As we understand the brain better, we should be able to improve our diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disease. In fact, ideally, neuroscience should lead us to be able to fully understand and possibly even repair brain circuits important for mental health conditions. But how likely are we to achieve that ideal?  What stands in our way?

Women frequently experience mild mood changes during or after pregnancy, but if these symptoms become severe, they require treatment. Often misunderstood and conflated with the “baby blues,” postpartum depression occurs in nearly 15 percent of women and can interfere with their ability to care for or bond with their babies. Although highly treatable, many women are reluctant to seek care for a variety of reasons including lack of information about the illness, misconceptions about its treatment, and shame due to stigma and societal pressures.

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day.

Important features of brain development exist during the adolescent period, and this developmental phase matters when we talk about adolescent depression and substance use.  Understanding these developmentally specific features of depression and substance use helps with parental monitoring, understanding, responding effectively to youth, as well as knowing more about what to expect and how to discern when more help is needed.  It is common for parents to wonder, "are they just being a moody teenager?"