The Mental Health Social Worker

The Mental Health
Social Worker

You are Browsing the April 2008 Archive:

Human Brain Appears “Hard-Wired” for Hierarchy

Scans Hint at Why It Can Be Unhealthy Even at the Top Human imaging studies have for the first time identified brain circuitry associated with social status, according to researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health. They found that different brain areas are activated when a person [...]

Maintenance Treatment Crucial for Teens’ Recovery from Depression

Long-term maintenance treatment is likely to sustain improvement and prevent recurrence among adolescents with major depression, according to an NIMH-funded study published in the April 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study, led by Paul Rohde, Ph.D., of Oregon Research Institute, analyzed data from the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS), [...]

OCD Risk Higher When Several Variations in Gene Occur Together

Several variations within the same gene act together to raise the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), new NIMH research suggests. The gene produces a protein that helps make the brain chemical serotonin available to brain cells. OCD, an anxiety disorder, affects an estimated 2.2 million Americans age 18 or older. Symptoms usually begin sometime between [...]

Philadelphia Inquirer — Concerns on rise about youths playing ‘the choking game’

News Date: 04/06/2008 Outlet: Philadelphia Inquirer Contact: Cook, Bonnie Scott S. Metheny’s presentation on the choking game starts with a 911 call. Hi, I have an emergency, a distressed boy can be heard telling the operator. My little brother might be dead. OK, why do you think he’s dead? the operator asks. Because there’s a [...]

Stimulant Treatment for Young Children With ADHD Does Not Lead to Increased Risk of Substance Abuse in Early Adulthood

ARLINGTON, Va. (April 1, 2008) – Treatment of children with stimulant medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) does not increase the risk of substance abuse later in adolescence and early adulthood. A new 17-year study of 176 boys, ages 6 to 12, who were treated with the stimulant medication methylphenidate (marketed as Ritalin and other brand [...]