September 2009 - Mental Health Update

OASIS for psychosis - quicker, better and cheaper

In the U.K. it is now Government policy to make use of early-intervention services for people with psychosis. An increasing number of clinical services have been set up to help people in the early stages of psychosis. They aim to intervene as early as...

Published Thu, Sep 24 2009 7:50 AM by Mental Health Update

Cannabis and psychosis

Since the nineteenth century there have been descriptions of acute schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms in healthy people who have taken cannabis. The prevalence of cannabis use in psychotic patients being treated for the first time is approximately...

Published Thu, Sep 24 2009 7:24 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Cannabis, Psychosis

Physical restraint in psychiatric hospitals

There is a high level of violence on psychiatric-hospital wards. It has been estimated that almost half of nursing staff and one in seven patients are subject to physical assaults per year. Physical restraint is recommended only as a method of last resort...

Published Thu, Sep 24 2009 6:57 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Restraint, Inpatients

Depression, anxiety and executive functioning

Executive functioning is made up of a broad range of capabilities including the ability to pay attention, the ability to transfer one's attention from one thing to another, the ability to hold information in one's working memory, and planning...

Published Thu, Sep 24 2009 6:01 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Depression, Anxiety Disorders

Race, recognition and relations

The vast majority of people - other than those suffering from very rare neurological conditions - can recognise members of their own family, and people can also spot family resemblances among other people as well. Researchers from the University of Montpelier...

Published Wed, Sep 23 2009 3:25 AM by Mental Health Update

Autism and MMR - more evidence that there is no link

The link between autism and the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine has been extensively debunked and new research from the NHS Information Centre in England has added to the evidence that there is no link. The centre surveyed 7,500 adults and found...

Published Wed, Sep 23 2009 3:12 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Autism

A mindful doctor is a happy doctor

Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center have been looking into the effects of mindfulness meditation and communication in reducing stress and burnout among doctors,You and improving communication skills with patients. As many as 60...

Published Wed, Sep 23 2009 2:43 AM by Mental Health Update

Lol: txtspeak nt the end 4 splng

Psychology students at the University of Alberta have been looking at how 'textspeak' affects children's abilities to spell in conventional English. The students asked 40 12-17-year-olds to save their instant messages for a week - at the end...

Published Wed, Sep 23 2009 2:22 AM by Mental Health Update

Childhood bullying and mental health

Bullying in school is a major problem for children, teachers and parents. Boys tend to bully more than girls who are more likely to use 'relational aggression'. Both bullying and victimisation are associated with poorer family functioning, interparental...

Published Tue, Sep 22 2009 4:52 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Bullying, Child Psychology

Inside the brains of psychopaths

Psychopaths are deceitful and manipulative and often engage in antisocial behaviour. They lack empathy with other people and find it hard to recognise the emotional significance of social events. Some scientists think that a part of the brain called the...

Published Tue, Sep 22 2009 4:43 AM by Mental Health Update