Author: Jerrilyn Zavada, jzavada@mywebtimes.com, 815-673-6371
When Jennifer, Jake and Jordan Shepard died in a rural Streator fire recently, the ripples were felt throughout the community. After authorities said the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide and the mother had been under a doctor's care for an undisclosed mental illness, friends, neighbors and strangers were in shock and a state of collective grief. » More

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 25, 2011

Mental health experts call for psychologists and other medical providers to be in the forefront of health care reform as new reimbursement initiatives seek to blend medical and behavioral health payments.

American health care has long been criticized as providing primarily medical care with mental and behavioral services viewed as separate and less essential entities. Moreover, only 5 percent of the “health” care expenditures in America go toward prevention. » More

Philadelphia (July 22, 2011)—A new study by researchers at Drexel University’s School of Public Health suggests that abuse of prescription painkillers may be an important gateway to the use of injected drugs such as heroin, among people with a history of using both types of drugs. The study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, explores factors surrounding young injection drug users’ initiation into the misuse of opioid drugs. Common factors identified in this group included a family history of drug misuse and receiving prescriptions for opioid drugs in the past. The results support a need for efforts to prevent misuse of prescription drugs, particularly during adolescence. » More

Story By Laura Markowitz
Adolescence is a stressful time, with hormones, acne and the pressure to fit in. Many parents resign themselves to the fact that their teens will likely experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana.

But Juanita, a single mother of three, didn’t know what to do when her daughter started using it every day---and growing it in her room. More than 40 percent of teens try pot while they’re still in high school, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).  » More

Estimates suggest that anywhere between 4.8 and 5.5 million children in the U.S. live in households where they are exposed to secondhand smoke, putting them at greater risk for multiple health problems. Now, new research suggests that secondhand smoke exposure can increase the odds of developing certain mental and behavioral disorders by 50 percent.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at the data generated by a 2007 national health survey, analyzing the responses of the parents of guardians of more than 55,000 children ages 11 and younger from throughout the U.S. They found that children who were exposed to secondhand smoke were twice as likely to develop so-called neurobehavioral disorders -- including learning disabilities, ADD or ADHD, and conduct or behavior disorders -- than were children who lived in smoke-free homes.

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By Jennifer Pittman
SANTA CRUZ -- In an empty warehouse in a seedy part of virtual reality, a methadone-dependent addict in a Santa Cruz recovery program can test his resolve to stay away from illegal drugs, thanks to a unique clinical trial at Janus of Santa Cruz, a nonprofit for people with chemical dependencies and their families.

"It is the first really new therapeutic tool in the field of addiction in many years," said David Molina, a counselor and Avatar Based Recovery Project Manager. Molina, with other counselors at the Janus Community Clinic program, have contributed to the early development of the program which has now been expanded to include an online comprehensive educational component as well.  » More