and Dad Had Help." This article is about the challenges of answering the question "Where did I come from?" when the parents have used a surrogate mother to get pregnant. What would be the best way to talk to a child about surrogacy (given their developmental level)? Should parents entering into surrogacy think about how to tell their child before even entering into these contracts?

Live Longer on a Low-Cal Diet

AP article entitled "Monkeys Live Longer on a Low-Cal Diet; Would Humans?" This article discusses the restricted-calorie diets and reports the result of a 20-year study in primates. The monkeys on a restricted diet slows the diseases of aging and contributes to a longer life-span. Would you restrict your calories to live a longer, healthier life? How might that impact your emotional well-being?

Is Being Overweight Relative?

CNN.com article entitled "As nation gains, 'overweight' is relative." This article discusses the changes in clothes sizing as Americans become more and more overweight (also called vanity sizing). The new "normal" for Americans is a heavier size that it previously was, yet people are more comfortable with their larger body sizes. What are the implications of these changes in size and the comfort level with being overweight? What are the pros and cons of increasing body acceptance, but continued health problems in severely overweight individuals?

A Hormonal Cause of Infertility

NY Times article entitled "A Culprit in Infertility, Overlooked Yet Treatable." The article discusses a hormonal condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) that is a treatable, yet often undiagnosed condition in infertility for both men and women. Infertility treatments are frequently not covered by insurance companies, yet there are clearly medical causes to infertility that are easily treatable. Should insurance companies cover infertility diagnosis and treatment? Is it essential that physicians, especially those in women's health, discuss fertility and test for fertility in young women even when they are not trying to have children?

Months to Live

NY Times article entitled "Sisters Face Death with Dignity and Reverence." This article talks about end-of-life care in a retirement community and the choices the nuns living there make about their EOL choices. Have you thought about what you want the end of your life to be like? What kinds of influences would there be in your decisions about dying in a home environment versus going to the hospital?

How Old Do You Feel?

NY Times article entitled "How Old Do You Feel? Depends on Your Age." Researchers find that the older one gets, the more likely they see "old age" as a later time in life. Further, people tend to feel 10 years younger (on average) than their chronological age. This study also examined younger adults' attitudes towards aging. What are your thoughts about when "old age" actually begins? What do you expect older age to hold when you get there?

Teenagers Believe They'll Die Young

Columbus Dispatch/AP article entitled "Surprising Number of Teens Think They'll Die Young." This study indicates that approximately 15% of teenagers believe that they will die when they are young, leading to increases in use of drugs and alcohol, suicide attempts and other risky behavior. This study challenges conventional wisdom (e.g., Erikson) that indicates that teens engage in risky behavior because they believe they are invincible. What do the results of this study indicate in regards to cognitive and psychosocial development for teens? What other factors might be impacting the results of this research? What do the ethnic differences in the study indicate for those doing prevention work in school systems?

Extending Life With Extra Pounds

NY Times article entitled "Excess Pounds, but Not Too Many, May Lead to Longer Life." Recent research indicates that adults who are overweight -- but not obese -- lead longer lives than those of average weight or those who were underweight. What about the extra weight might be a protective factor? How might this conflict with the research on calorie restriction and longer life?

Drinking Age Affects Bingeing

NY Times article entitled "Drinking Age Affects Bingeing, To A Point." This study finds that as the drinking age has gone up, binge drinking has gone down -- except in college students. For those individuals who do not attend college, binge drinking rates have gone down since the change to the drinking age of 21 in 1984. What do you think influences binge drinking in college students, and why would this be different than in other adults in that same age group? How might colleges prevent binge drinking in under-age students?

Remaining Socially Active Aids Motor Skills

NY Times article entitled "Remaining Socially Active Aids Motor Skills." This brief article reports on a study that indicates that older adults who remain socially active experience the least decline in their motor skills over time. How might older adults and caregivers use this information to maintain an active lifestyle in late life? How could retirement facilities design programs around this type of research?

Hazards for Elderly

NY Times article entitled "Study Warns of Hazards for Elderly Using Walking Aids." This recent study indicates that although canes and walkers are meant to prevent elderly individuals from falling, that walkers and canes are involved in a significant number of falls in this population. Although the study did not explore why this was, the authors speculate that it may be due to inappropriate use or design flaws with the equipment itself. What are other factors that could contribute to walkers and canes being involved in falls? Are older adults who use equipment like this properly trained in the use and care of their equipment?

Girl's Sports Struggle

NY Times article entitled "Left Behind -- A City Team's Struggle Shows Disparity in Girls' Sports." The article discusses the gap between suburban and urban school systems in sports participation, particularly with female students. Although some of this gap can be attributed to finances, other barriers include the difficulties in the child's life. What are the benefits of sports to urban schools? How might sports programs in urban areas work through the barriers to involve more students?

An Alternative Therapy for Sundowning

NY Times article entitled "Dusk-to-Dawn Therapy for Dementia's Restless Minds." The article is about a non-traditional day-care program that occurs at night for those individuals with dementia who have sundowning. The program is sponsored by the Hebrew Home at Riverdale in NY and is a one-of-a-kind program in the United States. What would it take to get other healthcare facilities to provide this type of care? How would one empirically evaluate the effectiveness of programs like this one? Would you want your family member to have this type of care?

Doctors Taking Time

NY Times article entitled "If All Doctors Had More Time to Listen." With healthcare costs skyrocking out of control and more family physicians feeling overworked and overwhelmed, some physicians are turning to smaller practices to cut administrative costs and actually spend time listening to their patients. How might a change to this model impact the entire healthcare system? What groups of patients would this model work best with? What are the potential outcomes of this type of model (both positive and negative)?

Multiple Moves for Children Increases Suicide Risk

Chicago Tribune article entitled "Children's Suicide Study: Researchers Link Multiple Moves, Higher Suicide Risk." According to new research, the more times a child moves, the higher the risk of suicide. What might be other factors involved in this type of risk factor? How might this research change suicide prevention for children?

Mindfulness and Stress

CNN article entitled "Mindfulness Training Busts Stress." Mindfulness is a technique that has been around for centuries, and focuses on slowing down and paying full attention to the moment. Yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation teach mindfulness. Could you take a day to be mindful of what you are doing, in the moment, paying full attention to only one thing at a time? How might that reduce your stress?

Celebrity and Weight

NY Times article entitled "Bingeing on Celebrity Weight Battles." This article discusses celebrities (notably women, including Oprah and Kirstie Alley) and their very public battle with weight and body image. What message do you think it sends to young women that famous women publicly debase themselves and their bodies unless they have an almost-unhealthy body size (e.g., Kirstie Alley said she would be happy at 5'8" and less than 140 pounds, which is at the very bottom end of a healthy weight for that height). How can you talk to young women about this phenomenon? What emotional impact does celebrities having weight-loss surgeries (and sometimes lying about it) have on the average overweight American woman?

New Warning on Hormone Replacement Therapy

NY Times article entitled "New Warning on Hormone Replacement." Hormone replacement therapy already has somewhat of a bad reputation for increasing the risk of certain health conditions, and now a recent study indicates that women taking HRT are at increased risk of dying from lung cancer. The article also discusses new cancer medication. How would you talk with a patient about the risks and benefits of HRT? Should all women thinking about HRT go through preliminary medical screenings for lung cancer and other health conditions?

Eating for Two?

NY Times article entitled "Study Urges Weight Gain Be Curbed During Pregnancy." Current guidelines advise overweight women to limit weight gain during pregnancy to 25 pounds; however, recent research has recommended a significant change to these guidelines, with obese women being asked to limit weight gain to 11 to 20 pounds. How much weight is appropriate to gain during pregnancy, especially if a woman is already overweight? How much does the old adage "eating for two" promote over-eating during pregnancy.

Texting May Take a Toll

NY Times article entitled "Texting May Be Taking a Toll on Teenagers." The average teen sends over 2000 text messages a month, which is almost 80 per day. Teens admit to texting during class, when they should be sleeping, and while walking. Psychologists and pediatricians are concerned about this phenomenon. Should they be concerned? What are the implications of constantly being "in touch" with others? What might the emotional, physical and social tolls on teenagers be if they text constantly?

Death in Birth

NY Times article entitled "Where Life's Start is a Deadly Risk." Pregnancy and childbirth kill half a million women each year around the world, but half of those deaths occur in Africa. Most of these births would be preventable, however, there is a severe shortage of medical staff and equipment. What do you think a feasible solution might be? How does a country with limited resources find the financial and governmental support to create programs to help these women? Would birthing kits such as this one help?

Webcast Your Brain Surgery?

NY Times article entitled "Webcast Your Brain Surgery? Hospitals See Marketing Tool." The article describes the new use of social networking sites (YouTube, Twitter, etc) to market hospitals and procedures to potential patients. How might this impact privacy rules that are meant to protect patients? What are the ethical implications of this new use of social technology? Would you allow a medical procedure to be documented and shared on the internet?

A Prom Divided

NY Times article entitled "In Georgia, Segregation Endures on Prom Night." Mount Vernon, GA has held segregated proms since their schools integrated in 1971. Although most students want to have an integrated prom, parents have disagreed on the basis that "it's tradition." What do you think about this "tradition?" What are the implications of continuing to have a segregated prom in the 2000's? What might be the impact of this event on the friendships within the school?

Brain Power

NY Times article entitled "Brain Power - At Card Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age." The article describes an ongoing research project exploring healthy aging, and describes a group of Bridge players who keep sharp much longer than their non-Bridge-playing companions. What do you do to keep your mind sharp? Which direction do you think the correlation goes it -- is it that sharper people who play Bridge are less likely to develop dementia, or that people who play Bridge stay sharp and prevent dementia? How might the results of this research impact your plans for older adulthood?

HBO Documentary: The Alzheimer's Project

This is a new documentary series by HBO entitled "The Alzheimer's Project." You can view the videos from this website. Please read the review by The Chicago Tribune about this amazing public health documentary, focused on both individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Alzheimer's is a growing health priority in our country, and this project (co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health) is geared towards increasing awareness of the disease.

Increase in Out-of-Wedlock Birthrates

NY Times article entitled "Out-of-Wedlock Birthrates Are Soaring, U.S. Reports." In 2007, the study reports that 4 out of every 10 children born in the U.S. were born out of wedlock. These rates are rapidly increasing, with the numbers of children being born to out-of-wedlock mothers highest among women in their 20's and 30's. What are the implications of this study? Do two parents living together provide the same type of parenting experience as two married parents?

Mother's Talk Key to Social Development

From CNN.com, article entitled "Mothers' talk is key to kids' social skills, study says." Research reveals the way mothers talk with their children appears to be key to social understanding, especially the labeling of feelings. How could this be incorporated into parenting classes or other training opportunities for mothers? Is there a way to get fathers involved?

Salt Content in Popular Restaurant Meals

The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a report documenting the salt content in many popular meals at seventeen restaurants. The report, entitled "Heart Attack Entrees and Side Order of Stroke: The Salt in Restaurant Meals is Sabotaging Your Health" and is available at this link in pdf file format. What are the implications of this report? Will it change your eating habits?

Women and Mental Illness

CNN.com article entitled "New report underscores women's mental illness concerns." The article discusses a new report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, entitled "Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health." Most mental health professionals are aware of the health disparities in mental health diagnosis and treatment between men and women. How might this new report impact treatment for women? What are some of the implications for mental health workers to be aware of when working with women?