Columbia University, considered one of the leading research centers for positron emission tomography (PET) used in psychiatric research, has been forced to shut down its brain imaging center after the Food and Drug Administration found the center had violated several regulations for the past few years. The center also reassigned the top managers working in…
Anxiety sufferers face a significantly increased risk of heart disease and are more likely to die from a heart attack. A meta-study conducted by Dr. Annelieke Roest of the Tilburg University in the Netherlands, compiled data from 20 studies and 250,000 people followed over an average of 11 years. The results were conclusive: those people…
Antidepressants usage is on the rise, with more than half the U.S. population taking some form of antidepressant to treat either depression or anxiety. The country’s over reliance on pills comes at a price – not only are several antidepressants very expensive and not covered by insurance but certain types of antidepressants have side effects…
Bipolar disorder is often mistakenly diagnosed as depression, and the error occurs in nearly half of all sufferers. There are specific behaviors associated with bipolar disorder that may help the medical community make a more accurate diagnosis, according to a study out last month from the University of Texas Health Science Center. The University of…
Ecstasy, the recreational rave drug, has been criticized as a drug leading to death and lauded as a drug that give life to survivors of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Recently, The LA Times published an article on Ecstasy use that has led to teen deaths in LA’s rave scene. This report was followed six days…
Certain stress hormones appear to have a stronger effect on women than men, so that the same low levels of stress are more likely to induce depression in women than in men. This finding represents the first evidence that there may be a biological basis for the higher rates at which women are diagnosed with…
Teens that are happy are mentally healthier, according to a study conducted by Emily Shaffer-Hudkins of the University of South Florida, but that sense of well-being may also impact their physical health. The study offers unique insight into the relationship between mental health and physical health, offering the opportunity for physicians and mental health counselors…
Depression is common among those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and the reason may be directly related to the way MS acts on the brain. MS sufferers are 50 percent more likely to suffer ongoing depression throughout their lives, and it’s possible that brain atrophy is the cause of the increasing feelings of despair during…
Cancer patients undergo extensive treatment to deal with the physical aspects of their disease, including chemotherapy, radiation, and invasive surgery. However, one of the most overlooked symptoms cancer patients suffer – depression – often gets ignored and is rarely treated. A new study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that telephone…
College freshmen who set goals for helping others (like their roommates) are less likely to feel symptoms of anxiety or stress during the freshmen year. Those whose goals are focused on themselves, particularly regarding self-image, are more likely to experience these negative feelings. Researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley,…