April 2010 - Mental Health Update

Shedding light on sibling rivalry

Researchers from the University of Missouri have been looking into the thorny issue of sibling rivalry. They carried out a number of interviews of pairs of siblings between 8 and 20. They found that there were two types of conflict between siblings. The...

Published Thu, Apr 08 2010 5:44 AM by Mental Health Update

Lager louts or boozy brainboxes?

Newspaper coverage often concentrates on images of lager louts and uncouth ladettes but there is an increasing amount of evidence that it is actually professional, middle-class people who are most likely to put their health at risk by drinking too much...

Published Thu, Apr 08 2010 6:54 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alcohol Problems

Social networks and heavy drinking

Over the last few years psychologists have become increasingly interested in the idea of social networks and there is evidence that these can influence people's happiness, smoking and exercise habits. Nicholas Christakis from Harvard University led...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 3:51 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alcohol Problems, Social Networks

Family tree research can yield bitter fruit

For most people researching a family tree can be a source of pleasure and fulfilment but a significant minority might get more than they bargained for. Dr Anne-Marie Kramer of the University of Warwick studied 224 people who had done some research into...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 3:33 AM by Mental Health Update

Family history, protein plaques and Alzheimer's disease

Hardly surprisingly getting old is the main risk factor for Alzheimer's disease but the next most significant one is having a family history of the condition. Lisa Mosconi from New York University led a team of researchers using PET (positron emission...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 5:17 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease, Neuroscience

Oxytocin, autism and emotions

Oxytocin is a hormone which plays an important part in labour, delivery and breastfeeding and it also plays a role in promoting trust, love and social recognition. Recently psychologists have become interested in using oxtyocin to treat autism. Dr Adam...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 5:53 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Autism, Oxytocin

Smugness at sixty - self-esteem through the lifespan

People's self-esteem reaches a peak at 60 with the highest levels being enjoyed by well-off married men. Ulrich Orth from the University of Basel studied 3,617 American men and women aged between 25 and 104 between 1986 and 2002. The study found that...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 6:55 AM by Mental Health Update

Smoking and IQ

People who smoke have lower IQs than those who don't. That's according to a study of over 20,000 men carried out by Professor Mark Weiser of Tel Aviv University. The men took IQ tests and were asked about their smoking habits when they were conscripted...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 6:35 AM by Mental Health Update

Not-so-young and want a good night's sleep? Stick to a routine.

Sticking to a set routine could be the key to getting a good night's sleep for older adults. A team of researchers led by Anna Zisberg from the University of Haifa in Israel studied 96 Russian-speaking older adults living in retirement communities...

Published Fri, Apr 09 2010 6:15 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Sleep Disorders

Diet and Alzheimer's disease - more research backs healthy diet

There has already been a lot of research into the links between diet and Alzheimer's disease and a new study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York has added more weight to the evidence linking a healthy diet to a reduced...

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 2:51 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease, Diet and Mental Health

Antibody treatment shows promise for Alzheimer's

As people's Alzheimer's disease progresses their brain shrinks and the fluid-filled ventricles at the centre of the brain increase in volume. Researchers at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center have been using a naturally...

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 2:28 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease

Girls with eating disorders slip through the cracks

People with eating problems who do not meet the criteria for a full-blown eating disorder are often classified as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). This is sometimes seen as less serious but new research from Stanford University School...

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 3:52 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Eating Disorders

Wasting away with Alzheimer's

Researchers from the University of Kansas School of Medicine have been looking into the relationship between body composition (how much of our body is fat and how much is muscle, bones and organs) and Alzheimer's disease. Weight loss often happens...

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 3:24 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alzheimer's Disease

Spanking and aggression

Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans have been looking into the effects of spanking on children. The researchers studied nearly 2,500 children asking their mothers about how often they were spanked and about their behaviour. The children...

Published Wed, Apr 14 2010 6:47 AM by Mental Health Update

Community arts projects help mental health

Community arts projects can increase people's sense of psychological well-being and help reduce levels of anxiety and depression. Dr Asiya Siddiquee from Manchester Metropolitan University studied six projects based in the North-West of England which...

Published Thu, Apr 15 2010 6:23 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Art Therapy