Harvard Mental Health Letter: December 2007

Psychiatric advance care directives establish a person's wishes so that appropriate mental health care can be provided if needed. It may also be advisable to appoint a health care agent to ensure the patient's treatment choices are followed.

Teens who smoke are more likely to quit if they can be convinced to participate in a cessation program that emphasizes the health risks of smoking, provides motivational encouragement and coping skills, and encourages a healthy overall lifestyle.

After a head injury, many people experience symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and mood changes as long as a year after the accident. A pattern of several lingering symptoms may constitute a postconcussion syndrome.

Researchers found that less than half of a group of children who had symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had been definitively diagnosed with the condition, and fewer were receiving treatment.

The study of a protein in mice led to an unintentional discovery about a possible influence on the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

In experiments on mice, suppressing a chemical linked to stress and appetite prevented the formation of abdominal fat cells, which could lead to new possibilities for weight loss drugs.

Diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children has risen dramatically in recent years. It is difficult to diagnose because symptoms often overlap with other disorders, particularly ADHD.