According to an AP story in the Leader-Telegram Online today,

Pregnant women and those who plan to become pregnant should avoid taking the antidepressant Paxil if possible because of the risk of birth defects, a group of obstetricians said Thursday.
The opinion issued by the obstetric practice committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists comes […]

About three years ago I had a coworker who had gone in for gastric bypass. After her surgery she lost a ton of weight. Well okay maybe not quite a ton, but she did lose over 200 pounds in one year. She used to tell me “I actually miss being able to eat […]

Scientists in Australia have announced a research network to look for new solutions in treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.
The Australian Psychosis Research Network (APRN) will include more than 80 leading researchers from many Australian institutions, including The Black Dog Institute at the University of NSW school of psychiatry.
The chair of Hospital and Community Psychiatry […]

Our friends over at the New Haven Advocate pointed out an interesting finding when a local social work master’s student at Souther Connecticut State University went on a “get out the vote” effort in 2004 targeted at people with mental illness to vote. He found people with psychosis were more likely to vote for Bush.

Lohse […]

In a story that makes me cringe for all the wrong reasons, we reported earlier today about a new study that shows how playing violent video games has an effect on certain areas in the brain:

Compared with the group that played the nonviolent game, the group that played the violent video game demonstrated less activation […]

There is a pretty good body of literature linking expose to violent music, video games, movies, and TV shows to increase in aggression related thoughts, affect, and arousal. A new study covered by Reuters used brain imaging technology to study these effects from a new angle. Results showed that regions of the brain related to […]

I have written a handful of posts on here about alternative treatments for depression. One large category of these are supplements and herbal treatments. In general, very little experimental research has supported vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and a nutritious diet to help with depression. However, a study reported on by CNN has different results.
A number […]

New research discussed on the Reuters newswire found that experiencing symptoms of depression at an early age was predictive of drinking alcohol at an early age. The study followed a sample of 1119 Puerto Rican kids aged 10-13, and collected data by interviewing the kids and their parents several times over a 4-year period.
Rates of […]

Unlike most other animals on the planet, the amount of food that human beings consume is dependant on factors other than actual hunger. Most Americans today ate more calories in one meal than they will for entire days in other months. Researchers have been trying to understand environmental factors that can influence how much/little we […]

Massive cutbacks to Massachusetts mental health services have taken effect as of Thanksgiving, including the elimination of 170 mental health care positions, restrictions placed on access to residential programs, and refusal of new admissions to state psychiatric hospitals.
The shocking move by Republican governor Romney to withhold $425 million previously approved by the state Legislature has […]

In my family, Thanksgiving meant partaking in the Bechdel family tradition of piling in the car to go to one of my grandmothers houses. It was about a three hour journey across the often snowy, desolate western NY landscape to the great metropolis of Oil City Pennsylvania. As if this three hour trek […]

Research presented at the recent Canadian Psychiatric Association annual conference suggests strong links between migraine headaches and bipolar I disorder (40% higher than healthy subjects), based on a community survey of 37,000 people. It proposes a subtype of bipolar disorder with migraine, and recommends screening.
Amongst males, 14.9% of those with manic episodes were also […]