Psychotherapy News and Research

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Psychotherapy is “talk” therapy. It involves talking with a mental health professional to treat a mental illness. Psychotherapy can occur one-on-one or in a group. Research shows that support from family and friends can be an important part of therapy.

Statins can reduce risk of depression

Researchers at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the University of California San Francisco have studied the link between medication taken for cardiovascular disease and the development of depression. In their studies, scientists have determined that a particular class of medication, i.e. statins, can reduce the risk of developing depression.

22 Feb 2012

Medicare cuts include psychotherapy payment reduction

Medicare recipients currently receiving mental health outpatient services stand to be affected by the payroll tax legislation passed by Congress today. As a result of the new law, which President Obama is expected to sign, payment for Medicare outpatient psychotherapy services will be cut by five-percent beginning March 1.

18 Feb 2012

February marks GoodTherapy.org's 5-year anniversary

This month marks GoodTherapy.org's 5-year anniversary for advocating healthy therapy and connecting people with mental health therapists through their leading therapy directory. At the 5 year mark, GoodTherapy.org has succeeded in making a lasting impression on the web and in the mental health community.

16 Feb 2012

People with rich fantasy lives may be susceptible to dissociative identity disorder

Scientific research has shed new light on dissociative symptoms and dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. This condition seems to arise most often when a vulnerable person meets a therapist with a suggestive line of questioning or encounters sensationalized media portrayals of dissociation. Research shows that people with rich fantasy lives may be especially susceptible to such influences.

15 Feb 2012

Report addresses treatment preferences among depressed patients after heart attack

A report in the last 2011 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics addresses the treatment preferences that are expressed by depressed patients after a heart attack.

13 Feb 2012

Study addresses role of personality in treatment response of PTSD

In the last 2011 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a group of Dutch investigators addresses the role of personality in treatment response of post-traumatic stress disorder.

13 Feb 2012

New smartphone can help people with mental health problems

Brooding in your apartment on Saturday afternoon? A new smart phone intuits when you're depressed and will nudge you to call or go out with friends. It's the future of therapy at a new Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine center where scientists are inventing web-based, mobile and virtual technologies to treat depression and other mood disorders. The phone and similar projects bypass traditional weekly therapy sessions for novel approaches that provide immediate support and access to a much larger population.

8 Feb 2012

Book focuses on Group Schema Therapy for BPD

Therapists, patients and families dealing with Borderline Personality Disorder now have an unprecedented guide to a way out of the misery and chaos in the form of the soon to be release book "Group Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder: Treatment Manual and Patient Workbook".

7 Feb 2012

Transcranial magnetic stimulation that treats depression gains momentum

A new magnetic therapy that treats major depression "is rapidly gaining momentum," said Dr. Murali Rao of Loyola University Medical Center, one of the first Chicago-area centers to offer the treatment.

3 Feb 2012

Negative outlook need not have to be permanent in chronic melancholics

Good news for the 13 per cent of the population with depressive personality traits: their negative outlook does not have to be permanent. This has been shown by psychologist Rachel Maddux in new research from Lund University in Sweden.

30 Jan 2012

Aspirin may reduce depressive symptoms in survivors of ACS

Aspirin has been commonly used for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Depression has been found to be an important prognostic factor after heart attacks. But what is their relationship? This is addressed by a study published in the 5th 2011 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

24 Jan 2012

Potential role of omega-3 fatty acid in preventing psychological consequences of accidents

A report in the 5th 2011 issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics suggests the potential role of omega-3 fatty acid in preventing the psychological consequences of an accident.

23 Jan 2012

Study evaluates whether PWB predicts negative affectivity in fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a stress-related functional somatic syndrome consisting of musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, and additional symptoms such as fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Factors such as ill-being, often assessed as negative affectivity, may follow, increasing the risk of unhealthy and dysfunctional lifestyles.

21 Jan 2012

Regular exercise can decrease anxiety symptoms in patients with GAD

Approximately 3 percent of the U.S. population suffers from excessive, uncontrollable worry that reduces their health and quality of life. The condition, known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, is difficult to overcome and is accompanied by a host of physical symptoms, including fatigue, muscle tension, irritability and poor sleep. However, a new University of Georgia study shows that regular exercise can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in patients with GAD.

20 Jan 2012

Psychiatric Times focuses on helping clinicians treat people with personality disorders

UBM Medica today announced that Psychiatric Times features special coverage focused on helping mental health professionals treat people with various types of personality disorders.

20 Jan 2012

DBS safe and effective for treatment-resistant depression in patients with unipolar MDD or BP

A new study shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a safe and effective intervention for treatment-resistant depression in patients with either unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar ll disorder.

3 Jan 2012

CNVs appear to play a significant role in early onset bipolar disorder

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, reports that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder.

22 Dec 2011

Despite improvements, disparities in diagnosis and treatment of depression remain

Despite improvements to diagnostic tools and therapies in the two last decades, significant disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of depression remain, according to Rutgers research published online by the American Journal of Public Health; print, February 2012.

21 Dec 2011

First reliable method to predict whether SSRIs work on depressed patients

Loyola University Medical Center researchers are reporting what could become the first reliable method to predict whether an antidepressant will work on a depressed patient.

16 Dec 2011

National conference on mindfulness for children

Beginning February 4, 2012, the UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness will host a national conference for teachers, parents, therapists, and school administrators called Bridging the Hearts & Minds of Youth. The two-day conference is designed to familiarize and train attendees with the ways in which mindfulness is being taught to children and teens in a variety of settings.

15 Dec 2011