Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Neural clues found for impaired emotional response in bipolar disorder

Researchers have identified distinct trait- and state-related neural abnormalities during emotional response inhibition in patients with bipolar disorder.

22 Jan 2013

Tell tale neurologic soft signs for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Neurologic soft signs can differentiate schizophrenia from major depression but not bipolar disorder, study findings indicate.

22 Jan 2013

Team support aids Parkinson’s patients

A randomized controlled trial demonstrates improved outcomes if patients with Parkinson’s disease are cared for by a multidisciplinary team.

22 Jan 2013

Psychiatrist claims medical marijuana dangerous for treatment of psychiatric problems

Using medical marijuana to treat conditions such as anxiety and depression is dangerous and has no basis in medical science, says Dr. Timothy R. Jennings, a prominent Tennessee psychiatrist and consultant to The Center for Counseling and Health Resources in Edmonds, WA.

22 Jan 2013

Family members with rare gene mutation at high risk of developing schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a rare gene mutation in a single family with a high rate of schizophrenia, adding to evidence that abnormal genes play a role in the development of the disease.

22 Jan 2013

BioMed Central launches Journal of Eating Disorders

Open access publisher BioMed Central is proud to announce the launch of the Journal of Eating Disorders. This journal launch marks a significant development in this area of research; as it is the first open access journal of its kind. Journal of Eating Disorders is co-edited by Prof Phillipa Hay, University of Western Sydney and Prof Stephen Touyz, University of Sydney together with an editorial board of prominent experts.

22 Jan 2013

Schizophrenics more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and cancer

A new study from Lund University in Sweden shows that the average life expectancy of men and women with schizophrenia is 15 years and 12 years shorter respectively than for those who do not suffer from the disease.

22 Jan 2013

Research into effects of cyber bullying, online relationships and social media

When we typically think of kids who are the victims of school bullying, what comes to mind are isolated youth who do not fit in. A new study, however, shows that when that harassment occurs online, the victims tend to be in mainstream social groups at the school - and they are often friends or former friends, not strangers.

21 Jan 2013

Knee replacement pain predicted by comorbidity

Research may help physicians give patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty a realistic expectation of surgery outcome based on their overall physical and mental health, US researchers believe.

21 Jan 2013

Parental depression linked to TMD pain in young adults

A mother’s depression during pregnancy is not a risk factor for temporomandibular disorders in her child, a 31-year follow-up study indicates.

21 Jan 2013

New study: Loneliness can harm overall health

New research links loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that being lonely has the potential to harm overall health.

20 Jan 2013

Mental health issues take pole position in gun violence debate

Agreement appears to exist that mental health is central to this debate, with the Obama administration eyeing the related provisions of the health law as one of the answers.

19 Jan 2013

FDA to step up evaluation of metal hip implants, other devices

The Food and Drug Administration is studying whether several medical devices already on the market, such as electroconvulsive therapy devices for depression and emergency defibrillators, require additional evidence to prove they're safe.

19 Jan 2013

New insight into personality psychology

Extraversion does not just explain differences between how people act at social events. How extraverted you are may influence how the brain makes choices - specifically whether you choose an immediate or delayed reward, according to a new study. The work is part of a growing body of research on the vital role of understanding personality in society.

19 Jan 2013

Study confirms brain differences between people with BPD and those without

New work by University of Toronto Scarborough researchers gives the best description yet of the neural circuits that underlie a severe mental illness called Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and could lead to better treatments and diagnosis.

19 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: Krugman cautions against locking in benefit cuts that may not be necessary; Lift the freeze on CDC's gun research

Well, its probable (although not certain) that, within two or three decades, the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted, leaving the system unable to pay the full benefits specified by current law. So the plan is to avoid cuts in future benefits by committing right now to ... cuts in future benefits. Huh? O.K., you can argue that the adjustment to an aging population would be smoother if we commit to a glide path of benefit cuts now. On the other hand, by moving too soon we might lock in benefit cuts that turn out not to have been necessary.

19 Jan 2013

Mental health improvements are a key part of Obama's plan to reduce gun violence

In addition to calling for changes in how the country handles gun sales, the proposal would increase mental health services, finish rules on mental health parity and restore federal gun research.

18 Jan 2013

Stress in adolescence can cause severe mental illness in young adulthood

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have established a link between elevated levels of a stress hormone in adolescence — a critical time for brain development — and genetic changes that, in young adulthood, cause severe mental illness in those predisposed to it.

18 Jan 2013

Burnout can cause negative health effects in middle-aged working women

Emotional exhaustion and physical and cognitive fatigue are signs of burnout, often caused by prolonged exposure to stress. Burnout can cause negative health effects including poor sleep, depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular and immune disorders.

18 Jan 2013

Boehringer Ingelheim initiates enrollment in Phase III IFN-free HCV trial

Today, Boehringer Ingelheim announced that the first patients have been enrolled in the company's pivotal Phase III interferon (IFN)-free hepatitis C (HCV) clinical trial programme, HCVerso.

18 Jan 2013