News and Features Related to Mental Health

1. Depression: Asking Loved Ones for Help
   

   When Scott Davis, 38, was suffering from major depression, he confided in his sister-law. “One day I found myself talking to her about all my fears about the depression, and the medication and therapy I was beginning. I was overcome with anxiety about my future, and she said, ‘I’ve been there.’ Thos

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2. Genetic Pattern for Schizophrenia Found
   

   July 1, 2009 -- A vast number of common gene variants come together in a perfect storm to increase risk of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, new studies reveal. Because schizophrenia tends to run in families, researchers have long sought a "schizophrenia gene." But scientists now realize that most

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3. Study: Alcohol Tied to Nearly 1 in 25 Deaths
   

   June 25, 2009 -- Approximately 4% of global deaths may be linked to alcohol, according to a new study. The study, published in The Lancet, estimates the percentage of alcohol-related deaths based on accidents, alcohol abuse, and various health conditions -- including certain cancers, high blood pres

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4. Schizophrenia Linked to Early Death
   

   June 22, 2009 -- The mortality rate among schizophrenics is four times higher than in the general population, with suicide being the No. 1 cause of death, followed by cancer, according to a new study. Deaths from cancer among women with schizophrenia were twice that of the general population, based

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5. Depression Gene? Maybe Not
   

   June 16, 2009 -- New research dismisses the widely held notion that a "depression gene" makes a person facing stressful life events more likely to develop depression. In 2003, mental health researchers announced that a genetic variation that affected the body's serotonin levels increased a person's

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6. ADHD Drugs: Sudden Death Risk Higher?
   

   June 15, 2009 -- A new study suggests that children and teens who take stimulants like Ritalin for ADHD have an increased risk for sudden cardiac death, but the FDA says the study has major limitations and should not change the way the drugs are used. There have long been concerns that the stimulant

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7. Stress and Depression
   

   Stress is good for you.  It keeps you alert, motivated and primed to respond to danger.  As anyone who has faced a work deadline or competed in a sport knows, stress mobilizes the body to respond, improving performance. Yet too much stress, or chronic stress may lead to major depression in susceptib

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8. Parental Depression Affects 15 Million Kids
   

   June 10, 2009 -- Parental depression can take a serious toll on children, and the whole family should be involved in depression care, according to a new report. That report, issued today by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, estimates that in any given year, 7.5 million U.S

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9. Why Am I So Angry?
   

   America is in the midst of an anger epidemic. From traffic jams to computer glitches to friends who don’t show up when they say they will, there’s never been a shortage of things to get mad about. And now, fallout from the economic crisis -- lost jobs, shrunken nest eggs, etc. -- seems to be amplify

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10. After Baby is Born: Postpartum Depression and Relationships
    

    When Tina Merritt gave birth to her son Graham six years ago, she expected what all new mothers expect: a joyous experience getting to know her baby. Instead, she found that she was terrified of her own child. “I came home and I cried for hours straight. I was afraid that somebody would leave me alo

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