News Mentions for the week of March 18, 2024

The Lancet Psychiatry shares a profile article about Leanne Williams, Vincent V.C. Woo Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and Director of the Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness, including the personal experiences that have shaped her work to identify several biotypes of depression and anxiety with distinct manifestations and responses to therapy.

Alcohol may make you feel warm on a cold day, but it is making you colder not hotter. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

How has Oregon’s radical drug decriminalisation policy changed lives? Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is interviewed.

In a new comment paper, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers from Stanford University, led by Karen Parker, the Truong-Tan Broadcom Endowed Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, have highlighted a potential key driver of this condition in certain individuals, providing a possible pathway to improving social abilities in some children with autism.

Unplugging is often impossible. Here’s a realistic guide to using your tech in a way that serves you. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

For modern romantics, the “swipe right” feature on dating apps has become a colloquial shorthand for attraction—and the pursuit of love itself. Now, it’s under fire. On Valentine’s Day, a lawsuit filed by six people accused popular dating apps of designing “addictive, game-like” features made to “lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop.” Elias Aboujaoude, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Kim Bullock, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, discusses medical XR use in psychotherapy and ensuring validity in mental healthcare offerings.

On March 13th, leadership, staff and youth advisors from the department's Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing (CYMHW) participated in an event on youth online safety and well-being hosted by the Stanford Internet Observatory and Social Media Lab with the CYMHW in collaboration with the White House Kids Online Health & Safety Task Force. The day opened with a panel on youth social media experiences led by CYMHW Program Director Vicki Harrison and seven youth leaders from the Center's GoodforMEdia program. In addition to representatives from the Biden-Harris Administration, the event convened leaders from several major technology platforms, academic institutions and civil society groups, and served as one of three planned nationwide listening sessions to inform future research and forthcoming industry guidance, policy recommendations and resources being developed by the White House’s Kids Online Health & Safety Task Force. More coverage here.

Understanding some common causes of insomnia and poor sleep can help you get to the root of the problem and improve your sleep quality. Fiona Barwick, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

APA’s updated guidelines prioritize resilience, diversity, and telehealth, empowering psychologists to better support the well-being of aging individuals. Ira Yenko, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, served on the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults Revision Working Group.

Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, co-authors this article in The Atlantic about the state's drug decriminalization efforts.

Research suggests geriatricians more effectively and efficiently manage older patients’ care than doctors without such training, but low pay and stigma dampen interest. Ryan Pate, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.