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Trying to Put a Value on the Doctor-Patient Relationship

By drwong
May 25, 2018

In its push for profits, the U.S. health care system has made it difficult for patients to get personal attention from doctors. But what if hands-on medicine actually saves money and lives? New York Times By Kim Tingley May 16, 2018 In October 2014, my father was startled to receive a letter announcing the retirement,...   read more


Mental Illness, Civil Liberty, and Common Sense

By drwong
May 25, 2018

Psychiatric Times By Allen Frances, MD and Mark L. Ruffalo, LCSW May 3, 2018           COMMENTARY Dr. Frances is former Chair and Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Duke University. He was the Chair of the DSM-IV Task Force. Mr. Ruffalo is Affiliate Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Instructor of Social...   read more


As more older Americans struggle with dementia, what happens to their guns?

By drwong
May 17, 2018

Los Angeles Times By Melissa Healy May 11, 2018           The man had been a patient for decades, retired now from a career in which firearms were a part of the job. He was enjoying his days hunting, or at the shooting range with friends. But episodes of confusion had led...   read more


Grown-Up Researchers Look Closely at Young Minds in Major New Study

By drwong
May 14, 2018

American Psychiatric Association News May 9, 2018         Adolescence has long been known as a time of vulnerability for the start of mental disorders and substance use, yet not enough is known about normal brain development and its variations. To fill that gap, a collaborative federal program is starting to take a...   read more


Big Jump Seen In Number Of Inmates Prescribed Psychiatric Drugs In California

By drwong
May 13, 2018

National Public Radio, Inc By Anna Gorman May 4, 2018             When 47-year-old Edward Vega arrived in jail, he couldn't quiet the voices in his head. He felt paranoid, as though he was losing control. "I knew if I didn't get my medication, I was going to hurt someone," says...   read more


In veterans, even a mild case of traumatic brain injury is linked to an increased risk of dementia

By drwong
May 13, 2018

Los Angeles Times By Karen Kaplan May 07, 2018           Mild traumatic brain injury may sound like an oxymoron, along the lines of "jumbo shrimp" or "random order." But a new study shows that mild TBIs can have serious consequences for military veterans by raising their risk of dementia. Researchers who...   read more


The Disabling Effects of Mental Illness on My Education

By drwong
May 8, 2018

Psychiatric Services by Patrick W. Corrigan, Psy.D. May 02, 2018   Mental illnesses become serious when they are disabling, when symptoms and dysfunction prevent people from achieving their life goals. Although rehabilitation providers often list education as an important goal, rarely has the field done innovative work here. My 400-page textbook on psychiatric rehabilitation includes only four...   read more


Should California expand what it means to be 'Gravely disabled'?

By drwong
April 26, 2018

Los Angeles Times By Thomas Curwen April 18, 2018           When Gov. Ronald Reagan signed the Mental Health Act of 1967, the legislation signaled a new era in the treatment of mentally ill Californians. Also known as the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, the law recognized that not everyone with a mental illness needed...   read more


Getting Sick Can Be Really Expensive, Even for the Insured

By drwong
April 12, 2018

Beyond medical costs, a trip to the hospital can mean a permanent reduction in income for many Americans, new research shows. By Margot Sanger-Katz March 21, 2018 New York Times A Hospital Visit Can Hit Your Paycheck Among people in their 50s who were hospitalized, about 10 percent never went back to work. Some others scaled...   read more


Mariah Carey reveals her bipolar disorder diagnosis: 'I lived in denial and isolation'

By drwong
April 12, 2018

Apr. 11, 2018 By NARDINE SAAD Los Angeles Times         Mariah Carey opened up about her mental health on Wednesday and confirmed her longstanding battle with bipolar II disorder. “Until recently, I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me,” the 48-year-old singer told People. “It was too heavy...   read more