Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Cholesterol isn’t all bad

Cholesterol gets lots of bad press, and for good reason. An estimated 24 million women and 18 million men have total cholesterol levels of 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher increasing their risk of heart attack and stroke.

11 Jun 2004

Nearly a quarter of all UK's violent crimes are committed by the 2% of people who seriously misuse alcohol or drugs

Nearly a quarter (23%) of all violent crimes are committed by the 2% of people who seriously misuse alcohol or drugs, found a study by Oxford and Swedish researchers in the British Medical Journal.

11 Jun 2004

Strong evidence treatment for drug abuse can work says Kofi Annan

One of the most damaging misconceptions about drug use is that it is a permanent problem. The truth is that treatment for drug abuse can work, and can restore value and dignity to a person’s life.

11 Jun 2004

Joint framework for partnership action on disability

The Partnership Framework will help the NHS comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. The Act requires that service providers must not discriminate or provide a poorer quality of service to disabled people because of their disability.

10 Jun 2004

Drink that enhances the effectiveness of medication given to treat psychiatric illnesses

Scientists funded by the UK's largest biomedical research charity, The Wellcome Trust, have developed a drink that enhances the effectiveness of medication given to treat psychiatric illnesses such as mania and schizophrenia.

10 Jun 2004

AMA urges government to scrap Parental Access To Information Bill

The Bill would allow parents and guardians access to HIC information about children under 16 years of age [currently access is allowed for children under 14] – even if the children have their own Medicare cards.

10 Jun 2004

A £5m investment in mental health research will help to improve services for patients

The money will help to create the country's first ever Mental Health Research Network, which will act as a central resource and help to co-ordinate research.

7 Jun 2004

Gene mutation found in some women may decrease effectiveness of tamoxifen breast cancer drug

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Indiana University and the University of Michigan have found that some women have a gene mutation that may decrease the effectiveness of tamoxifen, a commonly used breast cancer drug.

7 Jun 2004

Australian Government's new mechanism for implementing the new Medicare allied health initiative

The Australian Government has announced that a mechanism for implementing the new Medicare allied health initiative from 1 July 2004 has been finalised following consultations with GP and allied health professional groups.

7 Jun 2004

Depression, insulin regimen linked to poor diabetes control

In the largest study of diabetes and depression conducted to date, researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found a clear link between the complexity of the self-care regimens in patients with diabetes and the effect of depression on diabetes control.

5 Jun 2004

Drug helps children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take 36- or 54-mg doses of once-daily CONCERTA® (methylphenidate HCl) CII are more likely to achieve significantly greater symptom response and symptom reduction than children with ADHD who take CONCERTA 18 mg once daily or near-equivalent doses of methylphenidate three-times-a-day, a study shows.

3 Jun 2004

Contradictory views on the use of Prozac to treat children with depression

A new US Government study suggests that anti-depressants such as Eli Lilly and Co's Prozac are the best way to treat children with depression.

3 Jun 2004

Adrenaline packs a powerful punch in the use of antidepressants

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that norepinephrine (adrenaline) plays an important role in animals in determining behavioral effects in some of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, regardless of which biochemical pathway the drug uses to alleviate symptoms of depression.

3 Jun 2004

Antipsychotic compound bifeprunox worth USD 1 billion per year to Solvay and Wyeth

Solvay has re-evaluated the commercial potential of bifeprunox, a Solvay compound in clinical development for the treatment of schizophrenia . Bifeprunox additionally has the potential to be developed in other disorders, i.e. bipolar disorder.

3 Jun 2004

Compulsive hoarding study could improve diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders

A PET imaging study conducted at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute indicates the neurobiology of America's estimated 1 million compulsive hoarders differs significantly from people with other obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. The findings indicate that different medications could improve treatment success.

2 Jun 2004

Chromium picolinate supplementation reduced carbohydrate cravings and atypical depression

Results of a new double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial found that daily supplementation with chromium picolinate significantly reduced some key symptoms of atypical depression.

2 Jun 2004

Treating post-traumatic stress disorder

Trinity Western University researchers are conducting comparative studies for three treatments of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that, in the last 10 years, have helped reduce and eliminate PTSD symptoms in female victims of sexual assault.

2 Jun 2004

Bullying is widespread within the UK's National Health Service

A survey has found that 47% of psychiatric trainees had been bullied in the previous year. Foreign doctors were significantly less likely to take action when bullied than local doctors.

2 Jun 2004

Schizophrenics who fail to take their medicines are over one-and-a-half times as likely to be rehospitalised

Patients with schizophrenia who fail to take their medicines as prescribed are over one-and-a-half times as likely to be rehospitalised and use in-patient services as patients who stick to their medication regimen. Non-adherence predicted an excess annual cost per patient of £5000 for total service use.

2 Jun 2004

'somatoform', or 'psychosomatic', disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders found in general practice

A study from the Netherlands has shown that ‘somatoform’, or ‘psychosomatic’, disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders found in general practice. At least one out of six patients seen by a general practitioner has a somatoform disorder.

2 Jun 2004

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Cholesterol isn’t all bad

Nearly a quarter of all UK's violent crimes are committed by the 2% of people who seriously misuse alcohol or drugs

Strong evidence treatment for drug abuse can work says Kofi Annan

Joint framework for partnership action on disability

Drink that enhances the effectiveness of medication given to treat psychiatric illnesses

AMA urges government to scrap Parental Access To Information Bill

A £5m investment in mental health research will help to improve services for patients

Gene mutation found in some women may decrease effectiveness of tamoxifen breast cancer drug

Australian Government's new mechanism for implementing the new Medicare allied health initiative

Depression, insulin regimen linked to poor diabetes control

Drug helps children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Contradictory views on the use of Prozac to treat children with depression

Adrenaline packs a powerful punch in the use of antidepressants

Antipsychotic compound bifeprunox worth USD 1 billion per year to Solvay and Wyeth

Compulsive hoarding study could improve diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders

Chromium picolinate supplementation reduced carbohydrate cravings and atypical depression

Treating post-traumatic stress disorder

Bullying is widespread within the UK's National Health Service

Schizophrenics who fail to take their medicines are over one-and-a-half times as likely to be rehospitalised

'somatoform', or 'psychosomatic', disorders are among the most common psychiatric disorders found in general practice

Researchers listen in on how fat cells “talk” to the brain

The Increasing Use of Microfluidics in Labs and Hospitals

Designing a new treatment to treat migraine effectively

Drug Discovery eBook

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Researchers listen in on how fat cells “talk” to the brain

The Increasing Use of Microfluidics in Labs and Hospitals

Designing a new treatment to treat migraine effectively

Drug Discovery eBook

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