It is a sobering fact that more than a third of America’s adults are obese, along with nearly 18% of US children. Weight gain is more complex than a simple mathematical equation (Caloric Intake > Caloric Expenditure = Weight Gain).A constellation of genetics, environment, and behavior contribute to obesity. In...

Assessment Tools for Hoarding Disorder Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R): self-report instrument that rates difficulty discarding, excessive clutter, and excessive acquisition. (Effectiveness validated in Frost RO et al, Behav Res Ther 2004;42(10):1163-1182.) A modified version can be found at http://bit.ly/1gEZnT2   Hoarding Rating Scale: five-item scale that closely mirrors the DSM...

Demographics and Prevalence Hoarding disorder almost three times more prevalent in older adults (ages 55–94) than those 34 to 44 Hoarding afflicts men more than women Women with hoarding disorder tend to engage in more excessive acquisition of possessions Onset is usually by age 15, with clinically significant impairment by...

Hoarding has become a subject of widespread fascination in the last decade, with frequent exposure in popular media and an exponential increase in research on the topic.Reality television has drawn the public eye to compelling stories of people who can’t throw anything away and fill their houses with everything from...

Rachel Loewy, PhD, explores evidence-based psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia: CBT, multifamily group therapy, supported employment, and cognitive remediation.

Some people with serious mental illness suffer from cognitive problems, such as not being able to process information quickly, concentrate, or remember new information. While some psychiatric medications have cognitive effects, it’s now understood that the mental illnesses themselves can cause much of the cognitive dysfunction.Cognitive dysfunction is a primary...

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Recent research has demonstrated that dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) works for treating adolescent, young adult, and adult populations diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) (Rizvi SL et al, Prof Psychol-Res Pr 2013;44(2)73–80), though data pertaining to its superiority over other treatments remain mixed.Psychologist Marsha Linehan reported that the therapy was...

Half a century ago, a suicidal young woman named Marsha Linehan spent more than two years in a psychiatric hospital. Locked as tightly in her own personal torment as in her seclusion room, she vowed not only that she would get out, but that she would get well and help...