A team of addiction researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report in Psychopharmacology that oxytocin, a hormone produced naturally in the hypothalamus, has significant gender differences when used as a treatment for cocaine-addicted individuals with a history of childhood trauma. The MUSC team was led by Jane E. Joseph,…
Thousands of LA jail inmates should receive community mental health support
A new report has found that more than half of the people with mental health conditions currently confined in Los Angeles county jails would benefit from mental health treatment in specialized community centers instead of incarceration. he Los Angeles (LA) county jail system holds thousands of inmates at any one…
A tiny wage increase could have prevented 13,800 deaths in 6 years
Mindfulness could help us unlearn fear
Throughout evolutionary history, fear has helped humans stay safe and thrive. But in the modern world, many fear responses — such as phobias — are, at best, unhelpful and, at worst, debilitating. Yet, accumulating evidence shows that mindfulness practice could help us unlearn these responses. The practice of mindfulness —…
Veterans benefit from pain treatment without drugs
A new study finds a lower risk of adverse post-treatment outcomes among returning military service personnel with chronic pain who received nondrug therapy. Many people returning from military deployment experience physical and mental health issues. These can include chronic pain, post-treatment alcohol use disorder, drug addiction, depression, thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or a combination.…