Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Sleep disorders common among police officers

Sleep disorders are common, costly and treatable, but often remain undiagnosed and untreated.

16 Jun 2007

Sleep problems can influence a person's diet

Sleep problems can influence a person's diet.

16 Jun 2007

Single mothers and fathers have poorer health

Marcus Westin’s study also shows that the social capital that parents have affects both their own and their children’s health, and that society should therefore make it easier for single parents to take part in social activities.

16 Jun 2007

Lack of sleep compromises airport baggage screeners' ability to detect rare targets

A lack of sleep may affect the performance of airport employees, which can, in turn, compromise the safety of airline passengers.

16 Jun 2007

Simple test predicts a person's risk for developing dementia within six years with 87 percent accuracy

The test, developed in the study by the researchers, is a 14-point index combining medical history, cognitive testing, and physical examination. It requires no special equipment and can be given in a clinical setting such as a doctor's office or at a patient's bedside.

16 Jun 2007

Zimulti (rimonabant) gets the thumbs down from FDA advisory panel

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. have unanimously voted that the federal agency should refuse approval for a new weight loss drug.

14 Jun 2007

Nurses who work the night shift more likely to have poor sleep habits

Nurses who work the night shift are more likely to have poor sleep habits, a practice that can increase the likelihood of committing serious errors that can put the safety of themselves as well as their patients at risk, according to research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

14 Jun 2007

Myelin and Huntington's disease

Last month, Dr. George Bartzokis, director of the UCLA Memory Disorders and Alzheimer's Disease Clinic, suggested in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia that the breakdown of a type of myelin that develops late in life promotes the buildup of toxic amyloid plaques long associated with Alzheimer's disease.

14 Jun 2007

Predictors of cognitive decline in memory clinic patients

Memory problems have many causes, such as stress or depression, but they can also be an early sign of dementia.

14 Jun 2007

Health-care costs higher for insomniacs

Research presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) finds that the health care costs of patients with insomnia are higher than for those without insomnia.

14 Jun 2007

Children from lower socioeconomic classes have more sleep problems

Children from a lower socioeconomic environment have worse sleeping patterns than children from middle class status.

14 Jun 2007

Anticonvulsant medication gabapentin effective for fibromyalgia pain

New research supported by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) shows that the anticonvulsant medication gabapentin, which is used for certain types of seizures, can be an effective treatment for the pain and other symptoms associated with the common, often hard-to-treat chronic pain disorder, fibromyalgia.

14 Jun 2007

Easily distressed people more likely to develop memory problems

People who are easily distressed and have more negative emotions are more likely to develop memory problems than more easygoing people, according to a study published in the June 12, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

14 Jun 2007

Catastrophic events affect the quality and the quantity of a person's sleep

A significant disruption of day-to-day life can take place in those areas affected by a natural disaster.

14 Jun 2007

First comprehensive description of sleep and wake patterns of cancer patients using continuous polysomnography

Patients with advanced-stage cancer experience very poor sleep quality and often have troubling staying awake, says Emory University researcher Kathy Parker, PhD, RN.

14 Jun 2007

Military veterans twice as likely to commit suicide

Researchers say former military personnel are twice as likely to commit suicide than people who have not seen combat.

12 Jun 2007

Distress and negative emotions lead to memory problems

According to the latest research people who are easily distressed and have more negative emotions are more likely to develop memory problems than more easygoing types.

12 Jun 2007

FDA decision over new obesity drug hangs in the balance

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States appears to be holding back on it's decision to grant approval for a weight loss drug.

11 Jun 2007

Facts about heart disease for women

Many women don't worry about heart disease, or if they do, they are concerned it's something the men in their lives might develop.

8 Jun 2007

Examination of cancer-related fatigue

In a special publication sent to thousands of oncologists nationwide this month, University of Rochester Medical Center scientists offer an in-depth examination of cancer-related fatigue, with hope that a better understanding of the topic will prompt new research and treatment.

8 Jun 2007