by Public Relations Staff
February 24, 2011—This article is the first in a recurring series showcasing a selection of recent news coverage of issues that matter to professional psychology.
Depression Rising in College Population
National Public Radio reported on the increase in depression among college studentsopens in new window. Executive Director for Professional Practice, Katherine C. Nordal, PhD, was interviewed for the January 17 story. She explained possible issues fueling the rise and shared symptoms students should watch for in their peers.
Mental Health Issues in the Military
As part of APA’s partnership with Give an Hour (GAH), Dr. Katherine Nordal and GAH president Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen participated in a radio media tour on holiday stress and military families, highlighting the psychological issues U.S. troops, veterans and their families may experience during the holiday season as well as the pro-bono psychological services available to them through Give an Hour. Fourteen radio stations recorded interviews which aired over 1,400 times, reaching an audience of 4.1 million.
Mental Health Parity
Dr. Nordal conducted 17 radio interviews about the mental health parity law. More than 1000 stations aired the interviews, which reached 12 million listeners.
In addition, Foster’s Daily Democratopens in new window (“Obama health reform boosts latest mental health laws,” January 16, 2011) interviewed legislative experts who explained the benefits of parity to businesses and consumers. Among his comments, Peter Newbould, Director of Congressional and Political Affairs for APAPO, told the reporter, "What [parity] did was to really begin to reverse a decades-long flow of dollars out of mental health care, and we believe it's going to provide better access to that care in the future."
Seasonal Affective Disorder
USA Todayopens in new window, (“Harsh winter has chilling effect on moods, February 2, 2011) reported on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), sharing individuals’ stories and advice from APA public education coordinator Elaine Ducharme, PhD.
Talk Therapy for Depression
Reuters Health (“Talk therapy may help tough-to-treat depressionopens in new window, ” January 13, 2011) interviewed the lead author of a studyopens in new window from the University of Washington School of Public Health (“Examination of the Utility of Psychotherapy for Patients with Treatment Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review,” Ranak B. Trivedi, Jason A. Nieuwsma and John W. Williams, Journal of General Internal Medicine, published online December 24, 2010) to “examine the utility of psychotherapy in managing treatment resistant depression.”
Ranak Trivedi, PhD, MD, and her colleagues reviewed seven studies involving 600 adults whose major depressive disorder wasn’t helped by medication, finding that “in the long run, talk therapy may well be worth” cost and access issues.
In their January issue, The American Journal of Psychiatry reviewedopens in new window “Psychotherapy Is Worth It: A Comprehensive Review of Its Cost-Effectiveness,” (edited by Susan G. Lazar, MD, Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2010) calling the book “an encyclopedic treasure trove for mental health professionals considering treatment options for patients with mental illness,” saying that the unbiased account offers “compelling arguments that psychotherapy can be dosed, applied, and measured like other health interventions.”