Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Extended exercises may improve people’s satisfaction with life

Had a bad day? Extending your normal exercise routine by a few minutes may be the solution, according to Penn State researchers, who found that people's satisfaction with life was higher on days when they exercised more than usual.

26 Oct 2012

HCFC1 protein may cause intellectual disability

Genetics researchers at the University of Adelaide have solved a 40-year mystery for a family beset by a rare intellectual disability - and they've discovered something new about the causes of intellectual disability in the process.

26 Oct 2012

NAFC conducts online survey to examine women’s perceptions about overactive bladder

The National Association For Continence (NAFC) is conducting an anonymous online survey to understand the perceptions women, age 40-65, have about overactive bladder (OAB) and what they are prepared to do about its symptoms. Using constructs from the Health Belief Model, this survey aims to explain the fears and preparedness women have towards general health and OAB. This research is conducted by Kelton Global Research, a market research company and supported by a grant from Merck Pharmaceuticals.

26 Oct 2012

Simple approach results in low rates of MRSA infections

High compliance with hand hygiene and focusing on other simple infection control measures on medical, surgical and neuroscience intensive care units resulted in reduced rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection by 95 percent in a nine-year study, according to research findings by Virginia Commonwealth University physicians presented during IDWeek 2012.

26 Oct 2012

Social disadvantage may increase risk for psychosis

Results from a UK study suggest that social disadvantage is associated with an increased risk for developing psychosis.

25 Oct 2012

Axis I disorder risk increased in youth with parental history of BD

Children with a parental history of bipolar disorder are at increased for DSM-IV axis I disorders, research shows.

25 Oct 2012

Behavioral counseling can impact risky drinking habits

Counseling about alcohol misuse can reduce the number of drinks consumed weekly among adults with risky drinking habits, according to a review of the evidence.

25 Oct 2012

Maternal mental health important to successful motherhood but overlooked

In the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog, Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, writes, "On the list of health risks women are subjected to, mental health seldom reaches the top. And while there are a lot of stigmas around many diseases, there may not be a close rival to the stigma those with diseases of the mind face each day. Mental illness pushes those who are already marginalized in developed and developing societies, even further into the margins."

25 Oct 2012

BioLineRx intends to conduct interim analysis of BL-1020 Phase II/III trial for schizophrenia

BioLineRx, a biopharmaceutical development company, announced today that it intends to conduct an interim analysis of the Phase II/III CLARITY trial of BL-1020, a first in class, orally available, GABA-enhanced antipsychotic for the treatment of schizophrenia.

25 Oct 2012

Neurofeedback enhances a brain network responsible for cognitive-control

A breakthrough study conducted in Canada has found that training of the well-known brainwave in humans, the alpha rhythm, enhances a brain network responsible for cognitive-control.

25 Oct 2012

WSU researcher examines use of carbon fiber microelectrodes in neurochemical measurements

A Wayne State University researcher's take on the current state of brain chemical analysis is the cover story in a recent professional journal, accompanied by a podcast.

25 Oct 2012

Anterior insular cortex associated with human empathy

An international team led by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York has for the first time shown that one area of the brain, called the anterior insular cortex, is the activity center of human empathy, whereas other areas of the brain are not. The study is published in the September 2012 issue of the journal Brain.

25 Oct 2012

Roundup: States raise employee insurance contributions to save money; Minn. seeking $80M more for exchange; Selling insurance in malls

Financially strapped state and local governments are saving billions of dollars on health insurance by cutting back on free coverage for employees and raising worker contributions, a USA Today analysis finds. Government workers still enjoy more generous health benefits than privately employed workers but the advantage has narrowed from $1,523 in 2007 to $891 in 2012, adjusted for inflation, federal data show.

25 Oct 2012

Evidence for clinical heterogeneity in mixed bipolar states

Research suggests that there are significant clinical differences between bipolar disorder patients who experience mixed mood states with predominant depressive or manic symptoms.

24 Oct 2012

Migraine linked to depression, stress in sub-Saharan Africans

Migraine is significantly associated with stress and unipolar psychiatric symptoms in sub-Saharan African adults, researchers say.

24 Oct 2012

New biomarker measures aggressiveness of primary prostate tumors

Research out of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) supports the adoption of a new biomarker to measure the aggressiveness of primary prostate tumors.

24 Oct 2012

Exendin-4 could effectively treat addiction

Vanderbilt researchers are reporting today that a drug currently used to treat type 2 diabetes could be just as effective in treating addiction to drugs, including cocaine.

24 Oct 2012

Link between autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), a category that includes autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, are characterized by difficulty with social interaction and communication, or repetitive behaviors. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Management says that one in 88 children in the US is somewhere on the Autism spectrum - an alarming ten-fold increase in the last four decades.

24 Oct 2012

SUNY Downstate to join Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials network

SUNY Downstate Medical Center has been selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to join the Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials (NETT) network, which is dedicated to improving emergency care for neurological injuries that require immediate care, such as stroke, seizures, and traumatic brain injury, as well as other illnesses affecting the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system.

24 Oct 2012

U.S. Marshals seize dietary supplements and unapproved drugs from Confidence

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals recently seized dietary supplements and unapproved drugs from Confidence, Inc., of Port Washington, N.Y.

24 Oct 2012