January 2010 - Mental Health Update

Self-perception and reflection

Some people have a more positive self-image than others. Researchers love playing around with brain scanners and scientists at the University of Texas studied 20 people as they were asked about how they compared to their peers in tact, modesty, likeability...

Published Fri, Jan 08 2010 6:49 AM by Mental Health Update

U.K. M.P.s call for alcohol clampdown

The U.K. Parliament's Health Select Committee - which has an advisory but not executive role - has called for a steep rise in alcohol prices to tackle the country's drink problem. The report claims that a minimum price of 50p a unit would save...

Published Fri, Jan 08 2010 5:59 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alcohol Problems

Milkshakes for memories

A milkshake to improve people's memories could be on the shelves within two years. The milkshake - produced by French company Danone who also make Shape and Actimel yogurts - was found to improve the memories of people with the early stages of the...

Published Fri, Jan 08 2010 5:41 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease

Comments on the Mental Health Update blog

I am changing the settings on my blog so that I can approve comments before they are added. This is to stop a number of people posting links to Viagra, car insurance, mobile phones and hot chicks etc. I am still very happy to receive comments about the...

Published Fri, Jan 08 2010 1:33 AM by Mental Health Update

Why We Stay In Emotionally Destructive Relationships - Guest Post by Susan White

When we think addiction, we associate the term with alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. But there is another thing that that most of us are addicted to – relationships. Think about it – you’ve fallen in love and you cannot do without your significant other;...

Published Fri, Jan 08 2010 1:26 AM by Mental Health Update

Thrill-seeking, disruptive behaviour and cannabis use

High-intensity pleasure seeking refers to a tendency in teenagers to look for physical and social thrills. Broadly speaking it's what makes some kids go for raves and snowboarding while others go for hanging around in shopping centres and watching...

Published Thu, Jan 07 2010 7:01 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Cannabis

Older people and drink problems

Alcohol misuse by older adults is associated with poorer mental health, an increased risk of suicide and a greater chance of falls as well as an overall increase in the death rate of heavy drinkers. Researchers from Washington University in St Louis,...

Published Thu, Jan 07 2010 6:36 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alcohol Problems, Older People

Psychopathic children and antisocial adults

A number of studies have linked psychopathy with antisocial behaviour but there has been little research as to whether psychopathic tendencies in childhood and adolescence lead on to antisocial behaviour in adulthood. There has also been little research...

Published Thu, Jan 07 2010 5:50 AM by Mental Health Update

Mini people with mini bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder in children is a controversial topic. It has traditionally been thought to be very rare but the rate of diagnosis has increased dramatically over the last decade. There is a lot of heated debate as to whether this increase reflects past...

Published Tue, Jan 05 2010 8:43 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Bipolar Disorder

Burnout, nursing and trauma

Burnout syndrome is characterized by feeling overwhelmed by work, having impersonal feelings towards those one is providing services or care to, negative self-evaluation and a perception of reduced achievement. Burnout syndrome and post-traumatic stress...

Published Tue, Jan 05 2010 8:18 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: PTSD, Stress

What works for PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by symptoms such as repeated, intrusive upsetting memories of the trauma; avoidance of similar situations and things which might remind one of them; a feeling of detachment from others; hypervigilance...

Published Tue, Jan 05 2010 7:51 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: PTSD

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a teenager much less miserable

Teenagers who go to bed early are more cheerful than ones who stay up late. Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center in New York studied data from 15,659 adolescents gleaned from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health which took...

Published Mon, Jan 04 2010 3:51 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Child Psychology, Sleep Disorders

Medics grappling with graphs

Graphs at the foot of patients' beds are a staple of cartoons, TV programmes and films but it might be more helpful if they were replaced with writing. Researchers at Edinburgh University presented 35 nurses and doctors from the neonatal intensive...

Published Mon, Jan 04 2010 2:52 AM by Mental Health Update

Unemployment hits mental health of U.K. youngsters

Unemployment is having a damaging effect on the mental health of young people. A poll carried out by YouGov for the U.K. charity the Prince's Trust found that among the 2,000 strong sample of 16-25 year-olds surveyed one in ten of those who had been...

Published Mon, Jan 04 2010 2:29 AM by Mental Health Update