Feature Channels: Mental Health

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Released: 14-Apr-2016 3:05 PM EDT
California Mental Health Stigma-Reduction Campaign Creates Economic Benefits
RAND Corporation

California's investment in a social marketing campaign to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness may provide the state with positive economic benefits by increasing employment and worker productivity, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

   
Released: 13-Apr-2016 5:05 PM EDT
UCLA Operation Mend Launches Mental Health Program for Wounded Veterans and Their Families
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Veterans suffering from mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder — as well as their families — now have access to highly individualized, intensive treatment that draws on UCLA’s nationally recognized expertise in neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and integrative medicine. A new mental health program provided by UCLA Operation Mend is designed to heal the hidden, yet lingering, wounds of war.

Released: 13-Apr-2016 12:05 PM EDT
Study Links Gang Membership and Depression
Michigan State University

Kids who decide to join gangs are more likely to be depressed and suicidal - and these mental health problems only worsen after joining, finds a new study co-authored by a Michigan State University criminologist.

11-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Could a Brain “Growth Chart” Spot Attention Problems Early? New Study Suggests So
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

New research suggests that it might be possible to create a growth chart of brain networks that could identify early signs of attention difficulties and, potentially, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Released: 13-Apr-2016 9:00 AM EDT
International Conference on Eating Disorders Is Building Bridges Across the World
Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)

Reston, VA. April 13, 2016. Eating disorders know no boundaries. They affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, body shapes and weights, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses. To assist the professional community in learning more about how to treat diverse individuals with eating disorders, the Academy for Eating Disorders will host the 2016 International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) May 5-7 2016 in San Francisco, California.

12-Apr-2016 1:00 PM EDT
Early Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Accelerates Recovery -- but Does Not Sustain It
NYU Langone Health

The majority of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recover after early treatment -- but a substantial number still suffer for years after a traumatic event even with early clinical interventions, according to a study publishing online April 12 in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Released: 11-Apr-2016 8:05 AM EDT
Tell Me a Story!
University of Saskatchewan

Kelly Mills, a finalist in the SSHRC Storyteller's challenge, tells the tale of her work with the Memory Writers, a remarkable group that has been writing and sharing stories with each other for more than 25 years.

Released: 8-Apr-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Simultaneous Cocaine, Alcohol Use Linked to Suicide Risk
Brown University

In a general sense, medical studies support the popular intuition -- a staple of movies and literature -- that suicidal behavior and substance misuse are linked. But the relationship between the two is not so simple. A new study of hundreds of suicidal emergency department (ED) patients from around the U.S. found that the significance of the link varied with age, gender and race. Across the board, however, the use of cocaine and alcohol together was a red flag.

Released: 6-Apr-2016 3:05 PM EDT
For Young People with Schizophrenia, Physical and Mental Exercises Offer Hope
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers found that workouts, in addition to brain games, appear to trigger a protein that restores connections between neurons in young people with schizophrenia.

Released: 5-Apr-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Suicide Risk Can Be Intercepted in the Emergency Department
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester

Screening nearly doubled detection of patients who were considering or had attempted suicide.

Released: 5-Apr-2016 12:05 AM EDT
Threat of Climate Change Found to Be Key Psychological and Emotional Stressor
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)

Climate change is a significant threat to the health of Americans, creating unprecedented health problems in areas where they might not have previously occurred, according to a report released April 4 by the White House.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:05 PM EDT
Examining Alcohol Use Prior to Suicides and Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths
Research Society on Alcoholism

Injury death – including those due to intentional injury, with suicide most common, as well as unintentional injury, with motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) causing a majority – is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Postmortem examinations commonly test for blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This study utilizes postmortem data to examine the hypotheses that high, and very high, BACs are more common among MVC decedents than among suicide decedents, whereas low alcohol levels are more common among suicide decedents.

Released: 4-Apr-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Taking ACTion in Treating HIV/AIDS & Associated Mental Health
Pennsylvania Medical Society

Blogger discusses use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, with HIV patients.

29-Mar-2016 7:00 AM EDT
Improving Symptoms of Depression Can Reduce Risk of Major Cardiovascular Problems
Intermountain Medical Center

New study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City found that effectively treating depression can reduce a patient’s chance of having a stroke, heart failure, a heart attack or death.

Released: 1-Apr-2016 11:45 AM EDT
Transgender Veterans Have High Rates of Mental Health Problems
Endocrine Society

Among military veterans identifying as transgender, 90 percent have at least one mental health diagnosis, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression, and nearly 50 percent had a hospitalization after a suicide attempt or suicidal thoughts. These study findings, from a single veterans’ hospital, will be presented Friday at The Endocrine Society’s 98th annual meeting in Boston.

30-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Brain Changes Seen in Veterans with PTSD After Mindfulness Training
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Like an endlessly repeating video loop, horrible memories plague people with post-traumatic stress disorder. But a new study in veterans shows the promise of mindfulness training for enhancing the ability to manage those thoughts if they come up. It also shows the veterans’ brains changed in ways that could help switch off that endless loop.

28-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EDT
Right Brain May Help Predict Recovery of Language After Stroke
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

New research suggests that looking at structures in the right side of the brain may help predict who will better recover from language problems after a stroke, according to a study published in Neurology®, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24-Mar-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Successful Dying: Researchers Define the Elements of a “Good Death”
UC San Diego Health

For most people, the culmination of a good life is a “good death,” though what that means exactly is a matter of considerable consternation. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine surveyed published, English-language, peer-reviewed reports of qualitative and quantitative studies defining a “good death,” ultimately identifying 11 core themes associated with dying well.

Released: 29-Mar-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Uncertainty Can Cause More Stress Than Inevitable Pain
University College London

Knowing that there is a small chance of getting a painful electric shock can lead to significantly more stress than knowing that you will definitely be shocked.

Released: 29-Mar-2016 10:00 AM EDT
Psychotherapy for Depressed Rats Shows Genes Aren't Destiny
Northwestern University

Genes are not destiny in determining whether a person will suffer from depression, reports a new study. Nurture can override nature. When rats genetically bred for depression received the equivalent of rat “psychotherapy,” their depressed behavior was alleviated. And, after the depressed rats had the therapy, some of their blood biomarkers for depression changed to non-depressed levels.

Released: 24-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EDT
Expedited Medicaid Access Increases Use of Mental Health Services, But Does Not Reduce Recidivism for People Recently Released from Prison
American Psychiatric Association (APA)

Providing expedited access to Medicaid to people with serious mental illness as they are released from prison increases their use of mental health and general medical services, but does not reduce criminal recidivism, according to new research published online March 15th in Psychiatric Services in Advance.

Released: 23-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EDT
Oxytocin Level in Pregnancy Predicts Postpartum Depression Severity
Northwestern University

Higher oxytocin levels in the third trimester of pregnancy predicts the severity of postpartum depression symptoms in women who previously suffered from depression, reports a new study. The finding indicates the potential for finding biomarkers to predict depressive symptoms postpartum and begin preventive treatment. Depression biomarkers should be screened in pregnancy, just like gestational diabetes, scientists said.

Released: 23-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EDT
ECT’s Future in the Balance
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

The FDA has proposed to change the way it regulates the devices that doctors use to deliver ECT treatment for mental illness. Public commenting ends 3/28. A top ECT physician explains why the current proposal could lead to reduced access to potentially life-saving treatment.

Released: 22-Mar-2016 8:30 AM EDT
Depression Study Examines Levels of ‘Love’ Hormone and Its Impacts on Mother-Baby Emotional Bonding
Florida Atlantic University

Widely referred to as the “love” hormone, oxytocin is an indispensable part of childbirth and emotional mother-child bonding. Psychologists are looking at how breast feeding, oxytocin and face-to-face interactions between a mother and her baby are impacted by depression and the mother’s oxytocin levels.

   
Released: 21-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Even with Higher Education, Obese Women Run Greater Risk of Depression
Rice University

Even with higher education, women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30-34.9 (obese I) have double the risk of depression compared with women of normal weight and same educational attainment, according to a new study conducted by a sociologist at Rice University.

Released: 18-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Canadians Report Higher Rates of Mental Health Issues
University of British Columbia

Gay, lesbian and bisexual Canadians experience more mood and anxiety disorders than other Canadians, and they are more likely to turn to heavy drinking.

17-Mar-2016 6:00 AM EDT
New Report Reveals Hundreds Still Dying in Detention
University of Warwick

An ongoing culture of secrecy, poor access to specialist mental health services and a lack of high quality independent investigations has contributed to hundreds of non-natural deaths in detention, according to a new report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

16-Mar-2016 2:30 PM EDT
UNC Researchers Uncover How Kappa Opioid Receptors Drive Anxiety
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC researchers uncovered a cellular mechanism by which kappa opioid receptors drive anxiety. These proteins inhibit the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate in a part of the brain that regulates emotion. KORs are targets for the treatment of addiction and anxiety disorders.

Released: 16-Mar-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Temporary Disconnects Shed Light on Long-Term Brain Dysfunction
Weizmann Institute of Science

Using optogenetics to study long-range communication across the brain, Dr. Ofer Yizhar and his Weizmann Institute of Science team temporarily silenced long-range axons so as to determine their role in the brain’s conversation. As mental and neurological diseases are thought to be related to disrupted long-range connectivity, the team’s findings could lead to better understanding and treatment of such disorders.

   
Released: 16-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Rat Problems in Poor Neighborhoods Linked to Depressive Symptoms
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Residents of Baltimore’s low-income neighborhoods who believe rats are a big problem where they live are significantly more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms such as sadness and anxiety, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests.

Released: 15-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EDT
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Seen in Many Adults Living with Congenital Heart Disease
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Adults living with congenital heart disease may have a significantly higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than people in the general population. Clinicians and caregivers may need to be aware of possible PTSD symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, in their patients.

9-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology to Track Cells in the Body
UC San Diego Health

The need to non-invasively see and track cells in living persons is indisputable. Emerging treatments using stem cells and immune cells are poised to most benefit from cell tracking, which would visualize their behavior in the body after delivery. Clinicians require such data to speed these cell treatments to patients. Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine describe a new highly sensitive chemical probe that tags cells for detection by MRI.

Released: 14-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EDT
Medical Students, Burnout and Alcohol
Mayo Clinic

Medical students are more prone to alcohol abuse than their peers not attending medical school, especially if they are young, single and under a high debt load. That’s according to a study on medical student burnout by researchers at Mayo Clinic. The findings appear in the journal Academic Medicine.

9-Mar-2016 9:05 AM EST
Light Exposure Improves Depressive Symptoms Among Cancer Survivors
Mount Sinai Health System

Light therapy decreased depressive symptoms and normalized circadian rhythms among cancer survivors, according to new research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai presented at the American Psychosomatic Society in Denver, CO

Released: 10-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EST
Oxytocin Can Improve Compassion in People with Symptoms of PTSD
University of Haifa

“Until now, several theoretical studies proposed that the oxytocinergic system functions abnormally among patients with PTSD and that intranasal OT may potentially serve as an effective pharmacological intervention for ameliorating symptoms of PTSD, but very few studies have examined the effects of OT administration among these patients, and to the best of our knowledge the effects of OT on empathy and compassion among patients with PTSD have never been assessed. For this reason, the findings of the present study are both significant and innovative”, the researchers concluded

4-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EST
Depression, High Blood Pressure, Other Chronic Conditions May Be Common at MS Diagnosis
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

People newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) may often have other chronic health conditions as well, according to a study published in the March 9, 2016 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Released: 9-Mar-2016 1:05 PM EST
Can Yoga Help Those Experiencing Depression, Anxiety or PTSD?
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

UNC-Chapel Hill explores the potential benefits of yoga for people who experience mental health problems related to trauma.

   
Released: 9-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EST
People with Anxiety Show Fundamental Differences in Perception
Weizmann Institute of Science

Why are some people so much more anxious than others? New research from the Weizmann Institute of Science shows that there are fundamental differences in the way anxious persons perceive the world. In a process called overgeneralization, even neutral stimuli can remind them of emotionally charged stimuli, triggering anxiety.

   
Released: 9-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EST
Scripps Florida Study Lays Groundwork for Potential Bipolar Disorder Therapies
Scripps Research Institute

A new study by scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has identified specific genetic variations closely associated with increased susceptibility to bipolar disorder and other conditions. The discovery may provide a target for new therapies.

Released: 9-Mar-2016 9:00 AM EST
International Conference on Eating Disorders Will Address Challenging Social Justice Issues
Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)

Reston, VA, March 9, 2016. The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)--a global professional association committed to leadership in eating disorders research, education, treatment and prevention—is highlighting the issue of social justice and inclusion at its annual International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED), May 5th-7th 2016 in San Francisco, CA.

Released: 8-Mar-2016 4:05 PM EST
Penn Study Reveals Unintended Consequences of New Staffing Model Designed to Save Costs in Public Mental Health Clinics
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Community mental health clinics, where most specialty mental health treatment is delivered, have been relying more on independent contractors to treat patients, largely for budgetary reasons. Many of these clinics have simultaneously been moving towards the greater use of evidence-based psychosocial practices (EBPs), broadly defined as talk therapies that are informed by rigorous research as well as clinician expertise and patient preferences. A new, first-of-its-kind study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that these two trends may be in conflict. The findings appear this month in Psychiatric Services.

4-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EST
Asthma Symptoms Linked to Increased Stress, Anxiety Levels in Teens
Henry Ford Health

A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that common asthma symptoms like waking up in the middle of the night and shortness of breath are associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety in teens with asthma. In a small study of 38 asthma patients ages 14-17, researchers found that their average scores for stress and anxiety levels were higher than those seen in the general population.

Released: 4-Mar-2016 11:05 AM EST
Hostile Young Adults May Experience Thinking and Memory Problems in Middle Age
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Young adults with hostile attitudes or those who don’t cope well with stress may be at increased risk for experiencing memory and thinking problems decades later, according to a study published in the March 2, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Released: 3-Mar-2016 5:05 PM EST
When It Comes to Predicting Depression, Race May Matter More Than Was Thought, Study Suggests
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Depression can strike anyone, taking a toll on mental and physical health, friendships, work and studies. But figuring out who’s at risk for it is still a murky task. A new study suggests that standard ways of looking for depression risk may not work as well among blacks as they do among whites. But listening to how blacks describe their own mental health could help.

Released: 2-Mar-2016 2:05 PM EST
Study Links Mobile Device Addiction to Depression and Anxiety
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Is cellphone use detrimental to mental health? A new study from the University of Illinois finds that addiction to, and not simply use of, mobile technology is linked to anxiety and depression in college-age students.

   
Released: 2-Mar-2016 8:05 AM EST
Genetics and Brain Regions Linked to Sex Differences in Anxiety-Related Behavior in Chimpanzees, Study Finds
Georgia State University

Genetics and specific brain regions are linked to sex differences in chimpanzees’ scratching behavior, a common indicator of anxiety in humans and others primates, according to a research study led by Georgia State University that shows chimpanzees can be models of human mental illness.

29-Feb-2016 3:00 PM EST
Long-Term Stress Erodes Memory
Ohio State University

Sustained stress erodes memory, and the immune system plays a key role in the cognitive impairment, according to a new study from researchers at The Ohio State University.

Released: 1-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EST
The Family Institute at Northwestern University’s Board of Directors Announce Transition in CEO Position
Family Institute at Northwestern University

The Family Institute at Northwestern University (TFI) and its Board of Directors today announced the transition of its Chief Executive Officer role from William M. Pinsof, PhD, to Jana L. Jones, currently President of TFI. Dr. Pinsof will continue as Chief Clinical Scientist, President of the Epstein Center for Psychotherapy Change and Staff Therapist. The transition is effective as of March 1, 2016.

Released: 1-Mar-2016 3:05 PM EST
Moments of Acute Stress Can Cause Molecular Alterations in Immune Response
UC San Diego Health

Chronic psychosocial and emotional stress has well-documented negative effects upon the human immune system but less is known about the health effects of acute but transitory episodes of stress. Do panic-inducing moments also raise the risk of stress-related conditions? A team of researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Stony Brook University in New York and elsewhere addressed that question by taking blood samples from skydivers to measure key immune response indicators.



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