A decade ago psychologist Ronald Levant, then at Nova Southeastern University, was telling some of his colleagues at a conference about patients with schizophrenia whom he had seen recover. One of them asked rhetorically, “Recovery from schizophrenia? Have you lost your mind, too?”

Until recently, virtually all experts agreed that schizophrenia is always, or almost always, marked by a steady downhill progression. But is this bleak forecast warranted? Certainly schizophrenia is a severe condition. Its victims, who make up about 1 percent of the population, experience a loss of contact with reality that puts them at a heightened risk of suicide, unemployment, relationship problems, physical ailments and even early death. Those who abuse substances are also at risk for committing violent acts against others. Contrary to popular belief, people with schizophrenia do not have multiple personalities, nor are they all essentially alike--or victims of poor parenting.

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Research suggests that religious belief can help protect against symptoms of depression, but a study at Rush University Medical Center goes one step further. In patients diagnosed with clinical depression, belief in a concerned God can improve response to medical treatment, according to a paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychology...

Are you or your staff in contact with people who have suffered mental distress? Have you identified a need to enhance knowledge and understanding of the issues? Despite the increasing numbers of individuals suffering mental ill health there is still a significant amount of stigma around seeking help...

Obecure Ltd., a subsidiary of Bio-Light Israeli Life Science Investments Ltd. (TASE:BOLT), has received notice of allowance from the US Patent Office for its two key patent applications covering methods of use and compositions covering the use of betahistine with olanzapine for the mitigation of the serious weight gain associated as a side effect of the antipsychotic drug...

To understand how bacteria and viruses work and test potential treatments, scientists study them in animals. But what about diseases that only affect humans? A group out of La Jolla’s Salk Institute has worked around that problem with a compromise--a mouse with a human liver.

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Having a parent with HIV/AIDS or losing one or both parents to the illness leads to poorer mental health among children in China, according to a recent study funded in part by NIMH. Published in the November–December 2009 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology, the study also emphasizes the need to develop culturally and developmentally appropriate measures and interventions for diverse populations.

Officials from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Ad Council and the Stay Strong Foundation will unveil a national public service campaign designed to raise awareness of mental health problems among young adults in the African American community...

Even after she left her alcoholic, abusive husband behind, Patrice, a nurse in Florida, couldn't summon the energy to keep her house straight, couldn't sleep. Gaia, a children's book author in Oregon, found herself crying uncontrollably and couldn't focus. She felt hopeless without knowing why...

A remarkably important event has just occurred in the world of psychology:  A leading, peer-reviewed journal has published the strongest evidence yet that psychodynamic psychotherapy — “talk therapy” — works. In fact, it not only works, it keeps working long after the sessions stop.

Full disclosure: We report this not as disinterested observers, but as psychotherapists and researchers on the process and efficacy of therapy. Our book , “Handbook of Evidence-Based Psychodynamic Psychotherapy,” summarized the body of research through last year and another will follow late this year. Still, we can state as fact: The movement to establish an evidence base for psychodynamic therapy has taken a giant new step forward.

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An HIV-prevention program targeted at women receiving prenatal care may effectively reduce risks for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unplanned future pregnancies, according to NIMH-funded researchers. Bundling such interventions into existing health care models, like prenatal care, also may be more accessible to those who may not have the time, interest, or resources to attend a stand-alone HIV prevention program. Changing the way prenatal care is provided also may create sustainable advantages in reproductive health for all at-risk women. The study was published in the November 2009 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.