Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be grouped together with mental illness in general, as well as with specific sub-domains of mental illness.  However, OCD has unique characteristics that differentiate it from typical aspects of other mental illnesses, and have also, at times, given it the social conceptualization of personal idiosyncrasy and/or a problem with self-control.  The... ...

While we know smog affects our respiratory and cardiovascular system health, it could also have important implications for mental health and cognitive abilities. Research by Shakira Franco Suglia, ScD, of the School of Public Health at Boston University, and colleagues found that higher levels of exposure to black carbon was associated with lower memory test... ...

This article discusses the effects of sertraline on the structure of the brain in context of a new study. ...

Guest Post, by Anne When I went in to a new doctor to refill my Sertraline (Zoloft) prescription, the doctor looked at me with a mix of condescension and pity and asked rhetorically, “you haven´t been able to stop the medication after all this time?”  Granted, this was a general practitioner MD, not a psychiatric... ...

A significant number of people who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) also suffer from depression.  While the exact mechanics are not fully understood, It is believed that OCD often increases depressive symptoms, sometimes leading to major depression, although OCD can exist in non-depressed individuals as well.  Similarly, depression can involve OCD components, as well as... ...