Will Baum, LCSW » mental health

Mental Health, CA

wb — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:18:02 +0000

In a comprehensive new study of mental health status and the use of mental health services by Californians, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that nearly one in five adults in the state — about 4.9 million people — said they needed help for a mental or emotional health problem…

Mental Health ER

wb — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:35:52 +0000

One in eight ER visits due to mental health and/or substance abuse.

New government statistics show that nearly 12 million visits made to U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2007 involved people with a mental disorder, substance abuse problem, or both.

Survey: Talk Therapy Helps

wb — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:28:31 +0000

Results from a giant Consumer Reports mental health survey, reported earlier, have been posted. Here are the bullet points they came up with:

Talk therapy helps

Some drugs have an edge

Anxiety rises [is on the rise, that is, since 2004]

Side effects shift

Type of therapist doesn’t matter

Details on the site.

Exercise and Mental Health

wb — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:21:30 +0000

NYT reports study about Activity and Mental Health in Women:

People who are physically active appear to be at lower risk for cognitive impairment late in life, and for women, a new study suggests, physical activity during the teenage years may provide the greatest benefit.

Tai Chi for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

wb — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:38:45 +0000

Science Daily: Tai Chi Gets Cautious Thumbs Up for Psychological Health.

[A study] found that practicing Tai Chi was associated with reduced stress, anxiety, depression and mood disturbance, and increased self-esteem.

What’s Tai Chi? Wikipedia’s answer is here.

Military Mental Health

wb — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:33:59 +0000

In the military, mental health hospitalizations continue to rise.

Last year was the first in which hospitalizations for mental disorders outpaced those for injuries or pregnancies in the 15 years of tracking by the Pentagon’s Medical Surveillance Monthly report.

Reducing “Self-Stigma”

wb — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:41:38 +0000

A study uses something called Narrative Enhancement Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address internalized stigma for people with mental illness.

The intervention is aimed at giving people with a mental illness the necessary tools to cope with the “invisible” barrier to social inclusion – self-stigma. [The study] showed that those who participated in the intervention exhibited a reduced self-stigma and, in parallel, an increase in quality of life and self-esteem.

Mental Illness and Jails

wb — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:55:03 +0000

Grim report: Mentally ill people are sent to jail more often than hospital.

As a result of the deinstitutionalization movement that began in the 1960s, though, “it is now extremely difficult to find a bed for a seriously mentally ill person who needs to be hospitalized,” Pavle and his co-authors write. In 1955, they write, there was one psychiatric bed for every 300 Americans. In 2005, there was one for every 3,000 Americans

Green Exercise

wb — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:32:08 +0000

A study says exercising for just a little bit–but outdoors, in nature–is good for mood and well-being.

Green areas with water added something extra. A blue and green environment seems even better for health…From a health policy perspective, the largest positive effect on self-esteem came from a five-minute dose.

Is Marriage Good for Your Health?

wb — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:51:07 +0000

A big NYT Magazine piece by Tara Parker-Pope surveys the research about marriage, health, and happiness, and finds mixed messages.

[W]hile it’s clear that marriage is profoundly connected to health and well-being, new research is increasingly presenting a more nuanced view of the so-called marriage advantage. Several new studies, for instance, show that the marriage advantage doesn’t extend to those in troubled relationships, which can leave a person far less healthy than if he or she had never married at all…