Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Conference to explore how asset based approaches can enhance health among communities

Health researchers from the University of Hertfordshire will host an international conference at the British Library next week (26-27 September), which will explore how asset based approaches can enhance health among communities.

23 Sep 2011

Dementia patients have poor outcomes in hospital

If you have dementia and need to be admitted to hospital to be treated for other illnesses or injuries, your prospects for recovery are substantially worse than for other patients, research has found.

22 Sep 2011

Depression and stroke: Analysis of studies finds a connect

A latest study shows that people who are depressed may be a little more likely than others to suffer a stroke down the road. Looking at 28 past studies, researchers estimated there would be 106 extra cases of stroke per 100,000 depressed people each year, 22 of them fatal.

22 Sep 2011

Critics complain about changes in mental health coverage in Iowa, Ariz.

Under Iowa's new Medicaid rule, psychiatric patients can fill only 15 days' worth of medications at a time. In Arizona, state officials say the mental health system has weathered deep cuts, but advocates see harm from the move.

22 Sep 2011

Caregivers under financial and emotional strain

Family members or friends caring for aging or disabled individuals in California are under both financial and emotional strain and are likely to face even greater burdens, given recent cuts in state support for programs and services that support in-home care, write the authors of a new policy brief by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

22 Sep 2011

Jefferson experts review most commonly used CAM practices for mood disorders

Mood disorders are among the most prevalent mental health issues today. While medication is available, more and more people are turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including herbal remedies, acupuncture, and meditation to help manage their mood disorders.

22 Sep 2011

Addressing the exclusion of mental health from the MDGs

PRI's "The World" highlights the state of mental health care in Uganda in an examination of how the exclusion of mental health from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has, according to some advocates, held back mental health as a global health issue. Julius Kayiira, director of Mental Health Uganda, an organization that provides social support, job training and care to people with mental illness, "says organizations like his face an enormous funding gap, and he blames that gap, in part, on the United Nations," according to "The World."

22 Sep 2011

Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in early-onset dementia

No cure exists for frontotemporal dementia, which strikes between the ages of 40 and 64 and accounts for at least one in four cases of early-onset dementia. Caused by the death of cells in the front and sides of the brain, the disease can lead to dramatic changes in a patient's personality and behavior, including the loss of the ability to communicate.

22 Sep 2011

Common genetic variants linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Knowledge about the biological origin of diseases like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions is critical to improving diagnosis and treatment.

22 Sep 2011

Cornell researchers identify how T. gondii controls host's immune system

Toxoplasma gondii parasites can invade your bloodstream, break into your brain and prompt behavioral changes from recklessness to neuroticism. These highly contagious protozoa infect more than half the world's population, and most people's immune systems never purge the intruders.

22 Sep 2011

First epidemiological study on the prevention of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, in Montreal, Quebec, are about to launch the first epidemiological study on the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

22 Sep 2011

Zinc plays a critical role in regulating communication between brain cells

Zinc has been found to play a critical role in regulating communication between cells in the brain, possibly governing the formation of memories and controlling the occurrence of epileptic seizures.

22 Sep 2011

SAMHSA selects 11 organizations to receive 2011 Science and Service Awards

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has selected 11 organizations to receive the agency's 2011 Science and Service Awards. These awards recognize exemplary implementation of evidence-based interventions shown to prevent and/or treat mental illnesses and substance abuse.

22 Sep 2011

Gothenburg researcher advises patients with acute low back pain to stay active

Move if you have back pain, this is the advice of a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Patients with acute low back pain who were advised to stay active despite the pain fared better than those who were told to adjust their activity in line with their pain.

21 Sep 2011

UNC sports medicine researcher receives 2011 MacArthur Fellowship for concussion study

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sports medicine researcher Kevin Guskiewicz, one of the country's leading experts on concussions, has been named a 2011 MacArthur Fellow.

21 Sep 2011

Depression may increase risk of stroke and death

An analysis of nearly 30 studies including more than 300,000 patients finds that depression is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing stroke and dying from stroke, according to an article in the September 21 issue of JAMA.

21 Sep 2011

Tackling Alzheimer’s and dementia

The latest research into the prevention and treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s is the focus of a major conference in Sydney this week.

20 Sep 2011

Diabetes and dementia, connection found

A new study revealed that people with diabetes may be at an increased risk of developing dementia. Scientists have suspected the link between the two diseases for several years, but several experts say this latest study highlights how treating preventable diseases like diabetes and obesity may be useful in preventing the onset of dementia.

20 Sep 2011

Multimodal analgesia important for effective control of pain

Efforts to effectively control pain in hospitalized patients with opioid (narcotic) analgesics can lead to unintentional sedation and respiratory depression, which are serious adverse events affecting the quality of recovery for patients.

20 Sep 2011

Common symptoms of pediatric feeding disorder

Catering to a child who is a picky eater is like being a short-order cook: chaotic. Dinnertime becomes a war zone, leading to hopeless battles fought over vegetables and macaroni and cheese.

20 Sep 2011