Psychiatry News and Research

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

Novels are the best medicine for psychiatrists

Psychiatrists could improve their clinical skills by putting their feet up with a good novel, rather than burying their noses in academic journals, delegates at the annual conference of The Royal College of Psychiatrists were told today.

21 Jun 2005

'Bed blocking' in one adolescent unit costs NHS over a million

An 18-month study of 'bed blocking' in an adolescent unit in Birmingham has found that the cost to the NHS was over £1 million.

21 Jun 2005

Computer program that enhances the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET)

German scientists developed a computer program that enhances the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET) scans with Alzheimer's patients, opening the door for earlier treatment of this progressive brain disorder. Details of their findings were provided at the Society of Nuclear Medicine's 52nd Annual Meeting in Toronto.

20 Jun 2005

Research suggests that children with a neuropsychiatric disease may be at risk for type 2 diabetes, and vice versa

As many as one in five children with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes may also have a neuropsychiatric disorder, according to a new study. The illnesses include depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, developmental delay, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

20 Jun 2005

Bipolar disorder more prevalent and costly than believed

The incidence of bipolar disorder in the general population is considerably higher than earlier studies have indicated, resulting in significantly less productivity and more days lost from work compared to the better known major depressive disorder, according to preliminary findings from a national survey presented today at the Sixth International Conference on Bipolar Disorder.

19 Jun 2005

First demonstration that reduced metabolic activity in the hippocampus may be used to help predict future Alzheimer's disease

New York University School of Medicine researchers have developed a brain scan-based computer program that quickly and accurately measures metabolic activity in a key region of the brain affected in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

19 Jun 2005

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Despite an intensive effort, researchers have yet to identify the genes that cause bipolar disorder, yet the practical benefits of such a discovery could reap rich rewards for those suffering from the mental illness.

16 Jun 2005

Chronic insomnia medicines have not yet been rigorously evaluated for long-term use

Many of the medications widely used to manage chronic insomnia have not yet been rigorously evaluated for long-term use, according to an independent scientific panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health.

16 Jun 2005

The most frequently used drugs for treating chronic insomnia have never been approved for that purpose

Vaughn McCall, M.D., M.S., professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, told a special consensus panel at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that he could find no evidence that randomized controlled clinical trials had ever been conducted for five of the 10 pharmaceuticals prescribed most often for chronic insomnia.

14 Jun 2005

Circadian clock gene also plays pivotal role in drug addiction

The gene that regulates the body's main biological clocks also may play a pivotal role in drug addiction, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

13 Jun 2005

Variations in genetic code affect social behavior

Why are some people shy while others are outgoing? A study in the current issue of Science demonstrates for the first time that social behavior may be shaped by differences in the length of seemingly non-functional DNA, sometimes referred to as junk DNA.

9 Jun 2005

Study is the first to identify involvement of chromosome 21 in developmental regression autism

A new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study links regions of two chromosomes to susceptibility for a type of autism characterized by regression in development. Developmental regression can include the loss of previously acquired language, social skills or both.

8 Jun 2005

Mental health problems in teens go untreated for decades

Researchers in the U.S. say many mental disorders afflicting millions of Americans are often evident in adolescence but usually go untreated for years.

7 Jun 2005

New dopamine transporter gene findings may be relevant for substance abuse, tobacco smoking, and ADHD

Confirming findings in a previous study, Yale researchers observed an altered availability of the dopamine transporter in healthy persons with a genetic variation linked to substance abuse and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

6 Jun 2005

Electroconvulsive therapy not damaging to memory -- early results

Severely depressed elderly Victorians are benefiting from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) -- and, contrary to popular belief, the treatment is not damaging their memories, a Monash University study has found.

6 Jun 2005

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep and force students to perform academically in the early morning, a time of day when they are at their worst, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.

6 Jun 2005

Loneliness and hopelessness increase risk of self-harm among older people

The aims of this study, published in the June issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, were to determine clinical factors that might help to identify those older adults with depression who are most at risk of self-harm and suicide.

2 Jun 2005

Psychiatric casualties from Iraq war - majority due to adjustment difficulties rather than combat stress

In the Iraq war, psychiatric illness among troops took the form mainly of adjustment reactions, rather than combat stress reactions, a new study has found. These adjustment reactions may have been exacerbated by heightened fear associated with non-conventional warfare.

2 Jun 2005

Life events lead to more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than traumatic events

Life events (e.g. divorce, unemployment) can generate more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than traumatic events (e.g. a road accident, war), according to a new study.

2 Jun 2005

War is not necessarily bad for psychological health

The study, published in the June issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, was a brief longitudinal mental health screen of members of the UK's Air Assault Brigade before and after deployment in Iraq during 2004.

2 Jun 2005

Psychiatry News and Research

Further Reading

Novels are the best medicine for psychiatrists

'Bed blocking' in one adolescent unit costs NHS over a million

Computer program that enhances the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET)

Research suggests that children with a neuropsychiatric disease may be at risk for type 2 diabetes, and vice versa

Bipolar disorder more prevalent and costly than believed

First demonstration that reduced metabolic activity in the hippocampus may be used to help predict future Alzheimer's disease

Specific genetic linkages to bipolar disorder

Chronic insomnia medicines have not yet been rigorously evaluated for long-term use

The most frequently used drugs for treating chronic insomnia have never been approved for that purpose

Circadian clock gene also plays pivotal role in drug addiction

Variations in genetic code affect social behavior

Study is the first to identify involvement of chromosome 21 in developmental regression autism

Mental health problems in teens go untreated for decades

New dopamine transporter gene findings may be relevant for substance abuse, tobacco smoking, and ADHD

Electroconvulsive therapy not damaging to memory -- early results

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep

Loneliness and hopelessness increase risk of self-harm among older people

Psychiatric casualties from Iraq war - majority due to adjustment difficulties rather than combat stress

Life events lead to more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder than traumatic events

War is not necessarily bad for psychological health

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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