Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Understanding genetic interactions holds key to new personalized therapies

When the Human Genome Project was completed, in 2003, it opened the door to a radical new idea of health - that of personalized medicine, in which disease risk and appropriate treatment would be gleaned from one's genetic makeup.

25 Mar 2019

Mental health issues associated with income inequalities in Indigenous people

Indigenous peoples in Canada have high rates of psychological distress, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts, and these mental health issues are linked to income inequalities, found a study published in CMAJ.

25 Mar 2019

Altering gut microbiome may be potential treatment option for PCOS

Symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome improved with exposure to healthy bacteria in the gut, according to a study in a mouse model of this common women's endocrine disorder.

25 Mar 2019

Antidepressant drugs may not work when neurons are out of shape

elective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most commonly prescribed medication for major depressive disorder, yet scientists still do not understand why the treatment does not work in nearly thirty percent of patients with MDD.

22 Mar 2019

Using the Mastermind strategy in brain research

The brain is a complex organ, and researching medicine to treat brain disorders is equally if not more complex. Elizabeth (Liesbeth) de Lange, Professor of Predictive Pharmacology, calls for a structured approach.

22 Mar 2019

Aspiring doctors seek advanced training in addiction medicine

The U.S. Surgeon General’s office estimates that more than 20 million people have a substance use disorder. Meanwhile, the nation’s drug overdose crisis shows no sign of slowing.

22 Mar 2019

Naltrexone implant more effective in reducing relapses in HIV patients with opioid addiction

When patients with HIV who are also battling opioid dependence go without addiction treatment, they are more likely to stop taking their HIV medications than drug-free patients.

22 Mar 2019

Research links participation in team sports to larger hippocampal volumes in children

Adult depression has long been associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus, a brain region that plays an important role in memory and response to stress. Now, new research from Washington University in St. Louis has linked participation in team sports to larger hippocampal volumes in children and less depression in boys ages 9 to 11.

22 Mar 2019

Early life trauma may affect brain structure, contribute to major depressive disorder

Early life trauma may affect the structure of the brain in a way that makes clinical depression more likely to be severe and recurrent, according to a two-year observational study of 110 patients published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.

22 Mar 2019

Study suggests depression screening when assessing African-Americans for schizophrenia

African-Americans with severe depression are more likely to be misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia, according to a new Rutgers study.

22 Mar 2019

Allergic reaction during pregnancy may alter sexual-development in offspring's brain

A single allergic reaction during pregnancy prompts sexual-development changes in the brains of offspring that last a lifetime, new research suggests.

22 Mar 2019

New study offers insight into development of delusions

Delusions are one of the most common symptoms of psychosis, but little is known about what causes them. A new study from researchers at Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute offers insight into the development of delusions, which could lead to better treatments for people with psychosis.

22 Mar 2019

Participation in sports linked with fewer depressive symptoms in children

Participation in team sports is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in children, whereas non-sport activities have no association with symptoms, according to a study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier.

21 Mar 2019

WVU researcher discovers higher suicide rate among Medicaid-insured youth

A West Virginia University researcher has discovered the suicide rate of some Medicaid-insured youth--including girls and young women--is higher than those with private insurance.

21 Mar 2019

NSF offers grant to improve treatment approaches for pelvic organ prolapse

It's a simple question many women ask, and as a symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction, urinary incontinence in women is surprisingly common.

21 Mar 2019

FDA approves brexanolone, first drug developed to treat postpartum depression

Approximately 1 in 9 women in the United States experiences symptoms of postpartum depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

21 Mar 2019

Study finds link between depression in 20s linked to memory loss in 50s

A new large-scale longitudinal study carried out by University of Sussex psychologists has found a clear link between episodes of depression and anxiety experienced by adults in their twenties, thirties and forties, with a decrease in memory function by the time they are in their fifties.

21 Mar 2019

First postpartum depression drug gets FDA nod

Sage therapeutics’ Zulresso became the first drug approved for postpartum depression by the United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). This cause the shares of Sage to rise by over 5 percent on Tuesday this week.

20 Mar 2019

Scientists grow most sophisticated brain organoid to date

Researchers at Cambridge Biomedical Campus have grown the most sophisticated brain organoid to date, providing new opportunities for scientists to understand human brain development and neurological disorders.

20 Mar 2019

Study identifies gene variant associated with accelerated cellular aging

It is well known that psychiatric stress is associated with accelerated aging. Now, a new study shows that a gene mutation interacts with multiple types of psychiatric stress including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pain and sleep disturbances in association with cellular aging.

20 Mar 2019