Clinical practice guidelines are fundamental to evidence-based practice. These are “statements that contain recommendations intended to optimize patient care informed by a systematic review of the evidence and an evaluation of the benefits and harms of alternative care options” (US Institute of Medicine, 2011). There is evidence to support the importance of clinical practice guidelines…

I hate self-pity, even though I believe everyone deserves it. It seems like everyone should ask for self-compassion, but I don't want to give it to myself. I understand how counter-intuitive this is (esp someone with mental health). Why I feel this way is complicated, but I feel it very strongly. If you find yourself…

Healthy sleep and circadian rhythms (the natural, internal processes that regulate our bodily functions with the environment and repeat roughly every 24 hours) are critical to mental well-being. Many psychiatric disorders are characterized by sleep-wake disturbances. In humans, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is considered a central pacemaker, sending information to other parts of the brain…

Depression it is often found in the perinatal period (from conception to one year after birth). suicide remains the main cause of maternal death. Perinatal mental health conditions are more common in specific groups, including young women, migrant women and women with history traumaincluding intimate partner violence. A study of 2 million women in England…

I have a bad habit of thinking that everything is my fault. Remarkable, actually. No matter what happens or what other people do, I always feel like it happened. It's my personal tendency psychologically, but it's also influenced by depression. If you feel like it's all your fault, read on for why it might be…

I have often wondered what drives a person to commit suicide. The thing is, I've been both active and passive suicide for a long time in my life. It's hell and I hate it. There are both general and specific points that lead a person to commit suicide. Knowing these factors can help along with…

The concept of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was first proposed by Herman in 1992 (Herman, 1992), but it has only recently been introduced as an official diagnosis in classification guidelines, such as the World Health Organization's ICD-11. Therefore, it is not surprising that after more than 3 decades of lack of a structured definition…

Depression is a significant global problem, affecting the lives of approximately 280 million people and contributing to more than 47 million disability-adjusted life years in 2019 (WHO, 2023). 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression (WHO, 2023). Its consequences extend beyond mental health, with increased risk of suicide and premature death from other diseases. Effective…

Knowing how to stand up for yourself at a doctor's appointment can be difficult. I've had this for years and still struggle sometimes. However, creating a patient-physician alliance where you work together is part of a comprehensive health plan. To participate in this work, you must be able to advocate for your own needs and…

Can Finland have statutory mental health incarceration rates nearly 20 times higher than Italy? (Zinkler and Priebke 2002) Is it just the law or the context in which the law takes place? And how can we even begin to compare frames? These are all questions that have been lurking for some time; they concerned the…