Mental Health

Behind the curtain: Secrets of the volatile, delusional brain 

The VUMC approach, based on the “Feeling Safe Program” developed by British psychologist Daniel Freeman, targets specific factors that contribute to persecutory delusions, including worry, safety behaviors, avoidance and hallucinations (such as hearing voices).

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt offer tips for parents to spot warning signs amid rising suicide rate concerns 

There has been a growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents in Tennessee, where the suicide death rate among youth (ages 5-17) is 13.6% higher than the national average.

The 2025 Vanderbilt Prize Student Scholar, Kimberly Bress, left, poses with her mentor, Vanderbilt Prize winner Huda Akil, PhD. (photo by Susan Urmy)

Vanderbilt Prize recipient calls for a new science of resilience

Huda Akil’s research at the University of Michigan and Michigan Neuroscience Institute has helped reveal the fundamental nature of anxiety, depression, pain and addiction.

Vanderbilt Prize winner Huda Akil to discuss how science can aid mental health on Sept. 11

Akil is an internationally known neuroscientist at the University of Michigan and Michigan Neuroscience Institute whose research has helped reveal the fundamental nature of anxiety, depression, pain and addiction.

New study highlights potential boost to brain stimulation therapy through targeted symptom provocation

This is the first large-scale meta-analysis to examine whether deliberately triggering symptoms immediately before administering rTMS enhances treatment outcomes.

Landmark bequest from Charlotte and Donald Test Jr. to advance psychiatry research

Named for Donald Test’s late sons, and Charlotte’s stepsons, the Henry and William Test Endowment Fund will bolster the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences’ expansive research portfolio, promising a secure funding source for pathbreaking discoveries in areas such as schizophrenia, coordinated care models, brain imaging and neuromodulation.

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