Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Neural measures reveal individual differences in controlling access to working memory

Even if you could get more RAM for your brain, the extra storage probably wouldn't make it easier for you to find where you left your car keys.

28 Nov 2005

Stenting of the carotid artery significantly improves cognitive speed

Stenting of the carotid artery significantly improves cognitive speed and may improve memory function in some patients, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

28 Nov 2005

Depression treatment in children - poor data

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared in 2004 that certain antidepressants are linked to an increased risk of suicide in adolescents, there was surprisingly little data about how depression was being treated in young patients.

28 Nov 2005

Exercise in moderation best for the brain

Exercise is good for your physical health. We have known this for a long time. We also know that physical activity is good for the brain and alleviates depression and stress.

28 Nov 2005

People with mild symptoms of depression pay more attention to their social environment

Surprisingly, people with mild depression are actually more tuned into the feelings of others than those who aren't depressed, a team of Queen's psychologists has discovered.

28 Nov 2005

Health reform needs to be championed by health leaders

Health reform needs to be championed by health leaders, responsive to community needs and securely funded, to be sustained and benefit the health of Australians according to a new research published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

28 Nov 2005

Smoking cessation in cancer patients

A new report says despite a growing body of evidence that continued smoking after a cancer diagnosis has substantial adverse effects on treatment effectiveness, overall survival, risk of other cancers, and quality of life, up to one-half of cancer patients who smoke continue to do so or relapse after trying to quit.

28 Nov 2005

Recognizing facial expressions is separate from identifying familiar faces in autism or Asperger's

In contrast to previous reports, for those with autism or Asperger's syndrome, recognizing facial expressions is separate from identifying familiar faces, according to a study published in Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Nov 2005

The Mater Study outcomes

Teenagers are more likely to develop drinking problems if their mothers are depressed and drink regularly.

28 Nov 2005

Methylphenidate may be effective in treating autism

Methylphenidate, a medication used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may be effective in treating hyperactivity symptoms in children with autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, researchers report in the November Archives of General Psychiatry.

26 Nov 2005

Unless it's useful, ignore it and your memory will benefit

According to researchers, being able to filter out useless information can help people increase their capacity to remember what is really important.

24 Nov 2005

Seasonal depression affects hamsters

A new study suggests that hamsters may suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression during the dark days of winter, just as some humans do.

21 Nov 2005

Students with disabilities encourage others to educate those with similar disabilities to themselves

Students with disabilities and learning difficulties are taking part in a unique University of Liverpool training scheme that enables them to educate those with similar disabilities to themselves.

21 Nov 2005

Women more sensitive to chronic stress than men

"It's generally understood that females respond more strongly to acute (immediate, short-term) stress than males," said Helmer Figueiredo, PhD, of UC's department of psychiatry. "Our research shows that this may also be the case in more clinically relevant chronic-stress conditions."

20 Nov 2005

New gene linked to schizophrenia and depression

A Scots-led medical research team has identified a new gene linked to major mental illness that links back to a previously discovered gene known to increase the risk of schizophrenia and depression.

20 Nov 2005

Double the weight-loss when counseling is combined with diet drugs

According to a new study, obese patients who took the diet drug Meridia and received intensive weight-loss counseling, lost twice as much weight as patients who only took the drug.

20 Nov 2005

Genetic makeup helps dictate how physically and mentally healthy you feel

You can blame your parents for your hair that frizzes in high humidity and for your short stature. And now researchers at Saint Louis University School of Public Health say your genetic makeup partly dictates how physically and mentally healthy you feel.

15 Nov 2005