Means Matter: How Bridge Barriers Help Prevent Suicide

- Physical barriers to suicide produce results; this slide presentation video explains why we need them. Explodes common myths about suicide barriers, including the idea that if you put a net on a bridge people will just go somewhere else to do it. Research has shown that removal of barriers has led to an immediate increase of deaths. Watch to learn about this common sense approach to suicide prevention. Read more, including references, click here.

Deep Brain Stimulation in Tourette Syndrome: A Description of 3 Patients With Excellent Outcome

A neurologist describes a new paper published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Three of his patients suffering from severe, treatment refractory Tourette syndrome received deep brain stimulation implants, and the procedures were successful. Dr. Savica talks about which areas of the brain were targeted by DBS, and the need for more research to determine the best target. For more details, read the free article here. DOI: 10.4016/38287.01.

Greg Murray, The Quality of Life Scale

A collaboration with a psychiatry group at UBC in Vancouver and a Sydney, Australia researcher measuring quality of life in bipolar disorders, separate from its symptoms. Murray describes how they developed a scale, now available for free clinical and individual use (click here), through a series of questionnaires and analyses. They created a useful instrument for the treatment of bipolar disorder that considers important dimensions.

Michalak, E., Murray, G. (2010). Development of the QoL.BD: a disorder-specific scale to assess quality of life in bipolar disorder Bipolar Disorders, 12 (7), 727-740 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2010.00865.x

Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment of Dementia

A neurologist reports on the newly published article “Physical Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment of Dementia and Brain Aging,” Ahlskog et al, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2011. Their meta-analysis found that exercise affects brain health in animal models, and suggest it can modify cognitive outcomes with normal aging and perhaps reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease like dementia. Physical (as opposed to mental) exercise is recommended. Although the amount and type of exercise has not been completely assessed, patients are being counseled to practice regular vigorous exercise. DOI: 10.4016/33263.01.

Introduction to Peer-Run Crisis Respites

Two peer advocates describe the process they underwent to get peer-run crisis respite centers supported by funders in Massachusetts. A detailed and practical discussion about building community among stakeholders, elements of presentations, incorporating evidence and values, communicating a message, creating buzz, and how to present proposals to politicians. Peer-run respites (small comfortable settings for short-term psychiatric crisis peer support care, as an alternative to acute care hospitals) are growing in popularity but many people are still not sure what they are or why they have value. This very helpful video is accompanied by lots of information, research, and presentations to aid people in learning about and starting up respite centers where they live. See also: a 5 minute tour of a peer crisis respite center in New York.

Creating a Healthier Future through Prevention of Child Maltreatment

Excellent panel presentation on effects of and strategies to prevent child maltreatment. Experts describe harms including a long list of psychological, cognitive and physical health issues, brain development and epigenetic consequences, fatalities, legal, government and social costs of abuse and neglect. The lifetime economic burden in the US is estimated between a conservative figure of $121 billion (2008) and an estimated half a trillion dollars, per year. They discuss what can be done for prevention with public health and policy approaches, including eliminating risk factors, and resource allocation from cost-benefit analyses. Evidence-based prevention programs include home visitations by nurses, maternity ward education, and the Positive Parenting Program (PPP) which all promote safe, supportive, nurturing relationships (SSNRs).

Talks are followed by a Q&A. The presentations are also available on a PDF.

If you are a parent interested in self-help skills development, check out PPP’s practical step-by-step resources for parents.

How Magic Changes Our Expectations About Autism

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a study were more subsceptible to a cognitive illusion, compared to controls. Watch the multimedia pubcast at SciVee, synced to the original article How Magic Changes Our Expectations About Autism, Kuhn et al., Psychological Science, 2010.

Why Women Apologize more than Men: Gender Differences in Thresholds for Perceiving Offensive Behavior

Pubcast accompanying an article in Psychological Science. A co-author describes a psychology experiment in which men and women were monitored to see how many apologies they gave and received. The women they studied apologized more, but the gender difference was due to perceptions of whether or not an offense had taken place that warranted an apology.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

An instructional video with demonstration and guided narration to practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). PMR is an evidence-based relaxation method that involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups, effective for stress and insomnia. Good, detailed how-to in a professional video production (will be part of an upcoming DVD by Dr.Glen Berry, Annapolis Valley Mental Health).

Neuropsychologist Maria Mouratidis Talks About the Heroes She Meets Every Day

Brainline, a fantastic resource for info on traumatic brain injury and other neurological conditions, offers this discussion with the U.S. Command Consultant for Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health at the National Naval Medical Cente. She talks about treating mental health issues (including addictions) holistically, suicidal thoughts, military families and brain injury, compassion fatigue, emotion, and learning from vets in this interview edited into six short clips.