Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Effect of family style mealtimes on quality of life, physical performance, and body weight of nursing home residents

Providing a convivial and social environment at mealtimes improves the quality of life of nursing home residents, finds a study published online at the British Medical Journal website.

9 May 2006

Zoloft may prevent recurrence of depression in patients with diabetes

A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that an antidepressant medication may reduce the risk of recurrent depression and increase the length of time between depressive episodes in patients with diabetes.

9 May 2006

Diffusion tensor imaging provides clearer picture of cannabis effect on brain

Diffusion tensor imaging, a newly developed magnetic resonance imaging technique, could enable researchers to gain a better understanding of the effects of cannabis on the brain.

8 May 2006

Pediatricians encouraged to refer patients to community resources for childhood aggression

Training pediatricians to recognize the signs of aggression and make a referral to an appropriate community organization may help prevent future violence.

3 May 2006

Antidepressant suicide risk up five times for seniors

According to Canadian researchers seniors who are prescribed antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft are almost five times more likely to commit suicide during the first month on the drugs than those given other medication to treat depression.

3 May 2006

Exposure to cocaine before birth not linked to bad behavior in kids

Toddlers exposed to cocaine before birth exhibit no more behavioral problems than other children their age, despite early predictions that "crack babies" would grow up to be delinquents, University of Florida researchers say.

3 May 2006

Passive smoking associated with behavior problems in children and pre-teens

A new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study shows that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with behavior problems in children and pre-teens.

3 May 2006

Screening for depression unlikely to improve the mental wellbeing of the population

Nevertheless, it may soon become health policy in England and Wales as primary care doctors are rewarded for screening under their new contract.

3 May 2006

Olanzapine appears to lower or delay full-blown psychosis

For young people who clearly seem to be developing early signs of schizophrenia, treatment with the antipsychotic drug olanzapine appears to lower or delay the rate of conversion to full-blown psychosis, according to an article by a Yale School of Medicine researcher in the May issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry.

3 May 2006

Link between colicky babies and postpartum depression

A compelling connection exists between colicky babies and postpartum depression, according to a study conducted by a Brown Medical School professor and Rhode Island Department of Health family health experts.

3 May 2006

Premenstrual syndrome and self-policing: constructing and deconstructing premenstrual distress in lesbian and heterosexual relationships

Premenstrual distress: An unavoidable condition many women suffer with relentless regularity. Or is it? Can heterosexual women learn a thing or two from their lesbian sisterhood?

3 May 2006

Sildenafil plus recreational drugs equals risky sexual behaviour

A new survey has found that a significant number of young men have used erectile dysfunction, (ED), medications such as Viagra often in conjunction with other recreational drugs, and most without consulting a physician.

1 May 2006

Study indicates how drug efficacy can be increased by manipulating the signalling mechanism

Researchers believe they have found a way to change the action of 60 percent of currently available medications, in some cases making them many times more effective, according to an article published in the April 21 edition of the journal Science. The discovery has the potential to improve treatments for diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and arthritis. The study describes a new way to manipulate perhaps the most important signaling mechanism in human cells: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

28 Apr 2006

Prenatal exposure to alcohol can change child's circadian rhythms

Altered sleeping and eating patterns, behavioral problems, attention deficits and depression in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders may indicate that their biological rhythms, which are controlled by circadian systems, have been affected by alcohol exposure during development.

25 Apr 2006

Greater suicide risk for alcoholics with personality disorders

Alcoholics with a borderline personality disorder are at greatest risk for suicidal behavior.

25 Apr 2006

Study shows drugs work differently in the brains of men and women

A Johns Hopkins discovery could lead to tailored treatments for drug abuse and neurological diseases after providing what is believed to be the first evidence in people that amphetamines have a greater effect on men's brains than women's.

24 Apr 2006

Genetic clue found to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

According to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States, there may well be a genetic reason why some people develop Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

24 Apr 2006

Bullying pushes overweight kids away from sport, increasing health problems

Most kids are bullied at some point in their lives, but overweight children are more often the targets of bullies' slings and arrows. Now a new UF study reveals this frequently leads them to avoid situations where they have been picked on before, such as gym class and sports.

23 Apr 2006

How much advice on mental illness treatment is influenced by drug companies?

According to new research in the U.S. most of the experts giving advice on the diagnosis and management of mental illness have had financial links to drug makers such as research funding or stock holdings.

23 Apr 2006

Hypnotherapy relieves chest pain not linked to heart disease

According to a small study in the UK, hypnotherapy was helpful in relieving the angina-like chest pain experienced by some people which is not caused by heart disease.

23 Apr 2006