Feature Channels: Mental Health

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Employees who face high emotional demand and conflicting roles are more likely to report psychological distress—placing them at higher risk of mental health disorders and reduced productivity, reports a study in the June Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

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Association members commit to offering community and professional education.

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Children of women who did not finish high school were twice as likely to experience a major episode of depression in early adulthood as children whose mothers obtained a high school diploma, according to a new study by researchers at McGill University.

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Testicular orphan nuclear receptor 4 (TR4) is overexpressed in pituitary tumors that spark the excess production of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). The scientists discovered that by knocking down TR4 in lab mice, they were able to reverse tumor growth and excess ACTH production.

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Using a novel method of analyzing genetic variations in families, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that individually harmless genetic variations affecting related biochemical processes may team up to increase the risk of schizophrenia. They say their findings, reported May 28 in Translational Psychiatry, bring some clarity to the murky relationship between genetics and schizophrenia, and may lead to a genetic test that can predict which medications will be effective for individual patients.

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The first symptoms of major depression may be behavioral, but the common mental illness is based in biology — and not limited to the brain.

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Older people with a history of migraines and depression may have smaller brain tissue volumes than people with only one or neither of the conditions, according to a new study in the May 22, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Why is fish oil good for the heart? A new study suggests that this omega 3 fatty acid-rich nutrient could blunt some cardiovascular effects of mental stress.

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A drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety may improve a stress-related heart condition in people with stable coronary heart disease, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.

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Depression is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been linked with disease severity and impaired quality of life. Now, for the first time, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have linked the systemic inflammation associated with COPD with depression in these patients.

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Violent storms — often accompanied by lightning, thunder, heavy rain, powerful winds and even tornado warnings — can be stressful for anyone, but severe weather can trigger much more severe anxiety, especially among children. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in kids and adults. Mayo Clinic Children’s Center anxiety prevention expert and psychologist Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D., offers tips to help conquer weather-related fears.

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Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered specific chemical alterations in two genes that, when present during pregnancy, reliably predict whether a woman will develop postpartum depression.

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A new study conducted by researchers at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition. The study appears in the May 20 online edition of Pediatrics.

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Drug associated with rapid antidepressant effect in largest clinical trial to-date.

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The Nalanda Institute announced that enrollment is now open for their inaugural Certificate Program in Contemplative Psychotherapy to begin in Fall 2013. The program offers therapists, health workers, coaches, educators and other professionals in the healing arts an opportunity to immerse themselves in the inspiring new field of contemplative neuropsychology.

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Suicide risk is higher among military personnel with more lifetime TBIs, even after controlling for clinical symptom severity. Results of the study show that multiple TBIs, which are common among military personnel, may contribute to increased risk for suicide.

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Pets on Wheels rolls into Johns Hopkins Nursing, giving students hands-on proof of the healing power of animals, from Sandy Hook to the study hall.

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Praying for a romantic partner or close friend can lead to more cooperative and forgiving behavior toward the partner, according to a new study co-authored by a Florida State University researcher.

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People who gain weight are more likely to give in to temptations but also are more thoughtful about their actions, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

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Researchers are the first to discover that dramatic creativity can help people with failing kidneys.

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People who are unhappy in their romantic relationship spend more time during a disagreement thinking about how angry and frustrated they are, but happy couples coordinate their thoughts so that when one partner has many emotional thoughts, the other has few, according to a new study recently published online in the National Communication Association’s journal, Communication Monographs.

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Jane Mendle an assistant professor of human development comments on the groundbreaking life of psychologist and Cornell University graduate Dr. Joyce Brothers. Brothers' complete papers archive is also available through the Cornell University Library.

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A drug developed by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, known as J147, reverses memory deficits and slows Alzheimer's disease in aged mice following short-term treatment. The findings, published May 14 in the journal Alzheimer's Research and Therapy, may pave the way to a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease in humans.

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Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Professor of Psychology Steven Gold, Ph.D., is able to cast some light on this topic. Gold is also the Director of NSU’s Trauma Resolution Integration Program.

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Every cell in our bodies runs on a 24-hour clock, tuned to the night-day, light-dark cycles that have ruled us since the dawn of humanity. But new research shows that the clock may be broken in the brains of people with depression -- even at the level of the gene activity inside their brain cells.

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The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) today released a new study by The Moran Company that is the first to examine readmission patterns within inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs) paid under the Medicare IPF prospective payment system (IPF PPS). Two types of facilities are included in the IPF PPS: 1) freestanding psychiatric IPFs (both governmental and nongovernmental) and 2) hospital-based (“distinct part”) psychiatric units in general hospitals (both governmental and nongovernmental). Together, these facilities deliver inpatient psychiatric hospital care to more than 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries each year.

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A new "alternative model" included in the upcoming Fifth Edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM -5) lines up well with the current approach to diagnosis of personality disorder, according to a study in the May Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Exercise has been shown to be an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), both when used alone and in combination with other treatments. There's now sufficient research data to provide specific guidance on how to prescribe exercise for depressed patients, according to a report in the May Journal of Psychiatric Practice®. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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The stimulant drug methylphenidate "normalizes" activation of several brain areas in young patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a review published in the May Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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The offspring of parents who were addicted to drugs or alcohol are more likely to be depressed in adulthood, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers. In a paper published online in the journal Psychiatry Research this month, investigators examined the association between parental addictions and adult depression in a representative sample of 6,268 adults, drawn from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey. Of these respondents, 312 had a major depressive episode within the year preceding the survey and 877 reported that while they were under the age of 18 and still living at home that at least one parent who drank or used drugs “so often that it caused problems for the family”.

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Patients coping with chronic pain should also be evaluated for anxiety disorders, according to new research published in General Hospital Psychiatry.

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Patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa stuck with treatments in a clinical trial and made significant improvements with just a slight modification of the standard goals and methods of care. Participants reported improved quality of life, mood and social adjustment.

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For nearly a decade, doctors have used implanted electronic stimulators to treat severe depression in people who don’t respond to standard antidepressant treatments. Now, preliminary brain scan studies conducted by School of Medicine researchers are revealing that vagus nerve stimulation brings about changes in brain metabolism weeks or even months before patients begin to feel better.

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Adults with depression, widowed Americans and seniors who live alone more likely to develop Clostridium difficile infection; some antidepressants modify risk.

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New VA, U-M research finds no increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms, death despite FDA warning against high-dose citalopram dosages.

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A University of Iowa study shows that older people can put off the aging of their minds by playing a simple game that primes their processing speed skills. The research showed participants' cognitive skills improved in a range of functions, from improving peripheral vision to problem solving. Results published in the journal PLOS One.

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After analyzing data from nearly 5,000 American adults, U-M researchers found that the quality of a person’s relationships with a spouse, family and friends predicted the likelihood of major depression disorder in the future, regardless of how frequently their social interactions took place.

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New study finds when assessed for major depressive episodes using a structured interview, only 38.4 percent of adults with clinician-identified depression met a 12-month criteria for depression, despite the majority of participants being prescribed and using psychiatric medications.

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Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – among the most widely prescribed antidepressant medications – are associated with increased risk of bleeding, transfusion, hospital readmission and death when taken around the time of surgery, according to an analysis led by researchers at UC San Francisco and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass.

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About one-third of patients suffer depression following a stroke, and depression in turn increases the risk of stroke. Antidepressant medications known as SSRIs are effective when given to stroke patients as a preventive measure.

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Examining social factors is vital to better explaining and understanding the dramatic rise in the number of Americans diagnosed with mental disorders in recent years, according to an analysis by a team of medical and mental health experts.

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Cmdr. Russell B. Carr, M.D., acting chief of the psychiatry department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, stated that almost everyone seen at Walter Reed and in clinics throughout the Department of Defense is suicidal. He also estimates that the best PTSD treatments in use today do not work for 30 to 40 percent of patients.

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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in a precise region of the brain appears to reduce caloric intake and prompt weight loss in obese animal models, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Iowa State researchers want to improve effectiveness as well as access for families to prevention and intervention programs. The work is critical to the mental and emotional development of children.

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Maybe rocker Greg Kihn was being prophetic in his 1981 hit, "The Breakup Song," with its chorus, "They don't write 'em like that anymore." An Indiana University professor's new paper looks at how people write to break up today, including through texts, emails and social media. According to a new research article by Ilana Gershon, associate professor of communication and culture in IU's College of Arts and Sciences, part of what makes the breakup stories she collected into American stories is that the medium seems so important to the message when breaking off relationships.

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Up to 20 percent of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have experienced at least one blast concussion. A new study finds about 42% of screened veterans with blast injuries have irregular hormone levels indicative of hypopituitarism. Many conditions associated with hypopituitarism mimic other common problems that veterans can suffer, such as PTSD and depression.

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An excess of the brain neurotransmitter glutamate may cause a transition to psychosis in people who are at risk for schizophrenia.The findings suggest 1) a potential diagnostic tool for identifying those at risk for schizophrenia and 2) a possible glutamate-limiting treatment strategy to prevent or slow progression of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

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A new study from U-M and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System shows that veterans with PTSD who completed a mindfulness-based group treatment plan showed a significant reduction in symptoms as compared to patients who underwent treatment as normal.

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The study was presented last week at a conference on “Memorial Days and Other Days,” sponsored by the University of Haifa’s International Center for the Study of Loss, Bereavement and Human Resilience .