Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Consumer Reports Health publishes rankings of 227 HMOs, POS plans

With open enrollment season now underway, consumers with employer-based health insurance can take advantage of the once-a-year opportunity to switch plans. To help consumers compare health insurance plans, Consumer Reports Health is today publishing rankings of 227 HMOs and Point of Service (POS) plans.

5 Oct 2010

International conference on brain stimulation in psychiatry and neurology to be held October 7 and 8

Thirteen national and international experts in the field of Brain Stimulation in Psychiatry and Neurology will meet October 7 and 8 during a conference held at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute. They will present research findings and ground-breaking clinical applications concerning the use of brain stimulation techniques. New treatments still under development, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, will also be discussed. Close to 150 participants are expected to take part in this conference.

5 Oct 2010

Nursing staff have 'difficulty' detecting depression and distress in patients: Study

New research from the University of Leicester reveals that nursing staff have 'considerable difficulty' detecting depression and distress in patients.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers complete first studies of mephedrone drug ban in Northern Ireland

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have completed one of the first studies of mephedrone use in Northern Ireland since the drug was outlawed earlier this year. They found that the ban did not deter those mephedrone users surveyed from taking the substance.

5 Oct 2010

Study: 18% of children with ADHD suffered from depression as adolescents

Children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at ages 4 to 6 are more likely to suffer from depression as adolescents than those who did not have ADHD at that age, according to a long-term study published in the October issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. Although it was an uncommon occurrence, the children with ADHD also were somewhat more likely to think about or attempt suicide as adolescents.

5 Oct 2010

Research on T cell may lead to new treatment options for type 1 diabetes

A research team from the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital has identified the role of a type of T cell in type 1 diabetes that may lead to new treatment options for young patients.

5 Oct 2010

McGill University joins two leading Swiss research institutions to enhance neuroscience research

Building on its worldwide reputation as a leader in neuroscience research, McGill University today joined with two leading Swiss research institutions - the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) - to enhance neuroscience research in a host of areas, in fields that include pain therapy, Alzheimer's disease, synapse modelling and repair, neuroimmunology and genetic mechanisms of brain diseases.

5 Oct 2010

Study finds children with ADHD have high risk for adolescent depression

Young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to be at greater risk for adolescent depression and/or suicide attempts five to 13 years after diagnosis, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

5 Oct 2010

Calif. Governor signs law for oversight of CT scans; Ariz. man's transplant on hold because of Medicaid cuts; Texas pharmacies sue CVS Caremark

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed tough new legislation tightening oversight of diagnostic CT scans, largely in response to the overdosing of hundreds of patients who underwent brain scans for stroke in 2008 and 2009.

5 Oct 2010

Depressed pregnant women at increased risk of delivering preterm birth and low-birth weight infants

Clinical depression puts pregnant women at increased risk of delivering prematurely and of giving birth to below-normal weight infants, according to a report published Oct. 4 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 Oct 2010

Neuro-Biotech introduces biomarker for progressive clinical investigation on Alzheimer's Disease

Neuro-Biotech Corporation introduces a Neuro-biomarker which is linked to a series of Neuro-Bio tests. This will permit to understand the science behind them and how they each will contribute to a progressive clinical investigation involving the input and output of the brain.

5 Oct 2010

Reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor are a trait marker for psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

New research from Rhode Island Hospital found that reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein in the brain that encourages growth of neurons, may be a trait marker for individuals with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) (seizures that are psychological in origin). The findings are published in the October 4, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

5 Oct 2010

Elsevier launches new journal on neuroscience

Elsevier, a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of a new journal, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

5 Oct 2010

NIEHS awards grant to study environmental impact on genetic information

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded $2.27 million to Indiana University researcher Joseph Shaw for a five-year study of how the environment alters genetic information through mutation and natural selection.

5 Oct 2010

Second pathway to brain’s memory function uncovered

Australian and US scientists have successfully identified a new mechanism by which the brain learns and stores memories. This could spell hope for brain injuries and diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

4 Oct 2010

Depression treatment guidelines updated

There has been an update in the treatment of clinical depression. This includes suggestions on the use of medication, talk therapy, exercise, and alternative treatments and puts more emphasis on tailor made treatments for patients.

4 Oct 2010

Healthcare system does not take girls with autism or ADHD symptoms seriously

When girls with symptoms of autism or ADHD seek professional medical help, their problems are often played down or misinterpreted, and there is a real risk that they will not get the help or support they need. As such, more training is needed in this area, particularly in the public sector, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg.

4 Oct 2010

Drug companies accused of skirting requirement to submit prices

Drug makers frequently ignore a federal requirement that they submit "pricing data needed to calculate discounts on medications prescribed for poor people under Medicaid, federal investigators say in a new report," The New York Times reports.

4 Oct 2010

Otsuka opens Canadian operations

Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc. has opened its first Canadian office, in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Laurent. This marks a major milestone in the continued growth of Otsuka in North America.

4 Oct 2010

Increase in unemployment rate linked to child maltreatment

The stresses of poverty have long been associated with child abuse and neglect. In a study presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco, researchers directly linked an increased unemployment rate to child maltreatment one year later.

4 Oct 2010