Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Research sheds light on transmission of obesity among friends and family

Obesity is socially contagious, according to research published in the past few years. How it is "caught" from others remains a murky area. But findings from Arizona State University researchers published online May 5 in the American Journal of Public Health shed light on the transmission of obesity among friends and family.

7 May 2011

Researchers use virtual computer model to understand schizophrenic brains

Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have found.

6 May 2011

Novel neurotransmitter could fight against neurological diseases

A team of scientists has discovered that D-aspartic acid is a novel neurotransmitter that could potentially be used in the fight against neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

6 May 2011

Omeros' PDE7 program expands addiction franchise

Omeros Corporation today announced that its phosphodiesterase 7 inhibitors demonstrated robust efficacy in animal models of nicotine addiction.

6 May 2011

Pregnant Latinas who endure partner violence more likely to suffer postpartum depression

Latinas who endure violence at the hands of a partner during or within a year of pregnancy are five times more likely to suffer postpartum depression than women who have not experienced such violence, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA Center for Culture, Trauma and Mental Health Disparities.

6 May 2011

Study examines community-based HIV testing programs in Africa, Southeast Asia

If you want to improve HIV testing rates in remote rural areas, get the community involved, says UCLA's Thomas Coates, who has directed a new study examining HIV testing programs in communities in Africa and Southeast Asia.

6 May 2011

Roundup: Vt. House vote on universal health care could come today; Calif. group warns of rising costs of retiree health care and pensions

The House is slated Thursday to take up a conference committee report on a bill designed to put the state on the path to universal health care by 2017 if not sooner. The bill sets up a new Green Mountain Care Board to design a system to provide health insurance to every Vermont resident.

6 May 2011

COIN hosts nanobiotechnology event on nanomedicines and the regulatory path

The Center of Innovation for Nanobiotechnology (COIN) today announced the upcoming NanoBio Executive Roundtable event to be hosted at RTP Foundation in Durham, NC on May 17, 2011. This Roundtable will tackle regulatory issues surrounding nanomedicine commercialization. The “Nanomedicines and the Regulatory Path” Roundtable will kick off with a presentation from Katherine Tyner, Ph.D., a Chemist in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

5 May 2011

Health officials concerned with mental health problems after QLD floods

According to health experts Ipswich residents need to look out for the mental health of friends and family with the effects of January’s floods still weighing on many people. The Australian Medical Association of Queensland (AMAQ) launched the See the Signs awareness campaign this week to help people spot symptoms of mental health issues like depression.

5 May 2011

CanTeen launches groundbreaking cancer support system

For these young people, a parent’s cancer can cause great disruption to routines and relationships and can contribute to immense feelings of anxiety and isolation. CanTeen offers young people dealing with their parent's cancer a powerful dual support system in the form of an innovative Offspring Support Program (being launched in Melbourne on 11 May and Brisbane on 17 May, with plans to go national) and a practical FREE resource book Now What…? Dealing with your parent’s cancer, which may be the only help they receive during this difficult time.

5 May 2011

Researchers present evidence from first ever general population survey of autism in adulthood

Not a single person identified with autism or asperger's syndrome during a community survey in England actually knew they had the condition, research led by the University of Leicester reveals.

5 May 2011

Insights into psychiatric disorders

Social deficits are common in several psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Individuals with severe social dysfunction can experience significant difficulties with everyday functioning.

5 May 2011

Headache disorders prevalent but under-treated and cause financial burden, WHO report says

Approximately half to three quarters of adults ages 18 to 65 experienced headache last year, making headache disorders one of the most prevalent but under-treated health problems in the world, according to a report released Tuesday by the WHO, Xinhua reports.

5 May 2011

Roundup: Vt. universal care bill advances; Duluth, Minn., seeking to change retiree health benefits; Texas steps back from plan to close centers for disabled

Dr. James Mongan, a physician with a specialty in politics who for decades helped shape the health care debate in Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth, and who formerly served as president of Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners HealthCare, died in MGH yesterday.

5 May 2011

Community-based care programs can improve children's mental health: SAMHSA

According to data released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, children and youth affected by traumatic events improve their functioning in community-based "system of care" programs.

4 May 2011

Ecstasy may cause long-term brain damage

Ecstasy - the illegal "rave" drug that produces feelings of euphoria and emotional warmth - has been in the news recently as a potential therapeutic. Clinical trials are testing Ecstasy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

4 May 2011

The Bonati Spine Institute to participate in the Arthritis Walk on May 7

The Bonati Spine Institute, the leading center for the patented Bonati Spine Procedures for minimally invasive laser spine surgery, announces that a team of employees will participate in the Arthritis Walk on May 7.

4 May 2011

Roundup: Mass. officials wrestle with municipal health care issues

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says he and legislative leaders are in fundamental agreement over what should be included in a municipal health care bill, even while there remains disagreement on the specifics. The House approved a measure last week that would largely strip public employee unions of collective bargaining rights over health care benefits. The Senate is expected to act in the coming weeks.

4 May 2011

Regular dose of sunshine could help prevent falls

Regular exposure to sunshine to maintain adequate vitamin D levels could help prevent falls in the elderly.

3 May 2011

Study: Dual medications do not hasten recovery from depression

Taking two medications for depression does not hasten recovery from the condition that affects 19 million Americans each year, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a national study.

3 May 2011