Feature Channels: Mental Health

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A Washington and Lee University psychologist has developed a new instrument designed to help clinicians determine more objectively a patient's level of anxiety.

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First randomized clinical trial to compare treatments; patient's mother: "It works." An anorexia nervosa treatment strategy that promotes parental involvement in restoring an adolescent to healthy weight and eating habits is more effective than traditional individual-based anorexia nervosa therapy, according to new research.

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Greater numbers of depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder symptoms at ages 4 to 6 among children with ADHD robustly predicted risk for depression during adolescence.

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Young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to be at greater risk for adolescent depression and/or suicide attempts five to 13 years after diagnosis, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Individual therapy and family-based treatments both appear effective in treating anorexia nervosa in teens, although adolescents in family-based programs may be more likely to achieve full remission six or 12 months after treatment, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Special mental health courts appear to be associated with lower post-treatment arrest rates and reduced number of days of incarceration for individuals with serious psychiatric illnesses, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the February 2011 print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Using electrodes to stimulate areas deep within the brain may have therapeutic potential for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder that is refractory to treatment, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Children whose mothers are genetically predisposed to have impaired production of serotonin appear more likely to develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in life, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Two studies appearing in CJASN provide recommendations for improving health and reducing risk for dialysis patients. Titles of studies: “Depressed Mood, Usual Activity Level, and Continued Employment after Starting Dialysis" and "Change in Vascular Access and Hospitalization Risk in Long-Term Hemodialysis Patients".

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Less academically promising students should not be discouraged from setting high educational goals, according to one Kansas State University professor's research.

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In Regensburg, Germany, a two-year intervention campaign resulted in a marked drop in male suicides.

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After returning from deployment, military personnel are screened for mental health and other health-related concerns. But the effects of injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury can surface three to six months later, says Mary Beth Dunkenberger, senior program director with Virginia Tech’s Institute for Policy and Governance.

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Grants awarded to 43 community agencies nationwide.

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Through the Legacy Beads Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, patients collect colorful, glass beads that represent their experiences during treatment for cancer or other catastrophic childhood illnesses.

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The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) has published a 2011 Membership Directory. It is a comprehensive referral resource providing information on the nation’s behavioral healthcare systems.

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A new national study reveals that nearly 7.8 million adolescents aged 12 to 17, almost one third (30.9 percent), participated in any of three violent behaviors over the past year. The study, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), showed that 22.6 percent of adolescents reported having participated in a serious fight at school or work; 16.1 percent reported involvement in group-against-group fighting; and 7.5 percent reported attacking others with intent to seriously hurt them.

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Electrical stimulation of the brain in a patient with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) led to some unanticipated benefits—"effortless" smoking cessation and weight loss, according to a case report in the September issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

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Young victims of electronic or cyber bullying — which occurs online or by cell phone — are more likely to suffer from depression than their tormentors are, a new study finds.

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UMDNJ is providing 1st inpatient program in NJ - and one of the first of its kind in the US - for teens and young adults who experience their first psychotic symptoms (paranoia, delusions, loss of motivation and hallucinations).

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Researchers have determined that some medications commonly used to treat neurologic and psychiatric conditions, increase nicotine metabolism in smokers which could lead to increased cigarette consumption.

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Almost half of children with ADHD whose aggressive behaviors had not been controlled during routine outpatient care could achieve near absence of aggressive, explosive behavior with "first-line" stimulants.

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The risk for suicide increases by nearly one-third at elevations of 6,500 feet or higher, neuroscientists from the University of Utah report in a new study.

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An international team of researchers has identified a risk gene for schizophrenia, including a potentially causative mutation, using genome-wide association data-mining techniques and independent replications.

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The American Psychological Association is supporting World Suicide Prevention Day, Friday, Sept. 10, by making available psychologists for interviews. These psychologists will also be blogging about various aspects of suicide for www.YourMindYourBody.org, the official blog of APA’s public education campaign on Mind/Body Health.

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Substance abuse treatment admissions of older adults more than doubled from 1992 to 2008.

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Changing how a person perceives and thinks about others was the most effective intervention for loneliness, a sweeping analysis of previous research has determined. The findings may help physicians and psychologists develop better treatments for loneliness, a known risk factor for heart disease and other health problems.

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The association between psychotic disorders and living in urban areas appears to be a reflection of increased social fragmentation present within cities, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Patients with early-stage schizophrenia who receive a combination of medication and a psychosocial intervention appear less likely to discontinue treatment or relapse—and may have improved insight, quality of life and social functioning—than those taking medication alone, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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More than one-third of mothers and about one-fifth of fathers in the United Kingdom appear to experience an episode of depression between their child’s birth and 12th year of age, with the highest rates in the first year after birth, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the November print issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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A study examined the effects of stress on the meal patterns and food intake of animals exposed to the equivalent of everyday stress on humans. The results suggest that, not only does stress have an impact on us in the short term, it can cause metabolic changes in the longer term that contribute to obesity.

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With summer fading, anxiety is on the rise for some students anticipating the return of school. But it isn't just the first days of classes that can provoke angst -- anxiety in school is seasonal and age dependent, say pediatric psychiatrists.

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A new study in mice shows how social support can help minimize some of the worst physical damages to the brain caused by a heart attack.

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“Infants of Depressed Mothers Living in Poverty: Opportunities to Identify and Serve,” by by Tracy Vericker, Jennifer Macomber, and Olivia Golden, is the first national look at the characteristics, access to services, and parenting approaches of poor, depressed mothers with infants. The researchers point out that most of these families are connected to certain social services and health care providers, which presents a clear opportunity to help them.

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Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who received medication and individual sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) showed greater improvement in symptoms through 12 months compared to patients who did not receive CBT, according to a study in the August 25 issue of JAMA.

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ven after leaving a violent or controlling relationship, the mental health of mothers may actually get worse before it gets better, a new study suggests.

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Psychologists have analyzed decades of research and found that disaster response strategies should address the needs of the population affected, specifically those with disabilities and mental disorders.

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While the start of college is a positive, momentous event for many young people, it also can be an episode that pushes some into a dangerous battle with eating disorders, says University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor of Psychology Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., who fought her own battle against bulimia as a college student. Hear her story.

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Being married has often been associated with improving people’s health, but a new study suggests that having that long-term bond also alters hormones in a way that reduces stress. Unmarried people in a committed, romantic relationship show the same reduced responses to stress as do married people.

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An antidepressant can alleviate symptoms of major depression in women experiencing or about to experience menopause, according to a study released today led by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher.

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Children who experience trauma may enter a cycle of negative emotions — anxiety and depression — that could contribute to health problems later and precipitate an early death, a leading health psychologist said Saturday.

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A new report shows that behavioral health problems affect every community throughout America – but in unique, and sometimes surprising ways.

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Women and girls consider and engage in suicidal behavior more often than men and boys, but die of suicide at lower rate – a gender paradox enabled by U.S. cultural norms of gender and suicidal behavior, according to a psychologist who spoke at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

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Even into adulthood, problem children continue to give their parents heartache, and it doesn’t matter if other children in the family grow up to be successful, according to a new study of middle-aged parents.

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Sons who have fond childhood memories of their fathers are more likely to be emotionally stable in the face of day-to-day stresses, according to psychologists who studied hundreds of adults of all ages.

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Severe mental illness is more common among college students than it was a decade ago, with more young people arriving on campus with pre-existing conditions and a willingness to seek help for emotional distress.

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A new study focused on anxiety and brain activity pinpoints the brain regions that are relevant to developing childhood anxiety. The findings, published in the Aug. 12 edition of the journal Nature, may lead to new strategies for early detection and treatment of at-risk children.

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The context in which adolescent sexual activity occurs can substantially moderate the negative relationship between sexual intercourse and education, according to research to be presented at the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

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Psychotherapy practitioners and researchers often carry out their work in separate worlds, and there exists a great need to close the gap between them, says Marvin R. Goldfried, Ph.D., Stony Brook University Psychology Professor.

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Youth exposure to alcohol advertising in magazines declined by 48 percent between 2001 and 2008, according to a new study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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It comes as no surprise that many children suffer when a parent is behind bars. But as rates of incarceration grew over the past 30 years, researchers were slow to focus on the collateral damage to children.