WASHINGTON -- A Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist told senators Wednesday that cost cutting was not the reason she urged fellow clinicians at the Temple, Texas, Veterans Affairs hospital to "refrain from" diagnosing veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The doctor, Norma Perez, said her e-mail March 20 was only intended to remind colleagues that they had the option of initially diagnosing patients with a less severe condition known as "adjustment disorder."

FRIDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer patients are more than twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder if they have had previous mood and anxiety disorders, new research suggests.

WASHINGTON (AP)- Depression, teens and marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency, mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White House report being released Friday.

A teen who has been depressed at some point in the past year is more than twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have not reported being depressed — 25 percent compared with 12 percent, said the report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

THURSDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) -- Serious mental illness costs Americans at least $193 billion a year in lost earnings alone, a new report shows.

The study broadly defines mood and anxiety disorders that greatly limit a person's ability to function for at least 30 days a year, including instances of any condition linked to suicidal behaviors or frequent violent acts, as serious mental illness (SMI).

By Alan Mozes
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 7 (HealthDay News) -- People suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder may ultimately benefit from a combination of prescription medication and cutting-edge virtual reality psychotherapy, new research suggests.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- A small proportion of adopted American teens appear to be at heightened risk for different emotional and behavioral problems than their non-adopted counterparts.

FRIDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Social workers run the risk of suffering severe psychological stress from hearing too many stories of trauma, according to a new study that looked at people who counseled others impacted by the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York City.