Earlier this week, I attended the annual general meeting at the Canadian Mental Health Association (Vancouver - Burnaby branch). As always, people who have used the CMHA’s services over the years stood up and told their stories. What remained most with me was one person mentioning that at a certain... Read more →

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 1992 to 2004, the rate of hospitalization for depression has increased approximately 81% for females and 30% for males aged 5-19 years. In 2004, more than 5,000 US children and adolescents committed suicide and an additional... Read more →

After reviewing your comments and based on the video discussed in the last article, I’ve decided to review some of the general themes often cited by opponents of psychiatry. Here is the first anti-psychiatry argument. Psychiatry applies subjective labels to patients. Do we do more harm than good... Read more →

An estimated 4.5 million older people currently have Alzheimer’s disease, and researchers predict that by 2050 the number could nearly triple to 13.2 million. But several promising recent developments in the study of Alzheimer’s disease may one day lead to new methods of diagnosing, preventing... Read more →

Of all the mental health disorders, the two most common, and perhaps the most disruptive and distressing, are schizophrenia and bipolar. Even though the two share few similarities in symptoms and characteristics, they are both treated and medicated very differently. Schizophrenia is the most devastating... Read more →

Engel’s portrayal of the biopsychosocial model has significantly redefined psychiatry, medicine, and psychology. With the emergence of health psychology and behavioral medicine in primary care settings and the training of general practitioners on different health paradigms, patients are increasingly... Read more →

Schizophrenia treatment has significantly evolved since Nobel Laureate John Nash was initially treated with electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) and insulin coma “therapies” in the 50-60’s — as portrayed in the movie, A Beautiful Mind. Now, the ultimate goals of schizophrenia clinical... Read more →