Amsterdam's 'Psychiatric Ambulance' Could Be Advance For Those in Mental Health Crisis

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• May 31, 2024
• Full Page

Ambulances meant for people having a mental health crisis could help folks get the care they need with less confrontation and friction, a new...

Physical Ills Often Plague People With Schizophrenia, Bipolar

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• April 23, 2024
• Full Page

Severe mental illness can contribute to a decline in a person's physical health, with many chronic conditions slowly eroding their wellness, a new review finds.

People with schiz...

Most Homeless Americans Are Battling Mental Illness

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• April 17, 2024
• Full Page

Two-thirds of homeless people are experiencing some form of mental health disorder, a large, new review of data on the subject.

The analysis found that men who are homeless are more likely to be battling mental illness than women, although rates were high for both gender...

Teens with Anxiety, Mood Disorders Less Likely to Get Driver's License

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• April 10, 2024
• Full Page

Teenagers suffering from anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder are likely to have a tougher time getting their driver's license, a new study finds.

Teens and young adult...

Many Can't Access Mental Health Services that Save Money, Keep People Out of Jail

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• March 6, 2024
• Full Page

When it comes to giving at-risk Americans access to the mental health services they need, prevention is far better than detention, new research confirms.

However, a majority of the 950 U.S. counties surveyed in the report do not offer access to the types of ment...

Metformin May Help Young Patients With Bipolar Disorder Avoid Weight Gain

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 31, 2023
• Full Page

Taking the drug metformin -- typically used for type 2 diabetes -- can help counter weight gain in young people who are taking medication for bipolar disorder, according to a new trial.

While second-generation antipsychotic medications (SGAs) that treat bipolar disorder ...

Blood Test Could Speed Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 25, 2023
• Full Page

Researchers say they have developed a simple blood test that can spot biomarkers associated with bipolar disorder, potentially easing diagnosis.

For the study, British researchers used both an online psychiatric assessment and a blood test to diagnose the condition. Many...

Extended Use of Antidepressants May Help People With Bipolar Depression

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• August 10, 2023
• Full Page

Modern antidepressants could be effective for long-term treatment of some patients with bipolar disorder, a new trial suggests.

Current guidelines discourage use of antidepressants in these patients, over concerns that the drugs will trigger a manic episode.

But bi...

Bipolar Disorder Ups Early Death Risk by Sixfold

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 19, 2023
• Full Page

People who have bipolar disorder may have a higher risk of dying early, according to new research.

Finnish investigators say this is due to a combination of external causes -- such as suicide, accidents and violence -- and physical health issues, with alcohol a big contr...

Pets Don't Help Those With Severe Mental Illness Fare Better

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 17, 2023
• Full Page

It's commonly thought that having a companion animal -- be it a dog, cat or bird -- is good for the owner's mental health.

A new study suggests that's not so, at least for people with severe mental illness and for pets that aren't trained therapy animals. Pets may, howev...

Fewer Kids Are Being Prescribed Antipsychotic Meds

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 7, 2023
• Full Page

The use of antipsychotic medication in children is continuing to plummet, likely because of better policies and education, new research shows.

The study found a 43% drop in antipsychotic prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children in 45 states, a stark contrast from the...

Heavy Marijuana Use Might Raise Risk of Bipolar Disorder, Depression

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• May 26, 2023
• Full Page

Heavy users of marijuana might face an increased risk of bipolar disorder and depression, a new study suggests.

The analysis of more than 6.6 million Danish individuals found that having cannabis use disorder doubled or even tripled the odds for most forms of depression ...

'Complex' Genetic Links Between Marijuana Use, Psychiatric Ills

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• May 23, 2023
• Full Page

A subset of people may be at high risk for both psychiatric disorders and for using marijuana, based on their genetics, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Oslo in Norway have found that some of the genetic variants associated with cannabis use ...

Bipolar Disorder: What It Is, Symptoms & Treatments

• Kirstie Ganobsik HealthDay Reporter
• May 16, 2023
• Full Page

More than 10 million people in the United States are living with bipolar disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illn...

Rate of Kids Hospitalized in Mental Health Crisis Keeps Rising

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• March 28, 2023
• Full Page

Children with mental health problems are flooding America's hospitals.

A new study of 4.8 million pediatric hospitalizations between 2009 and 2019 found that the number of acute care hospitalizations for kids with mental health problems increased significantly. In 2019, ...

AHA News: Irregular Sleep Schedule Linked to High Blood Pressure

• American Heart Association News
• March 28, 2023
• Full Page

People with irregular sleep patterns may face substantially higher odds of high blood pressure than those who stick to a schedule, even when they get the recommended amount of sleep each night, new research suggests.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Hypertensi...

Smoking Plus Mental Illness Can Send Caffeine Intake Soaring

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• March 2, 2023
• Full Page

One group of Americans drinks more caffeinated beverages than all others.

That's people who smoke cigarettes and also have serious mental illness, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to new research.

While Americans overall are drinking more c...

Long Stays Common for Kids Who Visit ERs in Mental Health Crisis

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• December 28, 2022
• Full Page

It's a scenario no parent would ever want to witness: Their child suffers a mental health crisis and is taken to the emergency room, only to have to wait 12 hours or more for the right medical care.

Sadly, it is what 1 in 5 of these young patients now face, new research...

Too Few Young People Get Mental Health Follow-Up After ER Visit

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 17, 2022
• Full Page

When teens and young adults go to the emergency room or are hospitalized for critical mental health issues a staggering number are not receiving quick follow-up care, new U.S. research finds.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts looked at more than 100,00...

Too Few Psychiatric Beds: Psychiatrists' Group Takes Aim at Ongoing Crisis

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• August 17, 2022
• Full Page

Amid a stark shortage of psychiatric beds that only worsened for millions suffering from mental illnesses during the pandemic, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is rolling out a new model that can help communities determine exactly how many beds they need.

Havin...

Could a Common Diabetes Drug Ease Bipolar Disorder?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 27, 2022
• Full Page

A half-century-old diabetes drug appears to help treat bipolar disorder by reversing patients' insulin resistance, according to a small-scale clinical trial.

Bipolar patients who responded to the drug