Depression as Deadly as Smoking, New Study Finds Mood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 18, 2009A study has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking, according to researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London. Utilizing a unique link between a survey of more than 60,000 people and a comprehensive mortality database, the researchers…
Eating Licorice While Pregnant May Affect Child’s IQ and Behavior News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 17, 2009A study has shown that expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of licorice during pregnancy could adversely affect their child’s intelligence and behavior. The study of eight-year-old children whose mothers ate large amounts of licorice when pregnant found that they did not perform as well as other youngsters on cognitive tests.
How Sex Addiction Impacts Partners AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 16, 2009When one partner in a marriage or relationship is a sexual addict, both partners suffer as a result. The extent to which each partner is impacted by the sexual compulsivity or addiction varies, depending on the type of addiction, how long it has been present, whether it has progressed to more blatant and potentially serious…
Drunken Fruit Flies Provide Insight into Alcohol Tolerance AlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 15, 2009Fruit flies are more than just the pesky bugs that appear in later summer and seem to want to swarm your kitchen. Now, researchers at North Carolina State and Boston universities are using these pests to identify entire networks of genes – which are also present in humans – that play a vital role in…
Federal Stimulus Grant to Study Anti-Nicotine Vaccine AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 14, 2009An American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant of 10-million dollars funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse was awarded to Nabi Biopharmaceuticals for the first pivotal phase II trial of NicVAX, a vaccine that may help people quit smoking and prevent relapse. NicVAX was given fast-track designation by the United States Food and Drug…
Researchers Identify Violent Behavior Cues News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 13, 2009The effective prediction of violent behavior can prevent future situations that can involve illegal acts or even death. Violent behavior can be the result of childhood conditions, alcohol intake and personality disorders. New research from the University of Helsinki and the Helsinki University Central Hospital Psychiatry Centre show that diagnosing severe personality disorders, evaluating the…
Study Identifies Clear Link between Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk AlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 12, 2009For years, researchers have been investigating the link between alcohol and cancer. Scientists have assumed that alcohol consumption increases the risk of several types of cancer. That assumption has now been confirmed with new research. Private MD Labs recently posted a piece that examines a study which is set to be published in January. This…
Easing Nightmares Can Help Treat Depression and Other Maladies Mood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 12, 2009Some psychology experts say that treating disturbing nightmares directly can help relieve symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, and other mental health problems. Kim Painter of USA Today writes that when Yael Levy went to the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center two years ago for help with her insomnia, she found that…
Studies Examine Genetic Roots in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 11, 2009Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be debilitating for the individual suffering, as well as family and friends. Medications can deliver some relief, but the most effective treatments will be developed as a result of intense research into the makeup of such psychological impairments. Three genome-wide studies have identified an array of genetic variation that could…
New Magnetic Stimulation Offers Noninvasive Treatment for Major Depression Mood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 11, 2009Rush University Medical Center has opened the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Clinic to offer patients a safe, effective, non-drug treatment for major depression. TMS therapy is the first FDA-approved, non-invasive antidepressant device-based treatment clinically proven for treatment of depression. Science Daily reports that psychiatrists at Rush University Medical Center were among the first to test…