Mental Health

Psychopaths are not neurally equipped to have concern for others, study shows

Prisoners who are psychopaths lack the basic neurophysiological "hardwiring" that enables them to care for others, according to a new study by neuroscientists at the University of Chicago and the University of New Mexico.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 24, 2013 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (8) | comments 9 | with audio podcast

Effects of stress on brain cells offer clues to new anti-depressant drugs

Research from King's College London reveals the detailed mechanism behind how stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells - a process considered to be linked to depression. The researchers identified a key protein ...

Neuroscience created May 06, 2013 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Risk of depression influenced by quality of relationships, research says

The mantra that quality is more important than quantity is true when considering how social relationships influence depression, say U-M researchers in a new study.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

One in five U.S. kids has a mental health disorder, CDC reports

(HealthDay)—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.

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 16, 2013 | popularity 2.7 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

How family conflict affects children

(Medical Xpress)—New research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) reveals why some children are badly affected by negative family conflicts while other children survive without significant problems.

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Suppressing protein may stem Alzheimer's disease process

Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered a potential strategy for developing treatments to stem the disease process in Alzheimer's disease. It's based on unclogging removal of ...

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Don't blame parents for sins of the child

(HealthDay)—When the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings were identified as two brothers—one of them a teenager—many parents wondered, "Who raised these boys?" Mental health experts say it's normal ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 26, 2013 | popularity 2.8 / 5 (5) | comments 1

Study finds Asian-Americans often feel racial 'microaggressions'

(Medical Xpress)—Asian-Americans experience considerable everyday prejudice and discrimination, reports a Cornell study published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology (Vol. 60:2). The study is one of the first to doc ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Workplace stress poses risk to health

Stressful situations at work can have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system and the metabolism. Stress, which is transmitted by direct and indirect signaling pathways, leads to an inflammatory response in the body, ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 23, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

For mentally ill, a search for help is often in vain

When Chris Marciano was 4 years old, he would have a blistering tantrum whenever music came on the radio. By the second grade, his teacher described him as "not with us." At age 11, he was kicked out of school.

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Social considerations not accounted for in DSM-5

(HealthDay)—Social and population variations in mental diagnosis are not accounted for in the newly revised fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), according to ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 14, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Shedding light on the long shadow of childhood adversity

Childhood adversity can lead to chronic physical and mental disability in adult life and have an effect on the next generation, underscoring the importance of research, practice and policy in addressing this issue, according ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Don't worry, be happy

To most of the Western world, happiness is the number one goal, and a happy life is seen as a good life. But is it as simple as that?

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 08, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Bipolar disorder drugs may 'tweak' genes affecting brain

(HealthDay)—Medications taken by people with bipolar disorder may actually be nudging hundreds of genes that direct the brain to behave more normally, according to new research.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity 2 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Examine social factors to explain rise in diagnoses of mental disorders, researchers say

(Medical Xpress)—Examining social factors is vital to better explaining and understanding the dramatic rise in the number of Americans diagnosed with mental disorders in recent years, according to an analysis by a team ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 26, 2013 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 1


Mental health describes a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of a mental disorder. From the perspective of 'positive psychology' or 'holism', mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Mental health can also be defined as an expression of emotions, and as signifying a successful adaptation to a range of demands.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community". It was previously stated that there was no one "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how "mental health" is defined. There are different types of mental health problems, some of which are common, such as depression and anxiety disorders, and some not so common, such as schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder.

Most recently, the field of Global Mental Health has emerged, which has been defined as 'the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide'.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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