Kleptomania

• Addiction, Anxiety, OCD

Most people are familiar with the term kleptomania, a real, but rare, mental health condition. The key feature of kleptomania is the repeatedly acting on impulses to steal items even though the items are not needed. A person with kleptomania does not usually preplan the theft and does not work with others. The stolen objects typically have little value and the person often gives or throws them away. Kleptomania is different from ordinary theft or shoplifting.

Lifestyle Psychiatry

• Anxiety, Depression, Healthy living for mental well-being, Patients and Families

We are often reminded that exercise, good nutrition and enough sleep are good for your physical and mental health. Those are among the lifestyle aspects that are part of an approach to psychiatry called lifestyle psychiatry. Lifestyle psychiatry focuses on addressing psychiatric disorders through an integrated, holistic approach to health, which includes recommendations for exercise, diet, sleep and mindfulness practice for helping people manage their psychiatric disorders.

Teachers’ Mental Health and Well-being Linked to Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being

• Anxiety, Depression, Patients and Families

Teachers have important roles in the lives of the children they teach. That influence extends into the realm of mental health and well-being, according to research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Researchers found that teachers’ mental health and well-being was associated with the mental health and well-being of their students.

Pet Robots Helping Dementia Patients

• Anxiety, Depression, Older adults, Patients and Families

We increasingly hear of robots taking over humans’ jobs, but could robots fill in for dogs in pet therapy? Pet robots are increasingly being used in assisted living facilities and day care centers to help patients with dementia.

Air Pollution and Mental Health

• Anxiety, Depression, Older adults, Patients and Families

Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health: the link between air pollution and health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are well established. Outdoor air pollution in cities and rural areas is estimated to cause more than 4 million premature deaths a year worldwide, primarily due to heart disease, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections. Recent research is also making a connection between air pollution and mental h

7 Check-ins For New Year’s Mental Health

• Patients and Families

And we’ve all been dealing with the ups and downs, losses, uncertainties and changes brought on by the pandemic. The start of a new year is a good opportunity for self-assessment with a brief mental health checkup.

Dark Chocolate Offers a Variety of Potential Benefits

• Depression, Patients and Families

Many of us regularly enjoy, or even crave, chocolate at times. As you consider your chocolate choices, opting for dark chocolate may be your best bet. Research continues to identify a variety of health and mental health benefits associated with dark chocolate.

The Psychological Hurdle of Sports Retirement

• Depression, Patients and Families

For that athlete who viewed the 2020 Olympics as the pinnacle of their career, or for that senior in college who was excited to share their last championship with their teammates, the pandemic has brought about an anti-climactic and disappointing end to their season and a forced break from training, and, for some, forced premature retirement. Sports retirement is often a major life transition for an athlete and can therefore be a major psychological challenge.

Cataract Surgery and Hearing Aids May Help Reduce the Risk of Dementia in Older Adults

• Patients and Families

Dementia affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide and about 4 million in the U.S., about 9% of adults 65 or older. In the past, several factors have been identified that reduce the risk of dementia, including educational level, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, depression, social isolation. Recent research says that in older adults, treatments for hearing and vision problems can also help reduce the risk of dementia.

How Nutrition Impacts Mental Health

• Patients and Families

The relationship between nutrition and mental health is a hot topic, and it was the subject of a recent panel discussion at the APA’s online Annual Meeting in early May. A panel of experts reviewed research on the potential roles of nutrition in the causes of, recovery from and potential resilience against psychiatric illness.

Nature’s Benefits for Mental Health May Not Work So Well When Pressured

• Anxiety, Depression, Patients and Families

During the more than a year of pandemic restrictions, access to parks and other green spaces have been very important escapes for many, offering a place to go for exercise and social interaction when other options weren’t available. Fifteen national parks set new recreation visitation records in 2020, despite temporary park closures and restrictions in response to the pandemic.

Mental Health Awareness Month

• Anxiety

Today, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of those living with mental illness or a substance use disorder and to help reduce the stigma associated with them.