Mental Health & Social Care Bulletin No. 410

Early due to leave, Bulletin No. 410 is packed; with large research sections on learning disabilities, depression and dementia and schizophrenia. Next post October 7th

Mental Health & Social Care Bulletin No. 406

The Department of Health has announced that it is extending its street triage scheme of sending out mental health nurses with police officers on the beat to five new areas. The department has also announced that it will use its presidency of the G8 summit to highlight dementia by holding a dementia summit. Meanwhile NICE has launched a guideline consultation on psychosis and schizophrenia. All this and more in Bulletin 406. 

Mental Health & Social Care Bulletin No. 394

The previous week was National Dementia Awareness and the Government launched its NHS Innovation Challenge Prize for Dementia,  inviting entries and the Care Minister wants all hospitals to become more dementia aware. NICE have published two new guidances: one on social anxiety disorder and another on the termination of loxapine inhalation for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  All this and more in Bulletin No. 394

Mental Health & Social Care Bulletin No. 370

Schizophrenia at the forefront of news this week after the publication of the Schizophrenia Commission's report: The Abandoned Illness. Every mental health charity including MIND has had an opinion on its findings. Bulletin no.370 includes these findings and information on the new Department of Health learning disabilities consultation

Creativity and mental health

Scientists have linked creativity to schizophrenia by studying the receptors in the brain.The study from the Karolinska Institutet found that dopomine levels in creative people are similar to the levels found in in the brains of schizophrenics.

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Breast Cancer and Schizophrenia

A systematic review covering studies published between 1986 and 2008 has found schizophrenic women seem to have a higher chance of getting breast cancer than those who do not suffer from psychosis. However there was no indication of what the risk factor or factors might be that leads to the higher prevalence. The study is an online ahead of print publication the journal Schizophrenia Research.

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Read the original abstract

Emotional awareness in schizophrenia

A study published in the journal Psychiatry Research has found that schizophrenics have problems dealing with fearful emotions. Researchers studied and compared results from sixty people, half who were suffering from schizophrenia.

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Read the original abstract

Searching for the Genetic Link

Much research has gone into finding a genetic link between schizophrenia and diabetes as schizophrenics are at four times the risk for Type 2 diabetes. The search will continue as a new study published online ahead of print in Trends in Microbiology has found no link with the PPARG gene.

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Older drug for Schizophrenia better

Finnish researchers have conducted a study into drugs used for schizophrenia. Their findings indicate that an older drug, the antipsychotic drug Clozapine may be safer than newer drugs despite its side effects. The research published in The Lancet maintains that newer drugs are a higher cause of premature death.

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Cannabis and Psychosis link debunked

There has been much research supporting the theory that psychosis or schizophrenia prevalence is increased by cannabis usage. In a new online study in advance of publication in the journal Schizophrenia Research, UK scientists at Keele University refute this with findings following a systematic review.


To read the article in depth
To read the original abstract

Linking Schizophrenia and Manic Depression

Three new studies have opened up the possibilty of new treatments for bipolar disorder, commonly known as manic depression, and schizophrenia. The research, reported in the journal Nature, identified similar genetic causes for both illnesses. However the scientists involved have stated that the break through does not mean cures for either condition have been identified.

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To see the three abstracts

CBT assessed and found wanting in three disorders

Research carried out by psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire calls into question the relevance of the revalidation of a NICE guideline on schizophrenia published in March 2009. The meta-analytical review of rigourous trials, published online in the journal Psychological Medicine, examined the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. The authors concluded that there was no evidence of the effectiveness of this sort of therapy, particularly in the case of schizophrenia.

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Read the abstract
Psychological Medicine
doi:10.1017/S003329170900590X

Delusional Conclusions

A study by UK researchers published online in advance in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin shows that with training schizophrenic patients suffering from delusions can modify their tendency to jump to conclusions during reasoning tasks.

To read this article in depth go to:
http://www.medwire-news.md/47/83156/Psychiatry/Jumping_to_conclusions_in_delusional_patients_

To read the abstract go to:
Schizophrenia Bulletin, doi:10.1093/schbul/sbn165