Study finds LA County pilot program to aid gravely disabled residents could improve housing, hospitalization rates

A UCLA Health-led evaluation of Los Angeles County’s pilot program aimed at bolstering aid to gravely disabled homeless residents found the initiative could offer a promising framework to improve housing and health outcomes for this vulnerable population while also relieving overburdened psychiatric hospitals.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Cedars-Sinai Experts Available to Discuss Safety, Benefits of Using Medications to Lose Weight

The science is unclear on exactly why an increasingly popular new class of federally approved diabetes and obesity medications work, but they do know that they are effective at helping people lose weight.

Gut microbes may lead to therapies for mental illness, UTSW researcher reports

The role of the microbiome in intestinal and systemic health has garnered close attention among researchers for many years. Now evidence is mounting that this collection of microorganisms in the human gut can also impact a person’s neurological and emotional health, according to a recent perspective article in Science by a UT Southwestern researcher.

Increased overdose and mental health risks persist two years after opioid dose reduction

A new UC Davis Health study suggests that the increased rates of overdose and mental health crisis observed during the first year after opioid dose tapering persist through the second year. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Fear, social context (not mental illness) fuel violent extremist views

Christine Reyna is director of the Social and Intergroup Perception Lab at DePaul University, where researchers examine how individuals and groups legitimize and leverage prejudice and discrimination to maintain status, cultural values and systems that benefit one’s own groups — often at the expense of others.

ASU health economist studies effects of mental illness disclosure in the workplace

A person with a serious mental illness must confront the difficult decision of whether to reveal their disorder in their workplace. Disclosing their diagnosis might create stigma, but it could also mean additional support. Adding to the delicate balancing act…

Financial strain predicts future risk of homelessness and partly explains the effect of mental illness

Financial strains like debt or unemployment are significant risk factors for becoming homeless, and even help to explain increased risk of homelessness associated with severe mental illness, reports a study in a supplement to the April issue of Medical Care. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Staying Ahead of the Curve: How Experts at Rutgers Are Addressing the Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health and Risk for Suicide

A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed the incidence of people seriously considering suicide in the prior 30 days almost doubled over the previous year. For essential workers, that figure jumps to 21.7 percent.

Anticipating the more significant impact on clinicians’ mental health, the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has been coordinating several initiatives designed to address mental and behavioral issues that could increase suicide risk.

Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.

What are the links between violence and mental illness? Update from Harvard Review of Psychiatry

When there is news of a violent attack, we sometimes hear that it could be related to mental illness – which may make us ask whether the violence could have been predicted or prevented. Current research and perspectives on associations between violence and mental illness are presented in the special January/February issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

McLean Psychiatrists Available to Discuss Trump’s COVID/Mental Health Connection

Media AdvisoryTrump’s COVID/Mental Health Connection WHAT:  With today’s news about President Trump’s positive COVID test, more research to explore what we know about how older adults manage following a COVID diagnosis is crucial.  A team from McLean geriatric department have…

With Digital Phenotyping, Smartphones May Play a Role in Assessing Severe Mental Illness

Digital phenotyping approaches that collect and analyze Smartphone-user data on locations, activities, and even feelings – combined with machine learning to recognize patterns and make predictions from the data – have emerged as promising tools for monitoring patients with psychosis spectrum illnesses, according to a report in the September/October issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Mental Health Units in Correctional Facilities: Scarce Data but Promising Outcomes

Specialized mental health units (MHUs) may be critical to managing the high rates of serious mental illness in incarcerated populations. But research data on unit characteristics, services provided, and outcomes achieved by MHUs in correctional facilities are scarce, according to a report in the July/August issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Unexpected Mental Illnesses Found in a Spectrum of a Rare Genetic Disorder

UC Davis MIND Institute researchers found an unexpected spectrum of mental illnesses in patients with a rare gene mutation. These patients had a “double hit” condition that combined features and symptoms of fragile X syndrome and premutation disorder, in addition to a range of psychiatric symptoms. The findings revealed the need for clinicians to consider the complexities of the co-existing conditions of patients with both psychological and fragile X associated disorders.

Vets Walking Pets: Strolls with Shelter Dogs May Reduce PTSD Symptoms in Military Veterans

About 6 to 8 million dogs end up in shelters in the U.S. each year. Researchers worked with two no-kill shelters on a study examining the effects of walking with a shelter dog on psychological and physiological stress indicators in military veterans. Results confirm the importance of the human-animal bond and provide evidence that walking with a shelter dog may affect psychological and physiological stress indicators in veterans – with particular potential benefits for those with an increase in PTSD symptom severity.

Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every Tuesday throughout the duration of the outbreak.

Roth Leads $26.9 Million Project to Create Better Psychiatric Medications

Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a team of internationally acclaimed researchers led by UNC School of Medicine’s Bryan L. Roth, MD, PhD, aims to create new medications to effectively and rapidly treat depression, anxiety, and substance abuse without major side effects.

Skills Training Opens ‘DOORS’ to Digital Mental Health for Patients with Serious Mental Illness

Digital technologies, especially smartphone apps, have great promise for increasing access to care for patients with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia. A new training program, called DOORS, can help patients get the full benefit of innovative digital mental health tools, reports a study in the March issue of Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Lack of Motivation the Most Central Domain for Successful Treatment of Schizophrenia Symptoms

A recent conceptual development in schizophrenia is to view its manifestations as interactive networks rather than individual symptoms. Negative symptoms, which are associated with poor functional outcome and reduced rates of recovery, represent a critical need in schizophrenia therapeutics. MIN101…

University of Utah researchers publish article posing powerful moral conflict between physician aid-in-dying and suicide prevention

Researchers at the University of Utah have published an article in the October edition of the American Journal of Bioethics posing the powerful moral conflict between physician aid-in-dying and suicide prevention. In the article, Brent Kious, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Margaret Battin, distinguished professor of philosophy, ask the question, if the practice of PAD for terminal illness is permissible, then should it be justifiable for those who suffer from psychiatric illness, since the suffering can be equally severe?

Mental Illness Does Not Cause Racism, Society’s Ills

Paul Carrola, Ph.D., an assistant professor in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Department of Educational Psychology and Special Services, comments on the recent El Paso, Texas shooting He is a licensed professional counselor, national certified counselor and certified clinical mental health counselor. He coordinates UTEP’s Mental Health Counseling Program. His research interests include correctional counseling, counselor burnout and secondary trauma, and border related mental health issues.