Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Early transition to menopause may increase risk for first onset of depression

Women with no history of depression may be at an increased risk of new onset depressive symptoms and disorders as they transition to menopause, according to two studies in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

7 Apr 2006

Doctors must listen when patients talk of a failing memory

A team at the Aging and Memory Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, has found that a higher self awareness of memory difficulties may be associated with brain function decline over time, particularly in older adults with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.

6 Apr 2006

Staggering costs of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation on the nation

According to a new report by the Institute of Medicine ( IOM), 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, which adversely affects daily functioning, health and longevity.

5 Apr 2006

Man takes 40,000 ecstasy pills in nine years

Researchers from London University have revealed details of a man who claims to have taken 40,000 ecstasy pills over nine year period.

5 Apr 2006

Menopause linked with the onset of depression

Two new studies say women with no history of depression may be at an increased risk of depressive symptoms and disorders as they enter menopause.

5 Apr 2006

Higher self awareness of memory difficulties may be associated with brain function decline over time

Published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the study offers a greater understanding of how different types and varying degrees of memory complaints may relate to brain function decline, a finding that may lead to early treatment interventions for people who could develop Alzheimer's disease.

4 Apr 2006

Regular consumption of either black or green tea may reduce risk of Alzheimer's

Tea may be more than a trendy coffee alternative, according to researchers at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre (DHRC).

4 Apr 2006

Prenatal vitamins are important for the health and well-being of both mother and child

Children born to teenage mothers who were iron deficient early in their pregnancies were less active at age 3 than the children of iron sufficient moms, a Penn State study has shown.

4 Apr 2006

If you're middle age and sleep five or less hours a night, you may be increasing your risk of developing high blood pressure

"Sleep allows the heart to slow down and blood pressure to drop for a significant part of the day," said James E. Gangwisch, PhD, lead author of the study and post-doctoral fellow in the psychiatric epidemiology training (PET) program at the Mailman School.

4 Apr 2006

Functional magnetic resonance imaging can predict effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy for treating depression

Whether or not cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) will help a person recover from depression can be predicted through brain imaging, according to research results published by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

4 Apr 2006

People with very agile minds tend to have a very agile cortex

Youth with superior IQ are distinguished by how fast the thinking part of their brains thickens and thins as they grow up, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have discovered.

4 Apr 2006

Effects of weight training on quality of life in recent breast cancer survivors

Weight training significantly improves the quality of life of women recently treated for breast cancer, according to a new study.

4 Apr 2006

New guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson disease

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology aim to educate physicians on the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson disease and provide people with Parkinson disease an improved quality of life.

3 Apr 2006

Scans show smart kids have different brains

Researchers say that children who perform differently in IQ tests show different patterns of brain development.

31 Mar 2006

Depression and urinary incontinence go hand in hand

Canadian researchers say that women who suffer from urinary incontinence are at nearly twice the risk of depression compared to women without the embarrassing disorder.

28 Mar 2006

One in every fifteen teenagers self harms

As a result of a new inquiry the British Government has been urged to launch a national scheme to tackle the problem of self-harming among young people.

28 Mar 2006

No evidence that early episodes of schizophrenia without medication result in long-term harm

A University of Southern California - USC review of published research has found no evidence that early episodes of schizophrenia without medication result in long-term harm for patients, casting doubt on the practice to immediately medicate for a year.

28 Mar 2006

Depression treatment may require different drugs for different people

If a first antidepressant medication doesn't work, try a different one, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

27 Mar 2006

Children of men with stressful jobs more likely to commit suicide

The children of men with stressful jobs, particularly jobs in which they have low control over their work and low psychological demand, are at higher risk of attempting suicide than others.

27 Mar 2006

Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome - new syndrome in women not much fun!

A new syndrome affecting women has been identified by doctors; the sexual condition tentatively named 'Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome', (PSAS), has as its primary symptom continual unrelieved feelings of genital arousal in the absence of genuine sexual interest or desire.

27 Mar 2006