Anxiety News and Research

Latest Anxiety News and Research

Study shows that obesity is up, as is drinking by women

With the time for New Year’s resolutions uncomfortably close, latest data from a huge nationwide study shows that obesity is up, as is drinking by women. We are also getting more depressed and anxious and taking more drugs, and the poorer we are, the more likely it is we will smoke and not exercise or eat healthily.

21 Dec 2004

Mutant gene that starves the brain of serotonin 10 times more prevalent in depressed patients

A mutant gene that starves the brain of serotonin, a mood-regulating chemical messenger, has been discovered and found to be 10 times more prevalent in depressed patients than in control subjects, report researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

21 Dec 2004

Nearly 6 million Americans turned to complementary and alternative medicine because of costs

Nearly 6 million American adults turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the past year to treat such conditions as depression and chronic pain because conventional medical treatment was too expensive, according to a national study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

20 Dec 2004

Many women at high risk for breast cancer are foregoing tamoxifen

Many women at high risk for breast cancer are foregoing tamoxifen, the first FDA-approved drug for prevention of breast cancer, due to concerns about side effects, increased risk of other cancers, and lack of information, a new study by researchers in Boston shows. The study was published in the December 14 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

20 Dec 2004

Children level of anxiety prior to surgery is predictive of behavioral changes

A child's level of anxiety prior to surgery is predictive of whether they will experience post-surgical delirium and maladaptive behavioral changes, including anxiety, nighttime crying, and bedwetting, according to a Yale study published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.

20 Dec 2004

False positive cancer screening tests result not only in anxiety but also additional economic costs

Cancer screening tests can frequently produce false positive outcomes that may result not only in anxiety but also additional economic costs as well, according to research conducted by scientists at the Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Mich., and published in the December issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

14 Dec 2004

Realistic expectations make holidays happier

'Tis the season for spending time with family, friends, and for many – a therapist. But holiday blues, nagging family stress and overindulgence can be avoided if you set realistic expectations, according to a psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

13 Dec 2004

Early ritalin may cause long-term effects on the brain

A new study conducted in rats by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School suggests that the misdiagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined with prescription drug use in children may lead to a higher risk of developing depressive symptoms in adulthood.

13 Dec 2004

Newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression

A newly discovered genetic defect might represent an important risk factor for major depression, a condition which effects 20 million people in the U.S., according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

13 Dec 2004

Lupus drug may also be useful in treating psoriasis

A new drug candidate previously shown to reduce harmful side effects of the autoimmune disease lupus also may be useful in treating psoriasis.

13 Dec 2004

Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites born in the United States have a higher risk for developing psychiatric disorders

According to the results of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, reported in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites born in the United States have a higher risk for developing psychiatric disorders than their foreign-born counterparts who have immigrated to the United States.

7 Dec 2004

Mental disorders and suicide attempts are caused by social factors

Findings from a new study from Australia suggest that mental disorders and suicide attempts are caused by social factors. There is a need for social and economic responses beyond provision of mental health services.

6 Dec 2004

Family history not age greatly affects breast cancer risk

CancerBACUP has published the results of a survey revealing that more over 50s believe that family history - not age - greatly affects breast cancer risk.

6 Dec 2004

Study will help cancer survivors treated with radical hysterectomy regain their sexual health

When Linda Mercer underwent a radical hysterectomy to treat her cancer, she found herself and her husband struggling to regain a satisfying sex life.

4 Dec 2004

Discrimination could lead to an increase in mental health problems among gay men, lesbians and bi-sexual men and women

In a report published today in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the team from Imperial College London, University College London and the University of Brighton found that high levels of discrimination including physical attacks and bullying could be linked to high levels of mental disorder.

29 Nov 2004

New class of drugs to repair psychiatric disorders

“Smart” drugs capable of targeting specific brain cells to control psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia may be ready for early clinical trials within three years, with the launch of a $1.5 million project to take place at the Brain Research Centre (BRC)

29 Nov 2004