Psychiatry News and Research

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

MRI reveals relationship between depression and pain

The brains of individuals with major depressive disorder appear to react more strongly when anticipating pain and also display altered functioning of the neural network that modifies pain sensitivity, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Nov 2008

New research to examine relationship between anger and alcohol abuse

Research suggests that alcoholics are more likely to experience emotions such as annoyances, frustrations and anger compared to non-alcoholics.

30 Oct 2008

Study reveals factors of exceptional health in old age

Elderly people who have a positive outlook, lower stress levels, moderate alcohol consumption, abstention from tobacco, moderate to higher income and no chronic health conditions are more likely to thrive in their old age, according to a study in the October issue of the Journals of Gerontology, Medical Sciences.

27 Oct 2008

Transsexual genes identified

Australian scientists believe they have identified a significant link between a gene involved in testosterone and male-to-female transsexualism.

27 Oct 2008

Why some people have a better head for languages

Learning a second language is usually difficult and often when we speak it we cannot disguise our origin or accent. However, there are important differences between individuals with regard to the degree to which a second language is mastered, even for people who have lived in a bilingual environment since childhood.

23 Oct 2008

Mouse genes guide search for human anxiety disorder genes

We are all familiar with the question - "Are you a man or a mouse?" What if the answer is "a little of both"? Because of the power of molecular genetics research in animals and the maturation of animal models, the path to identifying genes involved in particular types of behavior, such as fear, is much clearer in animals than in humans.

23 Oct 2008

UK teenage suicide rates on the decline

Suicide rates in those aged 10-19 in the UK declined by 28% in the seven year period from 1997-2003, shows a study published today in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Manchester, showed that the decline was particularly marked in young males, where rates declined by 35%.

22 Oct 2008

Developing depression after a heart attack increases one’s risk of death or readmission

Science has found many links between depression and other serious medical illnesses, such as cancer, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. For example, people who develop depression following a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or chest pain (angina) have an elevated risk of cardiac death or hospital readmission over the following year.

22 Oct 2008

High-dose hormone treatment might reduce risk for posttraumatic stress disorder

Cortisol helps our bodies cope with stress, but what about its effects on the brain? A new study by Cohen and colleagues, appearing in the October 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, suggests that the answer to this question is complex.

22 Oct 2008

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor may predict schizophrenia relapse

A factor that helps optimize brain formation and function may also provide clues about whether patients suffering with schizophrenia are headed toward relapse, researchers say.

16 Oct 2008

The Internet stimulates and possibly improves brain function

UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.

14 Oct 2008

Women who smoke at risk for major depression

A new study by Australian scientists has revealed that women who smoke are at greater risk of developing a major depressive disorder.

1 Oct 2008

Obsessive compulsive disorder evident as early as age four

Researchers in the U.S. say children as young as four can develop full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

1 Oct 2008

Infants who focus on mouths rather eyes could be autistic

Researchers in the United States say young children who focus on mouths rather than on eyes could be autistic and they believe the extent of such behaviour indicates the severity of the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

28 Sep 2008

Researchers investigate impact of stress on police officers' physical and mental health

Policing is dangerous work, and the danger lurks not on the streets alone. The pressures of law enforcement put officers at risk for high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide, University at Buffalo researchers have found through a decade of studies of police officers.

25 Sep 2008

Improving mental health from Bristol to Santiago

Psychiatrists at the University of Bristol are taking an ambitious programme of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) into schools from Bristol to Santiago, Chile in a bid to improve the mental health of teenagers.

24 Sep 2008

Personality can hamper a physician’s assessment of depression

A physician's personality can affect practice behavior in inquiries about patient mood symptoms and the diagnosis of depression, according to a study led by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.

24 Sep 2008

Study questions use of newer antipsychotic drugs in children

A new study has found that older antipsychotic drugs are as effective as newer ones for some children.

16 Sep 2008

Older antipsychotic drugs as effective, offer fewer side effects in children than newer drugs, study finds

The two most frequently prescribed antipsychotic drugs for children and adolescents offer no additional benefit and are more likely to cause side effects than an older, less costly medication, according to a National Institute of Mental Health study published on Monday, the New York Times reports.

16 Sep 2008

Newer atypical antipsychotic medications no better than older drug in treating child and adolescent schizophrenia

Two newer atypical antipsychotic medications were no more effective than an older conventional antipsychotic in treating child and adolescent schizophrenia and may lead to more metabolic side effects, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

15 Sep 2008