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Using medical or recreational marijuana to ease symptoms of numerous mental health conditions doesn’t work, according to two new analyses of existing gold-standard research. (LaMotte, 3/16)

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has revealed he struggled with mental health issues associated with the pressures of major college football. Moore shared with The Oregonian/OregonLive in a story published Monday a letter he wrote to Gov. Tina Kotek this month in which he disclosed his struggles with depression. In the letter, he asked the Oregon governor for support for mental health services in the state. (3/16)

Tricia Anne Dewey struggled for many years with domestic violence and a subsequent painkiller addiction. As she emerged from that harrowing period by age 41, the Pound Ridge, N.Y., paralegal thought she’d found a way to repair some of the damage—a drug that internet ads and marketing on social media said would rewire her brain. (Ramachandran and McKay, 3/16)

With a gut-wrenching wail that rippled from her body, Amber Walcker joined about a dozen screaming people in West Seattle who let their frustrations float away over the Puget Sound. It was just the start. The two group screams that followed, each one longer and more intense, released the pain from Walcker’s recent job loss. Her added stress from raising two young children dissolved as it blended with the sound of lapping water, and a deep sense of calm descended upon her. (Stumm, 3/17)

The way it works is that students identify a specific goal that anxiety usually prevents them from reaching. They then imagine completing the task successfully, using all their senses to make it feel as real as possible. To ensure this becomes a habit, they are encouraged to journal and link their imagery practice to daily cues, such as boiling a kettle or having a coffee. Instead of visiting a therapist, students access a digital program called FIKA (Functional Imagery for Keeping Anxiety low), which uses pre-recorded videos and audio to coach students through their imagery exercises. (Arnold, 3/16)

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½Ò•îl Health News: Psychiatrists’ Use Of Biomarkers Could Open A New Window Into Mental Health Diagnoses

Amanda Miller was 30 and pregnant with her second child in Hershey, Pennsylvania, when she developed depression. After she gave birth, her depression worsened. It was joined by a slew of unexplained health problems. Miller, a neuroscientist, said she saw several psychiatrists and got prescriptions for drug after drug. Over two years, she tried four antidepressants and two antipsychotics. None of that helped — until her primary care doctor noticed high levels of an autoimmune marker in her blood. (Ducharme, 3/17)

A brain implant could help people type — using just their minds. Two people with paralysis were able to type strokes on a virtual keyboard using an implant that decodes attempted finger movement, with one patient typing up to 80% as quickly as an able-bodied person, according to a new study. (Broderick, 3/16)

Even after decades of study, scientists are still divided on what drives diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Why? Turns out, the literature is littered with different hypotheses, some pointing in different directions. How do we decide which ones are worth believing? (Trang, 3/17)