Psychiatry News and Research

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Psychiatry is the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders.

Short telomeres may increase risk of chronic diseases

The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a study by UCSF researchers.

22 Feb 2012

Telomeres - the indicators of aging - are highly susceptible to stress and depression

Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go 'unseen', one of which is shortening of telomere length.

22 Feb 2012

Gender nonconformity in childhood leads to increased risk of abuse: Study

According to researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and Children's Hospital Boston, children who do not conform to their gender-expected behaviors and interests are at a higher risk of being abused and facing subsequent traumas. Their work is published in the journal Pediatrics.

21 Feb 2012

Autism may be evident in an infant’s brain much earlier than thought: Study

Researchers have found that autism shows tell tale signs in babies as young as 6 months old — half a year or more before parents typically begin to notice symptoms of the condition. The results shed light on the fundamental differences in the brains of autistic children and could help lead to earlier detection and treatment, says co-author Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer at Autism Speaks, which helped fund the study in today's American Journal of Psychiatry.

20 Feb 2012

Quit-smoking drug Chantix effective in cocaine and alcohol addiction

Varenicline is unique among anti-addiction medications in the way it affects the brain. Like nicotine, varenicline activates a specific receptor for a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, but it does so less intensely than the active ingredient of cigarettes does. The net effect is that the drug seems to help by both cutting cravings and making the formerly desired drug less pleasant — without making non-drug pleasures less intense. Alcohol works on the same chemical receptors in the brain as nicotine, and it may enhance the pleasurable effects of smoking.

18 Feb 2012

In young children autism does not appear suddenly, but develops over time

A new study led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found significant differences in brain development starting at age 6 months in high-risk infants who later develop autism, compared to high-risk infants who did not develop autism.

18 Feb 2012

Researchers discover significant differences in brain development in infants who later develop autism

Researchers have found significant differences in brain development in infants as young as six months old who later develop autism, compared with babies who don't develop the disorder.

18 Feb 2012

FSMB initiatives to raise awareness about opioid prescribing

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) announced today several initiatives aimed at addressing the rise of opioid abuse and related deaths in the United States, while safeguarding legitimate access to medications for patients with pain.

18 Feb 2012

Controversy over psychiatric diagnosis reaches a fever pitch

As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is revised for the first time since 1994, controversy about psychiatric diagnosis is reaching a fever pitch.

16 Feb 2012

New parent-training program effective in reducing risk of obesity in preschool Latino children

A UCLA study has found that a new parent-training program is effective in reducing the risk of low-income, preschool-age Latino children being overweight.

16 Feb 2012

First study to evaluate motor impairments in children with ASD

Children with autism often have problems developing motor skills, such as running, throwing a ball or even learning how to write. But scientists have not known whether those difficulties run in families or are linked to autism. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to autism as the culprit.

16 Feb 2012

Wikipedia the most highly rated mental health source

University of Melbourne researchers have found Wikipedia is the most highly rated website for accessing information on mental-health related topics.

16 Feb 2012

New information about IL-6 protein's role in development of neurological disorders

A UT Dallas study is revealing new information about a key protein's role in the development of epilepsy, autism and other neurological disorders. This work could one day lead to new treatments for the conditions.

15 Feb 2012

Social influences can fuel weight loss

Is weight loss "contagious"? According to a new study published online in the journal Obesity, teammates in a team-based weight loss competition significantly influenced each other's weight loss, suggesting that shedding pounds can have a ripple effect.

15 Feb 2012

First large-scale investigation into diabetes risk among young people in South Asia

Scientists at King's College London and the National Diabetes Centre (Sri Lanka) have found evidence of a high number of risk factors for type 2 diabetes among the young urban population in Sri Lanka. The study is the first large-scale investigation into diabetes risk among children and young people in South Asia, and provides further evidence that the region is rapidly becoming a hotspot in the growing international diabetes epidemic.

14 Feb 2012

Internet addiction, shyness, defiance and grief on bereavement could be mental disorders – Debate on proposed DSM-5

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has attracted a lot of debate on its proposed amendments to its newest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) the outlines psychiatric symptoms in the mental-health industry.

13 Feb 2012

Stimulants do not increase risk of cardiovascular events in youth with ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 5-9% of youth and is frequently treated with stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine products. A recent safety communication from the US Food and Drug Administration advised that all patients undergoing ADHD treatment be monitored for changes in heart rate or blood pressure.

9 Feb 2012

Study reveals widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales

A new study has revealed the widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales due to a large extent to the number of young Scottish men taking their lives.

From The University of Manchester 9 Feb 2012

EUSARNAD study focuses on anxiety disorders

Researchers from the University of Southampton are leading an international research exchange that aims to develop a greater understanding of anxiety disorders and develop more effective treatments for patients.

8 Feb 2012

Study examines dimensional structure linked with DSM antisocial personality disorder criteria

With no lab tests to guide the clinician, psychiatric diagnostics is challenging and controversial. Antisocial personality disorder is defined as "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood," according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association.

8 Feb 2012

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

Short telomeres may increase risk of chronic diseases

Telomeres - the indicators of aging - are highly susceptible to stress and depression

Gender nonconformity in childhood leads to increased risk of abuse: Study

Autism may be evident in an infant’s brain much earlier than thought: Study

Quit-smoking drug Chantix effective in cocaine and alcohol addiction

In young children autism does not appear suddenly, but develops over time

Researchers discover significant differences in brain development in infants who later develop autism

FSMB initiatives to raise awareness about opioid prescribing

Controversy over psychiatric diagnosis reaches a fever pitch

New parent-training program effective in reducing risk of obesity in preschool Latino children

First study to evaluate motor impairments in children with ASD

Wikipedia the most highly rated mental health source

New information about IL-6 protein's role in development of neurological disorders

Social influences can fuel weight loss

First large-scale investigation into diabetes risk among young people in South Asia

Internet addiction, shyness, defiance and grief on bereavement could be mental disorders – Debate on proposed DSM-5

Stimulants do not increase risk of cardiovascular events in youth with ADHD

Study reveals widening gap in suicide rates between Scotland and England & Wales

EUSARNAD study focuses on anxiety disorders

Study examines dimensional structure linked with DSM antisocial personality disorder criteria

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