Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

New clues into how preeclampsia may surface in some pregnancies

The COMT gene - known already for its role in schizophrenia - has been found to play a role in preeclampsia, according to a report in the advance on-line issue of Nature.

11 May 2008

University of Leicester to lead audit of adults with autism

The University of Leicester is leading on a national study to calculate the number of adults with autism, it has been announced today.

9 May 2008

FDA approves Strattera for ADHD in children and adolescents

Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Strattera (atomoxetine HCI) for maintenance treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. Strattera, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is the first FDA-approved non-stimulant to treat ADHD in children, adolescents and adults.

8 May 2008

Big differences in depressed brains

Depressed people may have far fewer of the receptors for some of the brain's "feel good" stress-response chemicals than non-depressed people, new University of Michigan Depression Center research shows.

8 May 2008

Hopkins researchers discover new link to schizophrenia

Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that mice lacking an enzyme that contributes to Alzheimer disease exhibit a number of schizophrenia-like behaviors. The finding raises the possibility that this enzyme may participate in the development of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders and therefore may provide a new target for developing therapies.

8 May 2008

Department of Health announces adult autism strategy

This prevalence study will inform the first ever Government strategy on adults with autism and Asperger's syndrome, due to be published next year.

8 May 2008

Lack of motivation in schizophrenia linked to brain chemical imbalance

A study of patients with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia suggests an alternative explanation for why many sufferers lack motivation. The research is described in BioMed Central's journal BMC Psychiatry.

8 May 2008

New legislation would require mandatory Federal standards for physical, mental health care for detained immigrants

House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) on Tuesday announced that she has introduced a bill (HR 5950) to establish mandatory standards for medical care for immigrants in detention centers, the New York Times reports.

7 May 2008

Major mental disorders cost society billions in unearned income

Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study was published in the May 2008 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

7 May 2008

Antidepressants do work in depression while evidence for cognitive behavioural yherapy is poorer say experts

A new revision of clinical guidelines to help doctors manage patients with depression has challenged the rationale behind the UK government's policy of rolling out of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for milder depression.

7 May 2008

Nurse care for schizophrenia patients

Drug and psychosocial interventions for the symptoms of schizophrenic disorders contribute to a lower incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia. Nurses will be able to offer better care through the use of nursing models and theories in the care of Schizophrenics.

6 May 2008

New study finds widespread gambling activity among adolescents and young adults in U.S.

Gambling activity is widespread among U.S. adolescents and young adults ages 14 through 21, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA).

6 May 2008

Autism linked to schizophrenia

Researchers say they have discovered a link between childhood autism and mental illness in parents; they suggest that the parents of autistic children are twice as likely to have had a psychiatric illness.

6 May 2008

Depression in seniors linked to low levels of vitamin D

Researchers in Holland have found that older people with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of the parathyroid hormone are more likely to be depressed.

6 May 2008

New York lawmakers, HIV/AIDS advocates working to address HIV/AIDS funds for counties

New York state lawmakers and HIV/AIDS advocates are working to address federal HIV/AIDS funding for Nassau and Suffolk counties following a recent ruling that HHS should restore more than $1 million in Ryan White Program funding, the New York Times reports (Saslow, New York Times, 5/4).

5 May 2008

Low blood levels of vitamin D may be associated with depression in seniors

Older adults with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands may have a higher risk of depression, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2008

Mood and anxiety disorders put cancer patients at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder

Breast cancer patients who have a prior history of mood and anxiety disorders are at a much higher risk of experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder following their diagnosis, new research suggests.

5 May 2008

Parental psychiatric disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders in the offspring

Parents of children with autism were roughly twice as likely to have been hospitalized for a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, than parents of other children, according to an analysis of Swedish birth and hospital records by a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher and colleagues in the U.S. and Europe.

5 May 2008

Results of St. Jude Medical deep brain stimulation study presented at APA meeting

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced pilot study results from the first multi-center study investigating deep brain stimulation (DBS) of Brodmann Area 25 for major depressive disorder.

5 May 2008

Nearly one-third of U.S. parents don't know what to expect of infants

Almost one-third of U.S. parents have a surprisingly low-level knowledge of typical infant development and unrealistic expectations for their child's physical, social and emotional growth, according to new research from the University of Rochester.

5 May 2008