Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Burnout linked to higher risk for abnormal heart rhythm

A new study published in January 2020 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology shows that burnout could really cause your heart to fail as a result of an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF).

14 Jan 2020

Protein SV2A levels could explain poor neuronal connections in schizophrenia

A team of researchers have found that persons with schizophrenia may have lower levels of certain specific proteins that show up on their brain scans. This could help as diagnostic tools, say experts. The new study titled, “Synaptic density marker SV2A is reduced in schizophrenia patients and unaffected by antipsychotics in rats”, is published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.

14 Jan 2020

Overactivation of neuroimmune gene leads to schizophrenia-like changes in mice

Excessive activity of an immune system gene previously linked to schizophrenia reproduces neural and behavioral aspects of the disease in mice, according to a new study publishing on January 14 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Ashley Comer and Alberto Cruz-Martín of Boston University and colleagues.

14 Jan 2020

Cannabinoids can alleviate some symptoms of endometriosis

Initial results from treating endometriosis in mice with cannabinoids suggest they can alleviate some symptoms of the disease, according to a new study in the open-access journal eLife.

14 Jan 2020

Scientists discover powerful molecule that explains why people with anxiety use marijuana

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14 Jan 2020

Community-delivered curriculum lowers parenting stress among low-income parents

Low-income parents reported lower perceived parenting stress and better overall outcomes when parents participated in Parenting Journey, a community-delivered curriculum designed to increase resilience and support nurturing family relationships.

14 Jan 2020

Maternal stress affects fetal brain development

A new study published online January 13, 2020, in the journal JAMA Pediatrics reports that mothers who suffer severe mental stress during pregnancy may have babies with abnormal development in important areas of the brain even before birth. It is already known that babies with congenital heart disease show abnormalities in brain growth and brain biochemical reactions.

13 Jan 2020

Food selectively affects gut microbes finds study

Food could play a role in formation of the microbial flora within the human gut. This has been shown time and again in several studies and research.

13 Jan 2020

Autistic mothers experience higher rates of post-natal depression

Autistic mothers are more likely to report post-natal depression compared to non-autistic mothers, according to a new study of mothers of autistic children carried out by researchers at the University of Cambridge.

13 Jan 2020

Survey uncovers key gaps in American's knowledge of eye health

A survey conducted by The Harris Poll has uncovered key gaps in American's knowledge of eye health, and what they don't know is putting them at risk of vision loss.

13 Jan 2020

Mount Sinai physicians emphasize the importance of early detection, treatment of thyroid disease

January is Thyroid Awareness Month, and physicians from the Hilda and J. Lester Gabrilove Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease and the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System are emphasizing the importance of being aware of symptoms that may be related to thyroid disease.

12 Jan 2020

Newly proposed definition of hikikomori helps identify and treat extreme social isolation

Experts in the Japanese phenomena of hikikomori say the condition of extreme social isolation is more widespread than previously acknowledged, and it deserves a clear and consistent definition to improve treatment across the globe.

12 Jan 2020

A molecular switch for repairing damage in central nervous system disorders discovered

A molecular switch has the ability to turn on a substance in animals that repairs neurological damage in disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Mayo Clinic researchers discovered.

11 Jan 2020

Long-term antipsychotic therapy for schizophrenia is safe

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and their colleagues in Germany, the USA and Finland have studied the safety of very long-term antipsychotic therapy for schizophrenia.

11 Jan 2020

Researchers identify common characteristics of residents who feel lonely

By nature, human beings are social creatures. Yet, as we age, personal dynamics and lifestyles change, which can result in loneliness and isolation.

10 Jan 2020

BMA survey highlights the terrible impact of mental health staff shortage

A BMA survey of over 1,000 mental health care professionals has laid bare the terrible impact of a shortage of mental health staff in the face of rising demand. It has left staff at ‘breaking point’ and patients failing to get the care they need.

10 Jan 2020

Family doctors in rural America tackle crisis of addiction and pain

Dr. Angela Gatzke-Plamann didn’t fully grasp her community’s opioid crisis until one desperate patient called on a Friday afternoon in 2016.

10 Jan 2020

Contaminating Fake Rubber Hand Aids People to Overcome Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition wherein people are caught in a cycle of obsessions. The rubber hand illusion therapy, whereby fake rubber hands are contaminated with feces, maybe the key in helping people overcome their fears of touching contaminated surfaces, a new study suggests.

10 Jan 2020

Non-fibrillating form of human insulin could improve treatment for diabetes patients

In a promising discovery that could improve the clinical delivery of insulin for people living with diabetes, scientists have developed a non-fibrillating form of human insulin.

9 Jan 2020