Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Prolonged exposure therapy shows greater benefit adolescent girls with sexually abused PTSD

Adolescents girls with sexual abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced greater benefit from prolonged exposure therapy (a type of therapy that has been shown effectiveness for adults) than from supportive counseling, according to a study appearing in the December 25 issue of JAMA.

26 Dec 2013

Prolonged exposure therapy shows greater success for treating adolescent PTSD patients

Researchers at Penn Medicine report in the December 25 issue of JAMA that a modified form of prolonged exposure therapy - in which patients revisit and recount aloud their trauma-related thoughts, feelings and situations - shows greater success than supportive counseling for treating adolescent PTSD patients who have been sexually abused.

25 Dec 2013

Study: Antidepressants not effective for bipolar disorder treatment

The use of antidepressants in the treatment of bipolar disorder remains controversial. Some studies and treatment guidelines suggest that antidepressant treatment for bipolar disorder may have the potential to increase the manic switch, while others recommend short-term antidepressant treatment and early discontinuation.

24 Dec 2013

Holiday reads: Squabbling families, the psychology of Santa, holiday stress and chocolate chip cookies

[T]his time of year the Internet is ripe with lists on how to avoid or mitigate family conflicts. At big gatherings, familiarity may not always breed contempt, but it sure can breed festering emotional wounds. Leonard Felder, a Los Angeles psychologist, has found that about three-quarters of us have at least one family member who annoys us. But why is it that the same minor jabs and annoying tics that are harmless coming from friends prompt epic screaming matches when uttered by relatives? ... Here are four theories as to why our families drive us nuts, and it would be nice of you to pay attention for once in your life (Olga Khazan, 12/23).

24 Dec 2013

Asthma link to mood disorders strengthened

Results from a prospective study support a relationship between asthma in adolescence and future diagnosis of mood disorders.

24 Dec 2013

Young women more likely to have negative urodynamics experience

Research from the USA suggests that while urodynamic testing is well-tolerated by women on the whole, patients who are younger, or have anxiety or depression may have more negative experiences of the procedure than other patients.

24 Dec 2013

Schizophrenia brain marker matches genetic risk

Polygenic risk for schizophrenia correlates with neural inefficiency in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, say researchers.

24 Dec 2013

Treating depression fails to reverse cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder

Successful treatment of depression with total sleep deprivation does not improve neuropsychologic deficits in bipolar patients, despite improving clinical symptoms, Italian researchers report.

24 Dec 2013

Viewpoints: Impact of 'meddling with' health law; antibiotics on farms; 'Let thirtysomethings' join Medicare

[A]ll of these last-minute policy shifts confuse people who were already struggling to understand a complex new system, ... The cumulative effect is that at least some people - we hope not many - will misunderstand their responsibilities under the law or be deterred from seeking coverage. The biggest danger is that the Obama administration is encouraging politicians to meddle in the health-care system every time a few vocal constituents get upset about its requirements (12/21).

24 Dec 2013

Variation in oxytocin receptor gene influences face recognition skills, study finds

New findings suggest the oxytocin receptor, a gene known to influence mother-infant bonding and pair bonding in monogamous species, also plays a special role in the ability to remember faces. This research has important implications for disorders in which social information processing is disrupted, including autism spectrum disorder. In addition, the finding may lead to new strategies for improving social cognition in several psychiatric disorders.

24 Dec 2013

Keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill

The New York Times reports on the challenge of keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill, while The Wall Street Journal explores the difficulty finding treatment for many people because of a lack of providers in many places.

23 Dec 2013

Humans with high motor excitability have better working memory

Humans with a high motor excitability have a better working memory than humans with a low excitability. This was shown in a study conducted by scientists from the Transfacultary Research Platform at the University of Basel. By measuring the motor excitability, conclusions can be drawn as to the general cortical excitability - as well as to cognitive performance.

23 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 23, 2013

The early morning highlights from the major news organizations examine today's deadline for enrolling for health insurance that would begin Jan. 1, as well as a variety of other health law stories and several articles on mental health issues:

23 Dec 2013

State highlights: Calif. lawmaker seeks to re-fund mentally ill criminal program; Texas BCBS, HCA reach contract agreement

A selection of health policy stories from California and Texas.

23 Dec 2013

Breast cancer patients experience fewer side effects on using aromatase inhibitor with sham acupuncture

Breast cancer patients experience fewer side effects while being treated with a widely used drug called an aromatase inhibitor when they get acupuncture - either the real treatment or a "sham" procedure, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.

23 Dec 2013

Real and sham weekly acupuncture treatments ease hot flashes of anticancer drug treatment

Both real and sham weekly acupuncture treatments eased hot flashes and other side effects of anticancer drug treatment in a small, preliminary study of breast cancer patients, Baltimore researchers have found.

23 Dec 2013

Psychiatrist offers tips for dealing with holiday stress and sadness problems of the season

During the holidays, the goal should be to set the course somewhere "between Hallmark and heartache," a Vanderbilt psychiatrist says. In other words, don't strive for the perfect (you won't achieve it), and recognize and deal head-on with some of the stressors of the season.

23 Dec 2013

Type 2 diabetes in women less than 45 triples risk of early menopause

Type 2 diabetes - the most common type of diabetes - triples the risk of an early menopause in women younger than 45 years of age, according to new research published in the peer-reviewed journal Climacteric.

23 Dec 2013

Study: High levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation

Researchers from Boston University's School of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences found that among HIV-infected Russian drinkers, depressive symptom severity alone was not significantly associated with lower rates of antiretroviral therapy initiation. However, when examining cognitive symptoms of depression, results showed that high levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation.

22 Dec 2013

Study supports use of two drugs for treating children with aggression and disruptive behavior

Prescribing both a stimulant and an antipsychotic drug to children with physical aggression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, along with teaching parents to use behavior management techniques, reduces aggressive and serious behavioral problems in the children, according to a study conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

22 Dec 2013

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Prolonged exposure therapy shows greater benefit adolescent girls with sexually abused PTSD

Prolonged exposure therapy shows greater success for treating adolescent PTSD patients

Study: Antidepressants not effective for bipolar disorder treatment

Holiday reads: Squabbling families, the psychology of Santa, holiday stress and chocolate chip cookies

Asthma link to mood disorders strengthened

Young women more likely to have negative urodynamics experience

Schizophrenia brain marker matches genetic risk

Treating depression fails to reverse cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder

Viewpoints: Impact of 'meddling with' health law; antibiotics on farms; 'Let thirtysomethings' join Medicare

Variation in oxytocin receptor gene influences face recognition skills, study finds

Keeping firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill

Humans with high motor excitability have better working memory

First Edition: December 23, 2013

State highlights: Calif. lawmaker seeks to re-fund mentally ill criminal program; Texas BCBS, HCA reach contract agreement

Breast cancer patients experience fewer side effects on using aromatase inhibitor with sham acupuncture

Real and sham weekly acupuncture treatments ease hot flashes of anticancer drug treatment

Psychiatrist offers tips for dealing with holiday stress and sadness problems of the season

Type 2 diabetes in women less than 45 triples risk of early menopause

Study: High levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation

Study supports use of two drugs for treating children with aggression and disruptive behavior

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Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

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