Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Physical activity and enhanced fitness to improve cognitive function in older people without known cognitive impairment

Aerobic exercise could give older adults a boost in brainpower, according to a recent review of studies from the Netherlands.

17 Apr 2008

Breakthrough in migraine genetics

In a new study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers were able for the first time to convincingly demonstrate a genomic locus to be linked to migraine susceptibility in two diverse populations.

17 Apr 2008

Cultural identity and mental health status

The first prospective study investigating cultural identity and mental health status among adolescents living in a culturally diverse society has revealed that there is an association between the two, and that effects differ by gender and ethnic group.

16 Apr 2008

Chemotherapy for breast cancer and problems with memory

Women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer frequently report problems with memory and concentration, but two new studies suggest that chemotherapy is not the cause of these problems, and the stress of the diagnosis may be.

16 Apr 2008

Traditional dress protects ethnic girls from emotional problems

New research from Britain suggests that teenage girls from some minority communities who adhere to their family customs have better mental health.

16 Apr 2008

How hormone levels affect financial traders

When City traders have high morning testosterone levels they make more than average profits for the rest of that day, researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered.

15 Apr 2008

Increase in cannabis use among Ontario adults, CAMH reports

While this CAMH Monitor eReport reveals some promising substance use trends among Ontario adults, its revelation of a substantial increase in cannabis use raises a significant public health flag.

15 Apr 2008

Mental health services in the bush failing

Figures released by the Australian government show that a Medicare scheme aimed at improving mental health services appears to be failing to meet its original objective.

14 Apr 2008

Depression in seniors

Even after the age of 70, people prone to feelings of anxiety, worry, distress and insecurity face a risk for a first lifetime episode of clinically significant depression, according to a unique study led by a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher.

13 Apr 2008

Vigorous diagnosis and treatment programs for depression in cancer patients can extend life

A study recommended by David Spiegel of Faculty of 1000 Medicine, looks at the relationship between depression care management and survival rates in older patients.

11 Apr 2008

Farm animals could provide some therapeutic benefit for people with mental illness

Time down on the farm with animals could provide some therapeutic benefit for people with mental illness, according to researchers writing in the open access journal Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health.

11 Apr 2008

Repeated methamphetamine use causes long-term adaptations in brains of mice

Repeatedly stimulating the mouse brain with methamphetamine depresses important areas of the brain, and those changes can only be undone by re-introducing the drug, according to research at the University of Washington and other institutions.

10 Apr 2008

Methamphetamine addiction mechanism discovered

Researchers have identified, for the first time, long-term changes in the brain circuitry of methamphetamine-addicted mice that can explain why the craving of addiction is so stubborn and long-lived.

10 Apr 2008

Housework boosts mental health

Just 20 minutes of any physical activity, including housework, in a week is enough to boost mental health, reveals a large study published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

10 Apr 2008

Attacks against medical researchers

Biological Psychiatry, in its upcoming April 15th issue, is publishing a critically important commentary written by its Editors, members of its Editorial Committee, and its Editorial Board.

10 Apr 2008

Increasing positive experiences decreases depression symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis

Depression is prevalent among people living with chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Although most people with MS live normal lives, they must manage symptoms and treatments that cause increased emotional and psychological stress on a daily basis.

9 Apr 2008

Depressives at an increase risk for Alzheimer's

According to researchers in Holland people who are depressed are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2008

Expert warns of anti-psychotic drugs use in children

Research from Britain is suggesting that an increasing number of children are being prescribed anti-psychotic drugs to treat a range of conditions which are not licensed for use in children.

9 Apr 2008

Treatment with an anti-psychotic drug found to cause changes in metabolism earlier than expected

Schizophrenia is a complex type of psychotic mental illness characterized by thoughts that are uncoupled from reality.

8 Apr 2008

Symptoms of depression do not appear to increase in early stages of Alzheimer's disease

Although individuals with depression may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, symptoms of depression do not appear to increase in the years before a diagnosis is made, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

8 Apr 2008