Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

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

Weight training significantly improves the quality of life of women recently treated for breast cancer

Published in the May 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study indicates six months of twice weekly exercise that improved strength and body composition was enough to result in improvements in the overall physical and emotional condition of the patients.

27 Mar 2006

Children whose mothers are depressed are more likely to suffer from anxiety

...mental-health problems and disruptive behavior than those whose moms aren't. And if the mothers don't get better, these kids' problems often become worse, new research shows.

23 Mar 2006

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

A 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.

23 Mar 2006

Researchers find potential new mechanism for how the brain's reward system works

Amid reports that a drug used to treat Parkinson's disease has caused some patients to become addicted to gambling and sex, University of Pittsburgh researchers have published a study that sheds light on what may have gone wrong.

23 Mar 2006

Increasing age does not necessarily cause a reduction in the quality of life

Research published online this month in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, describes how researchers looked at indicators of the quality of life, and found that in England it is above average between the ages of 50 and 84, and in some cases increases compared with earlier years.

23 Mar 2006

Extreme personality poses risk of ADHD

Children with personalities marked by aggressiveness, mood swings, a sense of alienation and a need for excitement may be at greater risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, according to a new Florida State University study.

23 Mar 2006

Study uncovers variations in service on UK's psychiatric wards

A groundbreaking study to assess the state of the nation’s acute psychiatric wards has uncovered substantial variations in service provision and delivery.

21 Mar 2006

Facial injections of polylactic acid may help improve loss of fat in the face associated with HIV infection

Facial injections of polylactic acid, a synthetic biodegradable polymer, may help improve the debilitating facial lipoatrophy (loss of fat in the face) associated with HIV infection and its treatment, according to an article in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology.

21 Mar 2006

Hand eczema caused by soaps in the workplace may lead to unemployment or prolonged sick leaves

Hand eczema caused by soaps and other irritants in the workplace may lead to unemployment or prolonged sick leaves from work for some individuals, according to an article in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology.

21 Mar 2006

Gene linked to impulsive violence weakens brain circuits that regulate thinking in humans

A version of a gene previously linked to impulsive violence appears to weaken brain circuits that regulate impulses, emotional memory and thinking in humans, researchers at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have found.

21 Mar 2006

Mastectomy does not necessarily affect quality of life

Most women with cancer in one breast who decide to have the unaffected breast removed along with the diseased breast don't regret the decision and have a quality of life equal to patients who didn't have a preventive mastectomy, according to a survey of breast cancer survivors.

21 Mar 2006

Genetic factors underlie alcohol consumption and may also contribute to nicotine addiction

Vulnerability to both alcohol and nicotine abuse may be influenced by the same genetic factor, according to a recent study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

20 Mar 2006

Some soft drinks exceed governmental caffeine recommendations

Some carbonated sodas and energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers, University of Florida researchers warn.

20 Mar 2006