News and Features Related to Mental Health

1. White House Warns of Pot-Depression Link
   

   May 9, 2008 -- White House officials issued a report Friday citing growing evidence of a connection between marijuana use and depression in teens. The White House reports that 25% of adolescents who have been depressed at some point in the past year have used marijuana, compared with 12% of non-depr

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2. Gamma Knife Snips OCD in Bud
   

   May 8, 2008 (Washington) -- A high-tech procedure that delivers radiation deep within the brain relieved symptoms in half of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who got no help from medication or talk therapy, a small study shows. The procedure uses a gamma knife to target brain circuits tha

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3. Ginseng May Help Treat Schizophrenia
   

   May 8, 2008 (Washington) -- A form of Asian ginseng shows promise for relieving schizophrenia symptoms that are difficult to treat. In a small study, patients had fewer negative symptoms -- such as lack of motivation and a severe reduction in emotional expression known as "flat affect" -- when they

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4. Computers May Play Role in Some School Shootings
   

   May 7, 2008 (Washington) -- Abrupt restrictions on excessive computer use may have contributed to the 1999 Columbine High School shooting rampage, according to a researcher who combed through more than 30,000 pages of records relating to the tragedy. Before the attack, shooters Eric Harris and Dylan

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5. Antipsychotics in Kids May Add Weight
   

   May 7, 2008 (Washington) -- Children who are taking antipsychotic drugs should be regularly monitored for potentially dangerous changes in body fat and lipids (blood fat). So says a researcher who found that kids experienced almost immediate increases in body mass index (BMI) and triglyceride levels

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6. Field Guide to the Loner: The Real Insiders
   

   By Elizabeth Svoboda Loners are pitied in our up-with-people culture. But the introvert reaps secret joy from the solitary life. Miina Matsuoka lives by herself in New York City. She owns two cats and routinely screens her calls. But before you jump to conclusions, note that she is comfortable hobno

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7. Monthly Shot Treats Schizophrenia
   

   May 6, 2008 (Washington) -- A new, once-a-month shot shows promise for the treatment of schizophrenia. The new drug is called paliperidone palmitate. It's an injectable form of the second-generation, or "atypical," antipsychotic medication Invega. A study pitting injectable paliperidone palmitate ag

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8. Withdrawal Symptoms From Smoking Pot?
   

   May 8, 2008 (Washington) -- Heavy pot users who quit cold turkey may find themselves lighting up again to quell withdrawal symptoms, researchers say. In a study of nearly 500 marijuana smokers who tried to kick the habit, about one-third resumed use to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms such as ir

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9. Yoga: The Strongest Stretch
   

   By Paul Tullis After the tsunami ripped through Southeast Asia in 2004 came a tidal wave of psychic devastation. The depression and posttraumatic stress that ravaged many residents of coastal villages from India to Indonesia provided a living laboratory for testing the most powerful cures available.

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10. Adult ADHD Underdiagnosed?
    

    May 6, 2008 (Washington) -- The criteria used to diagnose adult ADHD are outdated, and as a result, many cases could be missed or misdiagnosed, researchers say. The problem, says James J. McGough, MD, is that the criteria are based in large part on diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

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