Encouraging Exercise Doesn't Improve Depression, Study Finds

"Researchers at England's University of Bristol said this week that they found no evidence that offering patients physical exercise supports improved depression outcomes in adults, nor did it reduce the use of antidepressants."

Source:  Psychiatric News Alert, 8 June 2012

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Sleep Deprivation Can Heighten Anxiety

Sleep deprivation may amplify anxiety, a study reported June 10 at the  annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies found. 

Source: Psychiatric News Alert 22 June 2012 

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Debate Over Repressed Memories

".. Fueling the debate over the controversial psychiatric disorder known as dissociative amnesia, or repressed memory, Brown University political scientist Ross Cheit is challenging claims by two Harvard University psychiatrists. At issue is how to prove whether the memories of trauma, such as childhood sexual abuse, can be repressed and then resurface later in life .."

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Tug And Tear: Dealing with Child Sexual Abuse - by Albertina Almeida

Book on paedophilia by Panjim-based lawyer Albertina Almeida. Documents 18 cases and contains case-by-case study of the profile and modus operandi of offenders, age and socio-economic background of victims, arrest and court proceedings, etc.

Childhood Adversity Linked to Stroke Risk in Adulthood

"Researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center in Chicago and the departments of Neurological Sciences and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center, have found an association between experiencing serious adverse events in childhood and an increased risk for stroke in late adulthood. Their findings were reported online yesterday in the journal Neurology."

Source: Psychiatric News Alert, 20September 2012

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Stress-related Gene and Child Abuse Can Interact t...

"A gene called FKBP5 is an important regulator of the stress hormone system. When individuals who possess a particular variant of that gene are victims of child abuse, they appear to be more susceptible to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) later in life than individuals who possess another variant of the gene. This was a key finding of a study published in Nature Neuroscience, led by Elisabeth Binder of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany."

Source: Psychiatric News Alert, 20 December 2012

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Patients Who Self-Harm Have Shorter Life Expectancy

"Researchers reported today that people who self-harm have an increased risk of premature death. As published online in Lancet, they studied patients of all ages presenting to emergency departments in Oxford, Manchester, and Derby, England, after self-poisoning or self-injury from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2007. Patients were followed up to the end of 2009."

Psychiatric News Alert, 18 September 2012

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