Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

State and federal prisoners not receiving adequate mental health care

A significant portion of state and federal prisoners are not receiving treatment for mental health conditions, according to research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.

12 Jan 2015

Lack of information increases depression risk in people recovering from stroke

People recovering from a stroke and living at home have generally a higher risk of suffering from depression. According to researchers lack of information is often a major concern for patients and this frequently contributes to their depression. This is the result of a new study from health sociologists of the University of Luxembourg.

12 Jan 2015

New UCLA study sheds light on why some people develop PTSD

Why do some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while others who suffered the same ordeal do not? A new UCLA discovery may shed light on the answer.

11 Jan 2015

A good night's sleep linked to better academic performance in children

Making sure school-aged kids get to sleep at a regular hour is often a struggle for parents. But a study by researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Montreal suggests it's well worth the effort: the researchers found that a good night's sleep is linked to better performance in math and languages - subjects that are powerful predictors of later learning and academic success.

9 Jan 2015

Neuroscientists move one step closer to solving how learning and memory work

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found out how a protein crucial to learning works: by removing a biochemical "clamp" that prevents connections between nerve cells in the brain from growing stronger.

8 Jan 2015

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