Harvard Mental Health Letter: July 2008

A long-term trial of schizophrenia drugs has found that newer medications are not any more effective than a first-generation drug, but questions have been raised about the parameters of the study.

Adolescents who engage in risky behavior online, such as talking with strangers in chat rooms, are more likely to be victims of online harassment or sexual solicitation.

For patients who are attempting to overcome an addiction, assigning specific tasks at the various stages of the process serves as motivation to change and progress from one stage to the next.

People who tend to accumulate fat around the abdomen are at higher risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Research is suggesting that they may also be at increased risk of developing dementia.

Investigators found that taking an SSRI antidepressant during the last trimester of pregnancy did not significantly increase the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

Studies show that the primary value of regret is that it helps us understand our decisions and put them in context, so that we learn from our mistakes.