Harvard Mental Health Letter: November 2008

In the treatment of first-episode schizophrenia, starting treatment as quickly as possible offers the best chance of relief from symptoms, but this is frequently complicated by difficulty in confirming the diagnosis.

Conflicts can be resolved more successfully by acknowledging the importance of emotions. Try to focus on the core concerns of both parties and view them positively in light of the larger issues.

Light therapy is typically prescribed to treat seasonal affective disorder, but there are risks for certain people. Researchers are looking at making adjustments to the timing and duration of the therapy to try to reduce this risk.

More primary care physicians and internists are prescribing antidepressant medications, and the overall number of prescriptions is on the rise.

A survey of 26,000 college students, both undergraduate and graduate, found that about 10 percent had considered suicide in the previous year, but fewer than half of those had sought help or told anyone.

According to an analysis of appointment data, psychiatrists are spending less time on psychotherapy with their patients. This is due mainly to health care bureaucracy and increased prescription of medications.

Research into how the brain makes decisions found that in people who say they are undecided on an issue, the unconscious part of the brain often makes a decision before the conscious mind is aware of it.