Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Researchers focus on neuregulin gene and schizophrenia

Queen's scientists have started research on a human gene that will lead to a better understanding of schizophrenia.

12 Oct 2007

Poor self-esteem can trigger the primal fight-or-flight response

Few can tolerate such romantic or professional rebuffs as "It's not you, it's me" and "we regret to inform you that your application was not successful." But while a healthy dose of self-esteem can absorb the shock of rejection, poor self-esteem can trigger the primal fight-or-flight response, according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.

12 Oct 2007

Promoting mental health requires cultural sensitivity in mental health services and programs

One out of 35 people in the world is an immigrant, and in virtually every country, different languages, beliefs and cultures coexist.

10 Oct 2007

Stress is a contributing factor in human disease

In a review of the scientific literature on the relationship between stress and disease, Carnegie Mellon University psychologist Sheldon Cohen has found that stress is a contributing factor in human disease, and in particular depression, cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS.

10 Oct 2007

Stress and disease likely linked

A new commentary in the Oct. 10 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association explores whether psychological stress leads to disease and concludes that the link is likely.

10 Oct 2007

Connection between substance abuse and violence examined

Approximately 50 percent of Americans over the age of 12 currently drink alcohol, according to a 2003 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

10 Oct 2007

Cautious optimism for new Alzheimer's medications

Alzheimer's disease takes a long time to develop, which suggests that it may be possible to design drugs that work early in the disease process, to delay the start of symptoms.

10 Oct 2007

Just one week of meditation helps

Researchers in the U.S. have found that in order to benefit from meditation, months of practice are not essential and benefits can be achieved in just one week.

10 Oct 2007

Bad marriage equals a bad heart

The epidemiologists at University College London, Britain, found that even after taking into account other factors that could contribute to heart disease, such as depression, men and women with negative aspects in their relationships still had a 25 percent increase in heart disease risk.

9 Oct 2007

Study links chemical to inhibited milk synthesis, secretion in humans

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have identified the neurotransmitter serotonin as the chemical responsible for inhibiting milk production and secretion in human mammary glands.

9 Oct 2007

Negative aspects of close relationships linked to heart disease risk

Individuals whose close relationships have negative aspects, such as conflict and adverse exchanges, appear to have an increased risk of heart disease than those with more positive close relationships, according to a report in the Oct. 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Oct 2007

Depression in the elderly can act as a predictor of future intellectual decline

Depression in the elderly increases the risk of subsequent mental impairment and can act as a predictor of future intellectual decline, a study by University of Rochester Medical Center psychiatrists and researchers has found.

9 Oct 2007

Body-mind meditation helps reduce stress

A team of researchers from China and the University of Oregon have developed an approach for neuroscientists to study how meditation might provide improvements in a person's attention and response to stress.

9 Oct 2007

Taking antidepressants with painkillers dangerous

Taking antidepressants together with painkillers can substantially increase the risk of bleeding from the stomach, according to new research by the University of East Anglia.

9 Oct 2007

SSRIs may double risk of gastrointestinal bleeding

New research shows that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a group of drugs commonly used to treat depression, may double the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, according to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues.

9 Oct 2007

Half of the world has no access to palliative care

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a guide on palliative care for people with the advanced stages of cancer.

8 Oct 2007

Guidance for public health planners on people living with advanced cancer

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released its first guide on planning palliative care services for people living with advanced stages of cancer.

8 Oct 2007

Experts urge women to eat plenty of fish while pregnant

Experts in the United States are contradicting government recommendations and warnings regarding fish and other seafood in the diets of pregnant and breast-feeding women.

7 Oct 2007

Largest study of child health ever conducted in the United States

The UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities has been selected as one of 22 new study centers for the National Children's Study, a nationwide project designed to assess the effects of environmental and genetic factors on children's health in the United States.

4 Oct 2007

Nurses play valuable role in assessing people held in police custody

Nurses are now playing a valuable role in assessing people held in police custody, complementing the traditional role of the police doctor and improving response times, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

4 Oct 2007