Feature Channels: Mental Health

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With few exceptions, jumping genes-restless bits of DNA that can move freely about the genome-are forced to stay put. In patients with Rett syndrome, however, a mutation in the MeCP2 gene mobilizes so-called L1 retrotransposons in brain cells, reshuffling their genomes and possibly contributing to the symptoms of the disease when they find their way into active genes, report researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

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Women who suffered sexual or physical abuse as children are more likely to abuse alcohol than are others, according to a new study of 3,680 women.

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Binge-drinking teenagers may be putting themselves at higher risk in adulthood for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

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A study published online this month in the American Journal of Psychiatry in advance of print publication in February 2011 showed no difference in nonsuicide mortality between people taking ziprasidone and another second-generation anti-psychotic in real-world use.

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Depression appears to be associated with a molecular-level disturbance in the body's 24-hour clock, new research suggests.

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Current treatments for depression don't help working-class and poor patients as much as they help middle-class patients improve their ability to function at work, according to a recent University of Illinois at Chicago study.

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University of Utah (U of U) medical researchers have uncovered a wiring diagram that shows how the brain pays attention to visual, cognitive, sensory, and motor cues. The research provides a critical foundation for the study of abnormalities in attention that can be seen in many brain disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorder.

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While many young adults will share the details of their daily lives with friends on Facebook, communicating with their doctors about mental illness is another story. E-SMART-MH, developed at Case Western Reserve University, might improve those communications.

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Mark Salzer, director of the Temple University Collaborative for Community Integration, says that those with a psychiatric disability are still fighting for the right to vote.

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Targeted, flexible follow-up care showed promising results for primary care doctors treating depression, a University of Michigan study found.

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When some students at Ithaca College heard about a recent string of suicides by young people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, they decided to take action.

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If you want to feel good about yourself, try acting not like yourself. In a new study published in the Journal of Personality, Wake Forest University psychologist William Fleeson found the idea of “being true to yourself” often means acting counter to your personality traits. Because authenticity predicts a variety of positive psychological outcomes, Fleeson says his research can help people see they have options for how they behave.

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Symposium highlights how experiences in Iraq may provide insight for effectively treating post traumatic stress disorders and other serious psychological conditions.

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She's sharp, witty... and different. And, until she was 41, she couldn't tell you what made her "different" all of her life. Nor could her parents, college professors or any of her 13 employers.

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In a report published in the Oct. 20 issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say animal and human data suggest gene therapy to the brain may be able to treat patients with major depression who do not respond to traditional drug treatment.

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1) Promoting mental health could reduce the incidence and prevalence of mental illness; 2) Gender differences found in mental health diagnoses among returning veterans; 3) Trafficked and sexually exploited girls and women experience traumatic damage to their mental health and well-being.

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Chronic depression is an adaptive, reparative neurobiological process gone wrong, say two UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers, positing in a new theory that the debilitating mental state originates from more ancient mechanisms used by the body to deal with physical injury, such as pain, tissue repair and convalescent behavior.

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More immigrants settle in Toronto than in any other Canadian city, but that decision may be adversely affecting their children's mental health, finds a national study led by Ryerson University.

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Loyola Non-invasive therapy requires no anesthesia or sedation; can be done in a half hour in psychiatrist’s offic

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UCLA scientists have discovered that exposing fetal neurons to higher than normal levels of a common immune protein leads to abnormal brain development in mice. The finding may provide new insights into factors contributing to human neurological disorders like schizophrenia and autism.

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Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to be honored for her work in championing the importance of behavioral health.

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UIC researchers are the first to use brain imaging to examine the effects of emotion on working memory function in children with pediatric bipolar disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Patients with cancer who experience pain or depression also have a high rate of physical symptoms, such as fatigue, dry mouth and nausea, according to a report in the October 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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In a study to determine the durability and long-term effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), psychiatric researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found the non-invasive, non-drug therapy to be an effective, long-term treatment for major depression. Results of the study were published in the October 2010 issue of Brain Stimulation, a journal published by Elsevier.

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Grand prize winner receives trip to Los Angeles to 2010 Voice Awards where video will be showcased.

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The implementation of the Affordable Care Act will greatly expand health insurance coverage to people with mental and substance use disorders. Through its discretionary grant and other programs, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is working to ensure that mental health and substance abuse treatment services are advanced in concert with the entire health system.

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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.