News Mentions - Archive

Having CHD or caring for someone with CHD is a long and hard journey. It is ok to not be okay sometimes. You are not alone and there is support when you need it. In this podcast episode, Katie Sears Edwards and Lauren Mikula-Schneider, discuss adjustments that many CHD patients are experiencing and share their recommendations for when to get help, how to ask, what to ask for and what are the best ways to maintain good mental health.

A new CDC study finds that people who provide unpaid care for their children or adult loved ones are twice as likely as noncaregivers to have experienced depression or anxiety, or thoughts of suicide. Dolores Gallagher-Thompson, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

This article covers a unique case of substance use disorder in the United States that was relieved by deep brain stimulation. Robert Malenka, Pritzker professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Even if you enjoy work, focusing on it all day can be mentally exhausting and straight-up stressful. Taking breaks in the form of rejuvenating afternoon habits—even teensy ones—can help. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

In less than two decades, optogenetics has led to big insights into how memories are stored, what creates perceptions, and what happens in the brain during depression and addiction. The work of Karl Deisseroth, D.H. Chen Professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is discussed in this article.

Researchers and doctors say they know how to curb harm caused by addiction and the spread of dangerous drugs. But lawmakers are reluctant to allow needle exchanges and access to safer narcotics. Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed.

P. Herbert Leiderman, MD, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who was well known for his early research on mother-infant bonding, died April 1. He was 97.

The coronavirus pandemic has been a disorienting kind of emergency. Covid-19 is a disease that attacks the lungs, but it has also worsened mental health while causing a drastic reduction in patients seeking care for depression, self-harm, eating disorders and anxiety. Karl Deisseroth, D.H. Chen Professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed in this article.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine congratulates the recipient of the 2021 Trainee Investigator Award and the three individuals who received the honorable mention designation - including Christina Chick, postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatry and behavioral sciences. They were recognized during the AASM annual membership meeting, which was held as a webcast on Monday, June 14.

With the pandemic’s added stressors, some people's sleep and mindfulness practices aren't working anymore. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment on potential effective sleep aids.

Shaul Druckmann, assistant professor of neurobiology and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been named to receive a 2021 McKnight Foundation Scholar Award for his research into how the brain computes using activity distributed across populations and brain areas.

Just because things are reopening doesn’t mean we’re all mentally ready. On this episode of "How To!" Debra Kaysen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides advice to help reframe risk and find coping strategies to get back out there.

One of America’s biggest problems is drug abuse, not climate change. In 2020, nearly 90,000 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses or poisonings. Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted on the subject.

In this video, Jacob Ballon, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses key best practices for matching patients with schizophrenia with an effective antipsychotic, why patients do not adhere to their medication treatment, and how to mitigate the adverse effects experienced by patients.

Naomi Osaka skipped press for her French Open win because of her mental health. She was fined $15,000. She asked that the fines be donated to a mental health charity, but when she was threatened with suspension, she dropped out of the tournament instead. CALM followed through on her wish and more. Nina Vasan, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this piece written by residency alum Jessica Gold.

Victor Carrion, the John A. Turner, MD, Endowed Professor for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, provides eight principles for national recovery in part II of this Psychology Today piece.

This op-ed on the food industry mentions Eric Stice, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and his current research on ways to help us rewire our brains to change the balance between the part that compels us to act compulsively and the part that considers the consequences of our actions.

Seven Stanford faculty members were named 2021 Guggenheim Fellows in April, including Daniel Mason, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. This honor recognizes those who have “demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts.” This article is one of a three-part series profiling the Stanford scholars honored with this award for 2021.

New research provides evidence that the tendency to respond to hypnosis is linked to cognitive flexibility. The findings, recently published in Scientific Reports by Afik Faerman and David Spiegel, indicate that people with higher levels of hypnotizability tend to be better at shifting between different mental sets.

In this article about sunrise alarm clocks, Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses how light is one of the most important ways that our brains perceive time.

In this episode, Bill Hader talks with Brie and Jessie about anxiety and how it has affected his career. They're also joined by Nina Vasan, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, for a look at the medical and scientific side of anxiety.

Learn more about how Christina Khan is using her global health work to demonstrate that in under-resourced settings, healthcare professionals have an appetite for providing mental health services, even if they don’t have the infrastructure.

The next phase of the global pandemic will bring new mental health challenges, so Stanford experts offer tips for building resilience. Victor Carrion and Debra Kaysen are quoted.

At the 2021 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting, Ruth O’Hara presented initial data on the impacts of delta activity at sleep onset (DASO). Study participants with DASO demonstrated better affective function overall and over time, which led to the conclusion that testing DASO or other variables may help clinicians predict patients’ cognitive futures.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute advances its ambitious “Big Ideas” Initiatives to the next level - two programs are forging new technologies and connections between disciplines that have the potential to transform the field. The Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program, led by Sergiu Pasca and Karl Deisseroth, is highlighted in this piece.

The continuing fallout from what manifested in 2020 confirms that avoidance and neglect are no longer acceptable approaches to managing our problems. The year 2020 was transformative, and that transformation for us individually and as a nation is not yet finished. Victor Carrion, the John A. Turner, MD, Endowed Professor for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, provides perspective in this Psychology Today piece.

Health experts say people are going to respond very differently as society reopens, and that’s ok. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

If you find yourself with a busy social calendar after more than a year of social isolation, experts say that are ways to ease yourself into drinking. Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment and some approaches that can help moderate the return to social nights out.

In this video, Nolan Williams, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses his recent session presented at the virtual 2021 APA Annual Meeting that explained the shift from oral daily antidepressants to more effective neuromodulation or medication-based rapid-acting interventions.

Much has been written about this gaming juggernaut. In 2020, 36 million people — two-thirds of whom were under 16 — spent over 30 billion hours on the online platform. Many of those users, it seems, are parented by people who, like the author of this perspective piece, are worried that their kids are spending too much time playing it. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

UNITAD’s innovative and technology–focused approach to the collection and analysis of evidence of ISIL crimes was welcomed by United Nations Member States in an Arria Formula Meeting of the Security Council recently, chaired by the United Kingdom. At the event, two key pillars of innovation were highlighted: the use of advanced technology to exploit mass data collection; and applying a trauma-informed approach to all aspects of contacts with witnesses and survivors. Daryn Reicherter, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford's Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health Program, presented at the meeting.

On this episode of "The Indicator from Planet Money," the hosts discuss how we assess risk. Why are we so often more worried about shark attacks and dying in fiery plane crashes than cancer or COVID? Life requires us to constantly calculate the odds and we're just not very good at it. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed.

An autism-linked mutation could make the brain grow unusually large by prompting cells to express a chemical signal better known for its connection to cancer. Lead investigator of the study, Sundari Chetty, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Eight faculty-led projects have been funded to work with regional community organizations and agencies to address challenges associated with the pandemic. "allcove Youth - Amplifying Youth Mental Health Services and Voices" led by Steven Adelsheim, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, is one of the eight projects highlighted in this article.

Opioid-addiction care of medication and counseling could cut deaths by 16.9% and save up to $105,000 over lifetime of a patient’s care, study shows. Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and coauthor of the study, is quoted.

The city funds roughly 486 treatment beds, but none that exclude clients who use medications. An unknown number of beds are privately run, including some that are abstinence-based. The need for treatment is especially acute for those in the criminal justice system. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Sleep has a major impact on our health and wellbeing. Busy lifestyles often make it difficult to sleep as much as we would like to. Not sleeping enough affects our mood, ability to focus, and risk of many medical conditions. Jamie Zeitzer, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted on the subject.

People have unwittingly had their online posts or pictures exploited to spread misinformation about COVID-19 in recent months. During the COVID-19 pandemic, false or misleading posts can mean the difference between someone taking precautions or not. Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

The research, published April 21 in Biological Psychiatry, explored how anxiety and chronic stress change emotion-regulation circuits in 10- and 11-year-olds. Brain scans examined signals between one of the two amygdalae — fear centers on the brain’s right and left sides — and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region involved in decision-making and regulating emotion. Anxious and stressed kids had stronger signals from the fear center to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but no such effects in the reverse direction. They were also less able to modify their emotional reactions during the study. Senior author Vinod Menon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this piece.

New brain tissue research shows a possible link between schizophrenia and a genetic condition where a section of chromosome 22 is deleted. In a study published Sept. 28 in Nature Medicine, the investigators found an aberration in nerve cells from patients with the genetic condition known as 22q11DS, in which a particular section of chromosome 22 is deleted. Sergiu Pasca, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

Engaging with witnesses and survivors in a manner sensitive to the trauma they may have suffered has been a central priority of UNITAD. Reflecting this approach, the Team established a dedicated team of psycho-social experts to ensure a trauma-informed approach is taken in all interviews. In doing so, the Team aims to create conditions whereby witnesses can provide the fullest possible account while ensuring the utmost regard for their well-being. At the May 12 meeting, UNITAD launched the “Trauma-Informed Investigations Field Guide”, a new publication drawing on the trauma-informed approached adopted by UNITAD to provide practical guidance to investigators in domestic and international entities with respect to their engagement with vulnerable survivors and witnesses. Daryn Reicherter, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford's Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health Program, presented to the committee.

Two pioneering women who have significantly advanced public education and dialogue around addiction and recovery will be honored as the first recipients of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s new Humanitarian Award. Congratulations to Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences!

How can we boost the resilience of children after they experience trauma? Dr. Steven Adelsheim, Director, Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing at Stanford University School of Medicine and Jeni Olsen, Prevention Director at Mentis: Napa’s Center for Mental Health Services discuss this and more on this episode of Brain Waves.

In the past decade, a new model system has been gaining steam in neuroscience—the brain organoid. These 3D constructs are grown from human stem cells and mimic many aspects of brain development. Brain organoids average the size of a tiny pea, but within that clump of cells, neurons are growing, making connections, and sending electrical signals to each other. Sergiu Pasca, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

Nolan Williams, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Charles DeBattista, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, presented in a panel at the 2021 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting on rapidly acting medications - this article summarizes the presentations.

As California and the Bay Area make big steps toward reopening, many people don’t feel ready to return to anything like normal. A March survey by the American Psychological Association had similar findings: 46% of those polled said they didn’t feel comfortable “living life like they used to before the pandemic,” while 49% said they were feeling uneasy about adjusting to “in-person interaction once the pandemic ends.” David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

At the 2021 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting, Rona Hu, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was awarded the APA's 2021 Kun-Po Soo Award for contributions toward understanding the impact and importance of Asian cultural heritage in areas relevant to psychiatry. Congratulations, Dr. Hu!

Scientists in search of psychedelic drug treatments have developed a way to determine whether a molecule is likely to cause hallucinations, without testing it on people or animals. Robert Malenka, the Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and deputy director of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, who was not part of the study, provides comment.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased use of Zoom and other video conferencing platforms have resulted in Zoom fatigue — a documented phenomenon of exhaustion caused by extended hours videoconferencing. But, students and professors have found some ways to mitigate these feelings through self-care and breaks. Shea Fedigan, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

The Biden administration says new federal guidelines released Tuesday will allow far more medical practitioners to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug proven to reduce opioid relapses and overdose deaths. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was interviewed.

Music hath charms to soothe you off to slumber, new research suggests. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Sobriety seems to be trending as people explore new ways to drink less alcohol without giving up booze completely. This piece discusses how the drinking culture is being redefined and lists seven new approaches to drinking less alcohol. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Shi-Bin Li, basic life research scientist in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is a recipient of the Sleep Research Society's Outstanding Early Investigator Award, which recognizes an outstanding research effort by an early-stage investigator in the field of sleep research.

Since the light bulb was patented in 1879, mankind has been guided day and night by artificial lighting, now available from television sets to smartphone screens - and a growing body of research proves their effect on our circadian rhythm. Jamie Zeitzer, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article on the subject.

Several treatments have been proposed for the victims of trauma. Cognitive processing therapy, desensitization therapy, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and the alpha-1 adrenergic blocker prazosin all have evidence to support their use. Others like memory consolidation blockers and virtual reality-based interventions hold promise. Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, highlights the possibility of bibliotherapy for PTSD as an augmentation to treatment in this article.

Suicide attempts and other self-harm may increase among men under the age of 40 in states that allow recreational use of marijuana, particularly those with for-profit dispensaries, Stanford study suggests. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is the senior author of the study.

If the past year has taught us anything, talking to children about diversity is vital in helping to raise thoughtful, sensitive kids. And those discussions should also expand to include conversations around neurodiversity, including autism. Grace Gengoux, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

Fruit flies with low expression of a gene linked to neurodevelopment have disrupted sleep, poor memory and altered social behavior. Philippe Mourrain, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment on the study.

We’re eager to reenter regular life. Then again, we’re scared to. Here’s how to put the risks into perspective. David Spiegel, associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Sarah Adler, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provide comment in this article.

Sluggish cognitive tempo, or SCT, is not an officially recognized disorder, but a group of researchers is investigating whether it could be a potential new mental health disorder. Sonia Gaur, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Many, many people have been convinced, in the first throes of a panic episode, that their systems were permanently shutting down. Thankfully, these people were wrong: a panic attack cannot actually kill you. Cold comfort, in the moment, but good to keep in mind, which is why we’ve made it the subject of this week’s Giz Asks. Craig Barr Taylor, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece.

Among those honored with 2021 Guggenheim Fellowships is Daniel Mason, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. With his Guggenheim Fellowship, Mason will continue to work on a novel that examines the enduring influence of history, both human and ecological, on a group of characters living through a period of environmental change.

A year of school shutdowns and family trauma leads to social isolation, stress and mental-health issues. Victor Carrion, the John A. Turner, MD, Endowed Professor for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, describes how a child's brain can react to post traumatic stress situations.

In this article, Rania Awaad, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and colleagues, offer steps that community leaders and community members can take together to prevent additional suicides and support healthy patterns of communal grieving and healing.

You’re not wrong: Getting a good night’s rest has gotten even harder over the past year. Harper's BAZAAR asked the experts how to reset poor habits and wake up feeling refreshed. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

In this article, Rania Awaad, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who also has a background in Islamic Studies, describes the relationship between religion and mental health and shares perspectives on the COVID experience.

Victor Carrion, the John A. Turner, MD, Endowed Professor for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, explains how a child's brain matures into its 20s.

After a year of virtual gathering, getting back to real-life relationships can be intimidating. Debra Kaysen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment on how re-entering a lifestyle closed off for a long time can feel disorienting and difficult.

Trauma therapists have long maintained that abuse experienced early in life can overwhelm the central nervous system, causing children to split off a painful memory from conscious awareness. A study published in February in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the flagship journal of the APA, highlights the considerable scientific evidence that bolsters the arguments of trauma therapists. Vinod Menon, the Rachel L. and Walter F. Nichols professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) often co-occur. A great deal of research has attempted to understand the nature of this relationship. Is PTSD a risk factor for AUD? Is high risk drinking a risk factor for PTSD? These questions can help us understand which of the two disorders to target first. Debra Kaysen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, talks about her research on treatments for co-occurring PTSD and AUD, focusing special attention toward state of the art science on ordering effects in this podcast episode.

If you're sleeping worse and dreaming about the pandemic, you're not alone. And they've got a name for it: coronasomnia. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

In this USA Today article, Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses society bias toward drug users.

Quitting smoking is hard. This is largely due to the nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Withdrawal from cigarettes is characterized by craving, bad feelings and losses of attention. Importantly, these negative symptoms are known to fluctuate wildly in time. Inspired by this, NIDA scientists applied a technique that looked at how communication across the entire brain fluctuated over time during smoking and withdrawal. Vinod Menon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is a co-author on NIDA's paper of the month: "Time-Varying Functional Connectivity Decreases as a Function of Acute Nicotine Abstinence."

Sleep is one of the body’s most basic needs—which is why it can be confusing when bedtime becomes a battle between what your brain wants (information about Stanley Tucci) and what it needs (REM sleep, for starters). If you find yourself unable to stick to a bedtime, you’re not alone—and you’re not totally out of luck. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this piece.

To date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 500,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the United States, which means over 4 million people in this country have lost a partner, friend, family member, or other loved one. You’re not alone. Irvin Yalom, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article on the topics of grief, loss, and regret.

Octopuses cycle through two stages of slumber, a new study reports. First comes quiet sleep, and then a shift to a twitchy, active sleep in which vibrant colors flash across the animals’ skin. These details, gleaned from four snoozing cephalopods in a lab in Brazil, may provide clues to a big scientific mystery: Why do animals sleep? Philippe Mourrain, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

Three experts discuss the promise—and problems—of relying on algorithms for our mental health. Adam Miner, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed in this article.

Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Program Director Vicki Harrison shares about #GoodforMEdia, the newly launched peer mentoring campaign exploring the "ME" in media.

An international panel of mood disorder experts has published guidance on how to safely and effectively use ketamine and esketamine to treat adults with treatment-resistant depression. Alan Schatzberg, the Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, provides comment in this article.

In this podcast, three treatments for trauma with the largest body of research support are covered: Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Debra Kaysen, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed in this episode.

A case for decluttering, plus tips to do so from The Home Edit team at Allure. This piece discusses the positive mental health effects of decluttering and quotes Carolyn Rodriguez, associate dean of academic affairs in the School of Medicine, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and director of the Stanford Hoarding Disorders Research Program.

States that make marijuana a readily available retail item might see an increase in self-harm among younger men, a new study suggests. Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses how the findings should be considered in the debate over states' recreational marijuana policies.

The ongoing, nationwide attacks on the AAPI community are forcing Asian American parents into tense, complex discussions on race and racism within their immediate family. Mari Kurahashi, Co-Director of the Stanford Parenting Center and clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this piece.

One year in, locals share their experiences of life under the COVID-19 pandemic and takeaways from this unprecedented, and hopefully not-to-be-repeated, year. Rona Hu, associate dean at Stanford University School of Medicine and clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, shares her family's story.

It’s a crisis on top of a crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has collided with the country’s opioid epidemic, shrinking access to life-saving treatments and recovery support services while compounding stress, isolation, and economic dislocation. Yet, despite the ravages of the pandemic, CCI’s "Addiction Treatment Starts Here" programs continue to transform treatment in California through an evidence-based approach to curbing opioid overdose and death. Mark McGovern, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this report.

Volunteers patrol the streets of Chinatown in Oakland to protect the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Recent violence has taken an emotional toll on the Asian American community, and experts say this is the time to speak up and set an example for the next generation. Mari Kurahashi, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this segment.

Many Asian Americans and Asian immigrants are struggling with the constant emotional onslaught from the ongoing attacks against Asian Americans. This article discusses how there is a lack of mental health resources in the necessary languages and a shortage of counselors who share Asian heritage. Steven Sust, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Song Kim, program manager in the Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, provide comment.

This piece discusses dissociative identity disorder and highlights a new documentary that shows the challenges involved in learning to live with the disorder. David Spiegel, the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Bay Area emergency room doctors say they're seeing an increase in the number of patients presenting with what had been a rare reaction to cannabis use. Keith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was interviewed during this segment.

In separate studies, researchers compared gene regulation related to brain and face development in humans and chimpanzees using a new technique. In both cases, they discovered new genetic differences between these species. Sergiu Pașca, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is mentioned in this article.

There’s research to suggest yes, regularly practicing mindfulness can help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep throughout the night. Fiona Barwick, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Nearly half of parents reported their teenagers faced new or worsening mental health conditions since the pandemic began, a new poll has found. Stephanie Clarke, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

While studies do show fish oil (from food or supplements) can support mental health, less is known about its specific role in helping with bipolar disorder. Shebani Sethi Dalai, clinical instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment in this article.

FRAXA Research Foundation has awarded a research grant to Stanford University principal investigators Philippe Mourrain and Gordon Wang, along with postdoctoral fellow, Rochelle Coulson. They are evaluating additive effects of combinatorial drug treatments to correct a broad spectrum of deficits observed in Fragile X syndrome.

Beyond helping alleviate medical concerns like sleep apnea, pain, and even heartburn, the main goal of a good "sleep posture" is to make yourself as comfortable as possible so that you fall asleep more easily. Clete Kushida, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

The Schizophrenia International Research Society has named Sergiu Pașca, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, the 2021 Basic Research Awardee. Congratulations, Dr. Pasca!

Scientists have discovered that the larynx, or voice box, of primates is significantly larger relative to body size, has greater variation, and is under faster rates of evolution than in other mammals. Published in the journal PLOS Biology and led by academics from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Stanford University, and the University of Vienna, the research is the first large-scale study into the evolution of the larynx. Daniel Bowling, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted in this article.

Although the effect of sleeping in headphones has not been well-studied, experts believe it is generally safe. Here are their recommendations for addressing your relaxation needs while protecting your hearing and your quality of sleep. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

3D cultures of human brain cells kept alive for more than a year undergo transitions in gene activity that resemble those seen in newborns, and may be used to study autism genes in postnatal stages of brain development. Sergiu Pasca, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured in this article.

Many children have lived through a great deal of hardship and loss over the past year, disproportionately so youth from marginalized or resource-scarce backgrounds. As young people struggled to acclimate to their new remote learning landscape, the news headlines have been consistently frightening and confusing for many of them, adding to an overall feeling of potential uncertainty and underlying fear for their own personal safety. Vicki Harrison and Jules Villanueva-Castaño, from the Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing, discuss the return to school in this piece.