New England Psychologist - An Independent Voice for the Region's Psychologists

Shaky economy contributes to mental health woes
Psychologists are turning their attention to how current economic times are affecting mental health and what can be done to restore balance. [More]

The aftermath of tragedy
September 11 and Hurricane Katrina continue to leave their marks
As the anniversaries of two of the biggest disasters ever to hit the U.S. approach, New England Psychologist takes a look at how the victims and survivors are doing and what lessons have been learned from the tragedies. [More]

In spite of progress, emergency room rights bill delayed until 2009
Increasing the rights of mentally ill patients in Massachusetts' emergency rooms will wait for the next legislative session as House Bill 2042 did not make it to the Floor in summer 2008. In spite of the setback and until a bill can be passed, bill sponsors and stakeholders, during nine months of meetings to solve problems in lieu of no legislative solution, created a consumer's document that is being mailed to Massachusetts hospitals calling for a stop to forcibly undressing mentally ill patients and an evaluation of emergency room use of restraints and seclusion to protect patients' rights. [More]

Study: bipolar disorder over diagnosed
A recent study suggests that bipolar disorder is over diagnosed. In the study, less than half of those people previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder met the diagnostic criteria for it when assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). The 700 psychiatric outpatients who participated completed a self-administered questionnaire that asked whether they had been previously diagnosed with bipolar or manic depressive disorder by a health care professional. [More]

Mental illness causes severe loss of earnings, study says
People with mental illness earn less money. That's not exactly shocking news, of course, but with hard data to show the severe loss of earning potential faced by those with a DSM-IV serious mental illness, the argument can be made in courts and policy-making committees that more is needed in the way of mental health care. In a report published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in June, researchers at Harvard Medical School found serious mental illness results in an average yearly loss of $16,306 in wages for the mentally ill employee as compared to other comparable employees. [More]

Survey says that moms are most stressed
It won't come as a surprise to mothers between 35 and 54 years of age, but now it's official: the American Psychological Association's 2007 Stress in America survey confirms that these women are the most stressed group in America. Balancing the care of their children, partners and parents, combined with paying for college and saving for retirement is taking its toll. [More]

Trouble in paradise
Study shows high rates of depression on Cape Cod
The largest screening for depression and addiction ever done on Cape Cod found that of some 15,000 patients, more than 43 percent have depression, 25 percent have addictions and 16 percent are struggling with both, according to a study called Community Care for Depression. [More]

Stuck kids: a seasonal issue
The issue of stuck kids has prompted the state of Massachusetts to create several agencies, programs, projects and services intended to alleviate the problem. A look into any hospital emergency room at certain times of the year might indicate that these efforts are failing. However, experts disagree, noting the seasonal ups and downs of the issue. [More]

Bill sets standards at boot camps
The House of Representatives approved legislation that would set standards for juvenile boot camps and other residential programs, including wilderness therapy programs and so-called behavioral modification facilities, for troubled teenagers. The bill, which follows a Government Accounting Office (GAO) report citing abuse and even deaths at some of these programs, would ban practices such as denying teens food, water and shelter. [More]

Researchers map personality traits by region
Many of us have them - friends on the West Coast who look disdainfully down their noses on their Atlantic counterparts, saying we're too hurried and uptight. Researchers recently lent some credence to this idea. Mapping the salient personality traits in different regions in the United States, the team found hubs of neuroticism in the Northeast. [More]

Parity bill�s fate likely to be decided in September
Following intense negotiations, the U.S. House and Senate have come to an agreement on mental health parity legislation. If approved by the White House, it would mark the end of a more-than-a-decade long struggle to mandate equal treatment for physical and psychological ailments by insurance companies. [More]

Q&A: Grant recipient studies psychology of emotion
Local psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D. was one of 12 recipients of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Pioneer Award. [More]