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Articles on Psychiatric disorders

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A diagnosis of treatment-resistant depression can lead to a sense of hopelessness and despair in some patients. Maria Korneeva/Moment via Getty Images

Depression too often gets deemed ‘hard to treat’ when medication falls short

An overreliance on medication as the first-line treatment for depression can lead some people to be labeled with treatment-resistant depression when there are other viable alternatives for relief.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation has worked when medication and other therapies have not. Monty Rakusen/Image Source via Getty Images

Patients suffering with hard-to-treat depression may get relief from noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation

Patients who undergo transcranial magnetic stimulation say it’s painless, with few to no side effects. The treatment isn’t yet widely accessible, but for those who use it, the effects can be profound.
Ethical and equitable scientific collaboration could help increase the genetic diversity of genomic data. gmast3r/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Uncovering the genetic basis of mental illness requires data and tools that aren’t just based on white people – this international team is collecting DNA samples around the globe

Existing genetic data and sequencing tools are overwhelmingly based on people of European ancestry, which excludes much of the rich genetic variation of the world.
Psychedelics have been the subject of a recent surge of interest in their potential therapeutic effects. metamorworks/iStock via Getty Images

AI maps psychedelic ‘trip’ experiences to regions of the brain – opening new route to psychiatric treatments

Pinpointing the molecular targets behind the subjective effects of psychedelic drugs could help clinicians and researchers better treat psychiatric conditions.
The concept of a shared inheritable risk underlying mental illnesses could lead to a new paradigm shift in drug discovery, (Unsplash/Fernando Cferdo)

Having one mental health disorder increases your risks of getting another

Mental health is impacted by both genetic and environmental factors. But new research reveals that many mental health disorders may flow from early disturbances in fetal development.
Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School visiting the Florida Legislature on Feb. 21, 2018, to discuss gun control and mental illness. AP Photo/Gerald Strong

Mental illness and gun laws: What you may not know about the complexities

When mass shootings occur, some people insist the focus should be on mental illness, not gun control. A psychiatrist explains how that view misses the mark.
The French flag flies over flowers, candles and messages in tribute to victims outside the Le Carillon restaurant a week after a series of deadly attacks in Paris, France last November. Charles Platiau/Reuters

When fear is a weapon: how terror attacks influence mental health

It is probably not a surprise that a terror attack can have a major impact on people’s mental health. But what sort of effects are common, and how long do they last?
While nutrient supplementation can have a role in treating certain psychiatric disorders, all kinds of nutrients should, in the first instance, be consumed as part of a balanced wholefood diet. PROPatrick Feller/Flickr

Health Check: seven nutrients important for mental health – and where to find them

A growing body of research points to the detrimental effect of unhealthy diets and the protective value of healthy diets – along with select nutritional supplements as required – for maintaining and promoting mental health.
Sufferers of internet disorder might find it starts to impose on real life, such as causing difficulties in socialising. Flickr/Fle

Five new mental disorders you could have under DSM-5

Since it was first published in 1952, the DSM has been the has been the diagnostic bible for many psychiatrists. Each time the manual is updated, new conditions are introduced, often amid much controversy…
DSM-5 has been described as the bible of psychiatry but the assumption that professionals use it for their own gain is far fetched. PA

DSM-5 tells us more about psychiatry than psychiatrists

DSM-5, the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, was published in the US at the weekend. Given that not even its most passionate supporters would…
Psychiatric diagnosis relies on identifying a patient’s signs and symptoms rather than clinical tests. PA/Ben Birchall

Explainer: what is the DSM?

Traditional psychiatry uses the approaches of medicine to try to understand mental health problems and guide treatment. This means relying on diagnosis – identifying what are believed to be mental illnesses…

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