I have previously blogged about the impact of bullying including an increased suicide risk.  There is evidence now that bullying online or via social media is at least as traumatizing as other forms of bullying. A recent study by Van Geel, et al. reported on their meta-analysis of 34 studies involving over 284,000 children.  They…

Well of course that is only a very small part of killings with guns in the world. It just gets a whole lot more attention from the media.  A recent killing rampage in California by Elliot Rodger has led to more calls for the involuntary comittment of the mentally ill as Elloit’s recent and past…

The News Update section of the AACAP News from May/June 2014 reported on a study from the United Kingdom that was epublished ahead of print in the International Journal od Obesity (Lond) by Booth, JN et al. The study followed 6,000 adolescents from age 11 to 16.  They assessed their achievement scores in English, math,…

In the News Updates section of the May/June edition of the AACAP News a study by Guy, et al. reported in the JAMA Dermatol (epub ahead of print) found that according to the 2009 and 2011 national Youth Risk Behaviors Survey using a representative sample of 15.5 million high school students each year that included…

The role of mindfulness (defined as the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience) based treatment approaches for psychiatric disorders seems to be increasing. I have previously blogged about the benefit of mindfulness approaches to reduce stress in elementary age children.  Brown, et al. JAMA Psychiatry 2014 Mar 19 reported on their randomized clinical…

Howard Thurman is quoted as saying: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman was a theologian, author, philosopher, educator and civil rights leader who influenced many people with his faith and…

Many people did not think that Airbnb woud be successful in getting people to rent their private homes or apartments, etc. to strangers.  Yet they report having more than 500,000 people willing to do this and more than ten million strangers renting  from them.  People are also exchanging items [like tools, cars, apartments, homes, etc.]…

A recent article by Ronald Pies, M.D. published in the February 2014, Vol XXXI, No2 issue of the Psychiatric Times was entitled: “Is Suicide Immoral?” Dr. Pies reflects on his own and his families experience with the suicide of his uncle. Dr. Pies describes the longstanding impact that the suicide had on his family and…

I was listening to a young woman talk about a recent argument with her boyfriend that she could not stop thinking about.   I recalled a story that I had read about two monks walking down a muddy road when they saw a woman dressed very nicely on the side of the road.  Her clothes…

I recently read an opinion editorial from the July 20,2014 New York Times by Arthur Brooks who is President of the American Enterprise Institute.   Mr. Brooks wrote about ways to achieve happiness and what can get in the way of this.  He rules out wealth, fame, power as ways to happiness and even indicates…