Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Salk researchers develop method to reveal epigenetic features of brain cells

The brain's prefrontal cortex, which gives us our ability to solve problems and plan ahead, contains billions of cells. But understanding the large diversity of cell types in this critical region, each with unique genetic and molecular properties, has been challenging.

10 Sep 2019

Intergenerational relationships impact health and well‐being of older immigrants

Filial piety - the traditional value of caring for one's elders - is central to the Chinese concept of family and has long shaped intergenerational relationships, daily life, and well-being, for older Chinese adults.

10 Sep 2019

Brain networks develop differently in boys and girls at puberty, research shows

Scientists have found that brain networks develop differently in males and females at puberty, with boys showing an increase in connectivity in certain brain areas, and girls showing a decrease in connectivity as puberty progresses.

9 Sep 2019

Researchers investigate how to prevent the onset of schizophrenia using mouse model

Although predisposing processes occur earlier, schizophrenia breaks out at young adulthood, suggesting it might involve a pathological transition during late brain development in predisposed individuals.

9 Sep 2019

Neuroscientists discover how brain rhythms organize our visual perception

To investigate how information of different visual features is processed in the brain, the neuroscientists from the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute of Primate Research in Göttingen, Germany, the Iran University of Science and Technology and the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences in Tehran, Iran measured the activity of individual nerve cells in the brain of rhesus monkeys, while the animals performed a visual perception task.

9 Sep 2019

Is your cell phone good for your health?

Many studies have examined the health effects of smartphone abuse, but a new study looks at the sociodemographic features and health indicators of people who have a smartphone but do not use it regularly.

9 Sep 2019

Schizophrenia and brain noise filtering

The sheer abundance of noise that surrounds us makes it necessary for the brain to filter out selective components so that we can focus on what we need or want to hear. This is called filtering. When we hear two sounds that are exactly the same, the brain filters out the second sound by simply reducing the amount of nerve circuits that participate in its reception.

9 Sep 2019

Study offers hope for people suffering from chronic pain

When you experience severe pain, like breaking or shattering a bone, the pain isn't just felt at the sight of the injury.

9 Sep 2019

Criminal justice contact can negatively affect physical and mental health

New research from North Carolina State University finds that being convicted of a crime is associated with a decline in one's physical health, even if the conviction doesn't lead to jail time.

9 Sep 2019

WHO: One person dies every 40 seconds from suicide

The number of countries with national suicide prevention strategies has increased in the five years since the publication of WHO's first global report on suicide, said the World Health Organization in the lead-up to World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.

9 Sep 2019

Study: One-third of children admitted in ICUs for sepsis show PTSD symptoms

Doctors have found that children who have been in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) for sepsis have a significantly increased risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with around 1/3 showing PTSD symptoms.

8 Sep 2019

Deep brain magnetic stimulation can improve symptoms of OCD

Researchers have found that focusing powerful non-invasive magnet stimulation on a specific brain area can improve the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

8 Sep 2019

Scientists discover brain areas for understanding metaphors in healthy and schizophrenic people

Scientists have used MRI scanners to discover the parts of the brain which understand metaphors, in both healthy volunteers and people with schizophrenia.

8 Sep 2019

Dating could increase depression

Dating, especially during the teenage years, is thought to be an important way for young people to build self-identity, develop social skills, learn about other people, and grow emotionally.

8 Sep 2019

Behavioral problems during childhood can lead to adult insomnia

Parents should help their children with better sleep patterns, along with any problem behavioral issues, because this can lead to severe insomnia in middle age, a groundbreaking new study shows.

8 Sep 2019

Researchers explore how talk therapy can help cystic fibrosis patients with mental health problems

Drexel University researchers are exploring how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a type of talk therapy, delivered via telemedicine, may alleviate the anxiety and depression common among cystic fibrosis patients.

7 Sep 2019

South African study finds link between low language ability and depression in young people

One of the first studies of its kind focusing on South African children's language ability and mental health outcomes, has found clear evidence for a link between low language ability and depression in young people.

7 Sep 2019

Resilience exerts a protective role against negative effects of stress during pregnancy

Resilience—understood as the set of personal resources that help individuals deal effectively with adversity, protecting them from the negative health effects of stress—is receiving increasing attention from researchers.

6 Sep 2019

Neuroscientists reveal how our brain filters sounds

Our sound environment is extremely dense, which is why the brain has to adapt and implement filtering mechanisms that allow it to hold its attention on the most important elements and save energy.

6 Sep 2019

Mesh electronics could make brain stimulation the new therapeutic norm

Implantable brain electrodes have been around for quite some time now, both for diagnosing and treating neuropsychiatric conditions like Parkinson’s disease. However, one limitation of conventional probes is their size and rigidity, compared to the soft, gelatinous consistency of the brain.

6 Sep 2019