Psychiatry News and Research

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

$20 million advance in Canadian mental health research

University of B.C. President Martha Piper and Premier Gordon Campbell have announced a $20 million advance in mental health research, training and policy, generated by a $10 million gift, the largest ever to mental health in Canada, from a close friend of the university who wishes to remain anonymous.

23 Feb 2005

Early diagnosis and treatment is important for children and adolescents with bipolar disorder

"These new guidelines were formulated by a group of leading experts in child psychiatry and are the most up-to-date and comprehensive set of guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder," said Dr. Kowatch. "They represent a major step towards practicing evidence-based medicine in this difficult to treat group of patients.

22 Feb 2005

Naltrexone helps alcoholics moderate their drinking

A little-known drug called naltrexone provides a “meaningful benefit” in helping alcoholics moderate their drinking, according to the latest review of evidence from 29 studies on four continents.

20 Feb 2005

Cannabis use may increase risk of stroke

Regular users of cannabis could be putting themselves at risk of stroke, while they are still young, indicates a case report, published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

20 Feb 2005

Hyperactive children three times more likely to be removed from their families

Severely hyperactive children are three times more likely to be removed from their families, because their parents can no longer cope, than children with other mental health or behavioural problems, reveals research in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

20 Feb 2005

As little as one drink per week may harm your baby

Expectant mothers should be advised not to drink alcohol, as this may pose health risks to the foetus, argues an editorial in this week's BMJ.

20 Feb 2005

Quetiapine speeds up rate of decline in Alzheimers

Quetiapine, a drug commonly used in nursing homes to treat agitation and related symptoms in people with Alzheimers' disease actually worsens patients' illness, speeding up their rate of decline significantly, says a paper published on bmj.com.

20 Feb 2005

Antidepressant drugs may be associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour

Antidepressant drugs may be associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviour, particularly in the early stages of treatment, shows new evidence in this week's BMJ.

20 Feb 2005

Personality needs to be considered when treating men and women with depression

Clinically depressed women are more likely than depressed men to see themselves as anxious, self-conscious and vulnerable, say researchers at the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

14 Feb 2005

Mindfulness meditation helps relationships

Besides being a boon to the greeting card and florist industries, Valentine’s Day reminds many Americans of the importance and great joy of their romantic relationships, especially courting and marriage.

7 Feb 2005

Mother’s depression linked with an increased risk of antisocial behavior in children

Significantly higher levels of antisocial behavior were found in seven-year-old children whose mothers were depressed during the child’s first five years of life, according to an article in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

7 Feb 2005

Over-the-counter DHEA hormonal therapy may be an effective treatment for depression

The over-the-counter hormonal therapy known as DHEA may be an effective treatment of midlife-onset minor and major depression, according to a study in the February issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), an adrenal androgen and neurosteroid is available as a supplement in the U.S.

7 Feb 2005

New way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure--a technique that could also be used to monitor a fetus's response to therapeutic drugs--using sophisticated, noninvasive medical imaging tools.

7 Feb 2005

American suicide rates have dropped steadily since the introduction of serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs

Challenging recent claims linking antidepressant use to suicidal behavior, a new UCLA study shows that American suicide rates have dropped steadily since the introduction of Prozac and other serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs.

3 Feb 2005

Women who feel more loved are less at risk for major depression than men

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have found that women who feel more loved and supported by their friends, relatives and children are less at risk for major depression than men, suggesting important gender differences in the pathways leading to depression.

3 Feb 2005

Male surgeons report highest rate of mistakes in patient care

Male surgeons report the highest rate of mistakes in patient care, reveals a study of doctors' attitudes to "adverse events" in Quality and Safety in Health Care.

3 Feb 2005

Gene dynamin 2 underlies one form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

A gene that plays many fundamental roles in cells throughout the body has, for the first time, been implicated in human disease, according to researchers at the Duke Center for Human Genetics.

31 Jan 2005

Do genes play a role in determining whether a man is gay or heterosexual?

In the first-ever study combing the entire human genome for genetic determinants of male sexual orientation, a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher has identified several areas that appear to influence whether a man is heterosexual or gay.

31 Jan 2005

Nicotine may hold promise in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

The chemical nicotine--a main ingredient in tobacco--may hold promise in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, give insight into therapeutic interventions for nicotine addiction and possibly complement the diagnosis of certain forms of lung cancer, according to a study in the January issue of the Society of Nuclear Medicine's Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

31 Jan 2005

Premenstrual exacerbation of depression common

Virginia Commonwealth University mental health experts have found that women with depression commonly report fluctuations in their symptoms across the menstrual cycle — a key factor that may help physicians better evaluate and treat depressed women.

30 Jan 2005