Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Diabetic women more likely to report low overall sexual satisfaction

Women with diabetes are just as likely to be interested in, and engage in, sexual activity as non-diabetic women, but they are much more likely to report low overall sexual satisfaction, according to a UCSF study.

26 Jul 2012

Reduced white matter integrity in schizophrenia patients

Patients with schizophrenia show widespread reductions in white matter integrity, particularly in fronto-temporal regions, researchers report.

25 Jul 2012

Constant pain after breast cancer surgery ‘more taxing’

Women who experience chronic pain after treatment for breast cancer are not significantly more anxious or depressed than women without pain, find researchers.

25 Jul 2012

VA disability claims continue to pour in

Despite efforts by the Obama administration to direct additional resources to help meet the disability benefits and treatment needs of veterans, the problems continue to grow.

25 Jul 2012

Study uncovers pathways by which yoga impacts biological processes

Six months ago, researchers at UCLA published a study that showed using a specific type of yoga to engage in a brief, simple daily meditation reduced the stress levels of people who care for those stricken by Alzheimer's and dementia. Now they know why.

25 Jul 2012

States wonder just how big an impact health law dollars will have

An analysis in Minnesota expects the state to receive only about $42 million in increased state revenue between fiscal years 2010 and 2015 from the health law. Meanwhile, budget cuts -- even with the increase in coverage from the health law -- have some Pennsylvanians worried that the mental health coverage gap could persist.

25 Jul 2012

Deep look into how brain mechanisms for memory retrieval differ between adults and children

Neuroscientists from Wayne State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are taking a deeper look into how the brain mechanisms for memory retrieval differ between adults and children.

25 Jul 2012

Dapivirine Phase III trial now underway in Africa to treat HIV in women

A large clinical trial testing the long-term safety and effectiveness of a new approach for preventing HIV in women - a vaginal ring used once a month - is now underway in Africa, researchers announced today at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012).

25 Jul 2012

Researchers plan to develop new rehabilitation tool for stroke victims

Researchers at the University of Luxembourg, along with their international partners, want to develop an easy-to-use, self-motivating tool that stroke patients can use in their rehabilitation process. The 4.4 million euro project is funded by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme.

25 Jul 2012

T. gondii link to schizophrenia supported

Study results support an associated between maternal infection with Toxoplasma gondii and an increased risk for schizophrenia in offspring.

24 Jul 2012

BD youth show altered frontal lobe bioenergetic metabolism

Results from a US study suggest that depressed unmedicated adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD) have altered frontal lobe mitochondrial function.

24 Jul 2012

Tumor necrosis factor may play a key role in how light at night leads to depression

Chronic exposure to dim light at night can lead to depressive symptoms in rodents -- but these negative effects can be reversed simply by returning to a standard light-dark cycle, a new study suggests.

24 Jul 2012

Viewpoints: Cutting health costs is next battle; Texas Medicaid chief on why expansion won't work; Grief, anger over end-of-life decision

No matter what happens to President Obama's health care reforms after the November elections, the disjointed, costly American health care system must find ways to slow the rate of spending while delivering quality care. There is widespread pessimism that anything much can be achieved quickly, but innovative solutions are emerging in unexpected places. A health care system owned and managed by Alaska's native people has achieved astonishing results in improving the health of its enrollees while cutting the costs of treating them.

24 Jul 2012

Study shows disturbing rates of new HIV infections among U.S. black MSM

Study results released today by the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) show disturbing rates of new HIV infections occurring among black gay and bisexual men in the U.S. (also known as men who have sex with men, or MSM), particularly young black MSM.

24 Jul 2012

Roundup: Plan for new Md. hospital advances; Outsourcing of prison health care gets scrutiny; Alaska Native medical center seen as model

Maryland officials are preparing to unveil this week a detailed plan for a $600 million regional hospital to replace the ailing Prince George's Hospital Center and establish a new health-care network throughout Prince George's County. The plans are part of a broad effort to improve health care in a county where an estimated 150,000 residents lack health insurance or have insufficient coverage and often rely on hospital emergency rooms for primary care.

24 Jul 2012

Third-party groups to target health law with new wave of attack ads

Also in the news, the Supreme Court -- especially after the recent health law decision -- is an effective tool to rally fundraising among both Democrats and Republicans. Meanwhile, a defense policy expert suggests presidential candidates focus on long-term military mental health issues. Finally, The Wall Street Journal examines how health care is playing in the Montana Senate race, where candidates are sparring over who is soft on cancer.

23 Jul 2012

Physician-targeted intervention could reduce self-harm risk in elderly

Older patients whose physicians take part in a practice audit and education-based intervention have reduced odds of depression and self-harm at 24 months – significantly so in the case of self-harm, show results of an Australian trial.

23 Jul 2012

Hispanics or Asians have higher percentage of HIV infections attributed to heterosexual contact

An examination of the characteristics of persons born outside the United States diagnosed with HIV while living in the U.S. finds that, compared to U.S.-born persons with HIV, they are more likely to be Hispanic or Asian, and to have a higher percentage of HIV infections attributed to heterosexual contact, according to a study appearing in JAMA being published online.

23 Jul 2012

‘Disablism’ could shape the future for young people with a disability: University of Sydney research

A new study led by the University of Sydney hopes to shed light on how the experiences of young Australians with a disability are shaped by discrimination.

22 Jul 2012

Limit children's media exposure to the Colorado shooting tragedy

In the wake of the tragic shooting at the screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo., parents should encourage their children to express their feelings and limit their media exposure to the tragedy, say experts from Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

21 Jul 2012