Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Study to evaluate safety of PrEP and dapivirine ring in pregnant women

A woman who is eight-months pregnant is the first participant to be enrolled into a study evaluating the safety and acceptability of two different HIV prevention approaches when used during pregnancy -- the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring, which is currently under regulatory review, and a daily antiretroviral (ARV) pill called Truvada, an approach already approved in several countries and commonly referred to as PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

10 Feb 2020

Study finds increase in teens identifying as LGBQ, but suicide attempts remain high

A new Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) study finds that the proportion of high school students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ) doubled from 2009 to 2017, while the LGBQ teen rate of attempted suicide went from five times the rate for their straight peers to nearly four times the rate.

10 Feb 2020

Family history of alcoholism affects how your brain transitions between active and resting states

You don't have to be a drinker for your brain to be affected by alcoholism.

10 Feb 2020

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can influence the development of ADHD

According to a study conducted in Finland, the risk of ADHD was 34 percent higher in children whose mother had a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy than in those children whose mother’s vitamin D level was sufficient during the first and second trimesters.

10 Feb 2020

New clinical trial to examine the safety of dapivirine vaginal ring and PrEP in pregnant women

The first clinical trial specifically designed to test the safety of the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring in pregnant women has begun in southern and eastern Africa.

10 Feb 2020

Youth with HIV have lower rates of viral suppression than adults

Despite similar rates of enrollment into medical care, youth with HIV have much lower rates of viral suppression--reducing HIV to undetectable levels--compared to adults, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health.

10 Feb 2020

Common drug could mitigate risk of 'a broken heart' during bereavement

The increased risk of heart attack or "a broken heart" in early bereavement could be reduced by using common medication in a novel way, according to a world-first study led by the University of Sydney and funded by Heart Research Australia.

10 Feb 2020

Study identifies potential drug target and way to alleviate cerebral malaria

Scientists have identified a key molecule involved in the development of cerebral malaria, a deadly form of the tropical disease. The study identifies a potential drug target and way forward toward alleviating this condition for which few targeted treatments are available.

9 Feb 2020

Scientists identify new biomarker for identifying individuals at risk of depression

Chronic pain, or inflammation, is believed to be one of the major factors in the onset of major depressive disorder.

8 Feb 2020

Tiny portable lab plugs into your phone to diagnose infectious diseases

Engineers with the University of Cincinnati have created a tiny portable lab that plugs into your phone, connecting it automatically to a doctor's office through a custom app UC developed.

6 Feb 2020

UCLA research takes a stand against extended sitting

In many workplaces, standing desks and walking meetings are addressing the health dangers of sitting too long each day, but for universities, the natural question is how to make such adjustments for classrooms.

6 Feb 2020

Online version of MBCT for lingering depression symptoms improves access to care

An online version of a pioneering therapy aimed at reducing the lingering symptoms of depression can offer additional benefits for patients receiving care, according to a new U of T Scarborough study.

6 Feb 2020

Researchers examine the effects of yoga, tai chi, and qigong on chronic low back pain

It's a pain. About 80 percent of adults in the United States will experience lower back pain at some point. Treating back pain typically involves medication, including opioids, surgery, therapy and self-care options.

6 Feb 2020

Researchers develop model to predict recovery outcomes after hernia surgery

Could patients experience less pain and possibly have better recovery outcomes if their fears or emotional issues were addressed before surgery?

5 Feb 2020

New program increases resilience, wisdom and reduces stress among seniors

The United States Census Bureau estimates that by 2060, nearly one in four Americans will be age 65 and older. As America turns increasingly gray, numerous stressors, such as declining health, loss of loved ones or independence, negatively impact the lives of older adults.

5 Feb 2020

Research highlights the benefits of physical activity for older adults

Physically active older adults benefit from reduced risks of early death, breast and prostate cancer, fractures, recurrent falls, functional limitations, cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and depression.

5 Feb 2020

Study sheds new light on genetic relationship between three mood disorders

Researchers shed new light on the genetic relationship between three mood disorders associated with depression--major depression and bipolar disorder types 1 and 2, in a new study in the journal Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

5 Feb 2020

Good rehab is hard to find

Pattie Vargas saw with frightening clarity that her son Joel, 25 at the time, had a life-threatening drug problem. He came home one day in 2007 "high as a kite," went to bed and slept four days straight, Vargas, now a 65-year-old resident of Vacaville, California, recalls.

5 Feb 2020

Princeton researchers find link between microbes and cancers in threatened California foxes

Can staph microbes lead to cancer? Microbes are known to affect digestion, mood and overall health, and now Princeton researchers have shown that a shift in the microbiome is linked to cancer -- at least in a threatened subspecies of foxes found only on one island off the California coast.

4 Feb 2020

Neighborhood characteristics linked with women's use of preventive care

A study conducted by Columbia University School of Nursing shows where a woman lives influences her use of preventive health care more than her income or race/ethnicity or whether she is depressed.

4 Feb 2020