Category: Mental Health

My daughter tells me her new roommate is afraid to leave a 10-block area around their apartment in New York City. She has something called agoraphobia. What is that?

Patients in clinical trials sometimes experience the nocebo effect, which describes what happens when those assigned to receive the placebo exhibit side effects associated with receiving the real medication.

Assertive community treatment offers individualized, multidisciplinary care to the more severely mental ill, allowing them the opportunity to live and function in their communities instead of in institutions.

When young people with autism spectrum disorders leave high school, they are less likely to continue making use of services intended to help them socialize and improve their communication skills.

An analysis of studies suggests that use of marijuana during teenage years not only increases the risk of developing psychosis, but may also cause psychosis to manifest sooner than in others who are not marijuana users.

Studies have attempted to assess whether taking supplements of B vitamins, vitamin D, or vitamin E might prevent cognitive decline, but so far there is not sufficient evidence to support this theory.

Researchers are exploring the possibility that certain antidepressant medications may alleviate hot flashes in some women.

Because successfully quitting smoking requires overcoming the psychological habit as well as the body’s addiction to nicotine, the combination of a medication and therapy is more effective than either option alone.

Research on intermittent explosive disorder suggests that serotonin levels in the brain and activity in the prefrontal cortex may be contributing factors.

No medications currently available to treat Alzheimer’s disease can halt or prevent cognitive decline, and it is unknown if any will be discovered. The available drugs can alleviate symptoms and help manage behavioral issues.