Category Archives: News & updates

Patients experiencing cardiovascular or metabolic side effects while taking an antipsychotic medication may fare better if they switch to a different medication provided they are closely monitored, according to an NIMH-funded study. The study was published online ahead of print … Continue reading →

A widely used suicide screening tool can help determine who is most at risk for suicide by pinpointing the threshold at which a person’s suicidal thinking is severe enough to warrant professional intervention, according to a recent study published online … Continue reading →

People with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder experienced relief from symptoms of depression in as little as 40 minutes after an intravenous dose of the anesthetic medication ketamine in a preliminary study; while the patient group was small, this work adds to … Continue reading →

GLYX-13, a molecular cousin to ketamine, induces similar antidepressant results without the street drug side effects, reported a preclinical study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that was published last month inNeuropsychopharmacology. Background Major depression affects about … Continue reading →

Mania symptoms and bipolar disorder II more likely to lead to substance abuse than depression January 9, 2008 • Science Update People with manic symptoms and bipolar disorder type II are at significant risk of later developing an alcohol abuse … Continue reading →

September 7, 2011 • Science Update Source: NIMH Chronic use of stimulant medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children does not appear to increase risk for high blood pressure over the long term, but it may have … Continue reading →

September 28, 2011 • Press Release NIH and AHRQ study finds pace of the rise has slowed in recent years Source: NIMH The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from … Continue reading →

An experimental drug that lifts depression in hours likely works by rapidly stimulating connections between brain cells, a study in rats has revealed. The drug, called ketamine, quickly generated such synapses in a brain circuit implicated in human depression by … Continue reading →

Patients taking medications to treat bipolar disorder are more likely to get well faster and stay well if they receive intensive psychotherapy, according to results from the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD), funded by the National Institutes … Continue reading →

A new study supports earlier estimates of the prevalence of bipolar disorder in the U.S. population, and suggests the illness may be more accurately characterized as a spectrum disorder. It also finds that many people with the illness are not … Continue reading →