Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Breastfeeding may lower risk for depression in adulthood

A study published in the last issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics examines the relationship between breastfeeding and onset of depression in adulthood.

5 Sep 2012

President orders additional mental health help for Vets

Obama signed an executive order on Friday, directing the Veterans Administration to hire 1,600 new mental health professionals and to expand the capacity of its crisis line so those who are in crisis can see a counselor within 24 hours. ... The White House says money for the additional mental health care will come from existing resources, though the president sought a 10-percent increase in overall VA funding next year.

5 Sep 2012

Motor coordination in children with sedentary lifestyles: an interview with Dr. Luis Lopes

The importance of an adequate motor coordination level in childhood has recently reemerged. In literature on motor skill development, the focus is mostly on the proficiency/competence level in movement skills. Motor competence/coordination can be defined as a person’s ability to execute different motor acts, including coordination of both fine and gross motor skills (Henderson & Sugden, 1992).

4 Sep 2012

Subthreshold metabolic syndrome common in drug-naïve schizophrenia patients

Around 1 in 10 antipsychotic-naïve Indian patients with schizophrenia meet full criteria for the metabolic syndrome, but a significantly larger proportion have subthreshold metabolic syndrome, researchers report.

4 Sep 2012

Economic crisis increases depression rates

Depression rates in Greece have increased significantly since the start of the current economic crisis, study findings show.

4 Sep 2012

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder more likely to be bullied

A study based on information collected from 920 parents suggests an estimated 46.3 percent of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder were the victims of bullying, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

4 Sep 2012

Infliximab may offer new hope for people with difficult-to-treat depression

Researchers at Emory University have found that a medication that inhibits inflammation may offer new hope for people with difficult-to-treat depression. The study was published Sept. 3 in the online version of Archives of General Psychiatry.

4 Sep 2012

iBC Quality Solutions helps to change UK care home system

As care homes struggle to stay compliant with regulations, iBC quality solutions company step in to help.

3 Sep 2012

Incentives can help promote drug abstinence among pregnant women with heroin or cocaine addiction

A "contingency management" approach—offering incentives for negative drug tests—can help promote drug abstinence among pregnant women with heroin or cocaine addiction, reports a study in the September Addictive Disorders & Their Treatment. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

1 Sep 2012

New toolbox for neuroscientists will reduce time for clinical research

Richard Gershon has a shiny new toolbox for neuroscientists that will revolutionize their clinical research by making it radically faster, cheaper and more accurate. It also will help researchers recruit children and adults for studies because participation will be much less time consuming.

1 Sep 2012

Study shows how NCAN gene results in manic symptoms of bipolar disorder

Flying high, or down in the dumps - individuals suffering from bipolar disorder alternate between depressive and manic episodes. Researchers from the University of Bonn and the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim have now discovered, based on patient data and animal models, how the NCAN gene results in the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder. The results have been published in the current issue of "The American Journal of Psychiatry."

1 Sep 2012

Smoking rates increased in relatives of schizophrenia patients

The unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia are more likely to be smokers than individuals without a family history of the disorder, researchers report.

31 Aug 2012

Subsyndromal symptoms hasten relapse in BD

The presence of subsyndromal affective symptoms is associated with a significantly shorter time to relapse among euthymic patients with bipolar disorder, Spanish research shows.

31 Aug 2012

Elan commences ELND005 Phase 2 study in Bipolar I Disorder

Transition Therapeutics Inc. today announced that its licensing partner, Elan Corporation, plc has commenced a Phase 2, placebo-controlled, safety and efficacy study of oral ELND005 as an adjunctive maintenance treatment in patients with Bipolar I Disorder (BPD 1) to delay the time to occurrence of mood episodes.

31 Aug 2012

Non-pain-related factors predict long-term opioid use after surgery

Non-pain-related factors—including previous use of pain medications, high perceived risk of addiction, and symptoms of depression—increase the risk of continuing to use strong pain-relieving drugs several months after surgery, reports a study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

31 Aug 2012

New research about brain and related disorders to be unveiled at Neuroscience 2012

New research about the brain and related disorders will be unveiled at Neuroscience 2012 in New Orleans, Oct. 13-17. Findings will include how the brain weighs complex decisions; progress being made in treating Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury; and novel understanding of how life experiences, diet, and sleep influence brain health and wellness.

31 Aug 2012

Romney pledges more health care options for veterans

The Republican presidential nominee took a break from his party's convention in Tampa to address the American Legion in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, one news outlet looks at geographic disparities in services for veterans.

31 Aug 2012

Tips for parents to recognize signs of childhood obstructive sleep apnea

With school days upon us, a good night's sleep should be on the top of each child's list of supplies. But for some children, getting the rest they need means more than an early bedtime. At Clarity Allergy Center in Chicago, allergy, asthma, and immunology expert, Dr. Brian Rotskoff, is helping parents recognize the signs of childhood obstructive sleep apnea by carefully monitoring childhood snoring and childhood nasal allergies.

31 Aug 2012

Roundup: Brown's pension plan no panacea for Calif.; Personhood amendment won't make Colo. ballot

Even by the most ambitious forecasts, the plan Gov. Jerry Brown and fellow Democrats are championing to contain government worker pensions in California could leave state taxpayers awash in debt to public employees.

31 Aug 2012

Duration of untreated bipolar disorder ‘too long’

The mean duration of untreated bipolar disorder is “unacceptably” long, say French researchers who report that an increased duration is associated with more mood episodes, more suicidal behavior, and greater mood instability.

30 Aug 2012