Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Brain's motor cortex can directly turn down hearing

When we want to listen carefully to someone, the first thing we do is stop talking. The second thing we do is stop moving altogether. This strategy helps us hear better by preventing unwanted sounds generated by our own movements.

28 Aug 2014

First Edition: August 27, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about Kevin Counihan, the person who take on the challenge of running healthcare.gov.

27 Aug 2014

Pediatricians have new prescription for schools: later start times for teens

Pediatricians have a new prescription for schools: later start times for teens. Delaying the start of the school day until at least 8:30 a.m. would help curb their lack of sleep, which has been linked with poor health, bad grades, car crashes and other problems, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said in a new policy, which outlined chronic sleep deficits in our nation's adolescents.

27 Aug 2014

Findings encourage investigation on fear, safety and sleep in human PTSD

The effectiveness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment may hinge significantly upon sleep quality, report researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System in a paper published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.

27 Aug 2014

Cognitive impairment communication: an interview with Marc Wortmann, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI)

Cognitive impairment is the loss of brain functions like short and long term memory, the ability to plan ahead or conduct more complicated intellectual tasks.

27 Aug 2014

Obama to outline more veterans health care fixes

In a speech to the American Legion today, the president will announce new steps to improve veterans' access to mental health care and the transition in getting care from the Department of Defense to VA systems.

27 Aug 2014

Zebrafish and virus help scientists map the living brain

A virus and a zebrafish are helping scientists map the living brain. "You can kinda draw a diagram and see how cells within it are connected in a functioning brain," said Dr. Albert Pan, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

26 Aug 2014

State highlights: Calif. hospital accused of patient dumping; Wash. mental health changes

Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer has filed a lawsuit accusing Glendale Adventist Medical Center of dumping mentally ill and disabled homeless patients on L.A.'s skid row over the last four years. The six-page complaint, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, said the hospital improperly transported elderly and dependent patients to the downtown Los Angeles neighborhood, a 50-block area "known for extreme poverty, homelessness, rampant sale and use of illegal drugs and violent crime" (Holland, 8/22).

26 Aug 2014

Mindfulness training can brighten outlook on life for person with memory loss and caregiver

Mindfulness training for individuals with early-stage dementia and their caregivers together in the same class was beneficial for both groups, easing depression and improving sleep and quality of life, reports new Northwestern Medicine study.

26 Aug 2014

Researchers show how neurons respond to sequences of familiar objects

The world grows increasingly more chaotic year after year, and our brains are constantly bombarded with images.

26 Aug 2014

Researchers observe link between eating disorders and several autoimmune diseases

Finnish researchers have observed an association between eating disorders and several autoimmune diseases with different genetic backgrounds. These findings support the link between immune-mediated mechanisms and development of eating disorders.

26 Aug 2014

Exchange customers now receiving subsidies should review tax issues

The Associated Press examines the tax credit issue. Other outlets look at issues surrounding the state insurance marketplaces in California, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut and Minnesota.

26 Aug 2014

Study sheds new light on sleep drunkenness disorder

A study is shining new light on a sleep disorder called "sleep drunkenness". The disorder may be as prevalent as affecting one in every seven people. The research is published in the August 26, 2014, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Aug 2014

Preadolescent youth who play violent video games are at greater risk for depression

Preadolescent youth who play violent video games for a significant amount of time each day are at greater risk for depression, according to research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) released Monday in Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.

25 Aug 2014

Exercising to improve cardiovascular strength may protect from cognitive impairment

Exercising to improve our cardiovascular strength may protect us from cognitive impairment as we age, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated Institut universitaire de gératrie de Montréal Research Centre.

25 Aug 2014

Cardiovascular strength may protect us from cognitive impairment as we age

25 Aug 2014

State highlights: Only 1/3 chose Medicaid plan in Fla.; Calif. Prop 46 money

A selection of health policy stories from Florida, Oregon, California, New York, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New Jersey.

25 Aug 2014

First Edition: August 22, 2014

Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews writes: "How much leeway do employers and insurers have in deciding whether they'll cover contraceptives without charge and in determining which methods make the cut? Not much, as it turns out, but that hasn't stopped some from trying. Kaiser Health News readers still write in regularly describing battles they're waging to get the birth control coverage they're entitled to" (Andrews, 8/22).

22 Aug 2014

MRSA superbug control policies in hospitals lack evidence, say infectious disease experts

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) superbug control policies in hospitals, according to leading infectious disease experts in a Viewpoint published in The Lancet.

22 Aug 2014

Losing weight: A big money-saver for individuals with Type 2 diabetes

Overweight individuals with diabetes who lose weight by dieting and increasing their physical activity can reduce their health care costs by an average of more than $500 per year, according to a new study.

22 Aug 2014