Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

ADHD increases major depression to bipolar disorder conversion

Young people with major depression have an increased risk of conversion to bipolar disorder if they have comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, suggest findings from a longitudinal follow-up study.

15 Oct 2014

Cardiometabolic health intervention urged for schizophrenia patients

Research shows high cardiometabolic risk, particularly increased dyslipidaemia and smoking, but little related medical treatment in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

15 Oct 2014

Pregnant women with low vitamin D levels experience more pain during labor

Pregnant women with low vitamin D levels experience an increased amount of pain during labor, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2014 annual meeting. Vitamin D deficiency has long been associated with depression and pain, but this is the first study to demonstrate its association with increased consumption of pain medication during childbirth.

15 Oct 2014

Systematic review finds higher levels of multimorbidity in women

In the context of an aging population, the number of cases of people with multimorbidity, or multiple health conditions, is increasing, creating significant healthcare challenges. Now, the first comprehensive systematic review in this field has found higher levels of multimorbidity in women. Equally as importantly, it has revealed the poor quality of evidence on this increasingly critical area of healthcare.

15 Oct 2014

Scientists receive BBSRC funding to study how neural stem cells differ from each other

A team of scientists led by a researcher from Plymouth University has received funding of more than £400,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to investigate how neural stem cells differ from each other. The study's findings could hold the key to the future use of neural stem cells in treatments to eradicate neurological conditions such as dementia and brain tumours.

15 Oct 2014

Early childhood neglect associated with changes in brain structure

Under the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, thousands of Romanian children were placed in overcrowded orphanages with bleak conditions and minimal human contact. Even after the 1989 revolution, the legacy of institutionalization continued. Only recently has research and public concern over early childhood environments caused changes in policies.

14 Oct 2014

UMMS, UMMSM researchers identify key genetic pathway underlying bipolar disorder

A team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have identified what is likely a key genetic pathway underlying bipolar (manic depressive) disorder, a breakthrough that could lead to better drugs for treating bipolar affective disorder, as well as depression and other related mood disorders.

14 Oct 2014

LCSB scientists characterize new tumour suppressor gene

Scientists at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine of the University of Luxembourg have published their findings that mutations in a gene known as "ARMC5" promote the growth of benign tumours in the adrenal glands and on the meninges: ARMC5 appears to belong to the group of so-called tumour suppressor genes.

14 Oct 2014

Consultant Live unveils new online sleep disorders educational program for doctors, nurses

UBM Medica US announces that Consultant Live a leading online community for primary care clinicians, has unveiled a new online sleep disorders educational program to help doctors and nurses help their patients get a good night's rest.

14 Oct 2014

Discovery could prolong life of people living with glioblastoma

Researchers at the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute have made a discovery that could prolong the life of people living with glioblastoma – the most aggressive type of brain cancer. Samuel Weiss, PhD, Professor and Director of the HBI, and Research Assistant Professor Artee Luchman, PhD, and colleagues, published their work today in Clinical Cancer Research, which is leading researchers to start a human phase I/II clinical trial as early as Spring 2015.

14 Oct 2014

Johnson & Johnson's sales increase 5.1% to $18.5 billion in Q3 2014

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $18.5 billion for the third quarter of 2014, an increase of 5.1% as compared to the third quarter of 2013. Operational results increased 5.8% and the negative impact of currency was 0.7%. Domestic sales increased 11.6%. International sales decreased 0.3%, reflecting operational growth of 1.0% and a negative currency impact of 1.3%.

14 Oct 2014

Psychological cognitive disorder can lead to development of persistent post-surgical pain

Patients with a psychological cognitive disorder known as catastrophizing are more likely to develop persistent, chronic pain after surgery, according to new research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY™ 2014 annual meeting. Pain catastrophizing occurs when a patient has an irrational and illogical focus on pain, perceiving that it is worse than it actually is.

14 Oct 2014

I.V. lidocaine can protect mastectomy patients against chronic pain

More than two-thirds of women who have had mastectomies struggle with persistent pain, but it doesn't have to be that way.

14 Oct 2014

New research shows impact of ulcerative colitis on patients' quality of life, treatment satisfaction

New research shows that the majority of patients with the challenging inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), state that the three biggest impacts of the disease on their lives are on their emotional state (in terms of depression, anger or anxiety levels) (76%), ability to get adequate rest/sleep (75%), and taking sick days off work (70%). Those who have had a colectomy (removal of the colon) were more likely to suffer from these impacts.

14 Oct 2014

VisionCare's Implantable Miniature Telescope gets FDA approval for treating end-stage AMD

VisionCare Ophthalmic Technologies, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Implantable Miniature Telescope (by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz) for use in patients living with bilateral end-stage age-related macular degeneration who are age 65 or older.

14 Oct 2014

State highlights: Blue Cross Blue Shield dominant in Texas

A selection of health policy stories from Texas, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri and New Mexico.

13 Oct 2014

HIV-infected users of stimulants derive benefits from antiretroviral therapy

New clinical research from UC San Francisco shows that 341 HIV-infected men who reported using stimulants such as methamphetamine or cocaine derived life-saving benefits from being on antiretroviral therapy that were comparable to those of HIV-infected men who do not use stimulants.

13 Oct 2014

Intensive parenting and education provided in homes reduces drug use in pregnant teens

Intensive parenting and health education provided in homes of pregnant American Indian teens reduced the mothers' illegal drug use, depression and behavior problems, and set their young children on track to meet behavioral and emotional milestones they may have otherwise missed.

13 Oct 2014

Clinical pointers to bipolar, unipolar depression confirmed

A large study confirms several factors that can distinguish patients with bipolar depression from those with unipolar depression, including higher trait impulsivity, aggression and hostility.

10 Oct 2014