Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Breakthrough shows immune cells may play a role in schizophrenia

A type of immune cell called the “macrophages” are known to be one of the first soldiers of the body that can fight off infections and plays a role in maintaining immunity and in inflammation. According to latest research in schizophrenia, these macrophages can become altered and may cause changes in the brain leading to changes in the brain similar to schizophrenia.

14 Sep 2018

Study: Poor older Americans most likely to rely on prescription opioids

Among older Americans, the poorest are the most likely to have used prescription opioids, according to a University at Buffalo study providing new insights into unexplored contours of the opioid crisis.

12 Sep 2018

Childhood adversity associated with impaired social cognition in adults with major psychiatric disorders

A new report published in European Psychiatry identified a significant association between childhood adversity and impaired social cognitive functioning among adults diagnosed with major psychiatric disorders.

12 Sep 2018

Cocaine-addicted rats show long-lasting increases in number of orexin neurons

A study in cocaine-addicted rats reports long-lasting increases in the number of neurons that produce orexin—a chemical messenger important for sleep and appetite—that may be at the root of the addiction.

12 Sep 2018

New dopamine sensors could improve our understanding of Parkinson’s Disease

Researchers have developed a sensor that can measure dopamine in the brain for more than a year. The tech could help us understand Parkinson's and depression.

12 Sep 2018

Overweight mothers more likely to stop breastfeeding sooner than healthy weight women

Overweight mothers are more likely than those classed as being of a healthy weight to stop breastfeeding in the first week after having a baby and less likely to continue past four months, according to a new study from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Auckland.

12 Sep 2018

Tiny sensors can measure dopamine levels in the brain for more than a year

Dopamine, a signaling molecule used throughout the brain, plays a major role in regulating our mood, as well as controlling movement. Many disorders, including Parkinson's disease, depression, and schizophrenia, are linked to dopamine deficiencies.

12 Sep 2018

Study finds overlapping copy number variations in Japanese patients with autism and schizophrenia

Common genetic variants may underlie autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia across human populations, according to a study appearing September 11th in the journal Cell Reports.

12 Sep 2018

Penn receives NIH grant to create Center for Sub-Cellular Genomics

The five-year, $10.5 million grant from the NIH is the first CEGS awarded to Penn and funds the creation of the Center for Sub-Cellular Genomics.

12 Sep 2018

Administering tPA depending on location of clot can be as effective as thrombectomy

There are two main treatments for stroke caused by a clot in a blood vessel in the brain. One treatment, mechanical thrombectomy, involves pulling the clot out with a specialized catheter that is inserted into the artery in the groin and guided by imaging to the clot.

12 Sep 2018

Transgender adolescents have greatest risk for attempting suicide, study finds

Research has shown that transgender adolescents are at greater risk for attempting suicide than cisgender teens, who identify with the gender they are assigned at birth. A new study from the University of Arizona takes a deeper look at who within the transgender adolescent community is most at risk.

11 Sep 2018

Inhaled form of high blood pressure drug has potential to treat anxiety, pain

An inhaled form of a high blood pressure medication has potential to treat certain types of anxiety as well as pain, according to a new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

11 Sep 2018

Poorest patients in the UK will die 19 years earlier than the richest

Public Health England (PHE) has released a report on the current and future state of the nation's health in England.

11 Sep 2018

Managing Patient Care through Technology

An interview with Chris Delaney at the NHS Health and Care Innovation Expo 2018, discussing the involvement of Insignia Health in providing a platform that promotes self-management and lifestyle changes for patients in the NHS, and the impact that this could have on patient outcomes.

From Insignia Health 11 Sep 2018

Back pain linked with mental health problems and risky behaviors in adolescents

A new study in the Journal of Public Health indicates that adolescents who experience back pain more frequently are also more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and report problems like anxiety and depression.

11 Sep 2018

Functional Family Therapy may not be effective in tackling behavioral problems in young people

A long-established treatment used around the world to help troubled young people and their families tackle behavioral problems may not be as effective as its practitioners claim - a new study reveals.

11 Sep 2018

Medical cannabis provides relief across dozens of health symptoms, study shows

Utilizing new mobile application technology, researchers at The University of New Mexico found that medical cannabis provides immediate symptom relief across dozens of health symptoms with relatively minimal negative side effects.

11 Sep 2018

Novel decoding technology could predict mood variations from brain signals

By developing a novel decoding technology, a team of engineers and physicians at the University of Southern California and UC San Francisco have discovered how mood variations can be decoded from neural signals in the human brain--a process that has not been demonstrated to date.

10 Sep 2018

Study provides evidence to prevent memory decline in older blacks with mild cognitive impairment

With nearly twice the rate of dementia as whites, blacks are at a higher risk for developing diseases like Alzheimer's, but there has been little research on how to reduce this racial health disparity.

10 Sep 2018