Harvard Mental Health Letter: February 2007

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), despite its controversial reputation, remains an effective treatment for certain types of mental illness. But the treatment is not for every patient, and it is not without risks.

Studies show that women are more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men, even if they experienced the same traumatic event. This difference may be due to environmental factors, or to differences in IQ.

Studies using role-playing games to examine the social aspects of conscience found that people would give up a monetary reward in order to punish others who were unwilling to share.

A study claims that obese people are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, but the findings do not prove that the conditions are causally related to each other.

Behavioral activation therapy is a variation of cognitive therapy that encourages patients to fight depression by examining their feelings and experiences and focusing on their positive accomplishments.

A study suggests that people with a family history of alcoholism are capable of producing higher levels of a dopamine receptor in the brain that may offer them protection against the disease.

I've been taking Zoloft. Recently, my pharmacist filled my prescription with a generic form of the drug. Does the brand name matter?