Articles, Leading Stories
New Riverview leader hopes to bring new direction
By Catherine Robertson Souter
After a tumultuous few months, the mental health system in Maine will have new life breathed into it in the person of Robert Jay Harper, a former patient advocate with the...
Extreme weight loss: media’s misplaced message
By Phyllis Hanlon
Thin is in. Or so various media sources would have the general public believe. Magazines, newspapers and now reality shows are promoting the message that excessive dieting and...
Privileges quest fizzles
By Catherine Robertson Souter
At a time when mental health care and health insurance have taken center stage in the American dialogue, it can be shocking to find that patients may find basic access to...
Consumer protection bill filed to restrict use of ‘psychotherapist’
By Pamela Berard
Proposed Massachusetts legislation would restrict use of the terms “psychotherapist” or “psychotherapy” to only those professionals licensed with “psychotherapy”...
Bill to expand veterans’ court is revised
By Rivkela Brodsky
A $1.16 million proposal to expand Maine’s veterans’ court statewide has been revised to a $40,000 plan to cover a grant expiring at the end of June, says Rep. Lori Fowle...
Study reports adolescent psychotropic drug use
By Rivkela Brodsky
About six percent of teens use psychotropic drugs, mostly antidepressants and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications, according to a recent study by the Centers...
Stress in America 2013 focuses on teens
By Phyllis Hanlon
The American Psychological Association recently released the results of Stress in America™ 2013, which for the first time focused on teens. The survey “portrays a picture...
Study: Online tool effective
By Susan Gonsalves
Researchers at Yale University have developed a program to teach coping skills to alcohol and substance abuse patients. Lead author Kathleen Carroll, Ph.D., professor of...
R.I. has access to complementary program
By Pamela Berard
As part of a partnership between Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) and ValueOptions, Rhode Island mental health clinicians have access to ValueOptions’ On...
N.H. bill for gun purchase background checks defeated
By Howard Newman
In the wake of the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, gun-control activists in some states have called for more expansive background checks on those who...