Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Structural component inside neurons dances when connections are strengthened

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have uncovered how a structural component inside neurons performs two coordinated dance moves when the connections between neurons are strengthened.

14 Sep 2010

Researchers to discuss brain's secrets at neuroscience conference

Top brain researchers from around the world will be in Milwaukee, Sept, 16-19, 2010, for a neuroscience conference focused on gaining insights into the brain's inner workings to better understand how the brain thinks, how the brain develops, and how the brain is altered by neurological diseases and how it responds to treatment.

14 Sep 2010

Depression in children and teens need to be treated early

Depression in children and teenagers can be very debilitating and can have a lifelong impact. Parents who suspect their child, even their youngster, might be depressed should seek help right away rather than simply hope their child will eventually "grow out of it."

14 Sep 2010

Neural inhibition critical in ability to make choices

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study sheds light on the brain mechanisms that allow us to make choices and ultimately could be helpful in improving treatments for the millions of people who suffer from the effects of anxiety disorders.

14 Sep 2010

Laser acupuncture a plausible treatment for depression

Acupuncture produces significant changes in parts of the brain that regulate emotional states and is a biologically plausible treatment for depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders, Australian researchers have shown for the first time.

13 Sep 2010

DSP Clinical Research ranked #1674 on Inc. 5000 list

DSP Clinical Research achieved a ranking of No. 1674 on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list. DSP provides customized contract research services for small to mid-size pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies conducting Phase I to IV clinical studies.

13 Sep 2010

Genomas awarded method patent for PhyzioGenomics Technology

Genomas®, a biomedical company advancing DNA-Guided Medicine, has been awarded US Patent 7,747,392, entitled Physiogenomic Method for Predicting Clinical Outcomes of Treatment in Patients by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

13 Sep 2010

Heart Failure Society of America's 14th Annual Scientific Meeting convenes September 12, 2010

The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) 14th Annual Scientific Meeting convened Sunday, September 12, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. This four-day meeting -- a forum for heart failure specialists to present research findings and advances in treatment -- will address emerging trends in research and new developments in the approach to treating patients with all stages of heart failure.

13 Sep 2010

UIC Institute for Juvenile Research centennial anniversary celebrations on Oct. 1

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine's Institute for Juvenile Research will celebrate its centennial anniversary Oct. 1.

13 Sep 2010

Mental illness costs Canadian economy $51 billion in lost productivity

Mental illness is associated with more lost work days than any other chronic condition, costing the Canadian economy $51 billion annually in lost productivity. In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have calculated the actual cost of mental health leave and found that on average it's double the cost of a leave for a physical illness.

13 Sep 2010

Six California-based institutions collaborate to guide CDU

Six California-based institutions specializing in health, hospital, university and nonprofit health announced today the formation of a new and unprecedented collaboration effort to rescue, restructure, reinvigorate and guide Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) towards a new, resurgent and financially viable future.

13 Sep 2010

eMedischedule.com to provide online appointment scheduling system for clinics

eMedischedule.com, a provider of online clinic scheduling and medical scheduling technology, has been selected by the South Central Public Health District in Twins Falls, ID., to provide customized online scheduling and automated virtual call center technology to support its clinic and office scheduling needs.

13 Sep 2010

Researchers find amyloid precursor protein function in Alzheimer's disease

In people with Alzheimer's, the brain becomes riddled with clumps of protein, forming what are known as amyloid plaques. Now, a report appearing in the September 17th print issue of Cell appears to have found a function for the amyloid precursor protein that yields the prime ingredient in those plaques.

13 Sep 2010

Unemployment federal programs fail to assist job seekers with disabilities: Study

Federal programs to assist the unemployed are failing job seekers with disabilities, according to an investigation by Jean Hall and Kathy Parker of the Center for Research on Learning at the University of Kansas.

13 Sep 2010

Accord reached on draft declaration for MDG summit

World powers have reached an accord, after weeks of tough talks, on a document to be adopted at a Millennium Development summit this month for which [U.N.] Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is seeking billions of dollars of new funding,Agence France-Presse reports in an article that describes how representatives from donor and developing nations debated how best to pay for a kick start to the ambitious development goals first set at the Millennium summit in 2000.

13 Sep 2010

Ill. prepares high risk pool; Calif. residents struggle with rising health care costs

"At first glance, the new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan sounds like welcome relief for jobless Illinoisans who have serious medical issues and are struggling with the loss of employer financed health care. The federally financed $5 billion plan $196 million of which is earmarked for Illinois provides an affordable health insurance option to people who previously were limited to the far more expensive, state run Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan.

13 Sep 2010

Physician shortage could grow under new health law

HealthDay/Bloomberg BusinessWeek: With tens of millions of patients newly insured under the law, "[s]ome experts worry that there could be longer wait times to see a doctor, particularly in rural areas and underserved markets where primary-care physicians are in short supply. … [P]rimary-care physicians make up only 35 percent of America's physician workforce, and the pipeline of fresh talent is tapering off.

10 Sep 2010

Today's Opinions: Democrats running away from health care; One company's success with insurance; Calif.'s effort on mental health parity

Facing a grim November, Democrats are now running on another quarter-baked stimulus plan and the specter of John Boehner's perpetual tan, instead of the bill they spent more than a year debating and hailed as the liberal triumph of the century. Democrats now barely mention ObamaCare on the trail—unless they're trashing it (9/9).

10 Sep 2010

NAADAC and Hazelden partner to improve treatment for co-occurring disorders

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and Hazelden, the national nonprofit focused on addiction treatment, prevention and recovery announced today a new strategic partnership focused on improving the treatment of co-occurring disorders. The partnership announcement was made by NAADAC Executive Director Cynthia Moreno Tuohy during the National Conference on Addiction Disorders in Washington, D.C.

10 Sep 2010

Perception of danger during disaster can impact health long-term

Feeling like your life is in danger during an accident or disaster can have long-term negative effects on health—whether or not the threat to your life was real. This is one of the results of a new doctoral thesis from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet on the experiences and mental health of Stockholm residents who survived the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean. A few simple questions to survivors early on could help health care personnel identify those in need of extra support and follow-up, according to Lars Wahlström, the researcher behind the thesis.

10 Sep 2010