Daily use of the antidepressant medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) by adults 50 years and older is associated with a doubled risk of some fractures – Archives of Internal Medicine, JAMA/Archives journal.
One of the few studies examining methods to help homeless youth found that a comprehensive intervention program can indeed dramatically improve their life situation. The six-month study of homeless youth in Albuquerque found that teens who completed the program significantly reduced their substance abuse and depression and increased their social stability.
Some newer antipsychotic medications approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are being prescribed to millions of Americans for depression, dementia, and other psychiatric disorders without strong evidence that such off-label uses are effective, according to a new analysis by the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
A new CAMH study showedsthat previously married mothers have higher rates of depressive disorders and alcohol abuse compared to married or never-married mothers. This work expands our understanding of the relationship between family structure and psychiatric outcomes, and enhances our understanding of how the pathway to single-motherhood impacts mental health.
After a heart attack, fear, anger and depression are common reactions. According to the January issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource, recovering emotionally from a heart attack is vitally important to your physical health and well-being.
A review of studies on use of narcotics for chronic back pain found that they are commonly prescribed and may help for short-term pain relief but that substance abuse disorders are common, occurring in up to 24 percent of cases. But many of the studies are of poor quality and none evaluated relief of pain lasting 16 weeks or longer.
A psychological technique based on Buddhist philosophy and practice may provide a solution for women who struggle with binge eating and bulimia. The technique known as ‘mindfulness’ is being taught to Queensland women to help them understand and deal with the emotions that trigger their binges.
General adult psychiatrists should diagnose and treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults appropriately with stimulant drugs. So recommends Professor Philip Asherson and other colleagues in an editorial in the January 2007 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) appears more effective than repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for short-term treatment of severe depression. This was the conclusion of a research study by Dr Savitha Eranti and colleagues that has been presented in the January 2007 issue of The American Journal Of Psychiatry (AJP).
Chronic headaches, particularly migraines and those that are disabling, in conjunction with severe somatic symptoms –physical symptoms of a psychological origin rather than a physical source– greatly increase the risk of major depressive disorder in women, according to a report in the medical journal Neurology.