RxPG News : Mental Health

Incubator care at birth reduces depression risk in adult life

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:12:16 PST

Toronto, Nov 12 - A Canadian study says babies who receive incubator care after birth are two to three times less likely to suffer depression in their adult life.

Shed tears to stay healthy

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:21:02 PST

London, Nov 11 - Are you alexithymic or anhedonic? You may profit from therapeutic interventions to stimulate your lacrimal apparatus. In other words, if you can't feel emotions or are unable to derive pleasure from good experiences, make yourself weep with medical help, scientists across the world advise.

Depression during pregnancy doubles risk of premature delivery

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:33:39 PST

Washington, Oct 23 - Depressed pregnant women face twice the risk of premature delivery than their counterparts with no such symptoms, according to a new study.

Depressed older people risk losing their minds

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:30:35 PST

New York, Oct 9 - Older people who suffer from depression face higher risk of losing intellectual ability, the results of a study conducted in the US show.

High-quality child care for low-income children offset the risk of later depression

Sun, 20 May 2007 04:00:00 PST

Young adults from low-income families who were in full-time early educational child care from infancy to age 5 reported fewer symptoms of depression than their peers who were not in this type of care, according to a new report. The early educational intervention also appears to have protected the children to some extent against the negative effects of their home environments.

Light therapy fights doldrums with sun substitute

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 09:05:18 PST

Berlin, Dec 19 - It starts when the days get shorter in late autumn and often does not disappear until March: winter depression.

Over 50 Vietnamese girls faint due to mass 'hysteria'

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 19:58:33 PST

Hanoi, Dec 16 - Over 50 Vietnamese girls were hospitalised after they fainted at school, and officials Saturday blamed the incident on an episode of 'mass hysteria'.

Feeling poor may be better predictor of mental illness than being poor

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 22:57:00 PST

More subjective measures of socio-economic position may be needed in order to predict the likelihood of people developing common mental illnesses, such as depression, a UK study has found.

Mental health problems threaten the knowledge economy

Sat, 04 Nov 2006 20:54:00 PST

In a knowledge economy, people work increasingly with their heads instead of their hands. This makes mental health a crucial component of economic growth. However, the knowledge economy leads to high levels of stress and mental health problems. By damaging its mental capital the knowledge economy undermines the basis for its own success. These are some of the conclusions of the report Mental Capital by Rifka Weehuizen, researcher at UNU-MERIT - a joint research and training centre of United Nations University, and Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Raine Study: Breastfeeding boosts mental health

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 05:41:00 PST

A new study has found that babies that are breastfed for longer than six months have significantly better mental health in childhood. The findings are based on data from the ground-breaking Raine Study at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, that has tracked the growth and development of more than 2500 West Australian children over the past 16 years. Researcher Dr Wendy Oddy said there was growing evidence that bioactive factors in breast milk played an important role in the rapid early brain development that occurs in the first year of life.

Online video games found to promote sociability

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 21:39:00 PST

Hang in there, parents. There is some hopeful news on the video-gaming front. Researchers have found that some of the large and hugely popular online video games although condemned by many as time-gobbling, people-isolating monsters actually have socially redeeming qualities.

Drug approval processes may have delayed warnings about safety of Paroxetine

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:24:00 PST

Drug approval processes may have delayed warnings about the safety of antidepressants, argues a senior doctor in this weeks BMJ. Following GlaxoSmithKlines recent letter to doctors pointing to a sixfold increase in the risk of suicidal behaviour in adults taking paroxetine, Professor David Healy examines the regulation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and asks were mistakes made and could they have been avoided?

Living in the past indicates dissatisfaction with present

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 19:14:00 PST

It might seem quite natural for the elderly to often slip happily into reminiscence but living in the past could indicate dissatisfaction with the present, says psychologists.

So young, so sad, so listen - Relaunched

Fri, 02 Sep 2005 02:33:00 PST

The Royal College of Psychiatrists is relaunching this highly popular cartoon-illustrated* book, first published in 1995, with a new Foreword by Philip Pullman, acclaimed author of the trilogy His Dark Materials and other works.

Mental health charity warns of consequences of online gambling

Mon, 27 Jun 2005 21:35:00 PST

Poker websites and other online gambling services may be exciting investors at the moment, but there may be dangers for online gamblers, warns a mental health charity.

Patients may be just as happy as those without major medical conditions

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 18:17:00 PST

The researchers made their surprising finding by having 49 pairs of dialysis patients and healthy people report their mood every few hours for a week, using a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) such as a Palm. The patients had all been in dialysis for at least three months, visiting a hemodialysis center three or more times a week for hours at a time to have their blood cleaned because their kidneys had failed.

Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomes nice guidelines and MHRA advice on prescribing of SSRI medication in adults

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 06:04:00 PST

The Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomes the much-awaited publication of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for Depression and Anxiety, and are pleased that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Body (MHRA) are now able to communicate its verdict on the safety of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and newer antidepressant drugs for adults.

Internet therapy for depression

Mon, 04 Oct 2004 15:40:00 PST

Little is known about the effectiveness of educational interventions for reducing the stigma associated with depression. A new study from Australia has found that the internet can offer an opportunity for people with depression to access programmes that reduce personal stigma.

Assessment following self-harm in adults

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 21:03:00 PST

Assessment following self-harm in adults is a new report from the Council of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It updates the College's 1994 report, The General Hospital Management of Adult Deliberate Self-Harm, modifying its recommendations in the light of developments that have occurred over the last ten years in national policies and research.

New council report on psychiatric services for children and adolescents with learning disabilities

Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:59:00 PST

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has issued a new report, Psychiatric services for children and adolescents with learning disabilities. It is a joint report between the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Faculty of the Psychiatry of Learning Disability.

SSRI "addiction is a myth"

Sat, 10 Jul 2004 22:51:00 PST

Up to two out of three people who come off modern anti-depressants suffer short-term withdrawal symptoms including dizziness, nausea and low mood. But it is impossible for anyone to become addicted to SSRIs, the Royal College of Psychiatrists heard today.

Campaign Launched To Help Carers of People with Mental Health Problems and Learning Disabilities

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 00:14:00 PST

Carers are the invisible army that supports millions of relatives and friends who cannot look after themselves.
There are an estimated 6 million carers in the UK

The Nature of Panic a walk though fear in pictures & words

Sat, 10 Jan 2004 23:17:00 PST

A panic attack is a sudden rush of fear that comes out of the blue, often with no apparent trigger. Panic attacks are not uncommon: estimates range from one in four to one in 10 of us being affected at some time, with some developing chronic panic disorder. Fear of fear, apprehension about this apparently incomprehensible experience, can become crippling.