Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

59% of college students are at high levels of "food insecurity", shows study

One of the few studies of its type has found that a startling 59 percent of college students at one Oregon university were "food insecure" at some point during the previous year, with possible implications for academic success, physical and emotional health and other issues.

28 Jan 2014

State highlights: N.Y. revises its request for Medicaid adjustment; transplant waiting periods for new coverage in Wash.

A selection of health policy stories from New York, Washington state, California, Virginia, Idaho, Connecticut and Georgia.

28 Jan 2014

Viewpoints: Health overhaul helps ease inequality issues; nuns triumph over health law; deinstitutionalization's mental health legacy

Intense as it is, the current debate over rising income inequality is hardly new. ... The good news is that there's more good news than one might expect. ... In addition to avoiding making things worse, the country has adopted, at least in part, several of the policy improvements we thought made sense eight years ago. Most prominent among these was President Obama's health-care reform, which, for all its problems, promises to ease the health-care cost squeeze on middle- and lower-income Americans (1/25).

28 Jan 2014

Patients' race or ethnicity linked with differences in prescription of HIV drug

A lot of evidence shows that a patients' race or ethnicity is associated with differences in how health care providers communicate with them, the health care they receive, and their health outcomes.

28 Jan 2014

Neurologist receives Perl-UNC Neuroscience Prize for remarkable research on persistent brain activity

The UNC School of Medicine has awarded the 14th Perl-UNC Neuroscience Prize to Marcus Raichle, MD, a neurologist from Washington University in St. Louis who has made remarkable research findings about the persistent brain activity of our at-rest minds.

28 Jan 2014

GenePeeks receives patent for developing innovative algorithms to create hypothetical "digital babies"

GenePeeks, Inc., a genetic technology company focused on pre-conception risk prediction, announced today it has been issued patent No. 8,620,594, titled "Method and System for Generating a Virtual Progeny Genome," by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

28 Jan 2014

Loyola University neuropsychologist find little evidence that chronic traumatic encephalopathy actually exists

The media have widely reported that a debilitating neurological condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a well-established disease in retired athletes who played football and other contact sports.

28 Jan 2014

Some consumers finding surprises as they explore health law implementation

Many plans offered on the health marketplaces will take an unexpected chunk out of consumers' wallets, Politico reports. Meanwhile, The Associated Press examines a dilemma for some parents who find that their children qualify for Medicaid and can't go on the same plan as the parents.

28 Jan 2014

Researchers find novel drug combination approach to speed fight against cancer

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and is responsible for about 30% of all deaths, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Despite the urgent need for new and effective drugs, it remains extremely difficult to develop anti-cancer therapies in a timely way.

27 Jan 2014

Acute to chronic insomnia transition warns of depression risk

In patients with acute insomnia, long periods of light sleep may be the key driver to chronic insomnia and depression, research suggests.

27 Jan 2014

First Edition: January 27, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about a new Associated Press poll that found some negative views of the health law may be easing.

27 Jan 2014

Copenhagen researchers boost self-efficacy of diabetic patients through motivational health coaching

By means of so-called health coaching, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have helped a large group of diabetics to markedly improve their oral health.

27 Jan 2014

Research roundup: Patient safety measure results 'disappointing'

Patient safety poses serious challenges to the health care system in the United States. Since 2001, nationwide efforts have focused on reducing in-hospital adverse events.

25 Jan 2014

State highlights: Hearing Friday on battle over Texas woman on life support

The case of the Texas woman, 22-weeks pregnant and being kept on life-support machines at a Forth Worth hospital against her husband's wishes, goes before a judge in North Texas on Friday.

25 Jan 2014

Psychosis risk factors have limited predictive power

Factors known to be linked to schizophrenia risk have little predictive power at either the individual or population level, report researchers.

24 Jan 2014

Attentional biases toward emotion help characterize bipolar disorder

Attentional biases toward emotional images are a key feature of bipolar disorder and may contribute to increased vulnerability and continued maintenance of the condition, researchers report.

24 Jan 2014

Scientists figure out key step in how free calcium is controlled in the body

Scientists at Johns Hopkins report they have figured out a key step in how "free" calcium - the kind not contained in bones - is managed in the body, a finding that could aid in the development of new treatments for a variety of neurological disorders that include Parkinson's disease.

24 Jan 2014

Longer looks: Leaving antidepressants; the lack of tech-savvy doctors

Whenever I feel like taking a trip back in time, I save myself the trouble of building a time machine and instead just head over to a doctor's office. For a Millennial, or really anyone who lives a modern lifestyle, getting medical care is a rare departure from an otherwise technology-fueled existence. …

24 Jan 2014

Researchers discover mechanism that controls activity of LRRK2 in Parkinson's disease

In one variant of Parkinson's disease, the enzyme LRRK2 plays a central role. Scientists at the University of Kassel have now discovered a mechanism that controls the activity of LRRK2.

24 Jan 2014