January 26, 2022
by Elizabeth Pratt
For the first time since nation-wide data has been recorded, stigma towards those with depression has dropped significantly.
A study from Indiana University found that stigma associated with depression has dropped to a record low, but stigma surrounding other mental illnesses has either remained the same, or increased.
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October 14, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Excess deaths among those with mental health conditions and intellectual disabilities has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A UK study of more than 160 thousand patients found that deaths from COVID-19 among people with learning disabilities were nine times higher than among the general population during the first UK lockdown and were five times higher among those with eating disorders.
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February 26, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
A study by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles had found it is possible to determine a person’s ability to feel empathy by studying their brain activity whilst resting rather than when engaged in activity.
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May 14, 2019
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study from the University of Waterloo, published in Scientific Reports, aimed to examine the way we learn to perceive the passage of time. Is time perception rigidly fixed in the brain, or is it flexible and open to change? If the latter, how rapidly can our brain adapt to changes in timing statistics?
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April 29, 2019
by Elizabeth Pratt
Children who grow up in poor neighbourhoods are at an increased risk of developing a psychosis-spectrum mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder by the time they reach middle adulthood. Researchers say the finding of the study suggest interventions aimed at improving neighbourhoods and assisting children displaying atypical social characteristics could prevent the conditions from developing.
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February 22, 2016
by Agnes Oh, PsyD, LMFT
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe neurological brain disorder which can gravely affect a person’s functioning at many different levels. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 2.6 million Americans are affected by the illness whose debilitating challenges are often extended to their families.
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New research from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health takes one more step toward finding the causative factors behind the development of schizophrenia (Stansfield, et al., 2015). Studying the brains of rats exposed to lead brought more strong indications that this kind of exposure may be a precursor to schizophrenia.
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As our understanding of the biological and genetic factors that contribute to the development of these disorders, it becomes easier to see these behavioral health disorders as real diseases—like diabetes or heart disease, which can also run in families. But, how might our relatively recent increased understanding of genetics and biology impact how people with mental illness are perceived and treated in our society? Will this understanding help to decrease stigma, or will it further fuel stigma for people living with behavioral health disorders?
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The cost of having mental illness can be very high for people struggling with behavioral disorders. Mental illness can impact a person’s ability to work, go to school, and have healthy and satisfying relationships. But did you know that it can also shorten a person’s life? There is consistent evidence that people with mental illness do have more physical health problems and mortality, compared with people who do not live with these disorders
FB- Mental health issues affect more parts of our lives than just day to day living. Research shows that it can also shorten your life...read more and find out what you can do about it.
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August 31, 2014
by Cathy England, MA
Schizophrenia is one of the more serious mental health diagnoses, and is possibly one of the more misunderstood illnesses. Individuals with this diagnosis often require very close observation and intensive mental health treatment interventions in order to maintain stability. This summary will explore some of the symptoms of the diagnosis, some of the treatment options, and some of the common misconceptions about the illness. There seem to be varying levels of stigma surrounding mental health issues, and schizophrenia suffers as one of the more stigmatized disorders.
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