psychiatry news stories on Newser

'Gay Cure' Champion: I Was Wrong

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 19 May 2012 18:20:37 CDT

A psychiatrist who revolutionized how people view homosexuality has given a tearful apology for a study that supported the notion of a "gay cure." The New York Times looks at how Dr. Robert Spitzer conducted his study, withstood years of merciless criticism, and, suffering from Parkinson’s, finally wrote his mea...

Suicide the Answer for Russian Teens

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:42:38 CST

For many Russian teenagers, the only way out is death. Experts there are already familiar with the nation's high teen suicide rate (about five a day) and know the causes all too well—but say solutions are hampered by prejudice and social conformity, the Washington Post reports. The most common...

9/11 Shows Psychology's Shortcomings

Tim Karan — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:45:13 CDT

Psychologists rushing to Ground Zero on September 11 might have done more harm than good. Experts overestimated how many people—including firefighters and police who responded—would experience stress for a prolonged period following the disaster, according to a report coming out in American Psychologist . Many also might have been...

Sex-Case Court Orders Friars' Psych Files Bared

Rob Quinn — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:44:41 CDT

A California court has ruled that the psychiatric and personnel files of six Franciscan friars accused of sexual abuse must be made public. The documents are expected to reveal how much the Catholic Franciscan administration knew about their employees' behavior and when they knew it. The decision could lead to...

More and More Toddlers Prescribed Antipsychotics

Kevin Spak — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:17:32 CDT

Kyle Warren was given his first dose of antipsychotic drugs to deal with his temper tantrums at 18 months. By age three, he’d been diagnosed with autism, bipolar disorder, hyperactivity, insomnia, and oppositional defiant disorder, and was taking a fistful of psychiatric medicine each day. He was, his parents tell...

Darth Vader Just Needed Pyschotherapy

John Johnson — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 12:28:52 CDT

If young Anakin Skywalker had gotten himself into see a good psychotherapist, he might have steered clear of the dark side and the Darth Vader get-up. The Star Wars prequels show that Anakin suffered from borderline personality disorder, say French psychiatrists. (They've made the argument before, but will buttress it...

Fort Hood Suspect Was Lousy Student

Kevin Spak — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:06:59 CDT

Nidal Malik Hasan’s superiors had major concerns about him during his psychiatric training, but decided to pass him anyway, say restricted emails obtained by the Washington Times . In one, Hasan’s residency director, Maj. Scott Moran, tells a superior that he’s “a chronically somewhat unprofessional officer with a somewhat poor work...

Shrinks Discuss Rewrite of Psychiatric Bible

Kevin Spak — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:01:57 CST

The American Psychiatric Association will unveil dozens of proposals for new psychiatric disorders today, as it begins its first revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—or DSM, as the kids call it—since 1994. Kids prone to temper tantrums might soon be diagnosed with “temper dysregulation...

Hasan Sought to Turn in Patients for 'War Crimes'

Nick McMaster — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:25:17 CST

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan repeatedly tried to have his patients prosecuted for “war crimes,” raising the issue with Army authorities a final time on Nov. 2—just 3 days before the Fort Hood massacre. In a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality, Hasan asked superiors if he could legally pass along information...