November 2009 - Mental Health Update

Self-harm and car accidents

A study of newly-licensed drivers by researchers at the George Institute in Australia has found that those who had engaged in self-harm were more likely to be involved in car accidents. The researchers studied 18,871 newly-licensed Australian drivers...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 3:11 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Self-Harm

New research points to the importance of oxytocin

Oxytocin is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. It plays an important part in labour and breastfeeding and is also associated with social recognition, pair bonding, dampening negative emotional responses, trust and love. Researchers at Oregon State...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 2:29 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Autism, Oxytocin

Counting the Cost of Alzheimer's

In the U.K. a report by the Alzheimer's Society has painted a bleak picture of the care given by the NHS to people with this condition. Based on a survey of 1,291 friends and relatives, 657 nurses and 479 ward managers the Counting the Cost report...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 1:55 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease, Counting the Cost

Meditation lowers heart risks

Researchers from the University of Wisconsis in the U.S. have found that transcendental meditation can have major benefits for people with cardiovascular problems. They studied a sample of 201 African Americans who had an average age of 59 and who had...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 1:46 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Meditation

Study points to ketamine risks

Ketamine - which is often used as a tranquiliser for horses - is the fastest growing drug in the U.K. It is used on the dance scene and can produce effects of sedation, hallucinations and dissociation. Researchers at University College London studied...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 1:30 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Ketamine

Absconding from low-secure units. How often does it happen and what are the risk factors?

Researchers from the South London and Maudsley and Oxleas NHS Trusts in London have been looking into the issue of absconding in a low-secure unit for people with 'challenging' behaviour. They found that over the course of 6 1/2 years 22% of the...

Published Mon, Nov 16 2009 8:04 AM by Mental Health Update

Seclusion and restraint in psychiatric intensive care units

Patients in psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) often have to be placed in seclusion or restraint for their own or others' protection. U.K. researchers from NHS services in Suffolk, Hampshire and Oxford studied the patterns of seclusion and restraint...

Published Mon, Nov 16 2009 7:37 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Inpatients

Genes, OCD and antipsychotics

A number of studies have shown that antipsychotic drugs can lead some people to develop obsessive-compulsive symptoms. There is known to be a genetic link to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and genetic factors are also thought to be involved in the...

Published Mon, Nov 16 2009 6:59 AM by Mental Health Update

Talking therapy for chronic depression - does it make any difference

Around 50% of chronically-depressed patients fail to respond to trials of antidepressants or psychotherapy and an additional 20% do not get completely better. Even after partial improvement a residue of depression can affect people's lives and increase...

Published Mon, Nov 16 2009 6:33 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Depression

Borderline personality disorder and relationship problems

The changeable moods and unpredictable behaviour of people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) can lead to difficulties in relationships. However, there is little actual research to back this up. About 20-30% of people with borderline personality...

Published Fri, Nov 13 2009 7:34 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Borderline Personality Disorder

Using virtual reality to beat bullies

Researchers at the University of Warwick have been investigating how virtual reality could help children cope with bullying. They used a programme called FearNot!: a virtual school where children could assume roles as bullies, victims or bystanders. The...

Published Wed, Nov 11 2009 7:17 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Bullying

Guest Post - 10 Common Myths About Clinical Depression

Angela Peterson has compiled a list of 10 Common Myths About Clinical Depression which aims to clear up some of the misconceptions about this condition. The myths are: Depressives are ingrates who lack empathy for real suffering Depression is not an illness...

Published Wed, Nov 11 2009 7:01 AM by Mental Health Update

Bang! What goes on in people's brains when they get a shock

Psychologists at the University of Alabama in Birmingham have been startling people in an attempt to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure what went on in people's...

Published Wed, Nov 11 2009 3:08 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: PTSD, Neuroscience

Muscle strength and Alzheimer's

Older people with weaker muscles could be at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center at Chicago started following 970 older adults who had an average age of 80 at the start of the study. They...

Published Wed, Nov 11 2009 2:45 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease

Depression and stroke

Researchers at the University of Toronto have been reviewing 56 studies into stroke and depression covering a total of 75,000 people. They found that a third of people developed depression after a stroke and that women were more at risk than men. The...

Published Wed, Nov 11 2009 2:28 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Depression, Stroke