A presentation by Ellen Edens, MD
At KBC, Wednesday April 9 & 16 at 6:00 p.m.

Problems of mental health and substance abuse affect a significant portion of the general population and exact an even greater toll on those living in poverty. This workshop will cover signs and symptoms of the most common mental illnesses, an overview of treatment options and current research, as well as issues specific to the community of faith.

Here is how the sessions will divide:
The first week (Wed., April 9): depression, anxiety disorders, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, including risks for violence--to self and others--and how to recognize those signs. Various types of treatments will be discussed briefly (particularly with a focus on evidence-based treatments, including non-pharmacologic treatments).

Second week (Wed., April 16): Antisocial personality disorder and Borderline personality disorder (by far the most well-studied and common of the group). And then we'll turn to addiction and the science behind it. Addictive disorders are fast becoming some of the most well-studied and understood of all psychiatric illnesses (not that we're anywhere near the knowledge we have of the heart or other organs)! This area of mental illness can particularly benefit from greater dissipation of knowledge to the general public. Even doctors really struggle with stereotypes and frustration with addicted patients.

Interspersed in my talks, I will likely also discuss the real problems that our nation's citizens have (even those with health insurance!) with accessing mental health services. Mental health care is not treated on par with the rest of medical care--or at best it is treated separately. It's even worse for substance use disorders.

Ellen Edens has a BA from Baylor and an MA in women's studies from Rutgers. Her MD is from Johns Hopkins. Ellen did psychiatry residency training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital
and is now a board-certified adult psychiatrist. She works in a community mental health clinic 1 day a week. With the other workdays Ellen works on a research fellowship at Washington University and she works at the Midwest Alcoholism Research Center. Because of this
experience, Ellen developed an interest in addictive disorders. In July Ellen will leave Saint Louis (and KBC!) to do a combined clinical/research fellowship in addiction psychiatry at Yale.