Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Researchers discover brain pathway of depression in rats

Scientists' hunt for the cause of depression has implicated so many suspects and found so many treatments with different mechanisms that the condition remains an enigma.

9 Jul 2007

Exercise improves quality of life for seniors

A new study appearing in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society compares the efficacy of three programs designed for reducing falls and improving quality-of-life among the elderly; education, home safety assessment and modification (HSAM) and exercise training.

9 Jul 2007

Chemical in brain acts like a fuel gauge

The concept that a drop in blood sugar triggers a craving for food is best understood just before lunchtime. But exactly how the process unfolds has proven difficult to explain, even on a full stomach.

9 Jul 2007

Chronic fatigue: clues in the blood

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) believe that blood may hold vital insights into what is happening in the brain of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

8 Jul 2007

When to move into a nursing home

When is the right time to suggest parents or loved ones can no longer live safely on their own?

4 Jul 2007

Rimonabant may prevent and treat obesity-related liver disease

A new study on the effect of the anti-obesity drug rimonabant on liver function in obese rats found that it reduced markers of liver damage, decreased levels of pro-inflammatory proteins, and improved lipid profiles.

4 Jul 2007

Antidepressant warnings linked to decreased prescription rates among children

Regulatory warnings regarding the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors appear to be associated with reductions in the number of antidepressant medication prescriptions among children and adolescents covered by Tennessee's expanded Medicaid program, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

4 Jul 2007

IgG, an immune system antibody significantly higher in spinal fluid of blacks with MS

An antibody frequently used as a diagnostic marker for multiple sclerosis (MS) is present at greater levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of blacks with MS than Caucasians with the disease.

4 Jul 2007

30 percent of Americans report having some form of alcohol use disorder

About 30 percent of Americans report having some form of alcohol use disorder at some point in their lifetimes, including 17.8 percent with alcohol abuse and 12.5 percent with alcohol dependence, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Jul 2007

Antidepressants not linked to birth defects

Two research studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine found taking SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), anti-depression drugs, during pregnancy did not significantly increase the overall risk for most birth defects.

4 Jul 2007

Risk-taking in infertility treatment correlates with women's negative moods

A study of women's moods during IVF has found a strong relationship between negative mood and multiple embryo transfer, a scientist told the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (Tuesday 3 July).

4 Jul 2007

Chronic insomnia can lead to anxiety and depression

Everyone has an occasional night of bad sleep. For most people, insomnia lasts only a few days and goes away without treatment.

4 Jul 2007

Men physcologically affected by fertility problems as much as women

Although most psychosocial research into infertility is centred round the unhappiness it causes women, men suffer just as much, a scientist will tell the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday 4 July).

4 Jul 2007

Increase in prescription drug cost sharing associated with lower rates of drug treatment, adherence

A review of previous studies indicates that an increase in prescription drug cost sharing is associated with a decrease in drug spending and use of pharmacies; and for some chronic conditions, higher cost sharing is associated with greater use of expensive medical services, according to an article in the July 4 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

4 Jul 2007

One in four Britons have mental health problems

The UK's first jargon-fee guide to mental health aimed at the general public is published this week.

4 Jul 2007

War trauma set to increase in the UK

The number of UK veterans suffering the debilitating effects of war trauma is set to increase, according to a University of Nottingham academic.

4 Jul 2007

Exercise good for those brain cells

According to Swedish researchers exercise may stimulate the production of new brain cells in the area of the brain that is important to memory and learning.

2 Jul 2007

Four hours in ecomony class doubles the risk for deep vein thrombosis

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the chances of developing deep vein thrombosis ( DVT) double after traveling for four hours or more; this says WHO equates to one in 6,000 long-haul passengers at risk of potentially dangerous blood clots.

2 Jul 2007

How mentally ill patients' own perceptions affect their well-being

Each year, one in four U.S. adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

29 Jun 2007

Five distinct subtypes of alcoholism identified

Analyses of a national sample of individuals with alcohol dependence (alcoholism) reveal five distinct subtypes of the disease, according to a new study by scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

29 Jun 2007