Author Archive

"Juanicas" at the San Diego Latin Film Festival

By editor
March 16, 2016

Juanicas is an intimate portrait of a Mexican immigrant family in Quebec affected by mental illness. Using material shot over almost 10 years, the filmmaker, Karina Garcia Casanova, documents her complex relationship with her mother and brother, both suffering from bipolar disorder. She starts filming when Juan, her brother, returns to live in Canada after...   read more


People Who Use Marijuana May Be More Likely to Develop Other Substance Use Disorders

By editor
February 19, 2016

American Psychiatric Association News Alert February 17, 2016   A prospective analysis of the results of a survey of U.S. adults suggests marijuana use may be associated with an increased risk for developing alcohol and drug disorders, but not mood or anxiety disorders, according to a study published today in JAMA Psychiatry. “Our findings suggest...   read more


An interview with film director Paul Dalio: Touched With Fire

By editor
February 18, 2016

By: Dinah Miller, MD Clinical Psychiatry News February 11, 2016   In early December, I was fortunate to be invited to a film screening of “Touched With Fire,” starring Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby. The movie is about two young poets with bipolar disorder who meet and fall in love while on a psychiatric unit....   read more


Zika Crisis: What is Microcephaly?

By editor
February 8, 2016

By Ariana Eunjung Cha February 2, 2016 Washington Post   The term refers to a rare neurological condition in which children have unusually small heads. In many cases it also means a baby's brain is smaller and may not have developed properly. The condition can be caused by hundreds of factors, both genetic and environmental....   read more


Federal Panel Recommends General Physicians Screen All Adults for Depression

By editor
January 31, 2016

by Melissa Healy Los Angeles Times January 26, 2016   In a sign that the treatment of depression is shifting to the mainstream of American medical care, a federal panel has recommended that general physicians screen all adults for depression and treat those affected by the mood disorder with antidepressant medication, refer them to psychotherapy...   read more


Scientists Move Closer to Understanding Schizophrenia's Cause

By editor
January 31, 2016

by BENEDICT CAREY New York Times JAN. 27, 2016   Scientists reported on Wednesday that they had taken a significant step toward understanding the cause of schizophrenia, in a landmark study that provides the first rigorously tested insight into the biology behind any common psychiatric disorder. More than two million Americans have a diagnosis of...   read more


Joshua White, reknown jazz pianist will perform at our Annual Installation Dinner in June

By editor
January 24, 2016

Come join us on Friday, June 3rd at the Marriott La Jolla to welcome incoming President, Rob Gorney, MD!  As part of the celebration, jazz pianist Joshua White and his trio will be performing.  Mr. White is from El Cajon and placed 2nd at the Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Festival in Washington, DC in...   read more


Dementia Care: Coping With Aging's Costliest Challenge

By editor
January 8, 2016

When someone you love has dementia, the experience can be heartbreaking-and the expenses enormous. Here's how to manage you family's finances while providing the best care. https://time.com/money/page/coping-with-agings-costliest-challenge/


Early-Life Depression May Alter Brain Development, Study Suggests

By editor
December 19, 2015

The brains of children diagnosed with major depressive disorder early in life may develop differently from those of children unaffected by the disorder, suggests a study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. Early in childhood, the brain experiences rapid neurogenesis and related increases in gray matter volume, followed by a process of selective elimination and myelination in early puberty, resulting...   read more


Don't Blame Mental Illness for Gun Violence

By editor
December 18, 2015

By the NY Times Editorial Board December 15, 2015 Those who oppose expanded gun-control legislation frequently argue that instead of limiting access to guns, the country should focus on mental health problems. “People with mental illness are getting guns and committing these mass shootings,” said Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, after the shooting...   read more