Psychiatry

(iStockphoto) Vanderbilt psychiatrist Judith Akin, M.D., who frequently counsels people who are having a hard time through the holidays, has a quick guideline: set a course “between Hallmark and heartache” and aim to have a “pretty good little Christmas.” In other words, she says,… Read More

Vanderbilt University scientists are a step closer to understanding how inflammation in the body can affect mood and behavior. Read More

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $9.4 million grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to test the effectiveness of a transdermal nicotine patch in improving memory loss in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Read More

A new study finds that a cognitive-behavioral prevention program yielded sustained positive effects for youth at risk for depression. Read More

A Vanderbilt study is showing that early intervention may be the key to stopping the depression cycle in families. Read More

Jonathan Metzl of the Center Medicine, Health and Society has signed up with The Safe Tennessee Project as director of research. Read More

Treating depressed individuals and figuring out who will and won’t respond to antidepressants is mostly trial and error — much to the frustration of patients and the health care providers who treat them. Read More

Many women who receive chemotherapy for breast cancer report problems with their thinking, memory and attention after treatment. Read More

Catatonia, a syndrome characterized by muscular rigidity and a trance-like mental stupor, can at times manifest with great excitement and confusion. And while it is often associated with schizophrenia, it can present in patients with either medical or psychiatric conditions. For this reason, the condition has often confused clinicians. Read More

Electricity, learning, marijuana, outer space and planet Earth were the hot topics of 2014. Read More

Vanderbilt psychiatrist Judith Akin urges people to set a course “between Hallmark and heartache” and aim to have a “pretty good little Christmas.” In other words, don’t strive for the perfect, and deal head-on with the stressors of the season. Read More

An extensive new study by two Vanderbilt University researchers challenges common assumptions about gun violence and mental illness that often emerge in the aftermath of mass shootings. Read More

Harsh Trivedi, M.D., MBA, associate professor of Psychiatry, vice chair for Clinical Affairs for Vanderbilt’s Department of Psychiatry, and executive director and chief medical officer of Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, has been selected to serve on the American Hospital Association’s Governing Council on Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services. Read More

Stephan Heckers, M.D., M.Sc., William P. and Henry B. Test Professor of Schizophrenia Research and chair of the Department of Psychiatry, has been named the next editor-in-chief of JAMA Psychiatry, one of nine specialty journals in the JAMA Network. Read More

An international expert on slavery and emancipation during the 18th and 19th centuries was awarded the prestigious Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research during Vanderbilt University’s Fall Faculty Assembly. Read More

A retrospective analysis of Tennessee physicians who underwent fitness-for-duty evaluations by Vanderbilt found an “astoundingly” high rate of suicide among physicians who were found unfit to practice, were in solo practice, or if they were taking anti-anxiety drugs. Read More

Russell the Robot, the two-foot humanoid that has demonstrated robots can help young children diagnosed with autism spread disorder learn basic social skills, was featured at the 20th annual Coalition for National Science Funding exhibit. Read More

Read about faculty and staff awards and achievements in the latest edition of "Kudos." Read More

During the holidays, the goal should be to set the course somewhere “between Hallmark and heartache,” Vanderbilt psychiatrist Judith Akin says. In other words, don’t strive for perfection, and recognize and deal head-on with some of the stressors of the season. Read More

Judith Akin, M.D. During the holidays, the goal should be to set the course somewhere “between Hallmark and heartache,” a Vanderbilt psychiatrist says. In other words, don’t strive for the perfect (you won’t achieve it), and recognize and deal head-on with some of the stressors of the… Read More