Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

McKesson Asia Pacific to be sold to Medibank Private

McKesson Corporation, the world's leading healthcare services company, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its McKesson Asia Pacific business to Medibank Private Ltd., the largest private health services and insurer in Australia. The acquisition is expected to close in the second calendar quarter of 2010, subject to customary conditions, including regulatory review in Australia.

9 Apr 2010

State Roundup: Mass. insurer standoff eases, Wis. preps for federal overhaul

The Boston Globe: "Seeking to tone down their dispute with state regulators, two Massachusetts health insurers yesterday said they will, as ordered, resume making new policies available for individuals and small businesses — using last year's base rates, not the requested double-digit increases rejected by the state last week" (Weisman, 4/8).

9 Apr 2010

Dealing with emotional impacts of bullying before it's too late

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) encourages parents to talk with teens about bullying before it's too late. A conversation can be an important first step in identifying a bullying problem and stopping the abuse before it goes too far.

8 Apr 2010

Adolescent inhalant misuse can lead to deadly consequences

Approximately 143,000 young people aged 12 to 17 used inhalants in the past year while dealing with a condition like pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or sinusitis, according to a new study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study determined that the rate of use was 4.4 percent among adolescents who had at least one of the aforementioned respiratory conditions, similar to the rate among adolescents overall (4.1 percent).

8 Apr 2010

Cities, leaders worldwide mark World Health Day

Cities throughout the world are marking World Health Day today by promoting urban health, as part of the WHO's "1,000 cities, 1,000 lives" campaign, CNN reports (Shaikh, 4/7).

8 Apr 2010

Transcendental Meditation may reduce symptoms of depression

The Transcendental Meditation- technique may be an effective approach to reduce symptoms of depression, according to two new studies to be presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Seattle, Washington April 9th, 2010.

8 Apr 2010

Jazzercise, Back in the Swing USA partner to promote breast cancer survivorship programs

Jazzercise, the world's leading dance fitness program, is proud to announce its partnership with Back in the Swing USA®, a grassroots nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to providing awareness, access and financial support for breast cancer survivorship programs and academic medical research in the field of breast cancer survivorship.

7 Apr 2010

CBOs implement proven HIV/STD risk-reduction intervention with adolescents

An approach designed to reduce HIV/STDs previously used exclusively by academic researchers has successfully been implemented by community-based organizations (CBOs), an important component in national strategies to curtail the spread of HIV, meaning far more "at risk" youths can be reached.

7 Apr 2010

WHO launches campaign to highlight urban planning to improve public health

Urban settings have a direct impact on the health of the people who live there. On World Health Day WHO is launching a campaign to highlight urban planning as a crucial link to building a healthy 21st century. In particular, the Organization calls upon municipal authorities, concerned residents, advocates for healthy living and others to take a close look at health inequities in cities and take action.

7 Apr 2010

Parents fail to warn children about sexual abuse perpetrated by relatives and known individuals

Despite evidence to the contrary, parents who talk to their children about sexual abuse incorrectly identify strangers as the most likely source of abuse, according to a team of researchers led by Esther Deblinger, PhD, co-director of the CARES (Child Abuse Research Education and Services) Institute at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey(UMDNJ)-School of Osteopathic Medicine.

7 Apr 2010

Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior awarded $14.9M to establish IPCN facility

The Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA has been awarded $14.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to establish a center dedicated to interdisciplinary research on the role of genetic and environmental factors in neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders.

7 Apr 2010

Stimulant medication normalizes brain function in children with ADHD: Study

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting children and adolescents. Children with ADHD are excessively restless, impulsive, and distractible and experience difficulties at home and in school. Problems inhibiting behavior are a common theme for ADHD symptoms.

7 Apr 2010

AHRQ: Women accounted for nearly 60% of 39.4M admissions to U.S. hospitals in 2007

Women accounted for nearly 60 percent of the 39.4 million admissions to U.S. hospitals in 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Apr 2010

Hospital charges for uninsured inpatient care grows by 88%

The amount that hospitals charge the uninsured for inpatient care grew by 88 percent between 1998 and 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The average charge for an uninsured hospital stay grew from $11,400 in 1998 to $21,400 in 2007 after adjusting for inflation.

7 Apr 2010

Employers believe VBD improves employee health and productivity

A new study confirms that employers believe value-based design improves employee health and productivity. The Center for Health Value Innovation, the nation's premier information exchange for value-based design, today announced the results of a survey, "Value-Based Design 2009," conducted by Buck Consultants, a global employee benefits and human resources consulting firm.

7 Apr 2010

Wounded warriors learn skills to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder

Wounded Warrior Project and the National Ability Center of Park City, Utah have partnered for a fourth year to host 15 wounded warriors from April 6-10 as part of WWP's Project Odyssey program.

6 Apr 2010

TIAA-CREF collaborates with NFLHE to promote development of Latino healthcare leaders

TIAA-CREF, America's largest private retirement system, today announced a relationship with the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives, a national nonprofit organization led by senior executive healthcare leaders in the U.S. that works with the healthcare system to meet the needs of diverse communities throughout the nation.

6 Apr 2010

Study: Genetic mutation in mice elevates risk of stress-induced depression

Depression and schizophrenia can be triggered by environmental stimuli and often occur in response to stressful life events. However, some people have a higher predisposition to develop these diseases, which highlights a role for genetics in determining a person's disease risk.

6 Apr 2010

Increase in proportion of older middle-aged Americans who report mobility-related difficulties: Study

The proportion of older middle-aged Americans who report disabilities related to mobility increased significantly from 1997 to 2007, in contrast to the disability decline that has been found among Americans ages 65 and over, according to a new study by the RAND Corporation and the University of Michigan.

6 Apr 2010

People with depression and anxiety disorders can benefit from exercise program

Exercise is a magic drug for many people with depression and anxiety disorders, and it should be more widely prescribed by mental health care providers, according to researchers who analyzed the results of numerous published studies.

6 Apr 2010