Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Insurers, health care providers respond to the needs of Elite athletes

Kaiser Health News details how many Olympic athletes get health insurance, while the Associated Press reports on a new wellness program for NFL players.

30 Jul 2012

Childhood physical and sexual abuse may increase risk of early or late onset menarche

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found an association between childhood physical and sexual abuse and age at menarche.

28 Jul 2012

Brief treatments with accelerated resolution therapy reduce symptoms associated with PTSD

Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing have shown that brief treatments with Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) substantially reduce symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including, depression, anxiety, sleep dysfunction and other physical and psychological symptoms.

28 Jul 2012

New drug can aid in losing weight and keeping it off

A new drug could aid in losing weight and keeping it off. The drug, described in the journal Cell Metabolism on July 26, increases sensitivity to the hormone leptin, a natural appetite suppressant found in the body. Although so far the new drug has only been tested on mice, the findings have implications for the development of new treatments for obesity in humans.

28 Jul 2012

Recent release: Examining mental health needs of people living with HIV

In this post in the AIDS.gov blog, Nils Daulaire, director of the Office of Global Affairs in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), examines the mental health needs of people living with HIV, writing, The burden of being HIV-positive, or caring for loved ones living with the disease, is not restricted to the physical toll. For many people, there are equally important mental health needs.

28 Jul 2012

Researchers use neuroimaging to study brains of preschool children with ADHD symptoms

Young children often have problems paying attention or concentrating, but when are these problems serious enough for parents and teachers to be concerned? According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 11 school-aged children are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but research suggests that the warning signs often appear even before the demands of school begin.

28 Jul 2012

Altered default network connectivity in FEP patients

Patients with a first episode of psychosis show altered functional connectivity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex default network subsystem, researchers report.

27 Jul 2012

SAMHSA awards $22M in new funding to expand SBIRT services

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing more than $22 million in new funding to expand implementing screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) services for adults in primary care and community health settings. SBIRT is an innovative approach to delivering early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders and for persons at risk for developing these disorders.

27 Jul 2012

Hospitals may give free care to some Colo. theater shooting victims

Several hospitals are giving some free care to or forgiving the bills of the victims of the Colorado theater shooting.

27 Jul 2012

Orthognathic surgery requires a balancing act in anesthetic technique

Orthognathic surgery, affecting the jaws and face, requires a balancing act in anesthetic technique. Limiting blood loss, avoiding respiratory depression, and averting postoperative nausea and vomiting lead to optimum patient outcomes. The use of the drugs propofol and remifentanil are increasing because they can meet these needs; however, patients may subsequently experience more postoperative pain.

27 Jul 2012

Roundup: Ore. Gov. suggests malpractice reform; Mass. Gov. proposes new scrutiny for health care providers; Texas has offered HPV vaccine since 2007

The state can cut health care costs and reduce the number of medical-related lawsuits by requiring earlier notification of injuries as well as pretrial mediation, according to a recommendation Gov. John Kitzhaber issued Wednesday. The product of closed-door talks between representatives of interest groups including the Oregon Medical Association and the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Kitzhaber's recommendation now goes to a work group including lawmakers, a trial lawyer and doctor that begins public meetings next week.

27 Jul 2012

Injury risk increased in patients with serious mental illnesses

People with serious mental illnesses are significantly more likely to experience injuries than the general population, US study results show.

26 Jul 2012

Fatty acids normalize without help in girls with eating disorders

Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplementation is unnecessary for adolescent girls with eating disorders and weight-loss eating disorder, as levels normalize once they return to normal weight, say researchers.

26 Jul 2012

Illiteracy linked to schizophrenia risk

The risk for schizophrenia is significantly higher among illiterate than literate individuals in China, particularly among younger age groups, results from a population-based study show.

26 Jul 2012

PTSD prevalent in serious mental illness patients

Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among patients with serious mental illnesses, and is associated with an increased risk for suicide attempts, Spanish researchers report.

26 Jul 2012

Researchers develop piglet model to study infant brain development

Events that take place early in life almost certainly have consequences for later cognitive development. Establishing the connections is difficult, however, because human infants cannot be used as laboratory subjects. Rodney Johnson and his collaborators have developed an alternative model for studying infant brain development. "Assistant professor Ryan Dilger and I became interested in establishing the neonatal piglet as a model of human brain and cognitive development 3 or 4 years ago," he said.

26 Jul 2012

Myotonia less important to patients with myotonic dystrophy than other symptoms

Complex, multi-system diseases like myotonic dystrophy - the most common adult form of muscular dystrophy - require physicians and patients to identify which symptoms impact quality of life and, consequently, what treatments should take priority. However, a new study out this month in the journal Neurology reveals that there is often a disconnect between the two groups over which symptoms are more important, a phenomenon that not only impacts care but also the direction of research into new therapies.

26 Jul 2012

Insomnia: an interview with Dr Darryle Schoepp

Insomnia is a very common disorder. In medical terms it can affect a third of people. It affects elderly as well as non-elderly people, and is more common in women.

26 Jul 2012

Adolescent girls three times more likely to have experienced major depressive episodes

A new report shows that the percentage of girls who experience a major depressive episode in the past year triples between the ages of 12 and 15 (from 5.1 percent to 15.2 percent respectively). The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also shows that an annual average of 1.4 million adolescent girls age 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode in the past year.

26 Jul 2012

Consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks can lead to casual sex among college-age adults

A new study from the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) has found a link between the consumption of caffeinated energy drinks mixed with alcohol and casual -- often risky -- sex among college-age adults.

26 Jul 2012