Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Study: People with schizophrenia have weakened sense of body ownership

A study using a procedure called the rubber hand illusion has found striking new evidence that people experiencing schizophrenia have a weakened sense of body ownership and has produced the first case of a spontaneous, out-of-body experience in the laboratory.

1 Nov 2011

Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced

Old people today have more sex, are more likely to be divorced, are cleverer and feel better, reveals a long-term research project comparing what it is like to be old today with 30 years ago. "It's time to start talking about the 'new old age'," says researcher Ingmar Skoog.

1 Nov 2011

New method can reduce intrusive thoughts in men with prostate cancer

Men with prostate cancer are twice as likely to commit suicide, but a method where they put intrusive thoughts into words may reduce this risk, reveals research at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

1 Nov 2011

Light-cell interaction and Born approximation rule can help detect misshapen red blood cells

Misshapen red blood cells are a sign of serious illnesses, such as malaria and sickle cell anemia. Until recently, the only way to assess whether a person's RBCs were the correct shape was to look at them individually under a microscope - a time-consuming process for pathologists.

1 Nov 2011

State roundup: Public employee benefit controversy; Calif. hospital woes; Mass. medical homes

A centerpiece of Republican Gov. John Kasich's legislative agenda, the bill passed the Republican-dominated assembly in the spring. But opponents were able to gather 1.3 million signatures to halt the law's enactment and put it on the November 8 ballot for repeal. ... The bill allows bargaining on wages but bans it for health coverage, pensions or staffing levels. ... The law also requires firefighters, police officers and teachers to pay at least 15 percent of their health insurance premiums.

1 Nov 2011

Even without depression, obesity raises health costs in Group Health study

Obesity and depression both dramatically increase health care costs, but they mainly act separately, according to a study published in the November 2011 Journal of General Internal Medicine by Group Health Research Institute scientists.

1 Nov 2011

Teen study reveals unhealthy and concerning trends

An alarming trend shows that girls as young as primary-school age are increasingly troubled by their self-image, with more than a third of those aged between 10 and 11 eager to lose weight and adopting drastic methods to pursue their ideal body shape.

31 Oct 2011

Good digestive health may help regulate and reduce stress in the brain

Good digestive health may help to regulate and reduce stress in the brain, according to a recent study out of University College Cork in Cork, Ireland and featured in the October issue of Food Nutrition & Science.

31 Oct 2011

PPRT publishes study that evaluates pharmacist provision of clozapine

According to a study which evaluated alternative models for the delivery of clozapine services, published by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust (PPRT), there is scope to review the team configurations needed to deliver community services in a cost-effective manner and to provide opportunities for improving the services provided to patients.

31 Oct 2011

Study looks at the strain of military deployment on adolescent boys and girls

Adolescent boys with at least one parent in the military are at elevated risk of engaging in school-based physical fighting, carrying a weapon and joining a gang, according to research presented today at the American Public Health Association's 139th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

31 Oct 2011

Researchers identify FMRP protein as key player in RNA editing

The most common form of heritable cognitive impairment is Fragile X Syndrome, caused by mutation or malfunction of the FMR1 gene. Loss of FMR1 function is also the most common genetic cause of autism. Understanding how this gene works is vital to finding new treatments to help Fragile X patients and others.

31 Oct 2011

'Deep sequencing' technology identifies new target area for depression

Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and Yale University have identified a new target area in the human genome that appears to harbor genes with a major role in the onset of depression.

29 Oct 2011

Study: Many fetal expression changes are reversed immediately after birth

The "switching on" or expression of specific genes in the human genome is what makes each human tissue and each human being unique. A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, and the National Institute of Mental Health found that many gene expression changes that occur during fetal development are reversed immediately after birth.

29 Oct 2011

Twelve students participate in Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program in Geriatric Social Work

Twelve outstanding students have been chosen as the newest participants in the Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program in Geriatric Social Work. The program is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation, administered by The Gerontological Society of America, and directed by James Lubben, DSW, MPH.

29 Oct 2011

Mayo Clinic issues toolkit to identify signs of youth mental health disorders

Mayo Clinic researchers -- in partnership with numerous national mental health advocacy organizations -- are issuing new simple-to-understand tools to help identify youth who may have mental health disorders.

29 Oct 2011

NYUCN to study 'Test and Linkage to Care Among Injecting Drug Users Kenya'

New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN) received a five-year, $4,161,665.00 grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA) to research "Test and Linkage to Care Among Injecting Drug Users (TLC_IDU) Kenya."

29 Oct 2011

UCLA's TIES for Families program receives $5,000 Disneyland grant

For the ninth year, the Disneyland Resort Cast Community Fund has awarded a $5,000 grant to UCLA's TIES (Training, Intervention, Education and Services) for Families program for its services and achievement. The UCLA-based program is dedicated to preparing and supporting adoptive families of children from foster care.

28 Oct 2011

Longer looks: Looking for the inventor of the individual mandate, Miss. abortion referendum may have wider effects

In the course of defending the health care bill he passed in Massachusetts, Mitt Romney told Newt Gingrich that he got the idea for the individual mandate -- a rule dictating that everyone must buy health insurance or pay a penalty -- from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington, D.C. think tank. Is it really responsible for creating the policy that is now so anathema to conservatives?

28 Oct 2011

Chronic pain may increase risk of suicide ideation in adolescents

Chronic pain in adolescents is a risk factor for suicide ideation, according to new research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by American Pain Society.

28 Oct 2011

Roundup: Mass. offers plan to cut costs for dual eligibles; Oregon's high hopes for coordinated care organizations

The governor of Massachusetts wants to hire private insurers or other third parties to manage care for the poor and chronically ill patients who use a disproportionate share of public health-care dollars. The proposal comes as state and federal officials search for a cheaper way to deliver health care to people known as "dual eligibles." These are the 9.2 million in the U.S. who receive both Medicare, the federal program for those 65 and older or disabled, and Medicaid, the joint state-federal health plan for the poor.

28 Oct 2011