Schizoaffective Disorder News and Research

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Case study: Cannabis might dampen the pain, but amplify the psychosis!

Case study details a 27-year-old woman with schizoaffective disorder and fibromyalgia who used high-potency cannabis to alleviate pain but experienced adverse psychiatric effects. A month-long diet lowering free glutamate improved her pain, mental health, and allowed her to quit cannabis, highlighting the risks of cannabis self-medication for pain management.

7 May 2024

Electroconvulsive Therapy found to be safe and effective treatment for some mental illnesses

Researchers have found that Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), where an electric current is passed through the brain, can reduce the severity of mental illnesses.

9 Apr 2024

Understanding COVID-19 mortality in people with severe mental illness and different ethnicities

In a recent study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, researchers evaluated mortality in individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) following COVID-19.

31 Oct 2023

Serious mental illness associated with increased cardiovascular risk in young adults

An analysis of nearly 600,000 adults in the U.S. found that those diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder may have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease at younger ages compared to adults not diagnosed with one of those serious mental illnesses, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed Journal of the American Heart Association.

9 Mar 2022

Clinical decision support system may help improve cardiovascular health in patients with severe mental illness

In a new study, researchers demonstrated that they can significantly lower cardiovascular risk for patients with severe mental illness (SMI) by using a clinical decision support system that prompts doctors to provide individualized informational handouts about a patient's cardiovascular risk and treatment recommendations.

7 Mar 2022

Q&A: How will California’s new 988 mental health line actually work?

In September 2020, Congress passed bipartisan legislation creating a three-digit national suicide hotline: 988. Think of it as an alternative to 911 for mental health emergencies.

14 Oct 2021

Saliva test could be used for lithium monitoring among patients with mood disorders

Lithium is a common medication prescribed to patients with psychiatric disorders, namely bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression.

4 Oct 2021

FDA approves drug-free stroke rehabilitation system to treat upper extremity motor deficits

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the MicroTransponder Vivistim Paired VNS System (Vivistim System), a first-of-its-kind, drug-free rehabilitation system intended to treat moderate to severe upper extremity motor deficits associated with chronic ischemic stroke—a stroke caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain with long-lasting symptoms—using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

27 Aug 2021

Pilot study finds Bartonella infection in the blood of people with schizophrenia

A pilot study from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found evidence of Bartonella infection in the blood of people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

23 Mar 2021

Text-messaging can be a feasible tool to augment care for people with mental illness

In the U.S., it is estimated that approximately 19 percent of all adults have a diagnosable mental illness. Clinic-based services for mental health may fall short of meeting patient needs for many reasons including limited hours, difficulty accessing care and cost.

28 Jul 2020

In hard-hit areas, COVID’s ripple effects strain mental health care systems

In late March, Marcell's girlfriend took him to the emergency room at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, about 11 miles south of Detroit.

4 Jun 2020

Targeted treatment offers symptom relief for patients with psychosis

Treatment for individuals who experience psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions as a result of a psychiatric illness, can be targeted to a specific structural mutation, according to a study published by researchers from McLean Hospital and other institutions in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

3 Jul 2019

State lawmakers eye federal dollars to boost mental health counseling by peers

It's 1 p.m. on a balmy Oakland afternoon as residents of Great Expectations Residential Care, a home for people with mental illness, gather in an activity room for a game of bingo.

1 Jul 2019

Randomized controlled trial introduces new psychotherapeutic approach to schizophrenia

A randomized controlled trial published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics introduces a new psychotherapeutic approach to schizophrenia, based on psychological well-being.

31 May 2019

Research suggests wisdom is linked to happiness and mental health

New research suggests that wisdom is a direct contributor to psychological well-being and happiness.

15 May 2019

Copy number variants linked with 'schizophrenia-like' subtype of bipolar disorder

A form of rare genomic structural variation called copy number variants (CNVs) may be more closely associated with schizophrenia than bipolar disorder.

25 Jan 2019

Researchers aim to improve cognition, reverse weight gain in schizophrenia

Aerobic exercise can improve the size and function of the brain, and now investigators want to know if it can also improve cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia who struggle with memory and attention problems.

19 Dec 2018

Study finds epigenetic differences in the brains of individuals with schizophrenia

A study using a PET scan tracer developed at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital has identified, for the first time, epigenetic differences between the brains of individuals with schizophrenia and those of unaffected study participants.

17 Dec 2018

Smokers at greater risk of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders

A team of researchers from University of Queensland have found that tobacco use is associated with an increased risk of psychotic disorders including schizophrenia.

21 Nov 2018

Researchers find key differences in brains of males and females with schizophrenia

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found clear disparities in the way males and females--both those with schizophrenia and those who are healthy--discern the mental states of others.

30 Oct 2018