Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Diabetes drug abolishes characteristic signs of nicotine withdrawal in mice

A drug commonly used to treat Type II diabetes abolishes the characteristic signs of nicotine withdrawal in rats and mice, according to new research published in JNeurosci. The finding may offer an important new strategy in the battle to quit smoking.

From Society for Neuroscience 30 Oct 2019

Cannabis is not an effective treatment for mental health conditions, conclude experts

A team in Australia has reviewed scientific evidence from the past 30 years to investigate the therapeutic effects of medicinal cannabinoids on mental health.

30 Oct 2019

Behavioral, social, and biomedical strategies essential to end HIV epidemic in the US

To end the HIV epidemic in the United States, the use of behavioral and social science research - combined with biomedical strategies - is essential, according to a series of new papers in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS).

30 Oct 2019

Youth with psychosis spectrum disorders have distinct brain region alterations

Psychotic spectrum (PS) disorders are characterized by abnormalities in beliefs, perceptions and behavior, but how these disorders manifest themselves in earlier development stages is largely unknown.

30 Oct 2019

The Endocrine Society recommends avoiding hormone therapy for transgender children before puberty

A custody case in Texas has sparked heated debate and embroiled state policymakers in public discussions about the diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment of transgender children.

30 Oct 2019

Homeopathy quackery - NHS leaders urge caution

A new controversy is ripe, what with the head of the UK National Health Service (NHS), Simon Stevens, publicly expressing his “serious concerns” about the “fundamentally flawed” practice of homeopathy.

29 Oct 2019

Brain function changes could help diagnose and manage depression

Ever heard of the lateral habenula? Very few, outside of neuroscience, probably have. Yet a new study, published in the journal Neuron, shows that characteristic changes in the way this area of the brain fires can result in a total loss of will to do anything – which is characteristic of one form of depression.

29 Oct 2019

Study: Psychiatric diagnoses seldom used as entry criteria for NHS mental health services

A new study, published in the Journal of Mental Health, finds psychiatric diagnoses are seldom used as entry criteria for NHS mental health services in the UK.

29 Oct 2019

Prevalence of itch in dermatological patients linked to depression, suicidal ideation and stress

Itch is a very common symptom in patients suffering from skin diseases. In a new multicenter cross-sectional study on the psychological burden of itch in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier, investigators report that the presence of itch in dermatological patients was significantly associated with clinical depression, suicidal ideation and stress.

29 Oct 2019

California fires illuminate trauma and resilience

Dorothy Hammack had planned to wash her thick, dark hair in the kitchen sink Friday morning. She couldn't yet shower, due to the incision on her breast from a biopsy a few days before. Her doctor had already called to let her know the results: She had breast cancer.

29 Oct 2019

Polygenic scoring system shows promise to predict depression risk and resilience under stress

Depression doesn't come from one gene, one life event, or one personality trait. That's what makes it so hard to predict, prevent or treat effectively.

29 Oct 2019

Talk therapy and drugs hold the same value for people with depression in the long run

Spending an hour in talk therapy with a trained counselor costs much more, and takes more time, than swallowing an inexpensive antidepressant pill. But for people with a new diagnosis of major depression, the costs and benefits of the two approaches end up being equal after five years, a new study shows.

29 Oct 2019

Self-harm: Girls in Wales more likely to end up in hospital than boys

Girls in Wales are much more likely to end up in hospital after self-harming than boys according to new research led by Swansea University.

29 Oct 2019

Study shows significant decrease in use of antidepressants by pregnant women

A pregnancy is not always a happy event and as many as 10-15 per cent of pregnant women in Denmark have depressive symptoms. Despite years of critical focus on the side effects of antidepressants in the healthcare system, consumption of antidepressants by pregnant women actually increased drastically during the period 1997 to 2011.

29 Oct 2019