From Serendip

MENTAL HEALTH Materials provided here are neither intended nor suitable for individuals needing practical assistance with specific mental health problems of their own or of friends/family/colleagues. For such situations, people should contact local mental health agencies, doctors, or other health care professionals. Some access points are provided here.

Center for Science in Society

With the emergence over the past thirty years or so of increasingly effective pharmacological agents, as well as the explosive growth of the brains sciences, there has become an increasing need to consider the relative importance of more "medical" and more "psychological" approaches to the handling of mental conditions. The links given below are relevant to discussions of this more general issue.

• Drugs, Brain and Behavior
  An on-line book by C. Robin Timmons & Leonard W. Hamilton. Chapters deal with specific mental health issues and the effect of pharmocological interventions.

• Pharmacological Interventions and Psychologists
  This paper discusses survey findings that psychologists are becoming more involved with pharmacological interventions.

• Combining Psychopharmacology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis
  This study found that employing psychotropic medication in combination with psychoanalysis or psychodynamic psychotherapy now occurs with increasing frequency.

• The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy
  This Consumer Reports study found that patients benefited very substantially from psychotherapy, that long-term treatment did considerably better than short-term treatment, and that psychotherapy alone did not differ in effectiveness from medication plus psychotherapy.

• Biological Therapies in Psychiatry
  A monthly newsletter providing up-to-date information about the field of psychotropic medications and other biological treatments for mental disorders. Published by the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

• Psychopharamacology and the Human Condition
  A paper supporting the viewpoint that psychopharmacology has an fundamental role in enhancing the human condition.

• Editorial: Future Directions for Psychopharmacology
  The Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science of NIMH held a workshop (May 1998) to identify future directions, areas of opportunity, and strategies for enhancing psychopharmacology research relevant to mental health.

• Neurological Surgery
  The Cleveland Clinic of Neurological Surgery website provides information on current news, treatment of specific disorders, specialized techniques, research, clinical programs, and FAQS.

• Medscape
  A mental health treatment website with links to treatment updates, psychiatric news, Psychopharmacology Today, news, clinical managment, journal room, current articles and a current topic review.

• Psychpharmacology: Drugs, Medicines and Treatment of Mental Illness
  A page from the Mental Health Matters website. Includes resources for psychiatric professionals, mental health research, mental health calendar, statistics, workshops & notices, professional societies, mental health law, psychiatric libraries, and searchable databases.

• Psychotherapy: Issues, Forms and Controversies
  Articles dealing with treament issues for anxiety disorders, depression, and ADHD.

• Treatment of Major Depression
  Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of major depression.

• Dr. Ivan's Depression Central
  Internet's central clearinghouse for information on all types of depressive disorders and on the most effective treatments for individuals suffering from major depression, manic-depression, cyclothymia, dysthymia and other mood disorders.

• Lithium: A Treatment for Manic Depression
  A paper from the National Mental Health Association. Includes link to Health Touch On-Line.

• Treatment of Biolar Disorder
  The Expert Consensus Guidelines for the Treatment of Biolar Disorder. Contents includes a preface, directions on how to use the guidelines, and an executive summary.

• Psychotherapy vs. Medication for Depression
  This article reviews a wide range of well-controlled studies comparing psychological and pharmacological treatments for depression.

• Treatment for Atypical Depression
  This article reports findings from the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas that psychotherapy can be just as effective for treating atypical major depression as the standard drug treatment with phenelzine sulfate.

• Bipolar Treatment
  Information on bipolar treatment, including psychotherapy, hospitalization, medications, and self-help. Site includes links to related resources.

Reviews written by students at Bryn Mawr College

• Dealing with Clinical Depression: A Rough Idea

• Depression at the Synaptic Level

• A Personal Experience of Learning About Bipolar Disorder

• St John's Wort: Treating Depression Naturally

• Depression: A Problem in an Aggregate of Atoms?

• Usage of Ritalin in Treatment of Disruptive Behavior Disorders

• Melancholia

• Treatments: Relief Found for Children's Dual Ailments, March 6, 2002
  Ritalin, the most common treatment for A.D.H.D., and clonadine worked as well at reducing the symptoms of hyperactivity for 136 children with tic disorders.

• Pictures of the Mind: fMRI and Mood Disorders, December 22, 2001
  Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors may help patients suffering from such distinct illnesses as major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• Information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Trauma, Disasters, and Violence
  From NIMH, PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Includes: Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters and other relevant fact sheets.

• How Is Anxiety Disorder Diagnosed and Treated?
  This article discusses the diagnosis process and various forms of treamtent for anxiety disorders.

• Psychological Treatment of Anxiety Disorder: Patients with Comorbidity
  This 1997 article presents an approach to the assessment and psychotherapeutic treatment of anxiety disorder patients which is symptom-focused, rather than disorder based.

• Anxiety Disorders
  Article discusses symptoms associated with various forms of anxiety disorders and effective treatment methods.

• Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
  This article presents medications, behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy as treatment methods for anxiety disorers.

• Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders
  CRUfAD conducts treatment for people with anxiety disorders and carries out research into anxiety disorders and into the burden of mental disease.

• Anxiety Disorders
  From NIMH, this article from the Surgeon General's Report reviews the various types of anxiety disorders and discusses treatment issues including the role of research, how to get help, and strategies to make treatment more effective.

• Anxiety Disorders: Future Directions for Research and Treatment
  Regarding treatment, this article discusses types of interventions, pharmacological and psychological treatments, treatment considerations and research findings on effective treatments.

• Treatment for Survivors of WWII
  This paper originates from a lecture given at the 4th European Conference on Traumatic Stress in Paris. The paper integrates several etiological factors of traumatization and corresponding treatment modalities.

Reviews written by students at Bryn Mawr College

• As Good As it Gets?: An Examination of the Mechanism and Mode of Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorders

• The "I" and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior and the Types of Treatments

• Informed Consent in Early Psychosis Research, November 2000
  Scientific interest in the possibility of altering the course of schizophrenia through early intervention has generated both enthusiasm and controversy.

• Schizophrenia: A Handbok for Families
  An article that presents information for families to deal with schizophrenia, including the symptoms of schizophrenia, where to get help, types of treatment and long-term care.

• Treatment of Schizophrenia
  From the British Medical Journal, this review provides an update on new antipsychotic drugs, outlines issues surrounding the use of these drugs, and suggests that prompt identification and treatment of people with psychoses results in improved clinical outcomes.

• Treatment of Schizophrenia
  A discussion on the various types of treatment for schizophrania, including medications, psychosocial treatment, rehabilitation, individual psychotherapy, family education and self-help groups.

• Early Detection and Intervention for Initial Episodes of Schizophrenia
  From the Schizophrenia Bulletin, 1996, this article shows that comprehensive programs of drug and psychosocial interventions with adults who show early signs and symptoms of schizophrenic disorders may contribute to a lower incidence and prevalence of florid episodes of schizophrenia.

• Drug Makers Go Head to Head Over Best Schizophrenia Treatment
  From the Medical Post, Jan. 21, 1997, this article reports that manufacturers of risperidone and olanzapine, two new drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia, are battling over which of these "atypical antipsychotics" is the best for the treatment of the disorder.

• Risperdal Improves Learning Capacity, Skills Acquisition For Schizophrenia Patients
  From London, England April 21, 1999, this article discusses how risperidone improves patients' chances of a normal life by restoring learning capacity and through improving skills acquisition.

• Schizophrenia: The Medications
  This article explains about medications and the philosophies currently used in prescribing help for schizophrenia.

Reviews written by students at Bryn Mawr College

• The Role of Corollary Discharge in Schizophrenia

• Schizophrenia: Reality Distorted

• Staying Clean, February 10, 2002
  A discussion of effective treatment for substance abusers and appropriate outcomes to measure the effectiveness of treatment.

• Naltrexone, Coping Skills Prevent Relapse, January 13, 2002
  Researchers have determined that the drug naltrexone, along with coping-skills training, can help reduce the chances of relapse among alcoholics.

• Study Finds Addiction Drug Ineffective, December 14, 2001
  A new study found that naltrexone, an anti-alcohol-dependence drug, doesn't help people with severe alcoholism stop drinking.

• Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment
  A research-based guide developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Includes frequently asked questions, drug addiction treatment in the US, scientifically based approaches to drug addiction treatment, and resources.

• Why Drug Courts Work
  The Drug Court is a unique combination of elements in an aggressive and unified effort to use the occasion of arrest as an intervention opportunity for drug offenders.

• A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach: Treating Cocaine Addiction
  From NIDA, this manual is part of a series of manuals in Therapy Manuals for Drug Addiction.

• Providing Substance Abuse Treatment to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Clients
  This paper discusses the challenges of providing services to hearing impaired clients and recommends a model program.

• A National Plan to Improve Substance Abuse Treatment
  The U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has launched a new initiative to improve the availability, accessibility and quality of substance abuse treatment services nationwide.

• Substance Abuse Treatment for Children and Adolescents
  From the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, this paper provides questions that parents can ask professionals when substance abuse treatment is recommended.

• The Impact of Managed Care on Addiction Treatment
  This report examines the impact of managed care and related developments on addiction treatment, and evaluates how they have been associated with a decline in the availability of care for many addicted patient.

• On-Line Alcohol Screening Test
  This site allows you to assess your own drinking, learn about alcohol and health issues, and find resources for additional help.

• SAMSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Web Based Events
  A series of 14 web-based events designed to raise awareness about the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment.

• Study: Needle Exchanges Cut Sharing
  A new study found that 80 percent of needle-exchange participants don't share needles.

Reviews written by students at Bryn Mawr College

• A Comparison of Two Types of Treatment for Alcoholism

• Antisocial Personality Disorder
  This paper presents information on both the medical and psychosocial treatment for antisocial personality disorder.

• Treatment of Personality Disorders in an Era of Limited Resources
  Clinicians must provide clients with the opportunity to grapple with the way issues related to resource limitation may represent enactments of underlying clinical issues.

• What are Personality Disorders?
  Links to various types of treatment for the many different categories of personality disorders.

• Treatment: Personality Disorders
  Presents four treatment methods for personality disorders: medication, psychotherapy, hospitalization and self-help.

• A Promising Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder
  This article presents an empirically researched psychotherapeutic treatment for patients struggling with chronic suicidality, intentional self-harm and borderline personality disorder: dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

• An Overview of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
  An innovative method of treatment for personality disorders devised by Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington in Seattle.

• Diagnosing and Treating Sleep Disorders
  From The National Jewish Medical and Research Center, this journal article includes information on diagnosing sleep disorders, types of insomnia, and other sleep disorders,
• Sleep Disorders in the Elderly
  From the Mayo Clinic of Rochester, this site describes sleep disorders in the elderly and methods of treatment. Site also includes links to resources on geriatric medicine.

• How to Overcome Insomnia and Get to Sleep
  Includes a description of insomnia and various treatment methods. Also includes links to additional information regarding sleep disorders.

• Sleep Disorders Treatment
  Links to treatment for various types of sleep disorders. Also provides an overview of the disorder, symptoms and methods of prevention.

• Sleep Medicine Home Page
  Resources regarding all aspects of sleep including, the physiology of sleep, clinical sleep medicine, sleep research, federal and state information, patient information, and business-related groups.

• The Treatment of Sleep Disorders of Older People
  The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on the treatment of sleep disorders of older people brought together clinical specialists in various disciplines specific treatments of sleep disorders of older people and prepared a consensus statemnt.

• Sleep Quest
  Provides resource information to help you acquire knowledge about the vast field of sleep medicine. Includes Best Guide to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), current sleep research, an audio file of what OSA sounds like, a sleep forum, and Dr. William Dement's monthly column.

• Phantom Sleep Resources
  A list of links to resources on how to overcome sleep apnea, snoring & other sleep problems.

• Sleep Disorders
  This technically-written article from WEbMD reviews the subject of sleep disturbances in depth and includes sections on cancer patients, risk factors and pharmacological interventions.

• Sleep Home Pages
  Lists of sleep disorder links categorized under the following headings: bibliographic, publications, resources, discussions, speciality, miscellaneous and organizations.

• SleepNet
  An educational, non-commercial site devoted to improving sleep health worldwide. Includes information on sleep tests, sleep disorders, public sleep forums, sleep clinicians and a search engine.

• Medline Reviews for Melatonin
  A collection of journal abstracts from melatonin research efforts. Melatonin is under investigation as a treatment for a number of sleep-related conditions.

• Sleep Disorders and Patient Care
  This patient summary on sleep disorders is adapted from a summary written for health professionals by cancer experts and includes an overview, risk factors, disagosis, and treatment of sleep disorders.

• The Sleep Well
  An index of links to a variety resources that provide information on sleep, sleep disorders, sleep activism, sleep-related events.

• Don't Throw Every Treatment in Book at Mental Disorders
  The author believes that combining medication with behavior modification therapy may not be the best way to help a patient overcome a psychological disorder.

Reviews written by students at Bryn Mawr College

• Psychotherapy Versus Pharmacotherapy: Is One Better than the Other?

• Creativity and Mental Illness

• Postmodern Therapies News
  PMTH News is the newsletter for the Postmodern Therapies (PMTH) listserv. It contains many resources for those interested in postmodernism. Links to relevant philosophers, postmodern perspecitves and sites, electronic publishing, professional information and a search engine.

• Prevention and Treatment
  A peer-reviewed, rapid publication, electronic journal published by the APA that disseminates scientific and clinical research on the outcome of psychological and pharmacological therapies.

• The Qualitativve Report
  A journal of qualitative research and critical enquiry. Includes qualitative research resources.

• Gestalt
  An online journal of the developing application of Gestalt principles.

• Psychoanalytic Studies
  An electronic and print journal from the Centre for Psychotherapeutic Studies, University of Sheffield.

• AMA Archives of General Psychiatry
  Original state-of-the-art studies and commentaries of general interest to clinicians, scholars, and research scientists in psychiatry, mental health, behavioral science, and allied fields.

• American Psychiatric Publishing Group
  This Group publishes the APPG Journals: The American Journal of Psychiatry; Academic Psychiatry; The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry; The Journal of Neuropsychiatry; The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research; Psychiatric News; Psychiatric Services; Psychosomatics. Register for online subscriptions.

• APA Monitor
  Monthly online publication by the American Psychological Association.

• Atlantic Psychopharmacology Quarterly
  The first issue is available free. Subsequent issues are available through a subscription fee.

• Brain and Mind Magazine
  An electronic magazine on neuroscience by the Center for Biomedical Informatics, State University of Campinas.

• First Person
  A magazine devoted to giving accounts, opinion and poetry from the perspectives of people who have had mental health conditions, rather than from the professional point of view.

• Friday's Progress Notes
  A mental health newsletter, which focuses on specific mental health topics for professionals and their clients.

Back to Mental Health Project.

These resource lists are being maintained by Debbie Plotnick, working with Paul Grobstein, Department of Biology, and James Martin, School of Social Work and Social Research, at Bryn Mawr College. Suggestions for additions to the list are welcome, as are more general thoughts about how to most effectively make available information, and promote conversation, about issues of mental health. Contact dplotnic@brynmawr.edu - pgrobste@brynmawr.edu - jmartin@brynmawr.edu.


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