Chronic Migraine Linked to Teen Suicide Risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenagers who suffer from near-daily migraines may have a higher-than-average risk of depression, anxiety and suicide, research hints. The reasons for the connection are not fully understood, said the study's lead author, Dr. Shuu-Jiun Wang, of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan...  Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

Monthly Therapy Keeps Depression at Bay for Some

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who recover from depression with the help of psychotherapy alone can stay well for as long as two years with monthly "maintenance" therapy, a new study shows. "Once people are well, that's probably all they need to keep well," Dr. Ellen Frank of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health. "It may even be that even less than once a month would work, but we don't know that from this study."... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article 

Schizophrenia and Depression Symptoms in Mice Caused by Gene Malfunctions

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that malfunction of a gene that had been associated with schizophrenia and depression does indeed cause symptoms of those disorders. They said their findings in mice offer a possible animal model for developing treatments for schizophrenia and depression. Also, they said their findings support the theory that the two disorders share common genetic mechanisms... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

Walkable Neighborhood Tied to Depression Risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Living in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood may help shield older men from depression, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among 740 older adults living in the Seattle area, men who lived in more walkable neighborhoods tended to show fewer depression symptoms than men from less walker-friendly areas... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

One Fifth of Chinese City Suffering Mental Health Problems

BEIJING (AFP) - The stress of modern life has caused one in five adults in south China's Shenzhen city to suffer from mental health problems, state media reported Monday, citing a government-sponsored survey. The survey found that 21 percent of the respondents had experienced psychological difficulties at some stage in their lives and 17 percent currently had mental problems, the China Daily said... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

Good Daycare Boosts Poor Kids' Later Mental Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young adults who grow up in poor, unstable homes face an increased risk of depression, but high-quality daycare during their early years can counteract the effects of a disadvantaged environment, a new study shows. "These early experiences can have really long-lasting effects," Dr. Elizabeth P. Pungello of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health. "We need to be using our limited resources to make those early experiences the highest quality that they can be."... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

Treating the Mind Eases Irritable Bowel

Hypnotherapy, antidepressants and other mind-centered treatments could help people battling severe irritable bowel syndrome, a British survey of the literature finds. Such treatments are effective because "people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) don't necessarily have a clinical disorder in terms of psychology but have certain behavior patterns that make them vulnerable to symptoms," explained Bu'Hussain Hayee, a clinical research fellow at University College Hospital in London... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

China to Screen Army Recruits for Mental Problems

BEIJING (AFP) - China's military will introduce psychological testing for career recruits this June in a bid to reduce mental health problems in its defence forces, state press said Tuesday. A testing centre has been set up in the northwestern province of Shaanxi to oversee the programme, the China Daily said... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

Autism's Rise May Reflect Broader Definition, Better Diagnosis

How widespread is autism? And is the condition, which centers on characteristics such as the inability to form personal relationships, being properly diagnosed? New York City-based YAI-National Institute for People With Disabilities (YAI-NIPD) is a not-for-profit organization that not only assists families who have members with a variety of developmental disabilities, but also holds a series of conferences that highlight the latest research into specific conditions... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article

Concussions Tied to Depression in Ex-N.F.L. Players

The rate of diagnosed clinical depression among retired National Football League players is strongly correlated with the number of concussions they sustained, according to a study to be published today. The study was conducted by the University of North Carolina’s Center for the Study of Retired Athletes and based on a general health survey of 2,552 retired N.F.L. players. It corroborates other findings regarding brain trauma and later-life depression in other subsets of the general population, but runs counter to longtime assertions by the N.F.L. that concussions in football have no long-term effects... Read More   |   Discuss   |   Suggest An Article