There is no cure, so the focus is on protecting children.

Pedophilia, the sexual attraction to children who have not yet reached puberty, remains a vexing challenge for clinicians and public officials. Classified as a paraphilia, an abnormal sexual behavior, researchers have found no effective treatment. Like other sexual orientations, pedophilia is unlikely to change. The goal of treatment, therefore, is to prevent someone from acting on pedophile urges — either by decreasing sexual arousal around children or increasing the ability to manage that arousal. But neither is as effective for reducing harm as preventing access to children, or providing ...

Alzheimer's disease is most common, but other diagnoses are possible.

The word dementia is derived from the Latin words de ("out of") and mens ("the mind"), but is now defined as a brain disorder that includes memory loss, deficits in cognition (thinking, planning, and organizing abilities), a decline in emotional control or motivation, and changes in social behavior (such as increased irritability, apathy, or problems interacting with other people).

Alzheimer's disease (also referred to as dementia of the Alzheimer's type), which affects roughly five million Americans and more than 35 million people around the world, is by far the most ...

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Theories differ about why it is so pervasive and so hard to eradicate.

It is difficult to get through a week (and sometimes a day) without hearing some disparaging remark or dismissive joke made about mental illness or the clinicians who treat psychiatric disorders. Stigmatizing views permeate popular culture.

Every October, for example, the National Alliance on Mental Illness identifies the latest "Halloween horrors" sold commercially, which have included costumes that look like straitjackets or enable people to dress up as "Dr. Malice" or "Cell Block Psycho." Aside from being distasteful, the constant background noise of stereotyped or inaccurate ...

Because depression and alcohol dependence are often linked, researchers tested whether the combination of an antidepressant and an alcohol-dependence medication might better help patients with both issues.

There are several theories about why people with schizophrenia have a tendency to hear voices, but no consensus has emerged.

Q. How will national health care reform affect my mental health coverage? Does this new law nullify the parity bill that was supposed to take effect in 2010?

A. Many patients are asking the same question — and for good reason. The health care legislation signed into law earlier this year by President Barack Obama is complicated, with different provisions that are phased in gradually. Professional societies and patient advocacy groups are still analyzing the details.

First it may be helpful to review where things stand with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act ...