Anxiety News and Research

Latest Anxiety News and Research

Workplace opportunities and stresses are both increasing

Teamworking and other modern employment practices can put as much strain on a woman's family relationships as working an extra 120 hours a year, an extensive study of the British workforce funded by the Economic and Social Research Council suggests.

17 Dec 2007

Women and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Women have made a good deal of welcome progress in the last several decades, but at least one advance is unwanted: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is on the rise in women in prevalence, morbidity and mortality.

17 Dec 2007

Women persist in plastic surgery treatments that are not working

Women are more likely to persist with using creams, supplements and plastic surgery to look younger if they feel these are not yet working, new research says.

14 Dec 2007

Venlafaxine extended-release effective for patients with major depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common major mental illness, afflicting almost one in five individuals.

13 Dec 2007

Sedative may have better outcomes than common medication for ICU patients on respirator

Intensive care unit patients on respirators who were sedated with the drug dexmedetomidine had more days alive without delirium or coma and better sedation compared to patients treated with the recommended drug lorazepam, according to a study in the December 12 issue of JAMA.

13 Dec 2007

Relationship of female sex hormones to mood states and disorders merits better research

Countless movies and TV shows make light of women's so-called “moodiness”, often jokingly attributing it to their menstrual cycle or, conversely, to menopause.

13 Dec 2007

Intensive care quality of sleep improved by new drug dexmedetomidine

A new sedative drug has been shown to improve the sleep quality and comfort levels of intensive care patients, compared to the most commonly-used medication, according to research published today in the journal JAMA.

13 Dec 2007

International team gets new award to research the causes of bladder problems that affect one in six adults

An international research project which aims to solve why some people feel the constant need to urinate - a condition that affects one in every six adults - has received a prestigious new £420,000 award from the leading UK-based urology journal and charity BJU International.

10 Dec 2007

Is there a developmental component to the risk for depression?

Psychiatrists remain divided as to how to define and classify the mood and anxiety disorders, the most common mental disorders.

10 Dec 2007

Depression screening for cancer patients too often falls between the cracks

Depression is known to be associated with cancer yet too many cancer patients are not screened for this mental disorder, according to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and the Roudebush VA Medical Center.

10 Dec 2007

Nicotine has significant effects on brain GABA

There is a clear link between GABA - a chemical substance of the central nervous system that inhibits neurons in the brain - and nicotine dependence, according to a study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

New strategy for developing antidepressants

Researchers may be able to develop an antidepressant which takes effect almost immediately by directly targeting novel molecules in the brain instead of taking a less direct route, which can lead to longer times for medication to take effect, according to a new study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Genetic animal model of autism

By introducing a gene mutation in mice, investigators have created what they believe to be the first accurate model of autism not associated with a broader neuropsychiatric syndrome, according to research presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting.

10 Dec 2007

Breast MRI spots other cancers, may alter treatment plan

In about 20 percent of women with breast cancer who plan to undergo a lumpectomy, breast magnetic resonance imaging reveals important diagnostic information that alters their treatment plan, University of Florida surgeons reported today (Dec. 5).

5 Dec 2007

Middle-aged Australians more anxious and depressed than their elderly counterparts

A study, by Dr Julian Trollor and Dr Tracy Anderson from the School of Psychiatry at UNSW, found that elderly participants (those aged 65 and above) reported a lower prevalence of psychiatric and anxiety disorders and had lower levels of psychological distress than middle-aged participants.

4 Dec 2007

Immediate relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease face increased risk of depression/anxiety disorders

Immediate relatives (brother, sister, mother, father, son or daughter) of people who have Parkinson's disease are at increased risk for developing depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new study by Mayo Clinic.

4 Dec 2007

Almost half of New Orleans residents have anxiety or mood disorders

Almost half of pre-hurricane residents of New Orleans and one-fourth of those living in other affected areas had evidence of an anxiety or mood disorder five to seven months following Hurricane Katrina, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

4 Dec 2007

New psychiatric medication treatment guidelines for preschoolers

The number of preschool-age children being treated with stimulants, antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs is on the rise, despite limited research and a lack of clinical practice guidelines.

4 Dec 2007

Practice parameters discuss treatment for narcolepsy, other hypersomnias of central origin

Practice parameters published in the December 1 issue of the journal SLEEP serve as both an update of previous practice parameters for the therapy of narcolepsy and as the first practice parameters to address treatment of other hypersomnias of central origin, including idiopathic hypersomnia, recurrent hypersomnia and hypersomnia due to medical condition.

3 Dec 2007

Why do mental illness and drug addiction so often go together?

New research reveals that this type of dual diagnosis may stem from a common cause: developmental changes in the amygdala, a walnut-shaped part of the brain linked to fear, anxiety and other emotions.

3 Dec 2007