Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Human-animal bond offers significant benefits

A pet owner knows the enormous joy and comfort that an animal can provide, especially in troubled times. Most pets are considered important members of the family and irreplaceable companions.

1 Dec 2009

Masimo Rainbow SET Acoustic Monitoring receives FDA clearance

Masimo, the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) and Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today announced FDA clearance of its latest innovation -- Masimo Rainbow SET Acoustic Monitoring(TM)( -- )providing noninvasive and continuous respiration rate (RRa(TM)) that is accurate, easy-to-use, and enhances patient compliance.

1 Dec 2009

Guidelines for using videoconferencing for mental health services approved

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) announced the availability of formal practice guidelines for the use of videoconferencing for the delivery of mental health services.

1 Dec 2009

Cannabis as a substitute for heavy alcohol usage?

Substituting cannabis in place of more harmful drugs may be a winning strategy in the fight against substance misuse. Research published in BioMed Central' open access Harm Reduction Journal features a poll of 350 cannabis users, finding that 40% used cannabis to control their alcohol cravings, 66% as a replacement for prescription drugs and 26% for other, more potent, illegal drugs.

1 Dec 2009

Framework for Canada's national mental health strategy released

In a first step toward changing Canada's status as the only G8 country without a mental health strategy, the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) today released the framework for Canada's national strategy.

1 Dec 2009

New research shows people who feel lonely spread that feeling to others

Loneliness, like a bad cold, can spread among groups of people, research at the University of Chicago, the University of California-San Diego and Harvard shows.

1 Dec 2009

Eli Lilly's Cymbalta receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta® (duloxetine HCl) for the maintenance treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults, announced Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY).

30 Nov 2009

Early intervention for young children with autism improves IQ, communication and social interaction

A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism - some as young as 18 months - is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction, a comprehensive new study has found.

30 Nov 2009

Leading mental health experts to hold conference in Vancouver

Leading experts in the field of mental health are holding one of the largest conferences of its kind in Vancouver, November Sunday 29 - Tuesday December 1. The conference, titled 'Into the Light,' is being jointly organized by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Vancouver Coastal Health and Simon Fraser University and will be looking at mental health issues across Canada.

28 Nov 2009

BodyLogicMD opens 13 new bioidentical hormone specialty practices in 2009

For many businesses, 2009 has been a painful year. Not so for BodyLogicMD. The nation's largest and fastest growing network of expert physicians specializing exclusively in medically supervised bioidentical hormones has grown the number of physicians in its network since November 2008 - from 21 to 36 physicians - and is in progress to add more physician-owned centers, including one in Puerto Rico, by the end of this year.

26 Nov 2009

Strategies to reduce greenhouse gases benefit human health, show new studies

Today, new studies published in the Lancet show that strategies to reduce greenhouse gases also benefit human health. The Lancet series highlights case studies on four climate change topics - household energy, transportation, electricity generation, and agricultural food production.

26 Nov 2009

Rate of HIV/AIDS among Hispanics continues to rise

FINDINGS: Researchers from UCLA's Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research surveyed 600 Hispanics recruited from Los Angeles County sexually transmitted disease clinics, community-based organizations and needle-exchange programs.

26 Nov 2009

Behavior problems in children with autism can be reduced with a training program for parents

The serious behavior problems that can occur in children with autism and related conditions can be reduced with a treatment plan that includes medication combined with a structured training program for parents, according to Yale University researchers and their colleagues.

26 Nov 2009

Kansas City to host nation's largest free health clinic for uninsured people

The Bartle Hall Convention Center will temporarily become the nation's largest medical clinic on Dec. 9-10, when Kansas City hosts the latest in a series of massive free clinics for uninsured people.

25 Nov 2009

Healthways and Physicians Health Choice agree to provide SilverSneakers Fitness Program

Healthways, Inc. and Physicians Health Choice today announced an agreement to provide the Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program, the nation’s leading exercise program for older adults, to eligible Physicians Health Choice plan members in Texas, Florida, New Mexico and Arkansas beginning in January 2010.

25 Nov 2009

IQWiG calls for mandatory registration and publication of all clinical trial results

Today the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) is calling for registration and publication of the results of all clinical trials to be made obligatory.

25 Nov 2009

Strategies to manage holiday stress

As Black Friday nears and national unemployment levels push into double digits for the first time in decades, the American Psychological Association's (APA) newest Stress in America survey finds that Americans continue to cite financial concerns as leading sources of stress.

25 Nov 2009

One in every nine children in Ontario lives in poverty, says 2009 Ontario Report Card on Child Poverty

Twenty years after the House of Commons resolved to end child poverty in Canada one in every nine children in Ontario still lives in poverty and the recession will deepen the problem, says the 2009 Ontario Report Card on Child Poverty by Ontario Campaign 2000.

24 Nov 2009

Reboxetine drug does not alleviate depression, says new study

There is no scientific proof that people suffering from depression can benefit from taking reboxetine. However, clinical trials do provide proof of benefit of bupropion XL and mirtazapine: both agents can alleviate symptoms. This is the conclusion of the final report of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) published on 24 November 2009.

24 Nov 2009

Medical advances abound while surgeons report concerns about medical errors

The Wall Street Journal reports on "20 health-care advances to give thanks for this Thanksgiving." Among the most key: "Life expectancy in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 77.9 years in 2007, the latest year for which statistics are available, continuing a long upward trend. (That's 75.3 years for men and 80.4 years for women.) ... Death rates dropped significantly for eight of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S., including cancer, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, accidents, diabetes, homicides and pneumonia, from 2006 to 2007."

24 Nov 2009