News Sources

The items below are designed to help you stay in touch with developments in the counseling and broader metal health field. The first two items are links to the NBCC newsletter and E-News page of our web site. The third item, Short Takes, is a collection of articles from a variety of sources.

The NCC, the NBCC newsletter

NBCC E-News

Short Takes

Marriage Optional

Stephanie Coontz, a professor of history and family studies at Evergreen State College, presents some very thought provoking ideas about marriage in her article, "The New Fragility of Marriage, for Better or for Worse." In this article Coontz, like many other researchers, challenges the idea of a "Golden Age" of marriage.
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Increase in Number of Children Treated for Bipolar Disorder

A recent study from the National Center of Health Statistics found that the number of doctor’s visits in which children are diagnosed with bipolar disorder made a dramatic increase in a relatively short period: from 20,000 diagnoses in 1994 to 800,000 diagnoses in 2003.
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Eating Disorders Among Athletes

A growing number of coaches are encountering eating disorders among their female athletes. One 2002 study found that 50 percent of female athletes exhibited symptoms of eating disorders. For these women, anorexia and bulimia may have been triggered by the stress of adjusting to college, particularly competing at a collegiate level.
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Hearing Voices Network

The Hearing Voices Network (HVN) has a nontraditional stance on the treatment of auditory hallucinations. Psychiatrist Marius Romme created the network in the late 1980s while he was a professor of psychiatry at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Romme started the network because he believed a support group would be the ideal form of therapy for one of his clients.
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ACCA Announces Grant Opportunities

The American College Counseling Association (ACCA) announces two research grant opportunities for the 2008-2009 year! These grants can provide various financial support methods to you and your research team.
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Toddlers Dig Screen Media

In May, the Kaiser Family Foundation published a report on the use of electronic media in the daily lives of children 6 months to 6 years in age. Data was gathered through a national survey and a series of focus groups held throughout the country. The information gathered in this survey is a first step in crossing the divide between the increasing use of media and the understanding of its impact on our children.
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Multisystemic Therapy

Counselors in Stark County, Ohio are implementing an innovative treatment called "multisystemic therapy" which was developed by Scott Henggeler at the Medical University in South Carolina. Few families with violent children remain intact; ultimately, the children are sent off either to residential treatment centers or to juvenile correction facilities.
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Alternative Treatment for Substance Abuse

Researchers conducting a recent study of the treatment of substance abuse challenged the notion that the "cure" for individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders is to establish abstinence. Instead, researchers suggested that moderating use of the substance may produce better results.
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New PTSD Research

Mental health professionals who serve the military families affected by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reported an increase in the number of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms reported by military personnel. Some symptoms of the disorder include nightmares, difficulty sleeping, and anger.
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Can Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease be Prevented?

In a short series of articles, scientists present what they call protective factors against both dementia and Alzheimer's. These include regular mental and physical activity, education, and healthy and frequent interactions with friends and family.
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Use of Antipsychotic Prescriptions in Children

In 2005, the number of children who were taking antipsychotic drugs increased to 6.6 per 1000. Yet, antipsychotic medications are intended for individuals with serious psychosis, including schizophrenia.
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Anorexia Risk Factors

Anorexia nervosa is a mental disorder characterized by an extreme fear of becoming obese or gaining weight. It has the highest death rate of any mental illness. Researchers studying over 30,000 Swedish twins found that 56 percent of the risk for developing anorexia nervosa was linked to genetics.
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Disability or Liability?

In October 2004, George Washington University student, Jordan Nott, sought treatment at the university’s hospital for depressive symptoms that he attributed to the suicide of his roommate six months earlier.
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One of the Best Jobs in America

The April 12, 2006 edition of Money magazine ranked mental health counseling among the top 50 jobs in America. Salary, total employment, work environment, stress levels, flexibility, and annual job openings were among the factors involved in their rankings.
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Loan Forgiveness Legislation

On March 30, 2006, the House of Representatives passed an amendment to the College Access and Opportunity Act, H.R. 609, which adds both licensed professional counselors and school counselors to the list of child mental health professionals that may be eligible for loan forgiveness.
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Depression Medication and Pregnancy

Previously considered standard protocol for pregnant women, new research suggests that discontinuation of medication may be more of a risk than a benefit. Pregnant women who discontinue their medications are five times more likely to risk relapse than are women who continue their medication.
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Depression in Older Adults

An innovative program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City may offer a new perspective in tackling the identification and treatment of depression in the elderly homebound population. Depression may develop for a variety of reasons including physical ailments, loss of a loved one, or cognitive deficits.
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Mental Health Needs of Iraq Veterans

A recent study found that a third of all returning veterans from the first year of the Iraq war are seeking mental health services. This statistic shows the need for counseling services for veterans is great. However, many veterans are not currently getting the help they need for a variety of reasons.
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Protective High Schools

Eight states have launched "recovery" high schools for young people with addiction histories. Massachusetts is the most recent. Recovery schools offer not only the standard high school curriculum but also on-going post-treatment support.
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Insomnia and Adolescents

Although no prescription sleep medications have been approved by the FDA for use with people under 18, there has been a large increase in usage in recent years according to Medco Health Solutions.
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Suicide Prevention in College Students

According to a recent Chronicle of Higher Education article, studies conducted at both Emory University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggest that anonymous online depression-screening questionnaires appear to be responsible for the early identification of college students who may be depressed and/or suicidal.
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ACA Releases Revised Code of Ethics

The American Counseling Association (ACA) has recently revised its Code of Ethics. Did you know that twenty-two state governments expect their licensed professional counselors to adhere to the ACA Code of Ethics?
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Dismissed for Depression

In October 2004, George Washington University student, Jordan Nott, sought treatment at the university’s hospital for depressive symptoms that he attributed to the suicide of his roommate six months earlier.
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