Leila Jameel, Swinburne University of Technology; Imogen Bell, The University of Melbourne; Neil Thomas, Swinburne University of Technology, and Rachel Brand, University of the Sunshine Coast
The experience of hearing voices can be very different from person to person, and can change over time. They can be comforting or very distressing.
Extreme heat will continue to affect Canada, but the negative impacts on the most vulnerable, including those living with mental illness, can be reduced by taking steps to ensure healthier cities.
Hervs represent the remnants of infections from ancient viruses.
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Alison Watt’s grandmother was diagnosed with ‘puerperal insanity’ and institutionalised not long after giving birth to her father. He didn’t meet her – or know she was alive – until his early 20s.
Nebuchadnezzar – William Blake (c.1805). Tate Britain.
Humans have attempted to understand and treat mental illness for centuries – from ancient Greek medicine, Middle Ages exorcisms and the rise of asylums, to modern medical breakthroughs.
It estimated one out of ten of us will hear voices at some point in our lives.
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Learning new rules requires the suppression of old ones. A better understanding of the brain circuits involved in behavioral adaptation could lead to new ways to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Winona Ryder played Susannah Kaysen in the film of Kaysen’s memoir, Girl, Interrupted.
Columbia Pictures/IMDB
Why was Susanna Kaysen really hospitalised? Her memoir Girl, Interrupted turns 30 this year. It investigates whether she was ‘mad’, or medicalised for a ‘chaotic’ life that defied gender norms.
Early intervention programs for young people with psychosis might cost more initially, and require more intensive support for longer periods, but they’re worth the investment.
The stress and shame of conservatorships can sometimes do more harm than good to the people they’re supposed to protect.
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Conservatorships significantly restrict people’s ability to make decisions for themselves. Other options can provide support while maintaining respect for autonomy.
This device will provide results in a matter of minutes – while regular blood test results could take days or weeks.
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Blood samples help doctors know whether a treatment is effective or not – and this device can provide this information almost instantly.
The colors in this microscope photo of a fruit fly brain show different types of neurons and the cells that surround them in the brain.
Sarah DeGenova Ackerman
Adaptable neurons are tied to learning and memory but also to neurological disorders. By studying fruit flies, researchers found a mechanism that controls neuroplasticity.
Schizophrenia has been identified as a significant risk factor for dying of COVID-19.
(Canva)
People with schizophrenia are almost three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those without the serious mental illness, making it second only to age as a risk factor for mortality.
It has long been recognised that mental disorders can run in families. And often members of such families differ in their symptoms.
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Media reporting often unfairly stigmatises people with mental illness and promotes the stereotype that mental illness causes violent behaviour. New guidelines offer tips for more responsible reporting.