Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

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

Vitamin D supplements should be given to Asian children from birth up to the age of two years

Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, poor tooth formation, convulsions, general ill health, and stunted growth. And it has been linked to an increased risk of multiple sclerosis, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and mental health problems in later life.

30 Aug 2006

The public face of mental illness

Both the tabloid and the broadsheet press have consistently given disproportionate and sensationalized coverage to psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia, often linking them to serious crime.

30 Aug 2006

90% of dermatologists report having problems with Isotretinoin drug registry

The online FDA tracking database iPledge -- with which all people taking the acne drug isotretinoin, sold by Roche under the brand name Accutane, must register to receive their prescriptions -- has caused problems for about 90% of dermatologists.

30 Aug 2006

Severe mental illness in Gulf Coast doubled after Katrina

The rate of severe mental illness in the Gulf Coast region about doubled in the six months after Hurricane Katrina, according to a report surveying a sample of the storm's survivors published on Monday in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, USA Today reports (Sternberg, USA Today, 8/29).

30 Aug 2006

Neuropsychopharmacology editor resigns after failure to disclose conflict of interest

Charles Nemeroff has decided to resign as editor of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology after he co-authored a favorable article on a chest implant that treats depression and did not disclose his financial ties to Cyberonics, which manufactures the device, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Aug 2006

Katrina takes it's toll on survivors mental health

Hurricane Katrina, the worst hurricane to hit the United States for seven decades has left behind it devastation well beyond that of physical damage to property.

29 Aug 2006

A close look at Accutane drug registry iPledge

The Chicago Sun-Times on Monday examined the online FDA tracking database iPledge, with which all people taking Roche's acne drug Accutane much register to receive their prescriptions (Ritter, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/21).

24 Aug 2006

Long-term health effects from West Nile illnesses

More than a year after being diagnosed with a West Nile virus infection, half of the patients have ongoing health complaints including fatigue, memory problems, headaches, depression, and tremors, according to an article in the Sept. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

16 Aug 2006

RNA gene found to be one of the fastest evolving regions in human genome

Since completing the sequencing of the chimpanzee genome last year, geneticists have spent many hours comparing human DNA sequences to those of our closest evolutionary relative, looking for the differences that distinguish the two species.

16 Aug 2006

Low testosterone in men over 40 linked to early death

According to a new study, after the age of forty, men with low levels of the male sex hormone testosterone may have a higher risk of death over a four-year period than those with normal levels of the hormone.

15 Aug 2006

Majority of pregnant women with depression not receiving treatment

The majority of pregnant women who have full-blown major depression aren't getting any treatment for the condition, and neither are most pregnant women who have signs of milder depression or depression risk.

14 Aug 2006

Predicting aggressive and disruptive behavior in referred 6- to 12-year-old boys

A decision support system, in form of a checklist with 20 risk- and need factors, complements clinical evaluation of boys between the ages of six and twelve with behavioural problems, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet.

9 Aug 2006

Prospective Huntington At Risk Observational Study

Doctors have completed the first step of a unique medical research study, evaluating 1,001 individuals at risk of developing Huntington's disease who do not know - nor do they want to know - whether they carry the genetic defect that causes the condition.

8 Aug 2006