Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Downward mobility hits men far harder than women

The findings are based on survey responses from 503 men and women taking part in the Newcastle Thousand Families Study, all of whom were born in May and June 1947 to mothers living in Newcastle upon Tyne, north east England.

26 Sep 2005

Does treatment setting influence suicide rates for substance abusers

Reported rates of suicide attempts by individuals with substance-use disorders (SUDs) range from three percent in the previous 30 days to lifetime rates of 45 percent.

26 Sep 2005

Smaller prefrontal cortex is associated with early-onset drinking

Previous research has shown that alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) are associated with abnormalities of the prefrontal cortex, thalamus and the cerebellar hemispheres in adults.

26 Sep 2005

Botox helps explain possible causes of nerve diseases

Botox, used by Hollywood stars to smooth out facial wrinkles, is playing an important role in UQ research to understand how nerve cells communicate with each other.

22 Sep 2005

Effects of 10 commonly prescribed second-generation antidepressants studied

Because clinical depression is so disabling and affects more than 16 percent of adults in the United States at some time in their lives, researchers have worked hard to develop more effective treatments. But how much better are the newer pharmaceuticals?

21 Sep 2005

New study details side effects of five medications that are currently used to treat people with schizophrenia

A large study funded by NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides, for the first time, detailed information comparing the effectiveness and side effects of five medications - both new and older medications - that are currently used to treat people with schizophrenia.

21 Sep 2005

Key neural system at risk from prenatal exposure to alcohol

In a study of adult monkeys who were exposed to moderate amounts of alcohol in utero, scientists have found that prenatal exposure to alcohol - even in small doses - has pronounced effects on the development and function later in life of the brain's dopamine system, a critical component of the central nervous system that regulates many regions of the brain.

21 Sep 2005

Link between CAPON gene and schizophrenia

We have known for a long time that there is a genetic component to schizophrenia, but nailing down the gene(s) has not been easy.

20 Sep 2005

Millenium Development Goals fail to include the goal of improving the mental health of the poor

Because the Millenium Development Goals fail to include the goal of improving the mental health of the poor, the world may not reach many of the goals, say researchers in an analysis published by PLoS Medicine.

19 Sep 2005

Center for Law and the Public's Health receives important global designation

The Center for Law and the Public's Health at Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities has been designated a World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Center on Public Health Law and Human Rights , making it the only academic center of its kind to receive this global status.

19 Sep 2005

Manic depression linked to two chromosomal regions in the human genome

An international team of 53 researchers has offered the most convincing evidence so far linking bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, to two chromosomal regions in the human genome. The finding gives scientists refined targets for further gene studies.

19 Sep 2005

Impact of prevention strategies and improvements in stroke healthcare

Coinciding with National Stroke Week in Australia (19 - 25 September 2005) is the release of results from two recent stroke studies from the George Institute for International Health that investigate both the causative factors as well as a little studied outcome of stroke, that of depression.

19 Sep 2005

Microtubules critical to development of mental disorders

Neuroscientists at the University at Buffalo have shown in two recently published papers that destabilization of structures called microtubules, intracellular highways that transport receptors to their working sites in the brain, likely underlie many mental disorders and could be promising targets for intervention.

12 Sep 2005

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy is helpful to many people with bipolar disorder

A treatment program that stresses maintaining a regular schedule of daily activities and stability in personal relationships is an effective therapy for bipolar disorder, report University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers in September's Archives of General Psychiatry.

12 Sep 2005

Recommendation that parents limit television viewing of Katrina disaster for children under 12 years of age

The devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina have been felt across the country during the past weeks. Thousands of children are survivors of Katrina, while millions of others around the country have observed horrific sights via media coverage.

10 Sep 2005

Australians consider medical research more important than tax cuts and border protection

Australians consider medical research to be a more important priority for funding and resources than tax cuts and border protection, a new poll has found.

10 Sep 2005

Depression may hasten the progression of heart disease

In a study of 32 people with heart failure, the 14 patients who felt the most depressed had nearly twice the levels of this protein in their blood.

7 Sep 2005

A quirky or socially awkward approach to life might be the key to becoming a great artist, composer or inventor

New research in individuals with schizotypal personalities - people characterized by odd behavior and language but who are not psychotic or schizophrenic - offers the first neurological evidence that these individuals are more creative than normal or fully schizophrenic people, and rely more heavily on the right sides of their brains than the general population to access their creativity.

7 Sep 2005

United States is expected to face a shortage of millions of workers within the coming decade

The newly established Boston College Center on Aging & Work has received a $3-million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study how the American workplace will evolve to accommodate its aging workforce.

7 Sep 2005

Strong social gradient in the metabolic syndrome

It is well documented that individuals with higher social status have lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). This is generally not explained by differences in lifestyle factors such as smoking and lack of exercise.

6 Sep 2005