Harvard Mental Health Letter: November 2006

Two studies examine the correlation between depression in adults and its prevalence in their children, and the effect of adults' treatment on the children's mental health.

It was long believed that humans did not have the capacity to recognize pheromones, but research finds evidence they can, which may lead to better understanding of the biological basis of sexual orientation.

Men suffer from depression in smaller numbers than women do, but their treatment needs differ due to responses to medication, especially in older men. Additional medication may be necessary to treat the sexual side effects.

Assertive community treatment is a team-based method of caring for the mentally ill when they are released from institutions. While more costly than traditional treatment, it is more personalized and can produce better results.

People with certain mental conditions can experience seizures that appear to be epilepsy but are actually psychogenic seizures. Studies are finding ways to distinguish between the two types to facilitate proper treatment.

Having more money does not make people happier, even though we tend to believe it will. The tendency to overestimate the importance of something's effect on one's level of happiness is called the focusing illusion.