Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Resting-state brainwaves altered in schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have increased resting-state gamma-band connectivity in a distinct region of the brain, and the increases correlate with clinical symptoms, research shows.

18 Sep 2014

Stress coping strategies may protect against bipolar disorder recurrence

Researchers have found a link between low levels of resilience to stress in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and impulsive behaviour, which may make them vulnerable to depressive episodes.

18 Sep 2014

State highlights: Report: Hospitals ill-prepared for Sandy; Iowa Supreme Court lets teleabortion go on while it decides

When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Northeast nearly two years ago, hospitals found themselves dealing with surges in patients, lost power supplies and employees who couldn't get to work -- problems that a new federal report finds they were not prepared to handle (Mulvihill, 9/17).

18 Sep 2014

UAB researchers discover novel mechanism involved in formation of memory, learning

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham report the discovery of a novel mechanism in the brain involved in the formation of memory and learning. In findings reported online this week in Nature, the research team describes the role of a histone subunit known as H2A.Z.

18 Sep 2014

Scientists develop first blood test to diagnose major adult depression

The first blood test to diagnose major depression in adults has been developed by Northwestern Medicine- scientists, a breakthrough approach that provides the first objective, scientific diagnosis for depression.

18 Sep 2014

Benefits and risks of hatha yoga for people with bipolar disorder

Right now no one can say whether yoga provides clinical benefits to people with bipolar disorder, but in a new article in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, researchers report survey responses they gathered from scores of people with the condition who practice yoga. What the collective testimony suggests is that yoga can be a substantial help, but it sometimes carries risks, too.

18 Sep 2014

Urgency breeds aggression in schizophrenia patients

Increased urgency is a major contributor to aggression in patients with schizophrenia, suggests research published in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

17 Sep 2014

Recovery-focused CBT aids bipolar patients

Cognitive behavioural therapy that is focused broadly on patients’ recovery may be an effective intervention for patients with recent-onset bipolar disorder, a pilot randomised trial indicates.

17 Sep 2014

Sacral neuromodulation augments efficacy of antimuscarinics in OAB

The addition of sacral neuromodulation to antimuscarinic pharmacotherapy offers significant benefits over antimuscarinics alone in the treatment of women with idiopathic overactive bladder, study findings show.

17 Sep 2014

Reading deficits in schizophrenia contribute to underachievement

People with schizophrenia display severe deficits in reading ability that are not captured in current routine clinical assessments, a study by US researchers indicates.

17 Sep 2014

Childhood psychiatric disorders linked to schizophrenia risk

Having a childhood psychiatric disorder increases people’s likelihood of being later diagnosed with schizophrenia, research shows.

17 Sep 2014

Cyclothymic temperament linked to suicidality

The presence of a cyclothymic temperament in inpatients with bipolar disorder may indicate a high likelihood of hopelessness and suicidality, report researchers.

17 Sep 2014

New study sheds light on relationship between schizophrenia and smoking stems

Schizophrenia is associated with increased rates and intensity of tobacco smoking. A growing body of research suggests that the relationship between schizophrenia and smoking stems, in part, from an effort by patients to use nicotine to self-medicate symptoms and cognitive impairment associated with the disease.

17 Sep 2014

Adding common epilepsy drug to morphine can result in better pain control, say IU researchers

Adding a common epilepsy drug to a morphine regimen can result in better pain control with fewer side effects. Moreover, the combination can reduce the dosage of the opioid needed to be effective, according to a team of pain researchers at Indiana University.

17 Sep 2014

Socioeconomic inequalities influence overall outcomes for children with asthma

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 6 percent of children younger than five have been diagnosed with asthma, the fastest-growing and most common chronic illness affecting children in the United States.

17 Sep 2014

State highlights: N.Y. sues drugmaker over Alzheimer's drug switch; Ariz. Republican resigns over Medicaid remarks

New York State's attorney general filed an antitrust lawsuit on Monday seeking to stop a pharmaceutical company from forcing patients with Alzheimer's disease to switch to a new version of a widely used drug. The lawsuit contends that the switch is designed to blunt competition from low-priced generic versions of the medication (Pollack, 9/15).

17 Sep 2014

Neuroscientists discover key gene linked to origins of speech

Neuroscientists have found that a gene mutation that arose more than half a million years ago may be key to humans' unique ability to produce and understand speech.

16 Sep 2014

Intimate partner violence may trigger irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia

One in five men in the U.S. reports violence towards their spouse or significant other, says a new nationally-representative study by the University of Michigan.

16 Sep 2014

Early intervention prevents aggressive children from becoming violent, criminal adults

Aggressive children are less likely to become violent criminals or psychiatrically troubled adults if they receive early intervention, says a new study based on more than two decades of research.

16 Sep 2014

State Highlights: Calif. prop 45 ad truth check; Medi-Cal autism coverage

Proposition 45 would give California's elected insurance commissioner the authority to reject excessive health insurance rate hikes, a power the commissioner already wields for auto and homeowners insurance rates. The campaign against it -- for which the insurance industry has so far put up $37.3 million -- is now airing a 60-second radio ad narrated by a nurse named Candy Campbell.

16 Sep 2014