August 2010 - Mental Health Update

More evidence for meditation benefits

Researchers at the University of Oregon have added further evidence about the beneficial effects of meditation. The researchers had previously shown that meditation can reduce levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue. In their latest study they...

Published Tue, Aug 17 2010 3:41 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Neuroscience, Meditation

Trust and truthfulness. Why thinking the best of people helps you to spot the worst

People who are more trusting are actually better at spotting liars than those who are more cynical. Researchers from the University of Toronto showed people job interviews of 2nd year M.B.A. students. Some of them were telling the truth while others were...

Published Mon, Aug 16 2010 7:04 AM by Mental Health Update

Children and parents' mental health - not just a one-way process

Most psychological research concentrates on parents' effects on their children but of course things can work the other way around too. New research from Purdue University in Indiana has backed up the old adage that parents never stop worrying about...

Published Mon, Aug 16 2010 6:34 AM by Mental Health Update

Only children just as popular

Some people think that only children lack social skills because they grow up without practice at getting on with their siblings. Researchers from Ohio State University have been looking into this theory in a study of 13,000 11-18 year-olds and have found...

Published Mon, Aug 16 2010 3:56 AM by Mental Health Update

Helpline calls show toll of parents' drinking

Calls to the U.K.'s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's (NSPCC) Childline helpline paint a worrying picture of the way in which parents' drink and drug problems affect their children. In the year up to March 5,700...

Published Mon, Aug 16 2010 3:40 AM by Mental Health Update

Students in counselling more distressed but less suicidal

College students going for counselling are more depressed and lonely than they were ten years ago but less likely to think of killing themselves. Researchers from Hofstra University in New York State looked at the records of 3,256 college students who...

Published Fri, Aug 13 2010 2:19 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Depression - in adolescence, Anxiety

Good fathers and happy sons

Most psychological research into parenting concentrates on the role of mothers but having a good relationship with one's father can also help people to cope better in later life. Researchers from California State University, Fullerton studied 912...

Published Fri, Aug 13 2010 1:55 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Parenting

Can't sleep? Blame your spindles

Some people seem to be able to sleep through an earthquake while others wake up when someone treads on a squeaky floorboard. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have been looking into this phenomenon and measuring people's brain waves to...

Published Tue, Aug 10 2010 3:53 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Neuroscience, Sleep Disorders

Drug company pays out in diabetes cases

Anglo-Swedish drug company AstraZeneca is to pay out £125m to people who developed diabetes after taking its schizophrenia and bipolar drug Seroquel. Seroquel had worldwide sales of $4.9bn last year, representing 15% of AstraZeneca's total revenue...

Published Tue, Aug 10 2010 3:23 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Schizophrenia, Diabetes, Bipolar Disorder

What drives doctors to drink?

Researchers from the University of Sydney have been looking into the factors that lead doctors to develop a mental-health and/or drink problem. They studied 2,999 doctors and found that factors associated with developing a mental-health problem were:...

Published Mon, Aug 09 2010 6:14 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Alcohol Problems

Young adults pay price for mental illness

People who have mental-health problems in early adulthood are likely to be much less well-off when they get to 30. Researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand studied 950 people born in Christchurch. At the ages of 21 and 25 the participants...

Published Mon, Aug 09 2010 5:53 AM by Mental Health Update

New programme helps fostered children

Children who have been placed in foster care after being abused are at a much higher risk of developing mental-health problems and it has been estimated that as many as 57% of them might have a psychological problem such as depression, post-traumatic...

Published Mon, Aug 09 2010 4:03 AM by Mental Health Update

No evidence for SSRIs and autism

Serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) anti-depressants are often prescribed for people with autism as it is thought that improving the amount of serotonin in the brain might improve some of the psychological problems associated with the condition...

Published Mon, Aug 09 2010 2:08 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Autism, SSRIs - side effects

Brothers and sisters boost mental health

Children between the ages of 10 and 14 could be protected from depression if they have a sister. Researchers from Brigham Young University in Utah studied 395 families with more than one child, at least one of whom was an adolescent between the ages of...

Published Fri, Aug 06 2010 5:54 AM by Mental Health Update

Smokers' brains show subtle changes

Researchers from Yale University have been studying the brains of people trying to give up smoking. The participants in the study were using cognitive therapy to try and give up, a treatment which stresses the long-term benefits of not smoking. The participants...

Published Fri, Aug 06 2010 5:33 AM by Mental Health Update

Filed under: Neuroscience, Smoking