Mind The Science

Description: A takedown of mental health misinformation and pseudoscience to educate and embolden readers who wish to make informed decisions about their mental health. According to some estimates, there are at least 600 different "brands" of psychotherapy, most of which are not supported by scientific research. There also exists countless unregulated providers of mental health services in the 5.6 trillion USD wellness industry and alternative medicine community who market themselves as "life coaches," "wellness consultants," and--depending on particular countries and jurisdictions--other various non-legally protected titles, such as "therapists," "psychotherapists," "counselors," and "practitioners." In a landscape where mental health concerns are at a fever pitch and anyone can call themselves a "therapist" without a license, the world of mental healthcare is very much caveat emptor: buyer beware. In Mind the Science, Jonathan N. Stea provides a takedown of mental health misinformation and pseudoscience to educate and embolden readers who wish to make informed decisions about their mental health. Readers are empowered to protect themselves from mental health scams, charlatanry, and poor or misguided health practices that thrive in the multi-trillion-dollar wellness industry. The book begins by acquainting readers with the nature, evolution, and seduction of pseudoscience, coaching them on how to become science and mental health literate. Next, the book teaches readers how to spot misinformation and propaganda, shining a light on various pseudoscientific practices, showing the psychological reasons that leave us vulnerable to believing misinformation, and helping readers to develop a keen eye for the tactics and tropes that are used to push propaganda in the wellness and alternative medicine communities. The book concludes with strategies and solutions, showing the concepts and science behind evidence-based ways to improve mental health and teaches what to look for when seeking real professional help. Mind the Science is the self-defense shield that we direly need to protect us against the onslaught of bogus mental health treatments and products that have increasingly flooded social media, popular media, and the business of healthcare itself. By the end, readers will be better positioned to identify mental health misinformation, to steer clear of misguided and predatory practices, and to understand what mental health really means. Review: Witty, fun, timely, and, most important, science informed, Dr. Jonathan N. Stea's new book, Mind the Science, is more than just a thorough debunk of the boatload of health BS that circulates in popular culture. It has a much-needed focus on mental health misinformation, which he handles-by drawing on both the best available evidence and his professional clinical experience-with empathy and humor. This book is for everyone, including healthcare professionals, patients, and anyone looking for an antidote to all the pseudoscientific nonsense that pollutes our information ecosystem! * Timothy Caulfield, Order of Canada recipient and author of Relax, Dammit! A User's Guide to the Age of Anxiety * In this well-written and entertaining book, Dr. Jonathan N. Stea exposes the plethora of intensely promoted treatment options for people suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders that have no scientific basis whatsoever and may actually be harmful. More importantly, the reader will learn to distinguish between these pseudoscientific interventions and more evidence-based psychological and medical treatments. It would be important for anyone considering treatment for behavioral or emotional difficulties to first consult this guidebook. * David Barlow, PhD, past-president of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the American Psychological Association, and author of more than 650 articles and 95 books * Stea provides a powerful critique of the wide range of pseudoscientific treatments being touted for mental health problems while at the same time offering important lessons about science and psychopathology. I strongly recommend this book as essential reading for all, and especially for anyone facing mental health difficulties. * James Alcock, PhD, editorial board member of the Skeptical Inquirer and author of Belief: What It Means to Believe and Why Our Convictions Are So Compelling * The health and wellness industry in North America is now vast and permeates multiple facets of our society, including the mainstream media, social media, and podcasts almost too numerous to mention. Tragically, much of this industry is built on pseudoscientific principles, or in some cases no principles at all, and can be dangerous to your health. Dr. Stea courageously does a deep dive looking at the component of the wellness industry committed to mental health. He uses his years of training as a renowned clinical psychologist to expose the harmful or illicit practices of the mental wellness empire, and hopefully preventing it from continuing to expand and globalize. * Peter Hotez, MD PhD, American Medical Association's Scientific Achievement Award recipient and author of The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist's Warning (2023) * Contents: DedicationAuthor's NoteIntroduction: The Road to Hell is Paved with PseudosciencePART 1: You've Been DeceivedChapter 1: The Evolution and Seduction of PseudoscienceChapter 2: Becoming Literate in Science and Mental HealthChapter 3: Crash Course in PsychopathologyChapter 4: The Wellness Industry: Alternative Medicine as the Perfect Con GamePART 2: The Signs to Look ForChapter 5: Canaries in the Coal Mine: Warning Signs, Tropes, and TacticsChapter 6: Falling for Fake Science NewsChapter 7: Exposing Bunk: Inaccurate Assessments and Bogus TreatmentsPART 3: Good ScienceChapter 8: What Mental Health Really MeansChapter 9: Reclaim Your MindMind the TakeawaysAcknowledgmentsNotesIndexAbout the Author Prizes: Winner of Winner, 2024 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada award in the General category. Author Biography: Jonathan N. Stea, PhD, RPsych, is a full-time practicing clinical psychologist and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. Clinically, he specializes in the assessment and treatment of concurrent addiction and mental disorders. He's a two-time winner of the University of Calgary's Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision and co-editor of the book Investigating Clinical Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies. Stea has published extensively as a science communicator, with regular contributions to Scientific American and Psychology Today, among other outlets, and has appeared on numerous mainstream media television and radio shows, as well as podcasts. He has cultivated a strong social media presence in his quest to expose and protect against mental health misinformation and pseudoscience.