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Personalized medicine has made substantial strides in treating cancer and rare genetic disorders by leveraging advances in genomics, yet psychiatry has lagged behind. The complexity of psychiatric disorders, owing to heterogeneity, polygenicity and environmental and epigenetic effects, calls for varied approaches in achieving personalization.
Adolescence is one of the most important transition periods in life, in which self-esteem and identity are being shaped and individuals experience profound social and physical transformations. In recent years, a concerning increase in the prevalence of mental health disorders in adolescents has been documented, prompting the mental health research community to prioritize understanding the risks of developing psychiatric disorders as well as factors that might be protective. Nature Mental Health spoke about depression in adolescence with Christian Kieling, an associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the School of Medicine at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Kieling is leading an international project called ‘Identifying depression early in adolescence (IDEA)’ that brings a global health approach to the topic.
Adolescence and young adulthood are decisive times for neurobiological, cognitive and emotional development, all of which converge on mental health. Research into the identification of risks for developing mental health disorders and early intervention in young people are crucial for curtailing the youth mental health crisis.
This Comment highlights the intertwined nature of mental and brain health and disease. Common genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors contribute to psychiatric and neurological disorders, which partially share neurocognitive and pathophysiological mechanisms. A call for a more dimensional, interdisciplinary approach can accelerate the development of robust approaches to research, prevention and intervention.
The past 40 years have seen a surge in exploring mindfulness-based practices and interventions as a non-pharmacological alternative to treating various physical and psychological conditions. Addressing specific challenges that the field faces is crucial for moving it forward in a meaningful direction.
In this Q&A, we speak to US Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA), who has served as the representative for the 28th congressional district of California since 2009. In addition to being a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, she has also been a member of the Subcommittees on Health, Worker and Family Support, and Oversight that oversee legislation pertaining to health programs, healthcare reform, and research.
Utilizing an everyday citizenship approach in forensic psychiatric care, by recognizing the agentive actions and relational interactions in mundane activities and caregiving communications, could substantially enhance and advance care practices.
Men often experience mental health issues in silence. This Comment considers the many manifestations of silence in men’s mental illness, which serve to reduce subjective wellbeing and social/occupational functioning amid elevating suicide risk.
Cases of mild or transient distress in young people are increasingly viewed as problems that require medical intervention. As CAMHS clinicians, we argue that this overmedicalization undermines the value of social support within the family and community, and funding cuts to nonmedical support services have only compounded the problem.
LGBTQIA+ older adults are under-represented in Alzheimer’s disease and mental health research. Here we highlight the current research evidence, social and policy influences, and ways healthcare and research professionals can improve equity in research and healthcare.
Climate change and ecological emergencies threaten life on Earth. This creates a distress that is in danger of being pathologized and dismissed. We examine how such feelings are rational and underpinned by instinctive compassion for the environment and each other. We must respond by supporting people to act with their full potential, amidst systemic and government failures.
The celebration of Pride in June each year is a way to recognize triumph over oppression. It is a time to acknowledge the past and to commit to protecting LGBT+ people by promoting inclusion, equality, and mental health and well-being.
In this Q&A, we speak to Jack Turban, a physician–scientist and Assistant Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he directs the Gender Psychiatry Program. His research examines the mental health of transgender and gender diverse youth, with a particular focus on topics related to public policy.
