Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Simple interventions for Accident and Emergency patients could help reduce excessive drinking

Doctors and researchers have discovered that it is possible to reduce excessive drinking among Accident & Emergency (A&E) casualties through simple interventions such as offering appointments with alcohol health workers.

27 Sep 2004

Economic costs of child abuse in Canada tops $15 billion

“Our goal with this research is to contribute to the reduction of child abuse in Canadian society, by increasing the awareness of how the costs and consequences of child abuse affect all Canadians,” says Katherine McKenna, professor in Western’s Centre for Women's Studies and Feminist Research.

26 Sep 2004

Contrary to popular belief, epidemics do not occur spontaneously after a natural disaster

The belief that dead bodies pose a serious health threat often leads authorities to take misguided action, such as mass burials, which can add to the burden of suffering already experienced by survivors. This theme arose Thursday following reports that the death count in Haiti due to flooding from Tropical Storm Jeanne has now climbed above 1,013.

26 Sep 2004

New drug application to market ramelteon for insomnia

Takeda Global Research & Development Center announced today that it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market ramelteon (TAK-375), its investigational drug for insomnia.

26 Sep 2004

Palladone approved for pain relief

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Palladone (hydromorphone hydrochloride) capsules for the management of persistent moderate to severe pain in patients requiring continuous around-the-clock opioid pain relief for an extended period of time.

26 Sep 2004

Boldly colored tableware is a mealtime aid to those with severe Alzheimer's disease

According to new visual perception research from a team at Boston University, the use of boldly colored tableware is a mealtime aid to those with severe AD, helping individuals overcome a diminished sensitivity to visual contrast, a condition often found among people with advanced AD.

26 Sep 2004

Seroquel is significantly more effective than placebo in treating patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder

AstraZeneca has announced important new data at the 4th European Stanley Foundation Conference on Bipolar Disorder, which show Seroquel is significantly more effective than placebo in treating patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder and is also well-tolerated in this difficult to treat patient population.

26 Sep 2004

Low paid civil servants were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

London civil servants at the lower end of the employment scale and with lower social position were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those at higher employment levels, according to an article in the September 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

26 Sep 2004

Terror fears raise women's level of protein linked to heart disease

Israeli women with chronic fears of terror attacks have higher levels of a blood protein that measures low-grade inflammation and may lead to heart disease, according to a new study.

23 Sep 2004

FDA proposal on antidepressants is premature and may be counterproductive

The recent FDA proposal to force antidepressants to carry warnings about increased suicide risk is the subject of a pair of articles by leading experts in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

23 Sep 2004

Abused or neglected children are more likely to develop heart disease as adults

The study is the first to suggest that ischemic heart disease in adulthood may be a possible long-term consequence of childhood trauma.

22 Sep 2004

NIH opens new hospital totally dedicated to clinical research

This new hospital totally dedicated to clinical research — research involving patients — is the most significant addition to the NIH campus in more than 50 years and provides a unique opportunity for scientists, clinicians, and patients to study and conquer both chronic and acute disease in the 21st century.

22 Sep 2004

Link between mother’s stress levels during pregnancy and the effect on the brain of her unborn baby

An intriguing link between a mother’s stress levels during pregnancy and the effect on the brain of her unborn baby is revealed in a new study of children born in Bristol, England.

20 Sep 2004

European positive for Cymbalta and Xeristar

Eli Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim have announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products in Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has issued a positive opinion recommending approval of duloxetine for the treatment of major depressive episodes.

20 Sep 2004