Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Genetic variation linked to premenstrual depression

A specific genetic variation may be tied to an increased risk for severe premenstrual depression, scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Mental Health have found.

18 Jul 2007

Study identifies areas of the brain involved in alien hand syndrome

Alien hand syndrome (AHS) is a rare neurological disorder that causes hand movement without the person being aware of what is happening or having control over the action.

18 Jul 2007

Governments tackle interpersonal violence

Governments around the world are taking new and stronger measures to quell interpersonal violence and its life-long health consequences, a new WHO report shows.

18 Jul 2007

Group talk helps men with erectile dysfunction

Taking part in group psychotherapy can help men who have erectile dysfunction to over come their problem, and adding sildenafil to group therapy was more effective that sildenafil alone.

18 Jul 2007

Preventive techniques greatly reduce pressure ulcers

Working together to reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers in patients throughout various care settings, members of the New Jersey Hospital Association's Pressure Ulcer Collaborative have reported a 70 percent reduction in the incidence of new pressure ulcers after nearly two years of applying shared best practices and preventive techniques.

18 Jul 2007

Review examines how well GPs treat anxiety, depression or substance abuse

When patients have psychosocial problems such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse, a general practice doctor is often the first healthcare professional they see.

18 Jul 2007

Depression and smoking link

Ever wonder why smoking and depression seem to go together? A Saint Louis University School of Public Health researcher finds the connection is genetic.

17 Jul 2007

Women's cognitive decline associated with interrupted or fitful sleep

Women who experienced cognitive decline over a 13 to 15 year period after age 65 were more likely to sleep poorly than women whose cognition did not decline, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

17 Jul 2007

Older women with memory problems at higher risk of sleep disorders

Older women experiencing memory loss are more likely than women without cognitive decline to have problems falling asleep and staying asleep, according to a study published in the July 17, 2007, issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jul 2007

Novel type of communication between nerve cells in the brain discovered

The findings may have relevance for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy, and possibly in the exploration of other aspects of brain functions, from creative thought processes to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

17 Jul 2007

Tackling counterfeit Chinese pharmaceuticals

Agencies worldwide are cracking down on counterfeit pharmaceuticals, and much of the focus has been on China, where an official was recently executed for approving fake medicines.

17 Jul 2007

Girl talk can create more problems than it solves

According to a new study by researchers at the University of Missouri, when young girls share their problems with their friends they increase their risk of developing anxiety and depression.

16 Jul 2007

Prospective associations of co-rumination with friendship and emotional adjustment

A researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia has found that girls who talk very extensively about their problems with friends are likely to become more anxious and depressed.

16 Jul 2007

Women who have suffered heart attacks have higher rates of depression compared to men

Women who have suffered heart attacks have higher rates of lingering depressive symptoms compared to their male counterparts, a University of Alberta and McGill University study shows.

16 Jul 2007

Emotional memories can be suppressed with practice

A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows people have the ability to suppress emotional memories with practice, which has implications for those suffering from conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression.

13 Jul 2007

Effects of domestic violence on employment and use of the welfare system

The scars created by domestic violence persist long after the bruises have healed, leaving some adolescent mothers psychologically distressed and increasing their chances of being unemployed, according to a new study.

13 Jul 2007

Get off the sofa and go for a walk!

These days, it's easy for people to get confused about exercise -- how many minutes a day should they spend working out, for how long and at what exertion level?

12 Jul 2007

Uninsured adults increase Medicare costs

While the overall cost-effectiveness of Medicare benefits have been much-debated, new data now show that people who were uninsured before receiving benefits at age 65 required more intensive and costlier care than those who had been privately insured prior to receiving Medicare.

12 Jul 2007

Understanding obesity stigma

The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is pleased to announce the release of its newest patient- focused brochure, titled "Understanding Obesity Stigma."

12 Jul 2007

A genetically informed study of the intergenerational transmission of marital instability

The first study to examine genetics as a culprit in the higher-than-usual divorce rate among children of divorced parents found that the parents' divorce itself, not genes or even problems such as parental substance abuse or delinquency, played a key role in the failed unions.

12 Jul 2007