Cortisol Levels Could Play Role in Relapse After Alcohol AbstinenceAddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 6, 2010Why is it that some individuals can drink alcohol on a regular basis and never develop an addiction, while others may become addicted rather quickly? Researchers for years have pointed to differences in our genetics and hormone levels as contributing factors to determine whether or not a substance can become a problem.
Obesity Affects Our Health and Costs Us MoneyEating DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 4, 2010Over the past thirty years, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled to almost twenty percent. Almost two-thirds of US adults are now overweight or obese. Experts blame obesity on changes in the American diet, as well as our increasing tendency to shy away from physical exertion. Aside from the obvious aesthetic issues surrounding obesity,…
Father’s Incarceration Impacts Their Child’s Drug UseAddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 4, 2010Researchers have identified an association between the incarceration of a child’s biological father during their childhood and their future drug use as they transition into adolescence and young adulthood.
Scientists Identify Possible Hormonal Cause for BulimiaEating DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 28, 2010Individuals with binge-eating disorder bulimia nervosa often develop the disorder during the years of early adolescence, at a time when self-confidence and self-esteem are sometimes at an all-time low. Intense comparison between peers and with images in the media can create a distorted body image, and often disordered eating behaviors can follow.
Vets with PTSD Have More Physical Ailments, Especially FemalesTrauma & PTSDBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 28, 2010Soldiers returning home from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars who are newly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are affected by their medical conditions more than previously thought, according to a new study.
Depression Greater Among Victims of CyberbullyingMood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 27, 2010A recent study by researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that adolescents who are victims of cyberbullying at school have a higher risk of depression than their aggressors.
HHS Awards Millions to Behavioral Health Care FacilitiesNews and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 26, 2010On Friday, September 24, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $26.2 million in grants to 43 different community behavioral health agencies across the country in an effort to expand and improve the availability of the public’s substance abuse treatment and mental health services.
Study Examines Brain Reaction in DUI Repeat OffendersAddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 24, 2010More than 30 years ago, the public was made aware of a growing crisis on American roads. Too many people were drinking more than their fair share of alcoholic beverages and then getting behind the wheel of a car. In too many situations, the individual did not have the capacity to safely operate the vehicle…
Supervision of Methadone Prescriptions Reduces Number of Related DeathsAddiction RecoveryBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 23, 2010Although the heroin substitute is known to effectively reduce heroin-related deaths among heroin addicts and facilitate better recovery during rehabilitation, use of methadone itself has raised concerns due to its potential for abuse, dependency, and overdose when misused by vulnerable patients. Because trends in heroin abuse and methadone prescribing among the UK population have continued…
Safer Form of Ketamine Could Be Developed to Quickly Treat Severe DepressionMood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 20, 2010Most anti-depressants take weeks or sometimes months to take effect, which can be difficult for those suffering from severe depression or anxiety. Researchers from Yale University have now found that the drug ketamine can take effect within hours. The drug has already been very effective in treating severely depressed patients, and researchers hope this finding…