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Psychiatric Disorders Blog

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Latest Edition of Psychiatry's 'Bible' Launched Amid Controversy

Posted 1 day 1 hour ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 20 – As the American Psychiatric Association unveiled last week the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry, the uproar over its many changes continues. "This is unprecedented, the amount of commentary and debate and criticism," said Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). "It's been an interesting phenomenon, but the evidence is what it is. You have to evaluate it and then make your own determination of how compelling it is, and what would be best clinical practice." The APA believes that changes made in this fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will allow for more precise diagnoses of mental illnesses in patients, because this edition better characterizes and categorizes disorders. But it has drawn fire from critics who are concerned that the revised ... Read more

1 in 5 U.S. Kids Has a Mental Health Disorder: CDC

Posted 5 days ago by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 16 – As many as one in five American children under the age of 17 has a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to a new federal report. Released Thursday, the report represents the government's first comprehensive look at mental disorders in children. It focuses on diagnoses in six areas: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavioral or conduct disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders, substance abuse, and Tourette syndrome. The most common mental disorder among children aged 3 through 17 is ADHD. Nearly 7 percent – about one in 15 children – in that age group have a current diagnosis, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For other disorders, 3.5 percent of children currently have behavioral or conduct problems, 3 percent suffer from anxiety, about 2 percent have ... Read more

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More Kids Diagnosed With Mental Health Disabilities, Study Finds

Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, May 5 – Significantly more U.S. children have a neurodevelopmental or mental health disability than did a decade ago, according to new research. Disabilities that impair a child's day-to-day living have risen 16 percent, with the greatest increase seen in richer families, according to the study. Conditions such as autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder appear to lie behind the increase, experts said. But the surveys of parents in 2001-'02 and 2009-'10 also revealed some good news: The rate of disability due to physical conditions went down, according to the study, which is scheduled for presentation Sunday at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting in Washington D.C. Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. "This may mean there are differences in people getting early ... Read more

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Hospitalization OK for Psych Patients Can Take Hours

Posted 24 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 24 – U.S. psychiatrists spend a total of 1 million hours on the phone each year getting insurance companies to approve hospitalization for patients with severe mental illnesses, a new study reports. For the study, which was published April 23 in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers looked at psychiatrists in the Boston area and found that they spent an average of 38 minutes per patient on the phone getting insurance authorization. About one in 10 cases took more than an hour to get approval, and one case took up five hours of the psychiatrist's time, the investigators found. Each year in the United States, there are about 1.6 million psychiatric admissions for patients with private insurance. An average of 38 minutes of phone time per patient to get insurance authorization works out to about 1 million hours of "wasted" time for psychiatrists ... Read more

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Isolation, Loneliness May Raise Death Risk for Elderly

Posted 25 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 25 – Elderly people who are socially isolated and lonely may be at greater risk of early death, British researchers report. Lack of social contact might be an even bigger risk factor than loneliness, they added. Why, however, isolation is such a powerful predictor of death isn't clear. "Social contact is a fundamental aspect of human existence. The scientific evidence is that being socially isolated is probably bad for your health, and may lead to the development of serious illness and a reduced life span," said lead researcher Andrew Steptoe, director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London. There is also research suggesting that loneliness has similar associations with poor health, he said. "In many ways, social isolation and loneliness are two sides of the same coin. Social isolation indicates a lack of contact with friends, ... Read more

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People With Mental Illness Make Up Large Share of U.S Smokers

Posted 20 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 20 – Adults with a mental illness or a substance-abuse disorder represent about 25 percent of the U.S. population but account for nearly 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked in the country, according to a new study. The researchers also said that the smoking rate among adults aged 18 and older with a mental illness or substance-abuse disorder is about 38 percent, compared with just under 20 percent for those without these conditions. This means that the current rate of smoking among adults with a mental illness or a substance-abuse disorder is 94 percent higher than among adults without the disorders, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report. Adults with substance-abuse disorders but not mental illness represent about 5 percent of the population, but smoke nearly 9 percent of all cigarettes. Those with both a mental ... Read more

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Mental Illness May Raise Risk of Being Murdered

Posted 6 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 6 – People with mental illness are much more likely to be victims of murder than other people, a new study finds. For the study, which was published online March 5 in the journal BMJ, researchers looked at data from the entire adult population – more than 7 million people – in Sweden between 2001 and 2008. During that time, there were 615 murders. Of those, 22 percent were among people with mental-health disorders, which were grouped into five categories: substance-use disorder; schizophrenia; mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and depression; anxiety disorders; and personality disorders. After adjusting for other risk factors, the researchers concluded that people with mental-health disorders had a fivefold overall increased risk of death by murder. People with substance-use disorders had the highest increased risk (about nine times higher), followed by ... Read more

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Smoking Rates Much Higher Among the Mentally Ill: CDC

Posted 5 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Feb. 5 – The smoking rate for American adults with mental illness is 70 percent higher than for those without such problems, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday. Overall, 36 percent of adults diagnosed with a mental health issue smoke, compared to 21 percent among the general population, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Among adults with mental illness, cigarette smoking rates are especially high among younger adults and people living in poverty or with lower levels of education, the CDC said. More must be done to help this population break free of tobacco, said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. "Smokers with mental illness, like other smokers, want to quit and can quit," he said in an agency news release. "Stop-smoking treatments work and it's important to make ... Read more

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Psychiatric Drugs More Often Prescribed in the South

Posted 1 Feb 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Feb. 1 – Use of psychiatric medications is most prevalent in the southern United States and least prevalent in the West, according to a new U.S. study. Although people living in the West are the least likely to use antipsychotics, antidepressants and stimulants, the Yale researchers found that the drugs' use is 40 percent higher in a large section of the South than in other parts of the country. The study authors attributed this discrepancy to variations in local access to health care and marketing efforts within the pharmaceutical industry. "The geographic patterns we identify are striking and map onto the patterns found for a host of other medical conditions and treatments, from cognitive decline to bypass surgery," Marissa King, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management, said in a school news release. "Our work suggests that access to ... Read more

Many U.S. Teens at Risk for Suicide Despite Treatment: Study

Posted 9 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 9 – A new study casts doubt on the value of current professional treatments for teens who struggle with mental disorders and thoughts of suicide. Harvard researchers report that they found that about 1 in every 8 U.S. teens (12.1 percent) thought about suicide, and nearly 1 in every 20 (4 percent) either made plans to kill themselves or actually attempted suicide. Most of these teens (80 percent) were being treated for various mental health issues. Yet, 55 percent didn't start their suicidal behavior until after treatment began, and their treatment did not stem the suicidal behavior, the researchers found. "Most suicidal adolescents reported that they had entered into treatment with a mental health specialist before the onset of their suicidal behaviors, which means that while our treatments may be preventing some suicidal behaviors, it clearly is not yet good enough at ... Read more

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Mental Disorders Linked With Domestic Violence, Study Says

Posted 2 Jan 2013 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 – People diagnosed with mental illness are more likely than others to be victims of domestic violence, a new analysis finds. Previous research has linked depression to domestic violence, but this review looks at a possible link between mental illness overall and domestic abuse in men and women. "In this study, we found that both men and women with mental health problems are at an increased risk of domestic violence," senior study author Louise Howard, a professor at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, said in a college news release. "The evidence suggests that there are two things happening: Domestic violence can often lead to victims developing mental health problems, and people with mental health problems are more likely to experience domestic violence," Howard said. The review, published recently in the journal PLoS One, examines statistics from 41 ... Read more

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For Psychiatric Patients, Cancer Is Often Spotted Too Late

Posted 19 Dec 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19 – People with psychiatric disorders have a 30 percent higher death rate from cancer, even though they are no more likely to develop the disease than others. And the underlying reason may be relatively simple: Their cancer is frequently discovered late, often after it has spread, a new Australian study finds. It's long been known that people with psychiatric conditions – ranging from alcohol and drug disorders to depression and schizophrenia – are less apt to seek regular medical attention and pursue a healthy lifestyle. As a result, the overall mortality rate in psychiatric patients is much greater than in the general population. Cancer survival typically depends on both early diagnosis and access to effective therapies, the study authors noted. But researchers haven't been able to pin down the reason why these patients have no greater chance of developing cancer, ... Read more

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Is the Mental Health System Failing Troubled Kids?

Posted 18 Dec 2012 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Dec. 18 – In the aftermath of the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 20 children in Newtown, Conn., last Friday, voices around the nation are asking, "How could this have happened?" At the heart of any answer is the psychological makeup of Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old shooter who forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School before gunning down the young students and six adults. Earlier that morning, he shot and killed his mother in the home they shared. Details of Lanza's mental health issues are still emerging, but it's clear he was a troubled child and young adult. As reported by ABC News, typical comments by people who knew Lanza included "weird kid," "not well" and "hated looking at your eyes." Mental health experts stressed that merely noting that a child seems "weird" is not enough to mandate that he or she seek care. Most agree, however, that children and young ... Read more

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Teens Who Self-Harm Need Adult Influences, Professional Help: Expert

Posted 12 Oct 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Oct. 12 – A new study outlines ways that parents, teachers and medical professionals can identify and help teens at risk for self-injury and suicide. "For many young people, suicide represents an escape from unbearable situations – problems that seem impossible to solve or negative emotions that feel overwhelming," Lindsay Taliaferro, assistant professor of health sciences at the University of Missouri, said in a university news release. "Adults can help these teens dissect their problems, help them develop healthful coping strategies and facilitate access to mental health care so their problems don't seem insurmountable," she said. Taliaferro analyzed data from more than 60,000 high school students who completed the 2007 Minnesota Student Survey and found that more than 4,000 of them said they had harmed themselves in the past year. Nearly half of those who reported ... Read more

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Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder, Psychosis, Mental Retardation, view more... Autism, Paranoid Disorder, Agitation, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Neurosis, Intermittent Explosive Disorder