Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Californian Chinese community health summit

NICOS Chinese Health Coalition, a public-private-community partnership of more than 30 health and human service organizations and concerned individuals, invites you and your colleagues to participate in the Chinese Community Health Summit on Wednesday, May 26, 2004.

5 May 2004

Pregnancy massage may reduce the risk of premature births

Pregnancy massage long has been known to help expectant mothers feel better, and a new study shows it may well provide an even more important benefit – reducing the risk of premature births.

5 May 2004

New estimate of more than three million diabetes-related deaths every year

3.2 million deaths can be attributed to diabetes each year according to a new publication released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to mark the launch of their joint programme "Diabetes Action Now".

5 May 2004

African American and Asian American patients are less likely than whites to turn to a medical specialist

African American and Asian American patients are less likely than whites to turn to a medical specialist for their initial care, suggesting a possible explanation for why racial differences in health care exist, according to a new UCLA study.

4 May 2004

Adult marijuana abuse increased during 1990's

In an article appearing in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), addiction researchers at the National Institutes of Health compared marijuana use in the U.S. adult population in 1991 - 92 and 2001 - 02.

4 May 2004

Almost half of the heart failure outpatients given standard questionnaires scored as being depressed

Almost half of the heart failure outpatients given standard questionnaires scored as being depressed, according to a new study in the May 5, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

4 May 2004

Australian Schizophrenia study dispels myths

Male migrants living in cities are most likely to develop schizophrenia – a disorder which no longer affects equal numbers of men and women.

3 May 2004

Survey reveals surprising attitudes about joint replacement

DePuy, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, today released the results of a Harris Interactive® survey showing that, when asked about joint replacement, nearly half of surgery candidates said they were holding off on surgery because they were waiting for more advanced surgical techniques.

3 May 2004

MSF distributes medical supplies to hospitals as violence continues in troubled Indonesian city of Ambon

Last week MSF started to distribute medical supplies to four hospitals in Ambon city, in the Maluku province of eastern Indonesia. Over the last six days, the city has been shaken by violent fighting, which has caused an estimated 36 deaths and left scores wounded.

3 May 2004

Cymbalta helped patients with depression feel better

Patients treated successfully with 60 mg per day of the investigational antidepressant Cymbalta® (duloxetine hydrochloride), were less likely to have their emotional and physical symptoms of depression return than those who stopped taking medication after beginning to feel better

3 May 2004

Substance use disorders don’t discriminate by age

Substance use disorders don’t discriminate. In fact, anyone can have a problem with prescription medication, alcohol, or illicit drugs—including adults aged 55 and older.

3 May 2004

New research could reduce risk of strokes in younger people

The study published in this month's edition of the international journal Stroke is the first to provide evidence that blood vessels elsewhere in the body, apart from the brain, in CADASIL sufferers are abnormal in over-constricting in response to the hormone Angiotensin II.

1 May 2004

$9 billion cost of depression in senior citizens

A new study reveals that depression among senior citizens carries a huge unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities, delivered by the depressed seniors’ spouses, adult children and friends.

1 May 2004

Counseling eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease

The spouses of Alzheimer's patients often experience extraordinary psychological stress, but a new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers shows that a six-session counseling and long-term support program substantially eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease, and that the mental health benefits apparently are long lasting.

1 May 2004

Telemedicine focus of symposium "Future Directions for Telemedicine"

A pediatric patient in Marquette, Michigan is being examined by a doctor— but the doctor is 365 miles away in Ann Arbor. Elsewhere in Michigan, a mental health patient, his family and psychiatrist are participating in a commitment hearing in the safe, secure environment of a psychiatric unit— but the judge is actually on the other side of town.

30 Apr 2004

People infected with anthrax continued to report health problems, poor life adjustment, and psychological distress

In 2001, bioterrorist activities involving the U.S. Postal Service infected 22 individuals with Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), according to background information in the article. Six survivors had inhalational anthrax and 11 cutaneous anthrax disease. Little is known about potential long-term health effects of bioterrorism-related anthrax infection.

29 Apr 2004

Patients don't recognize physical symptoms as possible indicators of depression and anxiety disorders

Each year, millions of Americans visit their doctor with physical complaints such as headaches or fatigue, but few realize that these symptoms can be common signs of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which can result in an improper diagnosis.

29 Apr 2004