Books and Articles — Chronic and Disabling Conditions

Study: Migraines May Raise the Risk of Depression in Women, by Alexandra Sifferlin. Time Magazine, February 23, 2012.  “As if having migraine headaches weren't enough of a burden, a new study finds that women with migraines are also more likely to develop depression - about 40% more likely than women who have no history of the headaches.”

Online Support For Mental Illness Holds Out Hope, by Rick Nauert. Psych Central, February 24, 2011.  “Online social support for those with similar health problems has undeniably provided comfort and reinforcement. But research on whether peer support actually aids clinical symptoms is limited, and the findings are mixed. New research doesn't offer much additional scientific evidence that online support groups help.”

A Fate That Narcissists Will Hate: Being Ignored, by Charles Zanor. New York Times, November 29, 2010.  “The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (due out in 2013, and known as DSM-5) has eliminated five of the 10 personality disorders that are listed in the current edition.”

Music on prescription could help treat emotional and physical pain, by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. September 09, 2010.  “New research into how music conveys emotion could benefit the treatment of depression and the management of physical pain.”

In Haiti, Mental Health System Is in Collapse, by Deborah Sontag. New York Times, March 19, 2010.  “Haiti's earthquake has exposed the inadequacies of its mental health services at the moment they are most needed.”

Children: Rate of Chronic Health Problems Rises, by Roni Caryn Rabin. New York Times, February 19, 2010.  “Researchers said rates of problems like obesity and asthma doubled in the past 12 years, but many conditions resolved themselves during childhood.”

Health Care Reform And People With Disabilities, by Michelle Diament. DisabilityScoop, November 09, 2009.

The evolution of residential schools, by Phyllis Hanlon. New England Psychologist, October 15, 2009.

College Is Possible for Students With Intellectual Disabilities, by Jessica Calefati. US News & World Report, February 13, 2009.

Chronically ill or disabled kids need exercise, too, by Reuters Health. MedlinePlus, January 19, 2009.

The Mystery of Borderline Personality Disorder, by John Cloud. Time Magazine, January 08, 2009.  “A 2008 study of nearly 35,000 adults in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that 5.9% (which would translate into 18 million Americans) had been given a borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis. As recently as 2000, the American Psychiatric Association believed that only 2% had BPD. (In contrast, clinicians diagnose bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in about 1% of the population.) BPD has long been regarded as an illness disproportionately affecting women, but the latest research shows no difference in prevalence rates for men and women. Regardless of gender, people in their 20s are at higher risk for BPD than those older or younger. What defines borderline personality disorder, and makes it so explosive, is the sufferers' inability to calibrate their feelings and behavior. When faced with an event that makes them depressed or angry, they often become inconsolable or enraged. Such problems may be exacerbated by impulsive behaviors: overeating or substance abuse; suicide attempts; intentional self-injury.”

PANDAS: An Immune- Mediated Mental Illness National Institute of Mental Health, 2011.  “PANDAS, is an abbreviation for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. The term is used to describe a subset of children who have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders such as Tourette's Syndrome, and in whom symptoms worsen following strep. infections such as "Strep throat" and Scarlet Fever.”