Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Depressed adolescents respond best to psychotherapy and antidepressant medication

A combination of psychotherapy and antidepressant medication appears to be the most effective treatment for adolescents with major depressive disorder - more than medication alone or psychotherapy alone, according to results from a major clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

2 Oct 2007

The role of working for pay on adolescent tobacco use

Fourteen to 18-year-old adolescents are at an increased risk to initiate smoking when they start to work, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

1 Oct 2007

Schizophrenia candidate genes affect even healthy individuals

Do gene variants that convey risk for schizophrenia affect apparently healthy individuals? Although these genes are present in every human, individuals may have different versions of these genes, called alleles.

1 Oct 2007

Job stress and work environment can contribute to depression

Job stress and a lack of social support in the workplace were associated with major episodes of depression in men, according to a study led by a University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry psychologist.

1 Oct 2007

Meditation for rheumatoid arthritis

A revered contemplative practice for centuries, meditation has recently inspired research into its therapeutic value for everything from anxiety disorders to heart attack prevention.

29 Sep 2007

FDA approves new adjustable gastric band for morbid obesity

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band, a surgical implant for weight reduction and improvement in obesity-related health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes, in individuals suffering from morbid obesity.

29 Sep 2007

Health care interventions that tackle health disparities

Studies show that minority patients generally receive a lower quality of health care compared to white patients.

29 Sep 2007

Research explains why opioids are thought to be ineffective in people with fibromyalgia

People who have the common chronic pain condition fibromyalgia often report that they don't respond to the types of medication that relieve other people's pain.

27 Sep 2007

Vanda Pharmaceuticals submits iloperidone NDA

Vanda Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for iloperidone, an investigational atypical antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia.

27 Sep 2007

Low birth weight children may be at a greater risk of stress-related health problems as adults

Findings from this study show that low birth weight (below the 10th percentile) can lead later in life to low concentrations of cortisol, a hormone that regulates stress response by adjusting blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

27 Sep 2007

Schizophrenia candidate genes affect even healthy individuals

27 Sep 2007

People with a strong fear of crime twice as likely to show symptoms of depression

The research, based on data taken from the Whitehall II study, also shows that fear of crime is associated with decreased physical functioning and lower quality of life. The findings are published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

27 Sep 2007

Variations in two genes linked to suicidal thinking

Specific variations in two genes are linked to suicidal thinking that sometimes occurs in people taking the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, according to a large study led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

27 Sep 2007

Genetic test announced for suicidal ideation in patients using antidepressant drugs

NeuroMark, a Boulder, Colorado company, announced today the immediate availability of a genetic test to identify people at risk of suicidal ideation - thoughts of committing suicide - when prescribed an antidepressant drug.

27 Sep 2007

Are there times when it is better to simply give up?

Psychologists have been exploring this question, and more specifically a possible link between tenacity and both physical and mental health.

27 Sep 2007

Study finds post-traumatic stress symptoms in adolescent children of cancer patients

Barcelona, Spain: A new study by Dutch researchers has found that adolescents may suffer from severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress when a parent is recently diagnosed with cancer and that parents tend to underestimate the problems.

27 Sep 2007

Ethnic minorities may be more willing than was previously thought to take part in clinical research

The study, published in the Aug. 29 issue of BMC Public Health , contradicts previous research suggesting that ethnic minorities are less likely to volunteer for clinical research, possibly due to infamous breaches of medical ethics such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

27 Sep 2007

Potential new weight-loss wonder drug

More than 60 percent of American women are overweight, with nearly a third falling into the category of obese and at greater risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

27 Sep 2007

$2.19 million grant to study therapy for women with depression

A University of Rochester Medical Center psychologist has received a $2.19 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health that will fund a study of the effectiveness of Interpersonal Psychotherapy in the treatment of women with depression and a history of childhood sexual abuse.

27 Sep 2007

Alcohol cessation significantly reduces cancer risk

Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have clarified the link between alcohol consumption and the risk of head and neck cancers, showing that people who stop drinking can significantly reduce their cancer risk.

27 Sep 2007