Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Poor women more likely to suffer from postpartum depression

Poor women in Iowa are much more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than their wealthier counterparts, a new University of Iowa study shows.

20 Feb 2008

Siblings of schizophrenia patients display subtle shape abnormalities in brain

Subtle malformations in the brains of patients with schizophrenia also tend to occur in their healthy siblings, according to investigators at the Silvio Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Shape abnormalities were found in the brain's thalamus.

20 Feb 2008

Families need help coping with mild cognitive impairment

The age-related memory condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is more disruptive of day-to-day life and relationships than once believed, gerontology researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered.

20 Feb 2008

Australian neuroscientist tests Chantix

UQ pharmacy graduate Dr Selena Bartlett is starting clinical trials of a new drug that could potentially curb addictions such as smoking, drinking, gambling even depression.

20 Feb 2008

Music speeds up stroke recovery

A new study has found that listening to music can accelerate recovery from a stroke.

20 Feb 2008

The end of the sickie could be in sight

The end of the 'sickie' could be in sight particularly for Brits. There are moves afoot in Britain to change what the health secretary Alan Johnson calls the sick-note culture.

20 Feb 2008

Expert says obesity is as big a threat to the planet as climate change

As the latest statistics estimate that worldwide one billion adults are overweight, and a third of those are obese, an expert has stated that the issue must be regarded with the same urgency as climate change.

19 Feb 2008

As depression symptoms improve with antidepressants, hopelessness can linger

People taking medication for depression typically see a lot of improvements in their symptoms during the first few months, but lagging behind other areas is a sense of hopefulness, according to new research from the University of Michigan Health System.

18 Feb 2008

Suicide rates in young men at lowest levels since 1970s

The reasons for the steady decline in suicides among young people in the UK are explored in two studies by researchers from the University of Bristol published on bmj.com.

18 Feb 2008

Marijuana causes emotional and memory problems in multiple sclerosis patients

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who smoke marijuana are more likely to have emotional and memory problems, according to research published February 13, 2008, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Feb 2008

$98 million new hospital deemed dysfunctional

A brand new $98 million hospital in Bathurst in NSW's central west has been deemed so unsafe that routine elective surgery has been suspended; doctors at the hospital say there are serious flaws in the design and construction of the facilities.

17 Feb 2008

Brain's serotonin system differs between men and women

Serotonin is a brain neurotransmitter that is critical to the development and treatment of depression and chronic anxiety, conditions that, for reasons still unknown, are much more common in women than in men.

14 Feb 2008

Giving birth to a boy can lead to higher levels of severe post-natal depression

Giving birth to a boy can lead to higher levels of severe post-natal depression (PND) and reduced quality of life than having a girl, according to research published in the February issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing.

14 Feb 2008

Post-traumatic stress disorder leads to long-term health problems

Geisinger research finds that veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are as likely to have long-term health problems as people with chronic disease risk factors such as an elevated white blood cell counts and biological signs and symptoms.

14 Feb 2008

Patients with large support network of family and friends fare better after an operation

A new study published in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that patients with a large support network of family and friends report feeling less pain and anxiety prior to having a surgical procedure, which can have a substantially positive impact on their postoperative recovery.

13 Feb 2008

Does psychotherapy help older people with depression?

The jury is still out on whether psychotherapy can help older people with depression, according to a new review of recent research.

13 Feb 2008

Expenditures rising for back and neck problems, but health outcomes do not appear to be improving

Although expenses related to back and neck problems have increased substantially in the last decade, outcomes such as functional disability and work limitations do not appear to be improving, according to a study in the February 13 issue of JAMA.

13 Feb 2008

Depression in seniors

Depression is sometimes viewed as a normal part of aging.

13 Feb 2008

Ductal carcinoma in situ patients overestimate breast cancer risks

Many women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) have inaccurate perceptions of their breast cancer risks, according to a study published online February 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

13 Feb 2008

Desire to weigh less is stronger predictor of health than obesity

In a study to examine the impact of desired body weight on the number of unhealthy days subjects report over one month, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that the desire to weigh less was a more accurate predictor of physically and mentally unhealthy days, than body mass index (BMI).

13 Feb 2008