Feature Channels: Mental Health

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After a century of studying the causes of schizophrenia-the most persistent disabling condition among adults-the cause of the disorder remains unknown. Now induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from schizophrenic patients have brought researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies a step closer to a fundamental understanding of the biological underpinnings of the disease.

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Vanderbilt researchers conducting an extensive analysis of studies on traumatic brain injury (TBI), report today that 30 percent of TBI patients, or approximately 360,000 patients each year, will also suffer from depression after their injury. The report, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), examined existing research on civilian blunt force trauma typically resulting from motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults and sports injuries.

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Women in the treatment group had significantly lower total Postpartum Depression Screening Scale scores, with significantly fewer symptoms common to postpartum depression.

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Stress not only sends the human immune system into overdrive – it can also wreak havoc on the trillions of bacteria that work and thrive inside our digestive system.

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Johns Hopkins researchers report the discovery of a molecular switch that regulates the behavior of a protein that, when altered, is already known to increase human susceptibility to schizophrenia and mood disorders.

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Persons with an addictive-like eating behavior appear to have greater neural activity in certain regions of the brain similar to substance dependence, including elevated activation in reward circuitry in response to food cues, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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People who migrate to the United States from Mexico have a significantly higher risk of developing depressive or anxiety disorders than family members of migrants who remain in Mexico, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Low levels of household income are associated with several lifetime mental disorders and suicide attempts, and a decrease in income is associated with a higher risk for anxiety, substance use, and mood disorders, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have developed a new way to stimulate neuron production in the adult mouse brain, demonstrating that neurons acquired in the brain's hippocampus during adulthood improve certain cognitive functions.

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today published its strategic initiatives paper – an overview of SAMHSA’s goals, priorities and action steps for accomplishing its mission of reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. Carefully developed from months of public discussion and input from a wide variety of SAMHSA’s stakeholders, the strategic initiatives paper lays out how SAMHSA will focus its resources in meeting the new opportunities and challenges it faces in the near future.

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New research from the University of Oregon concludes that even brief training can help people learn how to be more supportive when friends and family members disclose traumatic events and other experiences of mistreatment.

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A new program at the University of Michigan aims to help patients with depression manage their symptoms by making someone who cares about them an important part of their treatment.

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A study of thousands of people with bipolar disorder suggests that genetic risk factors may influence the decision to attempt suicide.

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Two related studies released by this week by Geisinger Health System researchers identify specific genetic risks associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and help identify key psychosocial predictors that may lead to PTSD.

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A new national study indicates that the number of hospital emergency visits involving the illicit drug Ecstasy increased from 10,220 in 2004 to 17,865 visits in 2008 – a 74.8 percent increase. According to this new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) most of these Ecstasy-related visits (69.3 percent) involved patients aged 18 to 29, but notably 17.9 percent involved adolescents aged 12 to 17.

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Latinos benefit from antidepressants like everybody else — only they do not use them nearly as often. The trick is getting past some cultural barriers.

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A new study finds that African-American and Asian/Pacific Islander women have double the risk that others do of becoming depressed before giving birth.

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Coupling an electronic prescription drug ordering system with a computerized method for reporting adverse events can dramatically reduce the number of medication errors in a hospital’s psychiatric unit, suggests new Johns Hopkins research.

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Using skin cells from adult siblings with schizophrenia and a genetic mutation linked to major mental illnesses, Johns Hopkins researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using a new and improved “clean” technique.

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With the number of traumas currently affecting Japan, it's people will reach a breaking point without some psychological first aid.

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The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in four Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. Many professionals don’t know how to deliver highly effective, non-medication treatment and patients often don’t have access to high-quality treatment. Two Drexel University professors now have a solution to this urgent medical need.

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People who have a stroke are more likely to be dependent if they are depressed, older or have other medical problems, according to a study published in the March 15, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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As he struggled for decades with a depression that often left him despondent, Eric Wilson never thought to get a second opinion. Wilson, best-selling author of the new book “The Mercy of Eternity: A Memoir of Depression and Grace,” had to muster everything in him to seek a second opinion for his mental illness.

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Depression is associated with an increased risk of developing kidney failure in the future, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). Approximately 10% of the US population will suffer from depression at some point during their lifetime.

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Adults aged 50 and older comprise 51.5 percent of all emergency department visits each year related to adverse reactions to medications, according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report says 61.5 percent were made by people aged 65 or older and 60.9 percent involved women.

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Children in classrooms with inadequate material resources and children whose teachers feel they are not respected by colleagues exhibit more mental health problems than students in classrooms without these issues, finds a new study in the March issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

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Residing in a psychosocially hazardous neighborhood is associated with worse cognitive function in older age for persons with the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (an alternative form of the gene), according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Jobless African-American men might be at a greater risk of suffering from depression -- along with African-American men making $80,000 and upward.

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Exposure via the media to activities such as street racing, binge drinking and unprotected sex is linked to risk-taking behaviors and attitudes, according to a new analysis of more than 25 years of research.

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Researchers have for decades hypothesized that negative emotions lead to inflated reports of common physical symptoms, like headaches or an upset stomach. But a new University of Iowa study suggests that two negative emotions –- depression and anxiety –- influence symptom reporting in different ways.

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The American Sociological Association (ASA) announced today that it has launched a new journal dedicated to research on the sociology of mental health and illness.

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Unemployed and those diagnosed with psychotic disorder more likely to be determined incompetent.

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Infants and toddlers can suffer serious mental health disorders, yet they are unlikely to receive treatment that could prevent lasting developmental problems, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

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Mothers who are depressed respond differently to their crying babies than do non-depressed moms. In fact, their reaction, according to brain scans at the University of Oregon, is much more muted than the robust brain activity in non-depressed moms.

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Your blood and the level of a hormone in your spit could reveal if you’re on the point of burnout, according to research undertaken by Dr. Sonia Lupien and Robert-Paul Juster of the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital and the University of Montreal.

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Winter’s chill, dark days, devoid of sunshine can send the best of us spiraling into a bad case of the blues. This time of year is especially difficult for Eric G. Wilson, author of “The Mercy of Eternity: A Memoir of Depression and Grace.” Ever since his teen years, he has spent winters quarantining himself, trying to stay warm and sinking deeper into depression.

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While alcohol problems and antisocial behavior tend to decrease in addiction-prone women as they age, depression increases, U-M study finds.

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Lifestyle changes—such as getting more exercise, time in nature, or helping others—can be as effective as drugs or counseling to treat an array of mental illnesses according to a new paper published by the American Psychological Association.

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BP oil spill caused significant psychological impact even to nearby communities not directly touched by oil, Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine and Univ. of Florida researchers report.

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People with psychiatric disabilities face disproportionately high rates of unemployment. To address this issue and develop a pathway to sustainable employment, Real JOBS NY provides a unique support system for its participants, focusing on individually tailored plans to meet the specific needs of each client. Among those enrolled in Real JOBS NY during the 2009-2010 period, 64 percent were employed at least three months after being placed in a job. The national average for similar programs is only nine percent.

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A common index for assessing adolescent drinking-related problems has been found to be effective at predicting adult alcoholism. An Indiana U. study also found the association to be stronger for adolescent female drinkers.

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Peer support programs were found to reduce depression symptoms better than traditional care alone and were about as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy, study finds.

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“It’s more than lack of sleep.” Growing issue of childhood obesity is complicated by co-morbidities, such as depression, diabetes, higher risk of chronic disease.

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Two new research studies find involuntary movements in the hands and fingers are measurable markers offering insights into the neurobiology of ADHD.

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When a person experiences impairment or declining health, caregiving typically falls to a family member, most often a spouse. This increased burden can cause burnout, stress, and illness in the caregiver. The health care system focuses first on the client and provides little support for the caregiver.

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Many school officials react in exactly the wrong ways when one of their students completes suicide, according to the authors of a new book.

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A new study examining monthly and seasonal trends in the number of emergency department visits involving drug related suicide attempts reveals considerable fluctuations among adolescent males. The rate for the general population varies little.

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CIHR-funded researcher and psychologist Dr. Leeat Granek, is organizing a second CIHR funded meeting on grief and loss at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York on February 11 and is available to discuss this event and alternatives to seeing grief as a psychological disorder.

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UCLA researchers report that chronically lonely people may be at higher risk for certain types of inflammatory disease because their feelings of social isolation trigger the activity of pro-inflammatory immune cells.

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People who produce lower levels of the brain molecule neuropeptide Y appear to be at increased risk of developing a major depressive disorder, U-M study finds.