Behavioral Health Headlines

Recent news articles about co-occurring disorders and mental health. Links will open a new window. 


Blind Devotion: Survival on the Front Lines of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Addiction
Blind Devotion is the bold firsthand account of Sharlene Prinsen’s relationship with her husband Sean; a combat veteran who served in Bosnia and has suffered from depression, addiction, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since his return.
October 12, 2012

Traumatized Vietnam vet credits service dog with saving his life
At what point is anecdotal evidence so overwhelming that it matches or exceeds scientific discoveries?
October 10, 2012

Battling Bare: Military Wives Stripping Down to Battle PTSD
Military wives across the country are stripping down for their soldier husbands to draw attention to what they see as the rampant problem of post traumatic stress disorder.
October 10, 2012

Pentagon Looks to Diagnose PTSD… With Video Games
To do their job and to stay alive, troops need to be in shape. They need have the right equipment. And they also need to be psychologically sound. The problem is that soldiers aren’t traditionally very forthcoming when it comes to talking about their mental health.
October 4, 2012

Veterans helping veterans in new suicide-prevention line
After serving 13 years between the Air Force and the Army, Daniel Turner knows the frustrations veterans face.
October 4, 2012

Healing Touch With Guided Imagery Could Help Relieve PTSD Symptoms In Soldiers, Study Suggests
Some complementary medicine techniques seem to improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in soldiers, according to a small new study.
October 2, 2012

Treating injuries that cannot be seen
Although U.S. military forces have left Iraq and are winding down in Afghanistan, the buildup in mental health services for soldiers who served there continues to surge.
October 2, 2012

Trauma And Addiction To Be Focus Of Conference
The incidence of trauma and abuse has truly reached epidemic proportions, and those who suffer trauma sometimes turn to alcohol or other drugs to manage post-traumatic stress symptoms like nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, and dissociation.
October 1, 2012

PTSD, opioids can be fatal combination
Among the Texas veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan identified by the American-Statesman as dying of drug overdoses, Veterans Affairs records show that 21 — over 40 percent — had post-traumatic stress disorder as their primary disability diagnosis.
October 1, 2012

VA Studies New Ways To Treat PTSD
The VA Palo Alto Health Care System is collaborating with Fujitsu Laboratories of America (FLA) on research to improve treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in war veterans.
October 1, 2012

TBI, PTSD and Early Aging in the Research Stage: Now's the Time to Prepare
 We've known for years that prolonged stress on the body manifests in dis-ease.
September 28, 2012

Suicide now kills more Americans than car crashes
Suicide has surpassed car accidents as the No. 1 cause of injury-related death in the United States, according to new research.
September 26, 2012

Violent Events Have Long-Term Effects on Children
If the struggling economy hasn't made it tough enough to keep food on the table and clothes on the family, and if the hectic pace in Los Angeles hasn't made all of us more than a little agitated, what ought we be telling our youngsters to try to calm them and offer them some kind of sense and solace about the continuing violence that dominates the headlines?
September 24, 2012

Animal’s Support For Veterans Unsupported By Government
(SERVICE ANIMALS) Effective October 5, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs will no longer pay for service dogs assigned to war veterans with mental disabilities.
September 24, 2012 

New Study Shows PTSD Symptoms in Combat-Exposed Military Can Be Reduced with Healing Touch and Guided Imagery
Healing touch combined with guided imagery (HT+GI) provides significant clinical reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for combat-exposed active duty military, according to a study released in the September issue of Military Medicine.
September 24. 2012

PTSD, substance abuse link
Results from a recent study conducted by the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and the University of Michigan Health System suggest young veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse are at a greater risk of an early death.
September 23, 2012 

Neurosurgery via genetics to modulate anxiety
If you hear someone talking about a stress hormone, they’re probably talking about cortisol.
September 21, 2012

Rodent Model Suggests Stress Hormones Can Protect from PTSD
Researchers have yet to fully understand the biological basis of post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, new research investigates the counterintuitive role of stress hormones as a protective factor in PTSD.
September 14, 2012

Veterans needed for study to test if dogs help treat PTSD
RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) -- After fighting in wars, many veterans are now fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - or PTSD.
September 14, 2012 

5 PTSD Movies Every Veteran Should See
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, otherwise known as PTSD, is a serious mental condition that can plague anyone from Vietnam veterans to housewives.
September 14, 2012 

Couple creates foundation to help vets returning home
The 64-year-old Vietnam vet said he didn’t fully understand how his combat experience had affected his life until he visited a PTSD residential treatment center in Northern California four years ago.
September 13, 2012

Program to help veterans with PTSD
August 31, 2012

Countdown to Medicine X: Turning to emerging technologies to relieve stress, anxiety and PTSD
In anticipation of the inaugural Stanford Medicine X conference this Sept. 28-30, I’ll be highlighting some of the research being presented during the three-day event.
August 29, 2012

Expert says PTSD not sign of weakness
Fort Leavenworth, Kan. — A nationally renowned expert in post-traumatic stress disorder stands by her belief that PTSD is not a mental illness.
August 24, 2012

Retired General takes up fight against PTSD
He's a familiar face on the frontlines of war. General Peter Chiarelli served as Army Vice Chief of Staff for four years before he retired earlier this year. Today he is still on the frontlines, but of a different battle.
August 24, 2012

Virtual Reality System Tackles PTSD
August 24, 2012

A squad of two: Local group gives vets new mission
The six veterans came from many different walks of life, but they all shared the same hope for a turning point.
August 19, 2012

Lingering casualties of war: Every 80 minutes, a veteran commits suicide, VA says
Even before his twin brother committed suicide in December 2010, former Army Staff Sgt. Earl Granville never liked the holidays.
August 19, 2012

PTSD Isn't Just A War Wound; Teens Suffer, Too
Though post-traumatic stress disorder is often associated with war veterans, many sufferers have yet to finish high school.
August 18, 2012

Help for Veterans
The National Institute of Mental Health’s “Outreach Partnership Program” has made information available to veterans and their families who have concerns about depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other behavioral health problems.
July 31, 2012

The Mobile App for Prolonged Exposure PTSD Therapy
The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have released PE (for prolonged exposure) Coach, a smartphone mobile application for use with post-traumatic stress disorder treatment.
July 31, 2012

Pentagon Report: Active Duty Military Suicides on the Rise
Earlier this summer the Pentagon released some startling statistics. The suicide rate with active military members sky rocketed and this year, we could have the most cases since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
July 30, 2012

Accelerated resolution therapy significantly reduces PTSD symptoms, researchers report
Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing have shown that brief treatments with Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) substantially reduce symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including, depression, anxiety, sleep dysfunction and other physical and psychological symptoms.
July 27, 2012

Story County Veteran Once Suicidal Finds Relief from PTSD with Transcendental Meditation
After spending a year in Afghanistan investigating cases as a military police officer in 2009, Luke Jensen was immediately given a series of medications for anxiety and sleep aids.
July 25, 2012

PTSD Sufferers: Stanford Researchers Recruiting to Study Effectiveness of Mobile-Devise APP
STANFORD, Calif. — Apps for smart phones and other mobile devices are increasingly commonplace. And now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are exploring the usefulness of one such application to help patients experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
July 18, 2012 

Young vets urged to get help for PTSD
Bobby Goode’s dreams started right after he returned home from fighting in Korea. The vivid dreams were filled with the smell of gunpowder and cries for help.
July 15, 2012

Our veterans deserve more help with PTSD, and they're getting it
When a Medal of Honor recipient comes and speaks, it’s hard to get everything of value he says into a news story.
July 15, 2012

Victims of crime suffer from PTSD
Anxiety and stress are symptoms many of face on a daily basis. But the victim of a crime might experience it more often.
July 12, 2012

Help is out there for the thousands suffering from PTSD
Officials with the VA Medical Center in Biloxi say they're seeing many military veterans who had a bad experience during wartime suffer after coming home, because they won't admit they have a problem.
July 12, 2012

Canine Battle Buddies bring healing to PTSD veterans
Although most people have heard of posttraumatic stress disorder and how many veterans of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer with it, many civilians still have trouble truly appreciating how difficult it is for these veterans to adjust to everyday life when they come home.
July 12, 2012

Almost Psychopaths in the Workplace  
Grandiosity, manipulation, and lack of empathy.  Authors of a recent book on subclinical psychopathy consider how people with these traits may be drawn to the high stakes of corporate life.
July 12, 2012 

Are There Other Symptoms of PTSD?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is known to cause emotional numbing, sleep problems, and hyperarousal. Now, it is believed that PTSD may have additional symptoms as well.
June 16, 2012

10 Tips for Helping Someone with PTSD from Wounded Warrior Project
You don’t have to be a member of the armed forces to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but nearly 20 percent of service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan reported having symptoms. In recognition of June as PTSD Awareness Month, Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP) is offering 10 tips for how to help someone who may be suffering from PTSD.
June 15, 2012

Predicting PTSD Before It Happens
Researchers at Tel Aviv University are using brain imaging to identify who may be more susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder.
June 14, 2012

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month
Interesting how hardly anyone had heard of this disorder until our recent military involvement over the last 10 years. Yet many people have suffered from this malady since the beginning of time.
June 12, 2012

Options Expand For Healing PTSD
While deployed in Afghanistan Army Sgt. Angel Morrow, the woman they called "Momma Medic" watched as countless Marines and soldiers she knew were killed or maimed by improvised explosive devices.
June 12, 2012

M3 Online Screening Helps Patients Identify Mental Illness
Mental health conditions can be tough to diagnose and patients often go years without knowing what's wrong.
June 12, 2012

Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recognizing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects 1 in 29 Americans, from our country’s service men and women to abused children and survivors of rape, domestic violence and natural disasters.  During PTSD Awareness Month in June, and throughout the year, we recognize the millions of Americans who experience this challenging and debilitating condition.
June 6, 2012

Depression Therapy: Phone Sometimes as Good as in Person
Telephone therapy may be just as good as in-person therapy for treating depression symptoms, at least for the short term, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
June 5, 2012

Behavioral Therapy + New Drug Therapy Helps Severe PTSD
A new pilot study suggests administration of a medication along with traditional behavioral therapy may help individuals with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
June 5, 2012

Andy Warhol Museum, AGH team up to help children with PTSD
PITTSBURGH — The Andy Warhol Museum and Allegheny General Hospital have entered a unique partnership to help children coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.
June 1, 2012

Mindfulness Meditation Is Used To Prevent And Treat PTSD
The U.S. Military is using new techniques to help reduce PTSD and increase soldier resiliency. 
May 29, 2012

PTSD: Virtual reality treatment
Researchers in California have come up with a way of using virtual reality to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in combat veterans.
May 29, 2012

Service dogs helping veterans cope with PTSD
KEIZER, Ore. — A local U.S. Air Force veteran says the time he has spent training a golden retriever puppy into an assistance dog has changed his life.
May 29, 2012

Doctors experimenting with technology to curb PTSD
CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Doctors at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center are experimenting with new approaches to help soldiers who are battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
May 23, 2012

Veterans, Addiction and PTSD: Let's Talk About It
For veterans struggling with substance abuse, getting help can seem all but impossible. The stigma attached to addiction and trauma keeps too many veterans out of treatment
May 17, 2012

PTSD Treatment Helps Sufferers and Their Loved Ones, Says The Center for Counseling and Health Resources Founder Dr. Gregory Jantz
EDMONDS, WA, May 16, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- People suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to engage in self-harming behaviors such as suicide and self-mutilation, according to psychological studies. But people with PTSD should seek treatment not just for their own safety, but also for the well-being of their families, according to nationally certified psychologist Dr. Gregory Jantz.
May 16, 2012

Military to test PTSD video therapy
CBC News has learned that the Canadian military has decided to use "virtual reality therapy" in a pilot project to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
May 15, 2012

Houston soldier says hyperbaric chamber helped lessen PTSD
HOUSTON—Jeffrey Ruiz is an Iraq War veteran who returned to the U.S. so physically and psychologically damaged by combat that he rarely left his parents’ Houston home and relied on a half dozen prescribed anti-depressant medications to maintain his sanity.
May 14, 2012

Soldiers, veterans, PTSD and antipsychotic drugs
The nation has a huge challenge and obligation regarding the soldiers and airmen, Marines and sailors, who are lucky enough to come home alive from Iraq and Afghanistan.
May 14, 2012

Soldier on: Ride benefits veterans with PTSD
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which offers online screening, lists PTSD symptoms such as:
May 14, 2012

Study on PTSD Meds to be Launched by Army
The Army is set to launch a major research initiative to look into the effectiveness of commonly-prescribed medications for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
May 10, 2012

Training helps officers better handle situations involving PTSD
SALT LAKE CITY — Most veterans who come home make the transition without any troubles, but some have a hard time adjusting to civilian life.
May 10, 2012

VETERANS: New best friends provide healing for PTSD
CLAYTON, N.C. — Like many soldiers, military policeman Jeremy Muncert saw unspeakable horrors during his Iraq War deployment.
May 9, 2012

Cognitive behavioral therapy directly addresses anxiety
Q. I’d like to learn more about cognitive behavioral therapy. How is it used to treat anxiety?
May 8, 2012

Would PTSD Name Change Mean Less Stigma For Vets?
Should post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, be renamed post-traumatic stress injury?
May 7, 2012 

RIDING ACROSS AMERICA, FOR P.T.S.D.
Some ride their bikes for exercise, Tom Skinner rides for a cause. Post traumatic stress disorder.
May 6, 2012

Veterans hospital, police work together to combat PTSD
SALT LAKE CITY — Police paid a visit to Charles Johnson, a 50-year-old man with outstanding arrest warrants. Johnson was drunk and despondent over the death of a war buddy.
May 4, 2012

UT College of Nursing Answers First Lady’s Call to Improve Veterans’ Care
KNOXVILLE—The invisible wounds of war, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), have impacted approximately one in six of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq—and many of them seek treatment with a health professional who may not be properly trained to address their needs.
April 30, 2012

Virtual reality website helps soldiers, veterans deal with PTSD
Soldiers suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can now talk to a friendly virtual face thanks to SimCoach
April 26, 2012

In-person Therapy Versus Online Help
As a therapist, I work face-to-face with patients to help them solve their problems and heal from emotional pain.
April 25, 2012

Marian nursing program joins effort to support veterans
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden announced on April 11 a commitment from nurses across the country eager to serve veterans and military families.
April 15, 2012

America's Nurses Join Forces with the First Lady and Dr. Biden to support Veterans and Military Families
3 million nurses, through 150 nursing organizations and 500 nursing schools will be educated on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the coming years
April 11, 2012

UW Researchers Study Yoga As Treatment For PTSD
MADISON, Wis. - A new treatment program for post-traumatic stress disorder is under way at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that doesn't involve drugs or traditional therapy.
April 9, 2012

4 New York Counties Set to Receive Funding for Vets Peer Pilot Program
Under the state’s new budget plan, four New York counties — Suffolk, Saratoga, Jefferson, and Rensselaer — are set to receive $200,000 each, to launch a pilot peer support program to help veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.
April 8, 2012

Free Training Session On PTSD Offered This April
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A local service group for U.S. soldiers is planning a training session to help volunteers learn about PTSD.
April 8, 2012

Genes responsible for post-traumatic stress disorder identified
UCLA scientists may have found answer to why some persons succumb to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others who suffered the same ordeal do not.
April 3, 2012