Mental health

Scientists unravel the mysteries of the teenage brain

Psychiatrists at Cambridge University have begun a £5m study of the adolescent brain in which they aim to pinpoint changes in the way it is wired that are responsible for the impulsive and emotional behaviour so familiar to parents of teens.

The project will involve scanning the brains of 300 people aged between 14 and 24 to investigate the way they change as the person matures and whether these changes are what cause teenagers to gradually shed their sometimes antisocial behavioural patterns.

Last published on 15 May 2013

Training Course: Self Harm

Event date:

22 May 2013

Event Location:

YoungMinds, London SE1 1YW

Contact Name: Marcella Verdi

Telephone: 020 7089 5057

Email: marcella.verdi@youngminds.org.uk

Event website link: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/training_calendar

Flu in pregnancy 'may raise bipolar risk for baby'

Flu during pregnancy may increase the risk of the unborn child developing bipolar disorder later in life, research suggests.

A study of 814 expectant women, published in JAMA Psychiatry, showed that infection made bipolar four times more likely.

The overall risk remained low, but it echoes similar findings linking flu and schizophrenia.

Last published on 9 May 2013

Health risk of ‘shock’ babies

A study by North Carolina University has claimed that women are four times more likely to have post-natal depression if their pregnancies were unintended.

A year after giving birth, depression affected 3% who intended to fall pregnant compared with 12% who had mistimed or unwanted pregnancies.

The report said health staff should question expectant mothers to identify those at risk.

Last published on 8 May 2013

Number of disabled children soars by 16% in just 10 years and experts believe autism is to blame

The number of children classed as disabled has leapt 16 per cent in a decade.

And researchers found that while the number of American children with physical disabilities has decreased, the number of mentally disability cases has rocketed.

Experts also found that the greatest increase is among youngsters from higher-income families.

One of the possible reasons cited for the trend is the rise in the number of cases of autism diagnosed.

Last published on 7 May 2013

Autism danger in anti-epilepsy drugs

A report from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark has claimed that one child in 20 whose mother took valproate-based anti-epileptic drugs while pregnant suffered from a form of autism.

The researchers said pregnant women could be putting their children at risk by taking the drugs without being warned of the dangers.

The study of nearly 700,000 children born in Denmark between 1996 and 2006 looked at a link between the drug and children born diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome.

Last published on 24 April 2013

Healthy School Child Programme

The Healthy School Child Programme (HSCP) will be an interactive, evidence-based e-learning resource covering the mental and physical wellbeing of children aged 5-11.

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Last published on 3 May 2013

'Achieving parity between mental and physical health' report is published

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has published a report exploring the lack of equality between mental and physical health.

Evidence suggests that mental health is undermined and not given the same importance as physical health.

The report, which included input from the RCPCH, highlights the strong relationship between mental and physical health and makes recommendations for how parity between the two can be achieved.

View the full report (PDF 683.67kb).

Last published on 4 April 2013

Parents of autistic children turn to unproven remedies

One in three parents of autistic children have tried interventions that have no scientific basis, as they desperately try to help their offspring, reports the Independent. A survey carried out by research charity Autistica found parents looking towards copper bracelets, injections and electronic plug-ins releasing chemicals for children to breathe, as well hiring behavioural therapists in a bid to help their children. The survey also exposed a lack of help for those affected, with a chief complaint being the length of time it takes to reach a diagnosis.

Last published on 3 April 2013

Sleepless nights caused by crying babies ends one in three marriages, research claims

Sleepless nights caused by a crying baby are blamed by parents for the breakdown of up to a third of relationships, research shows.

Parents with a young child get about six hours sleep a night, an hour less than is recommended.

Experts also say that adults need at least five hours’ uninterrupted sleep to be able to function and concentrate properly the next day.

Last published on 18 March 2013