Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Screen time linked with obesity in children

Approximately 20 percent of adolescents in the U.S. today are obese or overweight. With the number of obese and overweight younger children close behind, this epidemic has lasting implications for the future.

12 Apr 2012

State roundup: Calif. essential benefits bill passes committee; Ariz. legislature OKs late-term abortion ban; States with longest doc waits

California Assemblyman Bill Monning, chair of the Assembly Committee on Health introduced AB 1453, which laid out a plan for what essential benefits will be covered in California under the Affordable Care Act. The proposed set of benefits is modeled on the Kaiser small group HMO plan

12 Apr 2012

States plot Medicaid managed care changes; Kansas managed care plan met with skepticism

In Ohio, Molina Healthcare loses its Medicaid managed care contract. In Texas, a plan to save money by incorporating Medicaid drug benefits into a managed care program gets pushback. And, Kansas counties weigh in on a plan to shift Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care.

12 Apr 2012

Gluten free diet does not help weight loss and may be harmful to the non-allergic

The 19-year-old pop star Miley Cyrus came into news after proclaiming on Twitter that the reason behind her skinny new frame is a gluten and lactose-free eating plan. She reportedly said, “Everyone should try no gluten for a week! The change in your skin, physical and mental health is amazing. You won’t go back!”

11 Apr 2012

Dementia burden on the Australian economy raises concerns

The report by the World Health Organization and Alzheimer's Disease International added that policy priorities should include raising awareness of the disease ensuring timely diagnosis. It estimates the global cost of dementia is more than $600 billion per year.

11 Apr 2012

Inexpensive female genital schistosomiasis prevention could help reduce women's risk of HIV infection

In this Huffington Post "Global Motherhood" blog post, Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, describes female genital schistosomiasis (FGS), which affects more than 100 million women and girls in Africa and "causes horrific pain and bleeding in the uterus, cervix and lower genital tract, not to mention social stigma and depression."

11 Apr 2012

Act of coming out associated with better health for LGB adults

A comprehensive new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher Emily Rothman shows that two-thirds of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in a representative Massachusetts sample reported receiving positive support from their parents after coming out to them. Their incidence of mental health and substance abuse problems was significantly lower than those who did not receive support, the authors reported.

11 Apr 2012

Mothers tend to be more critical of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder

A new study from Case Western Reserve University finds mothers tend to be more critical of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder than they are of other children in the family. And, that parental criticism is linked to poorer outcomes for the child after treatment.

11 Apr 2012

New report calls on nations to recognise dementia as a public health crisis

A report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) calls for governments and policymakers to make dementia a global public health priority.

11 Apr 2012

Women less likely to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day

A national study shows that women are less likely than men to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, resulting in greater odds of developing metabolic syndrome - a risky and increasingly prevalent condition related to obesity.

11 Apr 2012

New Contemplative Sciences Center at University of Virginia

Can meditation, yoga or mindfulness training help nurses and teachers be more effective and resilient in stressful situations? Can such contemplative practices be part of a more effective treatment regimen for major depression, or for alcoholics in recovery?

11 Apr 2012

Reducing iron levels in blood plasma may protect brain from changes related to AD

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is now the sixth leading cause of death among Americans, affecting nearly 1 in 8 people over the age of 65. There is currently no treatment that alters the course of this disease. However, an increasing amount of evidence suggests that changes in the way the body handles iron and other metals like copper and zinc may start years before the onset of AD symptoms. A new study shows that reducing iron levels in blood plasma may protect the brain from changes related to AD.

11 Apr 2012

Oxytocin may offer hope for male sexual dysfunction

The hormone oxytocin that is also called the “love hormone” since it plays a role in the bond between a mother and baby may also improve sexual function - at least in men with Asperger’s syndrome - according to a published case report.

10 Apr 2012

Emotional and instrumental support likely to play a critical role in recovery from mental illness

Does the growing number of psychiatric disorder diagnoses have an effect on people with mental illnesses? According to a new study, as definitions of mental illnesses become broader, people who show signs of depression and other common mental illnesses are less likely to evoke a supportive response from friends and family members as are people with other severe mental disorders.

10 Apr 2012

PEHS School-based Health Center to celebrate 10th anniversary this week

The School-based Health Center at Proviso East High School will celebrate its 10th anniversary this week. Faculty and students at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON) opened the health center a decade ago to educate teens about health and to provide primary health care, mental health and nutrition services to keep young people well, so they can succeed in school.

10 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Scarcity of dental care; Surprise budget buster awaiting states on retiree health costs

We know that too many Americans can't afford primary care and end up in the emergency room with asthma or heart failure. But in the debate over health care coverage, less attention has been paid to the fact that too many Americans also end up in the emergency room with severe tooth abscesses that keep them from eating or infections that can travel from decayed teeth to the brain and, if untreated, kill.

10 Apr 2012

Two CNVs may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer

An international research team led by Weill Cornell Medical College investigators have discovered two inherited-genetic deletions in the human genome linked to development of aggressive prostate cancer.

10 Apr 2012

States roundup: Aetna goes ahead with small biz coverage hike; 1.2M Texas kids without insurance; Legal immigrants join Mass. health plan

Despite criticism from the state insurance commissioner and several statewide consumer groups, Aetna said Thursday it's going ahead with a recent hike in health care premiums for small businesses. Aetna's new increases, which average 8 percent annually and took effect April 1, were deemed "unreasonable" this week by state Department of Insurance Commissioner David Jones.

10 Apr 2012

Dementia sufferers and caregivers unhappy with quality of care

Dementia patients and their families have been asked to assess the quality of care available to them. Their reports are far from satisfactory. Alzheimer's Australia says dementia patients and their carers are being let down right across the health system. The Federal Government has promised to use the report to help decide how to improve the system.

9 Apr 2012

FDA approves scan to detect Alzheimer’s disease early

The test uses a chemical called florbetapir, known by the brand name Amyvid, which is a radioactive agent that tags clumps of a sticky substance called an amyloid. Amyloid proteins are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The chemical, which costs $1,600 per dose, then is detected using a brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography, known as PET scans. For patients who already have some symptoms of cognitive decline, a positive scan suggests that moderate to frequent amyloid plaques are present in the brain, which is consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

9 Apr 2012

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Screen time linked with obesity in children

State roundup: Calif. essential benefits bill passes committee; Ariz. legislature OKs late-term abortion ban; States with longest doc waits

States plot Medicaid managed care changes; Kansas managed care plan met with skepticism

Gluten free diet does not help weight loss and may be harmful to the non-allergic

Dementia burden on the Australian economy raises concerns

Inexpensive female genital schistosomiasis prevention could help reduce women's risk of HIV infection

Act of coming out associated with better health for LGB adults

Mothers tend to be more critical of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder

New report calls on nations to recognise dementia as a public health crisis

Women less likely to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day

New Contemplative Sciences Center at University of Virginia

Reducing iron levels in blood plasma may protect brain from changes related to AD

Oxytocin may offer hope for male sexual dysfunction

Emotional and instrumental support likely to play a critical role in recovery from mental illness

PEHS School-based Health Center to celebrate 10th anniversary this week

Viewpoints: Scarcity of dental care; Surprise budget buster awaiting states on retiree health costs

Two CNVs may increase risk of aggressive prostate cancer

States roundup: Aetna goes ahead with small biz coverage hike; 1.2M Texas kids without insurance; Legal immigrants join Mass. health plan

Dementia sufferers and caregivers unhappy with quality of care

FDA approves scan to detect Alzheimer’s disease early

Industry Focus: Cell & Gene Therapy eBook

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Scaling 3D biology: Automation, imaging, and the future of high-throughput research

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Industry Focus: Cell & Gene Therapy eBook

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Scaling 3D biology: Automation, imaging, and the future of high-throughput research

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

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