Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Danya International unveils new website for autism spectrum disorders

Danya International, Inc. (Danya), a communications, research, and technology company, unveils the new AutismOnline.com Web site encompassing research-based products and resources for individuals of all ages with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The AutismOnline.com Web site was introduced during a launch event today at the historic AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.

21 Sep 2010

NQF endorses 8 outcome measures for pulmonary, cardiovascular conditions and care provided in ICU

To improve healthcare quality and give patients and providers more information about the results of care, the National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed eight outcome measures for pulmonary and cardiovascular conditions and care provided in the intensive care unit (ICU). This is the first in a set of patient outcome measures NQF is reviewing.

20 Sep 2010

Medicare receives increased scrutiny regarding fraud, payment issues

USA Today: "Proposed regulations being unveiled today seek to crack down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud by subjecting operators of certain medical firms to fingerprinting and stopping payments when credible fraud allegations are made, documents show. The rules would give federal health officials key powers to identify fraud early and reduce the estimated $55 billion in improper payments made each year in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, said Peter Budetti, director of the new anti-fraud office at the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services" (Young, 9/20).

20 Sep 2010

Gene deletion may make you smarter: Study

A new study has shown that switching off a single gene in mice unlocks a part of their brain that is otherwise inactive, boosting learning and memory. Considering the fact that humans have a similar gene, this sparks hope for many especially those who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s.

20 Sep 2010

New findings in brain plasticity and development

Brain plasticity – the brain’s ability to reorganise neural pathways – will be discussed at a major symposium this week at the University of New South Wales (Friday 24 September).

19 Sep 2010

AMDAI launches 'Don't Surrender to AMD' public awareness campaign

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which affects more than 10 million older Americans, continues to be the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. The global cost of the disease according to a recent report by AMD Alliance International (AMDAI) is estimated at $343 billion, underscoring the need for swift actions to raise awareness of prevention and treatment options.

18 Sep 2010

Diverse coalition urges California Governor to sign bill to provide health coverage for smoking cessation treatments

A large and unusually diverse of group of interests have come together to urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign a key health related measure, Senate Bill 220 (Yee, D-San Francisco), which would provide health coverage of smoking cessation treatments and services.

18 Sep 2010

Study examines effects of AEDs on nicotine metabolite levels in smokers

UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School researchers have determined that carbamazepine and oxycarbamazepine, medications commonly used to treat neurologic and psychiatric conditions, increase nicotine metabolism in smokers. As nicotine metabolism increases, cravings for nicotine return more quickly which could lead to more frequent cigarette consumption among individuals who also take these medications.

18 Sep 2010

Proposal by WHO to eliminate AIDS in South Africa is flawed, model shows

In 2008, Reuben Granich and his colleagues at the World Health Organization published a paper in the medical journal The Lancet that proposed a new strategy for combating HIV in South Africa, a country staggered by the virus, with as much as 18 percent of the population estimated to be infected.

18 Sep 2010

HHS Secretary Sebelius announces $130.8 million in grants to expand health professions workforce

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $130.8 million in grants to strengthen and expand the health professions workforce. Six areas are targeted: primary care workforce training, oral health workforce training, equipment to enhance training across the health professions, loan repayments for health professionals, health careers opportunity programs for disadvantaged students, and patient navigator outreach and chronic disease prevention in health disparity populations.

18 Sep 2010

Disabling RGS14 gene helps mice remember better

Deleting a certain gene in mice can make them smarter by unlocking a mysterious region of the brain considered to be relatively inflexible, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found.

18 Sep 2010

Investigators uncover new insights on adolescent fighting

UT Southwestern Medical Center investigators have uncovered new insights on adolescent fighting: what triggers it, and how to stem it. Varied real-life factors pile on daily to put teens on edge: destructive behaviors like drug abuse, drinking or high-risk sexual encounters; poverty; academic troubles; and even depression. Data analyzed by researchers at UT Southwestern suggests that when teens perceive support from their families and/or schools, it can help mitigate violence.

17 Sep 2010

Shire to host panel discussion for ADHD

Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, has partnered with the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) , the Lab School of Washington and other organizations in support of National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness Week to host "Fact or Fiction ADHD in America, a Capitol Hill Forum."

17 Sep 2010

CARNA releases health consultation report

Mary-Anne Robinson, chief executive officer of the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), was a member of the advisory committee which prepared the health consultation report released today.

17 Sep 2010

Illicit drug usage increases among Americans: SAMHSA survey

The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2009 according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows the overall rate of current illicit drug use in the United States rose from 8.0 percent of the population aged 12 and older in 2008 to 8.7 percent in 2009. This rise in overall drug use was driven in large part by increases in marijuana use.

17 Sep 2010

WHO urges development programs to include mental and psychosocial disabled patients

People with mental and psychosocial disabilities are among the most marginalized groups in developing countries. Even though development actors have pledged to focus their work on the most vulnerable in a community, many programmes continue to ignore and exclude this vulnerable group.

17 Sep 2010

Federal health care reform legislation can help removing financial barriers to treat Americans

New government data released today demonstrate the continued, urgent need for more Americans to have access to drug and alcohol addiction treatment, according to an analysis by the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG) initiative. If implemented properly, federal health care reform legislation could help remove financial barriers to treatment for millions of Americans.

17 Sep 2010

Researchers reveal Prozac reactions to increase serotonin level

The response time to antidepressants, such as Prozac, is around three weeks. The adaptation mechanisms of the neurons to antidepressants has, until now, remained enigmatic. In particular, the researchers have revealed, for the first time, a sequence of reactions caused by Prozac at the neuron level, which contributes to an increase in the amounts of serotonin, a chemical "messenger" essential to the brain, and deficient in depressive individuals.

17 Sep 2010

Severe acne linked to suicidal thoughts in teenagers

According to a new study on Norwegian youth, compared to clear-skinned peers, teens who have bad acne are more than twice as likely to have mental health problems and are at greater risk of having suicidal thoughts.

16 Sep 2010

Forest Pharmaceuticals to pay $300 million as penalty for criminal actions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working in close coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), today announced that Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. entered into a plea agreement in which the company accepted responsibility for criminal actions including distribution of an unapproved new drug, distribution of a misbranded drug, and obstruction of an FDA inspection.

16 Sep 2010