Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

ECGs show structural difference in brain connections among children with autism

A look at how the brain processes information finds a distinct pattern in children with autism spectrum disorders. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers from Boston Children's Hospital have found a structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at the expense of long-distance links.

27 Feb 2013

Symptom profile changes between first-episode and chronic schizophrenia

First-episode schizophrenia patients have more positive and fewer negative symptoms than chronic schizophrenia patients, and are more likely to report childhood sexual abuse, a team of researchers has discovered.

27 Feb 2013

HCCI analysis suggests jump in spending on mental health-substance use admissions

The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 increased access to mental health and substance use services in hospitals, yet consumers continued to pay more out-of-pocket for substance use admissions than for other types of hospital admissions, finds a new Health Care Cost Institute report.

27 Feb 2013

Using smart phones to manage HIV treatment in rural Virginia

An innovative plan developed at the University of Virginia School of Medicine will use smart phones to improve care for people recently diagnosed with HIV in rural Virginia.

27 Feb 2013

Study opens possibility for creating animal models of memory disorders

If you ask a rat whether it knows how it came to acquire a certain coveted piece of chocolate, Indiana University neuroscientists conclude, the answer is a resounding, "Yes." A study newly published in the journal Current Biology offers the first evidence of source memory in a nonhuman animal.

27 Feb 2013

Capitol Hill hot topics: Mental health, abortion and entitlement cuts

Roll Call explores how some lawmakers have strong personal connections to issues related to mental health and gun violence.

27 Feb 2013

Protective services workers more likely to develop psychiatric disorder after traumatic events

Police, firefighters and other protective services workers who are repeatedly exposed to traumatic events and are new to their profession are at greater risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

26 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: GOP faces pressure from spending cuts effects on daily life; President needs to lead on Medicare cuts

Cuts this draconian have no place in a tottering economy. But, realistically, the only way to break this standoff is for the cuts to exact their toll on daily life, causing Republicans to face pressure from the public to negotiate an alternative plan with higher revenues in March as part of talks to finance the government for the final six months of the fiscal year.

26 Feb 2013

COPD benzodiazepine warning

Canadian researchers have found that benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), despite their known association with adverse respiratory outcomes.

26 Feb 2013

Cognitive impairments in bipolar disorder 'stable'

Impaired cognitive function among bipolar disorder patients seems to be stable over time, suggesting it is an enduring feature of the condition, show the results of a longitudinal study.

26 Feb 2013

Depression links PTSD to life quality in bipolar disorder

The association between post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health-related quality of life among individuals with bipolar disorder may be mediated by depressive symptoms, the results of a US study indicate.

26 Feb 2013

Cardiometabolic risk prevention opportunity in early schizophrenia

esearchers have found that cardiometabolic risk in patients with schizophrenia is heightened in those with established disease, suggesting a need for early intervention in those presenting with their first episode.

26 Feb 2013

Ill health more likely to be responsible for retirement in regional areas than in cities

Men and women of working age, living in regional areas are more likely to be fully retired because of ill health than their city counterparts, University of Sydney research shows.

26 Feb 2013

Complementary medicine risks: an interview with Dr Andrew Boyden, NPS MedicineWise

Complementary medicines include products containing herbs, vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, homoeopathic medicines, certain aromatherapy products and traditional Chinese medicines. For this reason they are also called herbal, natural or alternative medicines.

26 Feb 2013

One in three ventilated people with ALI shows substantial PTSD symptoms

One in three people who survived stays in an intensive care unit (ICU) and required use of a mechanical ventilator showed substantial post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that lasted for up to two years, according to a new Johns Hopkins study of patients with acute lung injury.

26 Feb 2013

With sequester day looming, partisan differences become more entrenched

Some news outlets take a hard look at the impact that health programs would feel if the scheduled cuts go forward.

26 Feb 2013

After Newtown shootings, advocates hoping for major infusion in mental health spending

Supporters of wider mental health care see the current debate as an opportunity to reverse long-time budget cuts across the country. Meanwhile in Texas, some mental health activists are seeking changes in detention policies.

26 Feb 2013

Cleveland Clinic receives $1.97M NIMH grant for innovative autism research

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded $1.97 million for innovative autism research to Bruce Trapp, Ph.D., Chairman of Neurosciences at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.

26 Feb 2013

Research roundup: Patients hesitant to focus on costs; Increase in primary care demand is uneven

One way to contain health care spending is to get patients involved in weighing costs of treatment options with their doctors. Researchers recruited 211 medically insured participants to assess their willingness to consider costs when choosing treatments. The authors found that participants generally "preferred better care, even when the relative benefit it offered was marginal, and even when told that the second-best choice still met the threshold of 'good enough' care from a clinician's perspective.

26 Feb 2013

External qigong therapy can help control cocaine craving early in recovery

Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs of abuse. Few effective treatments are available to help control cravings and withdrawal symptoms among individuals undergoing therapy to overcome cocaine abuse.

26 Feb 2013