Study finds preconception stress may affect health of women undergoing fertility treatment

Stress during pregnancy is known to influence health outcomes, but a new study from Mass General Brigham researchers suggests that stress levels before pregnancy are also important to evaluate. Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed the link between self-reported stress immediately before conception among women seeking fertility care and blood glucose levels, a marker of heart health. […]

Aston University research finds peer support vital for those taking medication for severe mental illness

Researchers at Aston Pharmacy School have found that people with severe mental illness could benefit from peer support to help them manage their medication and improve their health and quality of life. The study, which was set up to review the complexities of medication in severe mental illness and identify possible solutions, found that without additional support, the risk is […]

Landmark menopause toolkit updated to improve assessment and treatment

Care for women with menopausal health issues should improve globally following the release of an updated Monash University-led toolkit that guides health professionals around the world in assessing and treating them. Endorsed by the International, Australasian and British Menopause Societies, the Endocrine Society of Australia and Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, the 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing the Menopause is […]

Number of dementia cases could be 42% higher than previously estimated by 2040

Up to 1.7 million people could be living with dementia in England and Wales by 2040 – over 40% more than previously forecast – finds a new UCL-led study. Previous studies, based on data up to 2010, showed that dementia incidence had declined in high-income countries. However, the new research, published in The Lancet Public Health, indicates that dementia incidence started […]

Simple blood test can help diagnose bipolar disorder

Researchers have developed a new way of improving diagnosis of bipolar disorder that uses a simple blood test to identify biomarkers associated with the condition. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, used a combination of an online psychiatric assessment and a blood test to diagnose patients with bipolar disorder, many of whom had been misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder. […]

Better regulation of mental health ‘therapies’ urgently needed to protect the vulnerable

A rise in psychological pseudoscience is putting people at risk, psychologists have warned, with social media and celebrity endorsements partly to blame. Mental health apps, mood-boosting supplements and energy therapies are among the therapies that could do ‘more harm than good’ according to psychologists Jonathan Stea and Stephen Hupp in their new book Investigating Clinical Psychology. “As discourse around wellness, mental […]

How did the initial COVID-19 wave affect mental health in the UK?

New research published in Economic Inquiry reports substantial increases in psychological distress in the UK during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health effects were more pronounced for females; younger individuals; Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities; and migrants. Also, people who had financial worries, loneliness, or were living in overcrowded dwellings experienced significantly worse mental health deterioration during the […]

Esketamine shows higher efficacy than quetiapine in treatment-resistant depression

Researchers report that patients treated for treatment-resistant depression with esketamine NS (nasal spray), a form of ketamine, achieve better and more durable outcomes than similar patients treated with quetiapine. The findings were published on October 5 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented the same week at the annual meeting of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. “This is […]

Practicing mindfulness with an app may improve children’s mental health

Many studies have found that practicing mindfulness — defined as cultivating an open-minded attention to the present moment — has benefits for children. Children who receive mindfulness training at school have demonstrated improvements in attention and behavior, as well as greater mental health. When the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, sending millions of students home from school, a group of […]