Feature Channels: Mental Health

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24-Sep-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Scientific Literature Overstates Psychotherapy’s Effectiveness in Treating Depression
Vanderbilt University

New analysis shows that the scientific literature paints an overly rosy picture of the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression comparable to the bias previously found in reports of treatments with antidepressant drugs.

Released: 30-Sep-2015 1:05 PM EDT
Relationship Quality Affects Siblings’ Mental Health, Risky Behaviors
University of Missouri Health

The Latino culture, more than others, places a high value on the family unit; yet, little research has examined the dynamics of Latino family relationships and how those dynamics affect children’s development. Now, a University of Missouri researcher found sibling relationship quality in adolescence affects Mexican-origin adolescents’ and young adults’ later depressive symptoms and their involvement in risky behaviors, including those with sexual risk.

28-Sep-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Placebo Power: Depressed People Who Respond to Fake Drugs Get the Most Help From Real Ones
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

When it comes to treating depression, how well a person responds to a fake medicine may determine how well they’ll respond to a real one, a new study shows. Those who can muster their brain’s own chemical forces against depression have a head start in overcoming symptoms with help from medication.

Released: 29-Sep-2015 9:00 AM EDT
First Depression Clinical Trial with Focused Ultrasound Begins
Focused Ultrasound Foundation

The first patient with depression has been treated with focused ultrasound. This procedure marks the beginning of a pilot clinical trial to determine the feasibility and safety of MR-guided focused ultrasound to non-invasively destroy a small volume of tissue deep in the brain – the anterior limb of the internal capsule – a well-established target for treating severe depression. In this initial patient, the target was successfully ablated without complications.

Released: 28-Sep-2015 1:05 PM EDT
Decision Aids Help Patients with Depression and Their Doctors Feel Better About Medication Choices
Mayo Clinic

Choosing the right antidepressant can be a daunting task. With so many choices and such unpredictability in their individual effects, patients with depression often spend months or years casting about for the right medication, while clinicians are often uneasy or unwilling to offer options other than their preferred prescriptions.

24-Sep-2015 2:30 PM EDT
Two-Drug Combo Helps Older Adults with Hard-to-Treat Depression
Washington University in St. Louis

More than half of older adults with clinical depression don’t get better when treated with an antidepressant. But results from a multicenter clinical trial that included Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicates that adding a second drug — an antipsychotic medication — to the treatment regimen helps many of those patients.

Released: 27-Sep-2015 12:05 AM EDT
Suicide: Frequent and Preventable
RUSH

Suicide rates gradually have been increasing for years despite improved treatments for depression. Doctors want those at risk of harming themselves to know there is hope — including a new treatment that may relieve suicidal wishes in people with depression.

Released: 23-Sep-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Negative Spiritual Beliefs Associated with More Pain and Worse Physical, Mental Health
University of Missouri Health

Individuals who blame karma for their poor health have more pain and worse physical and mental health, according to a new study from University of Missouri researchers. Targeted interventions to counteract negative spiritual beliefs could help some individuals decrease pain and improve their overall health, the researchers said.

   
Released: 23-Sep-2015 6:05 AM EDT
Do Women Experience Negative Emotions Differently Than Men?
Universite de Montreal

Women react differently to negative images compared to men, which may be explained by subtle differences in brain function. This neurobiological explanation for women’s apparent greater sensitivity has been demonstrated by researchers.

Released: 21-Sep-2015 5:05 PM EDT
Conflict-Related Brain Activity May Indicate Psychosis Risk
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Researchers led by Bradley S. Peterson, MD, director of the Institute for the Developing Mind at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, have shown that lower levels of conflict-related brain activity are associated with a higher risk for later psychosis. The study, in conjunction with colleagues at Columbia University, is available via PubMed in advance of publication by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

Released: 21-Sep-2015 4:05 PM EDT
New Digital Archive at University of Utah Examines the Complicated and Multi-Dimensional Sides of Suicide
University of Utah

Margaret Pabst Battin, distinguished professor of philosophy and medical ethics at the University of Utah has spent almost 40 years researching, collecting and organizing historical sources on suicide, examining every side of these issues. Her new book, “The Ethics of Suicide: Historical Sources,” published by the Oxford University Press with an accompanying digital archive hosted by the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library, provides a diverse range of thinking about suicide throughout history, representing a full range of cultures and traditions.

Released: 20-Sep-2015 9:05 PM EDT
Exercise Reduces Suicide Attempts by 23 percent among Bullied Teens
University of Vermont

As high schools across the country continue to reduce physical education, recess, and athletic programs, a new study shows that regular exercise significantly reduces both suicidal thoughts and attempts among students who are bullied.

   
Released: 18-Sep-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Identifying Typical Patterns in the Progression Towards Alzheimer's Disease
Universite de Montreal

"This study has let us characterize the parameters of decline in people who will eventually develop Alzheimer's, which means we can better identify both benign symptoms and those that warrant particular attention." - Sylvie Belleville

Released: 17-Sep-2015 11:30 AM EDT
Mothers Caring for Children Dependent on Life-Supporting Technology Need More Personal Resourcefulness to Cope with Risk for Depression
Case Western Reserve University

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University had previously found that mothers of children dependent on life-supporting medical technology are at risk for depression. In a new study, the researchers discovered factors that significantly contribute to the condition.

Released: 17-Sep-2015 8:05 AM EDT
Strained Relationships Between Sisters, One of Whom Has an Eating Disorder, Can Cause the Healthy Sister to Develop High Emotional Distress and Depression
University of Haifa

The study found that healthy sisters of women suffering from eating disorders suffered from higher levels of depressive symptoms stemming from the strained relationship between the two. “During treatment maximum attention should be given to the relationship between the two sisters, strengthening it and transforming it from a negative, competitive interaction to one of support,” said Prof. Yael Letzer from the University of Haifa who led the research together with Prof. Ruth Katz and Keren Berger

14-Sep-2015 8:05 PM EDT
Antidepressant Was Misrepresented as Safe for Adolescents
University of Adelaide

A University of Adelaide led study has found that a psychiatric drug claimed to be a safe and effective treatment for depression in adolescents is actually ineffective and associated with serious side effects.

14-Sep-2015 9:05 AM EDT
WVU Epidemiologist Featured in JAMA Psychiatry, Says Suicide and Death From Intentional Self-Injury Is Greatly Underestimated in US
West Virginia University

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States – greater even than traffic crashes, but Ian Rockett, professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at West Virginia University says the problem is bigger and in the latest issue of JAMA Psychiatry proposes a way to address it.

Released: 15-Sep-2015 8:30 AM EDT
New Mouse Brain Map May Illuminate Origins of Mental Illnesses
Duke Health

Scientists at Duke University have released a highly detailed model of connections in the mouse brain that could provide generations of neuroscientists new insights into brain circuits and origins of mental illness, such as depression and schizophrenia. The findings are published in the journal Cerebral Cortex.

Released: 14-Sep-2015 1:05 PM EDT
Antidepressants Shown to Worsen Depression in Patients with Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder
University of Louisville

In patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, a clinical trial shows antidepressants can increase incidents of depression and mood cycling.

Released: 11-Sep-2015 2:05 PM EDT
How Do You Communicate Alzheimer’s Risk in the Age of Prevention?
Alzforum

Researchers conducting clinical trials of drugs that might prevent AD are exploring how best to inform participants of their increased risk for the disease, and studying how they cope with this information. Alzforum reports in a two-part series.

Released: 10-Sep-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Gustavo Medrano, PhD, Available to Discuss Caring for the Caregivers
Family Institute at Northwestern University

Caregiving is an important and widespread responsibility that is becoming more common as our society’s elderly population grows. Much of this caregiving role is shifting onto families, increasing the need for professional help for those caring for their loved ones.

Released: 10-Sep-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Reduced Heart Rate Variability May Indicate Greater Vulnerability to PTSD
UC San Diego Health

A prospective longitudinal study of U.S. Marines suggests that reduced heart rate variability – the changing time interval between heartbeats – may be a contributing risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings are reported in the September 9 online issue of JAMA Psychiatry by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System.

Released: 10-Sep-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Vanderbilt Depression Study Seeks to Predict Treatment Response
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Treating depressed individuals and figuring out who will and won’t respond to antidepressants is mostly trial and error but a National Institutes of Health-funded study conducted by Vanderbilt’s Center for Cognitive Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry may shed some light on predicting the response of a group of depressed individuals age 60 and older.

Released: 9-Sep-2015 11:35 AM EDT
New Directions in Mental Health Care for Older Adults—Update from Harvard Review of Psychiatry
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

The aging of the population, shifting diagnostic criteria, and new health care policy initiatives are some of the factors driving changes in mental health treatment for older Americans, according to the September special issue of the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

7-Sep-2015 9:30 PM EDT
Switzerland Best Place in the World for Older People to Live
University of Southampton

Switzerland is the best place in the world for older people to live, closely followed by Norway and Sweden, according to a new report from HelpAge International, working in partnership with the University of Southampton, UK.

Released: 8-Sep-2015 4:05 PM EDT
A New Factor in Depression? Brain Protein Discovery Could Lead to Better Treatments
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Low. Down. Less than normal. That’s what the word depression means, and what people with depression often feel like. But sometimes, depression can mean too much of something – as new research shows.

Released: 8-Sep-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Employers Must Be More Empathetic With Families Grieving Stillbirths and Miscarriages, Baylor Researcher Says
Baylor University

With the rate of stillbirths now topping that of infants who die before their first birthdays, employers — and society in general — must become more empathetic to families grieving the death of a baby through stillbirth or miscarriage, says a Baylor University researcher who helped form Cradled, a Waco-based nonprofit serving bereaved families.

Released: 4-Sep-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Common Antidepressant May Change Brain Structures Differently in Depressed and Non-depressed Individuals
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

A commonly prescribed antidepressant may alter brain structures in depressed and non-depressed individuals in very different ways, according to new research at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Released: 2-Sep-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Reward, Aversion Behaviors Activated Through Same Brain Pathways
Washington University in St. Louis

New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis may help explain why drug treatments for addiction and depression don’t work for some patients. The conditions are linked to reward and aversion responses in the brain. And the research suggests that some treatments simultaneously stimulate reward and aversion responses, resulting in a net zero effect.

Released: 1-Sep-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Suicide-by-Firearm Rates Shift in Two States After Changes in State Gun Laws
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A new study examining changes in gun policy in two states finds that handgun purchaser licensing requirements influence suicide rates. Researchers estimate that Connecticut’s 1995 law requiring individuals to obtain a permit or license to purchase a handgun after passing a background check was associated with a 15.4 percent reduction in firearm suicide rates, while Missouri’s repeal of its handgun purchaser licensing law in 2007 was associated with a 16.1 percent increase in firearm suicide rates.

Released: 31-Aug-2015 2:30 PM EDT
Research in Mice Shows Potential Value of Common Antidepressant in Stroke Victims Too Sick for Immediate Rehab
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Working with mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have added to evidence that a commonly prescribed antidepressant called fluoxetine helps stroke victims improve movement and coordination, and possibly why.

Released: 28-Aug-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Research Links Borderline Personality Traits with Lowered Empathy
University of Georgia

Those with borderline personality disorder a mental illness marked by unstable moods, often experience trouble maintaining interpersonal relationships. New research from the University of Georgia indicates that this may have to do with lowered brain activity in regions important for empathy in individuals with borderline personality traits.

   
Released: 28-Aug-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Broward College Expert Offers Tips for ADHD Month
Broward College

During the month of September and as the school year begins, many healthcare, family and children’s organizations focus on the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As part of this, Alexis Resnick, Ph.D., a professor of psychology in the behavioral science department at Broward College, as well as a licensed psychologist who provides assessment, therapy and consultation services to children, adolescents and young adults with behavioral, academic, developmental, emotional, and social concerns, is providing several behavioral treatment tips for ADHD.

24-Aug-2015 8:05 AM EDT
Parkinson’s Disease Brain Cells at Risk of Burnout, Like an Overheating Motor
Universite de Montreal

The death of brain cells in Parkinson’s disease may be caused by a form of cellular energy crisis in neurons that require unusually high quantities of energy to carry out their job of regulating movement, researchers at the University of Montreal reported today.

27-Aug-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Alzheimer’s Disease Thought to Be Accelerated by an Abnormal Build-Up of Fat in the Brain
Universite de Montreal

People with Alzheimer’s disease have fat deposits in the brain. For the first time since the disease was described 109 years ago, researchers affiliated with the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) have discovered accumulations of fat droplets in the brain of patients who died from the disease and have identified the nature of the fat.

Released: 27-Aug-2015 1:00 AM EDT
Choosing to End It All
McGill University

Studies show that the way a person makes decisions is among the main factors that determines whether they are protected from or vulnerable to suicide. This particular trait is partially shared with family members. Therapies could be adapted to target decision-making.

   
24-Aug-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Who Will Develop Psychosis? Automated Speech Analysis May Have the Answer
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

An automated speech analysis program correctly differentiated between at-risk young people who developed psychosis over a two-and-a-half year period and those who did not. In a proof-of-principle study, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center found that the computerized analysis provided a more accurate classification than clinical ratings.

24-Aug-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Quitting Smoking After Heart Attack Gives Quick Boost to Mental Health, Quality of Life
Washington University in St. Louis

A new study shows that quitting smoking after a heart attack has immediate benefits, including less chest pain, better quality of daily life and improved mental health. Many of these improvements became apparent as little as one month after quitting and are more pronounced after one year, according to the research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Released: 21-Aug-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Healthy Mood Spreads Through Social Contact, Depression Doesn’t
University of Manchester

New research has revealed that having mentally healthy friends can help someone recover from depression or even remain mentally healthy in the first place.

Released: 20-Aug-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Maltreated Children’s Brains Show ‘Encouraging’ Ability to Regulate Emotions
University of Washington

A new study led by the University of Washington finds that given the right strategies, abused children have a surprising ability to regulate their emotions.

   
17-Aug-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Research Links Psoriasis, Depression
American Academy of Dermatology

New research, presented at the American Academy of Dermatology’s 2015 Summer Academy Meeting in New York, indicates that psoriasis patients may have an increased risk of depression.

Released: 18-Aug-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Researchers Report Biomarkers and Apps That Predict Risk of Suicide
Indiana University

People being treated for bipolar disorder and other psychiatric illnesses are at greater risk of attempting suicide, but physicians may now have tools to predict which of those individuals will attempt it and intervene early to prevent such tragedies from occurring.

Released: 17-Aug-2015 4:15 PM EDT
Retinal Changes May Serve as Measures of Brain Pathology in Schizophrenia
Mount Sinai Health System

Tracking specific structural changes in the eye may provide new measures of risk for, and progression of schizophrenia, according to a literature review published by researchers at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and Rutgers University.

Released: 13-Aug-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Study Finds Lack of Ultimate Meaning in Life Associated with Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction and Other Mental Health Problems
Florida Atlantic University

One of the most commonly used treatment models in addiction is the 12-step model developed in the 1930s and rooted in spirituality. Yet, surprisingly, there is no clear understanding about how to nurture spirituality among people struggling with addictions.

Released: 13-Aug-2015 5:05 AM EDT
Overreliance on Imagination May Be a Sign of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Universite de Montreal

Confusing reality with imagination and losing contact with reality are two key characteristics that could play a role in the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This is what we learn from a study conducted by researchers at the CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal) and the University of Montreal, the results of which were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

   
10-Aug-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Receptors in Brain Linked to Schizophrenia, Autism
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Mice lacking a set of receptors in one type of neuron in the brain developed compulsive, anti-social behaviors, Salk scientists found

   
Released: 11-Aug-2015 3:05 PM EDT
New Biomarkers Show Exercise Helps Reduce Daytime Sleep Disorder
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Aerobic exercise can help alleviate excessive daytime sleepiness among depressed individuals, researchers with UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care have found.



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