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Those living with multiple sclerosis who are pregnant have a greater chance of experiencing mental illness during pregnancy and in the first few years following birth. Research published in Neurology found that pregnant people with MS had a 26% increased risk of mental illness during pregnancy when compared with pregnant people without MS and a 33% increased risk of mental illness after birth. [More]

A new study published in the JAMA Psychiatry looked at accelerated intermittent theta-burst stimulation and treatment-refractory bipolar depression. "This study looks at treatment of severe refractory bipolar depression,” study author Dr. Yvette Sheline told us. “It uses magnetic stimulation called TMS—transcranial magnetic stimulation, which has been used for the past decade to treat depression.” [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry looked at a potential causal risk factor for bipolar disorder. “We sought to identify specific metabolites that may play a causal role in bipolar disorder,” study author David Stacey told us. “We hoped that would tell us something about the underlying aetiology while potentially highlighting new lifestyle interventions or drug targets. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Translational Psychiatry looked at a combined clinical and genetic approach to the assessment of suicide and death in bipolar affective disorder. “When we think about the risk for suicide, we often think about what is happening in a person’s life at the time: the loss of a job, a major change in a relationship,” study author Eric Monson told us. “Not many people are aware that genetics play an important role in risk. In fact, the heritability for suicidality is estimated to be 30-50%, meaning that a significant proportion of risk arises from genetic sources.” [More]

Women at increased risk of postpartum psychosis show altered connectivity in networks of the brain responsible for planning, organisation and the completion of short and long-term tasks. Currently, there are no biological markers that identify who will develop postpartum psychosis. But researchers from King’s College London have identified altered connectivity in the brain networks of women with postpartum psychosis, which could pave the way for better identifying women at risk of the condition. [More]

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that includes depressive and manic episodes. It affects about two per cent of people around the globe. The first line of treatment for bipolar disorder is a drug called lithium. Unfortunately, about 70 per cent of bipolar disorder patients don’t respond to it. A new study looked at whether genes had a role to play in lithium response in bipolar disorder patients. [More]

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. [More]

Having a former smoker in their social circle may help those with serious mental illness quit smoking [More]

Bipolar Disorder impacts every aspect of a person’s life, including work and relationships, but it is a treatable illness, and recovery is possible. The right support and treatment can make all the difference. People with bipolar disorder can have fulfilling careers and healthy and happy relationships with family and friends. [More]

Quick: what do bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, autism, and attention-deficient hyper-activity disorder all have in common? A portion of each of them can be attributed to the same genetic mutations (Cross-Disorder Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, 2014). It is not at all surprising that psychiatric disorders can be inherited. What is eye-opening is that the same genetic mutation is implicated in more than one mental illness. [More]