Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

NHS staff need basic knowledge about the social and physical ill effects of alcohol misuse

Large amounts of money and resources would be saved if all frontline NHS staff had basic knowledge about the social and physical ill effects of alcohol misuse, say doctors in this week's British Medical Journal.

7 Sep 2006

Ageism is endemic in health services

In England, decades of health service underfunding have provided an environment in which ageism has flourished, writes Professor John Young in an editorial.

7 Sep 2006

SSRI's developed for premature ejaculation, safe and effective

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) developed specifically for the treatment of premature ejaculation is safe and effective for men severely affected by the condition, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

7 Sep 2006

Genetic link to chronic fatigue

Unexplained disabling fatigue in childhood is mainly due to genetic inheritance, a study of twins has revealed.

7 Sep 2006

NIH launches "Knockout Mouse Project"

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project.

7 Sep 2006

Long hours cause of medical errors among residents

More than 80% of first-year medical residents work more hours than allowed by national accreditation rules, according to two studies published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Washington Post reports (Washington Post, 9/6).

6 Sep 2006

Mental health care in New Orleans remains the biggest hole in the safety net

Mental health care in New Orleans "remains the biggest hole in a safety net that was decimated" by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

6 Sep 2006

New assessment shows continued serious fuel and water shortages at Lebanese health facilities

A newly-published assessment of health facilities in Lebanon shows that a quarter of those examined are not functioning due to physical damage, lack of staff or lack of accessibility, and that water and fuel shortages remain a serious concern.

6 Sep 2006

Lingering and longlasting effects of 9/11

According to a new report on the health effects of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, 70% of the rescue personnel and workers who responded to the disaster suffered from lung problems during and after the recovery efforts.

6 Sep 2006

Some find Accutane iPledge program requirements burdensome

Six months after the introduction of iPledge -- with which all people taking the acne drug isotretinoin, sold by Roche under the brand name Accutane, must register to receive their prescriptions - many patients and dermatologists "complain that the rules of iPledge are onerous and unworkable

5 Sep 2006

Missouri to receive five-year, $14 million federal grant to improve mental health services

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt (R) on Thursday announced that the state will receive a five-year, $14 million federal grant to improve mental health services, the AP/Kansas City Star reports.

5 Sep 2006

Individuals with major depression have an exaggerated inflammatory response to psychological stress

Individuals with major depression have an exaggerated inflammatory response to psychological stress compared to those who do not suffer from depression, according to a study by researchers at Emory University School of Medicine.

4 Sep 2006

If you are stressed at work, you are not going to express your feeling at home

A new research coming from the University of Amsterdam and published in the Sept issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics establishes a relationship between stress at work and inability to express feelings (alexithymia).

4 Sep 2006

Women have a greater risk of death from long-term oxygen therapy compared with the men

Among patients on long-term oxygen therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), women are more likely to die from the disease than men.

4 Sep 2006

Bipolar disorder costs twice as much in lost productivity as major depressive disorder

Bipolar disorder costs twice as much in lost productivity as major depressive disorder, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. Each U.S. worker with bipolar disorder averaged 65.5 lost workdays in a year, compared to 27.2 for major depression.

4 Sep 2006

U.S. Magistrate recommends end of oversight of Hawaii adult mental health division by Federal Court

U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang last week recommended in his 12th and final report to U.S. District Judge David Ezra that the court end oversight of the Adult Mental Health Division of the Hawaii Department of Health because of significant improvements in mental health services provided by the division.

4 Sep 2006

Mood swings and depression appear to be related to cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and affective disorders are both very prevalent in the general population.

1 Sep 2006

Is psychotherapy the answer for menopause?

During peri- and postmenopause there is a high prevalence of psychological symptoms such as emotional instability, depressive moods, anxiety, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunction.

1 Sep 2006

Variation in 3 genes influences risk of age-related macular degeneration

Researchers in Boston have discovered a new common, noncoding variant in the Complement Factor H (CFH) gene that is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness among persons aged 60 and older.

30 Aug 2006

Whole-brain T1 mapping in multiple sclerosis

The effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) extend beyond visibly affected areas into large portions of the brain that outwardly appear normal, according to a study appearing in the September issue of Radiology.

30 Aug 2006