Psychiatry

Books and recommendations from Scientific American MIND

Evidence for a surprisingly simple therapy

Children who experience neglect, abuse and/or poverty can have smaller amygdalas and hippocampuses, brain regions involved in emotion and memory, compared with kids raised in nurturing environments. Christie Nicholson reports

 

I threw down a bit of a challenge last month at the Association of Medical Illustrators Conference in Minnesota. But first, I had to—somewhat unexpectedly—accept some challenges presented by others.

Several factors, such as severity of symptoms, family history, substance abuse and a “mixed” depressive and manic state may combine to increase the risk for suicide

Of course, the media is writing a lot today about the link between mental illness and creativity in light of Robin Williams' suicide. Here's the thing: Williams' comedic genius was a result of many factors, including his compassion, playfulness, divergent thinking, imagination, intelligence, affective repertoire, and unique life experiences.

The new identification of possible genetic markers for post-traumatic stress disorder supports treatment with a steroid hormone a few hours after trauma

Talking to yourself again?  Savvy Psychologist Dr. Ellen Hendriksen assures you’re not going crazy.  You’re simply thinking out loud, which is not only normal, but beneficial

On a trip to Italy a few years ago, my partner and I peered into the faraway distance at that famously angled phallus that is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, when suddenly we became aware of a small scene unfolding before us.

The news comes on the same day as a $650-million donation to expand psychiatric research

Insights from embodied cognition

Common gene variants that have minor effects may contribute about half the risk of developing autism