Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Depression linked to development of diabetes in older adults

Older adults who have had symptoms of depression,whether those symptoms occurred once, increased or remained steady over a 10-year period,may be more likely to develop diabetes than those without depressive symptoms, according to a report in the April 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 Apr 2007

Telephone support reduces depression for older HIV survivors

Many patients diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s and 1990s have survived and now are entering their golden years.

24 Apr 2007

New understanding of schizophrenia

New research helps bridge an important gap in understanding schizophrenia, providing the best evidence to date that defects in the brain's white matter are a key contributor to the disease, which affects about 1 percent of people worldwide.

24 Apr 2007

New credential for co-occurring disorders will pressure addiction professionals

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly exclusively reports in their April 23 issue, that a new credential, represented by the initials CCDP (Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professional) was introduced last week by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium/Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (IC&RC) in a move that pressures the addiction treatment workforce to get more training, according to a report.

24 Apr 2007

Chronic depression or depression that worsens over time may cause diabetes in older adults

This is the first national study to suggest that depression alone -- and not lifestyle factors like being overweight ,can trigger Type 2 diabetes in adults 65 and older, a population with a high prevalence of diabetes and depression. The report will be published April 23 in Archives of Internal Medicine.

24 Apr 2007

Cortex area thinner in youth with Alzheimer's-related gene

A part of the brain first affected by Alzheimer's disease is thinner in youth with a risk gene for the disorder, a brain imaging study by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one of the National Institutes of Health, has found.

24 Apr 2007

Benefits of antidepressants for children far outweigh the risks

Researchers in the United States maintain that a review of research shows that the benefits of antidepressants for children and teens during the first few months of treatment far outweigh the risk of suicide.

22 Apr 2007

Discovery of molecular mechanism that alters strength of higher brain network connections

Yale School of Medicine and University of Crete School of Medicine researchers report in Cell April 20 the first evidence of a molecular mechanism that dynamically alters the strength of higher brain network connections.

21 Apr 2007

Effectiveness of grief counselling to prevent complicated grief among families bereaved by suicide

A grief counselling programme for families bereaved by suicide does not reduce grief or depression, but may help to prevent perceptions of blame among close relatives and spouses, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

20 Apr 2007

Bill broadening prescribing rights to psychologists unsafe

Setting the stage for another legislative battle that puts mental health patients in the middle, a bill seeking to give licensed psychologists prescribing privileges for dangerous medications is scheduled to be heard on April 23, 2007 in the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee.

20 Apr 2007

Cigarette smoking status can be used as a clinical indicator for alcohol misuse

Where there is cigarette smoking there is probably misuse of alcohol too, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

19 Apr 2007

New insights into how the brain controls movements

In the children's game "red light green light," winners are able to stop, and take off running again, more quickly than their comrades.

19 Apr 2007

New hope for people with therapy-resistant depression

A study at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne gives people with therapy-resistant depression reason for hope.

19 Apr 2007

Short and simple interventions can reduce drinking in the general population

Five minutes of straight talk between doctors and problem drinkers could help reduce the toll of alcohol-related injuries, violence and accidents.

19 Apr 2007

Treatment costs fall and quality improves when patients use self-treatment tools

Encouraging patients to become involved in providing their own care can reduce the cost and improve the quality of long-term medical treatment, say researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in PLoS Medicine this week.

18 Apr 2007

Animal model for binge eating disorder

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) psychologists have developed an animal model for the binge eating disorder, which affects an estimated one in 20 Americans.

18 Apr 2007

Review of all major studies involving anti-depressants in children

Today, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a review of all major studies involving anti-depressants in children and adolescents by a team of researchers from Western Psychiatric Institute in Pittsburgh.

18 Apr 2007

Risks and benefits of antidepressant treatment for children with depression

According to a new study, conducted by the Center for Innovation in Pediatric Practice (CIPP) at Columbus Children's Hospital and published in the April 18 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), there is more information for parents about the risks and benefits of antidepressant treatment for children with depression and anxiety disorders.

18 Apr 2007

Confidentiality and privacy of personal health information is critical to acceptance of NHIN

"ACP strongly believes in the goal of widespread adoption and use of health information technology to improve quality of care," Michael H. Zaroukian, MD, PhD, FACP, told the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics subcommittee on Privacy and Confidentiality at their hearing on "Consumer Controls for Sensitive Health Records."

18 Apr 2007

Benefits of antidepressants for children and teens with depression or anxiety disorders may outweigh risks

A review of previous studies indicates that the benefits of antidepressants for children and teens with depression or anxiety disorders may outweigh their risks, and that the increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts from using these medications is not statistically significant, according to an article in the April 18 issue of JAMA.

18 Apr 2007