Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Better physical functioning associated with remission of general anxiety, PTSD symptoms

In a two-year longitudinal study involving 13 intensive care units in four U.S. hospitals, researchers found that better physical functioning — basic and complex activities considered essential for maintaining independence — is associated with remission of general anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These findings may help clinicians be better prepared for caring for the growing number of survivors of critical illness, potentially leading to a better quality of recovery for patients.

8 Jan 2015

Research findings could lead to new drug design for neurological diseases

A new intermediate step and unexpected enzymatic activity in a metabolic pathway in the body, which could lead to new drug design for psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, has been discovered by researchers at Georgia State University.

8 Jan 2015

Longitudinal course of schizophrenia negative symptoms revealed

Schizophrenia negative symptoms are relatively stable in the first year for most patients after they begin antipsychotic medication but research suggests around a quarter will experience exacerbation or relapse.

7 Jan 2015

Comorbid OCD not uncommon in bipolar disorder

Co-occurrence of obsessive compulsive disorder in patients with bipolar disorder type I is not uncommon and is associated with increased functional disability, research findings indicate.

7 Jan 2015

CET ‘feasible’ in schizophrenia patients with substance misuse

Patients with schizophrenia and comorbid substance abuse diagnoses are able to benefit from cognitive enhancement therapy, preliminary research suggests.

7 Jan 2015

McGill University researchers identify network of complex neurons in the brain

Our ability to pay attention to certain things while ignoring distractions determines how good we are at a given task, whether it is driving a car or doing brain surgery. A research team at McGill University has for the first time convincingly identified a network of neurons in a particular area of the brain, the lateral prefrontal cortex, that interact with one another to promptly filter visual information while at the same time ignoring distractions. It's a discovery with potentially far reaching implications for people who suffer from diseases such as autism, ADHD and schizophrenia.

7 Jan 2015

People working in prisons, secure hospitals are at increased risk of developing work-related stress

People working in prisons and in secure hospitals in the UK are at considerable risk of work-related stress, exhaustion and depression. This raises serious concerns for safety.

7 Jan 2015

Study highlights public health significance of depression among U.S. adolescents

A recent study published in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry underscores the important public health significance of depression among U.S. adolescents.

7 Jan 2015

Sheffield researchers use ‘Conversation Analysis’ to improve dementia diagnosis

ANALYSING distinct features of conversation and how patients describe memory loss could improve the early diagnosis of dementia, and help those whose memory concerns are not due to dementia receive reassurance sooner.

7 Jan 2015

FDA receives Actavis' NDA resubmission for cariprazine

Actavis plc (NYSE: ACT) and Gedeon Richter Plc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged receipt of Actavis' New Drug Application (NDA) resubmission for its atypical antipsychotic cariprazine, a potent dopamine D3/D2 receptor partial agonist with preferential binding to D3 receptors.

6 Jan 2015

New study shows that menstrual cycle may have an effect on nicotine cravings

The menstrual cycle appears to have an effect on nicotine cravings, according to a new study by Adrianna Mendrek of the University of Montreal and its affiliated Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal.

5 Jan 2015

Kaiser Permanente's California mental health clinicians to launch week-long strike on January 12

Kaiser Permanente's 2,600 California mental health clinicians — psychologists, therapists, and social workers represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers — will launch a statewide, week-long strike on Monday, January 12, to protest Kaiser's chronic failure to provide its members with timely, quality mental health care.

2 Jan 2015

Stress can trigger diabetes, depression and other autoimmune diseases

Stress is an ability of humans to fight or flee when faced with problems affecting the individual. By changes in the organism, adaptation to various physical conditions is achieved: burns, bruises, bleeding or psychosocial traumas.

2 Jan 2015

Elements Behavioral Health acquires Park Bench Group Counseling

Elements Behavioral Health, a leading nationwide provider of addiction and mental health treatment programs, announced today that it has acquired Park Bench Group Counseling, located in Southeastern New Jersey.

31 Dec 2014

Transwestern members raise $34,317 for Movember Foundation

Transwestern today announces its team members raised $34,317 for the Movember Foundation, a global organization committed to changing the face of men's health.

31 Dec 2014

LIBD announces significant advances in identifying causes of schizophrenia, brain disorders

The Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD) announces significant advances in identifying the causes of schizophrenia and related developmental brain disorders and translating these findings into new treatment strategies.

31 Dec 2014

Hot Spring offers reminder to consider mental-health resolutions for 2015

Hot Spring®, the only brand to sell more than one million hot tubs, offers a reminder to consider mental-health resolutions for 2015.

31 Dec 2014

Overeaters Anonymous offers support for people struggling with food addiction

It's that time of year again – another New Year, another New Year's resolution. For many people, dealing with compulsive eating issues and the pressure to shed unwanted weight, the New Year can often be a stress trigger that leads to guilt, depression, embarrassment and even more eating and unwanted pounds.

30 Dec 2014

Intriguing small molecule directs activity of key ‘clock proteins’

In research published in Nature Communications, Thomas Burris, Ph.D., chair of pharmacological and physiological science at Saint Louis University, reports intriguing findings about a small molecule that directs the activity of key "clock proteins," offering the potential to manage circadian rhythm and treat problems that are associated with its dysfunction, like sleep and anxiety disorders.

24 Dec 2014

Different antidepressants may affect pregnant women differently

About 15 percent of women in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders and depression during their pregnancies, and many are prescribed antidepressants. However little is known about how early exposure to these medications might affect their offspring as they mature into adults.

23 Dec 2014