Psychiatry | GlobalPost

US psychiatry gets makeover in new manual

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 16:45

The latest makeover to a massive psychiatric tome honored by some, reviled by others and even called the "Bible" of mental disorders is being released Saturday with a host of new changes. The first major revamp in more than 20 years of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, will be unveiled in San Francisco at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatry Association. Hoarding, gambling and marijuana withdrawal are among the newly expanded disorders contained in the fifth revision of the 947-page reference book.

Up to one-fifth of US youth have mental disorder

Agence France-PresseMay 16, 2013 18:45

As many as one-fifth of American children and teens suffer from a mental disorder such as anxiety or depression and the incidence of such ailments is rising, a study released Thursday said. "A total of 13 percent to 20 percent of children living in the United States experience a mental disorder in a given year," according to the report examining the mental health of adolescents released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

British honeymoon murder suspect's health 'worsens'

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 14:24

A British man wanted in South Africa over the murder of his wife on honeymoon has suffered a mental health relapse, a court heard on Wednesday. Shrien Dewani, 33, is being treated at a hospital for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder but his lawyer said last month his condition had "improved significantly". Dewani's 28-year-old Swedish-born wife Anni was shot dead when a taxi the couple were travelling in was hijacked in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010.

Exercise can boost mood, self-esteem: report

Agence France-PresseMay 15, 2013 06:30

If you want to boost your mood, a 10-minute brisk walk could do the trick, according to a new report released from the UK's Mental Health Foundation.

Bipolar disorder tied to mother's flu in pregnancy

Thomson ReutersMay 10, 2013 21:19

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children born after being exposed to the flu during pregnancy may have a nearly four-fold higher risk of later developing bipolar disorder, according to a small new study. The senior researcher said the results can't prove that a mother's bout of flu while pregnant causes her child to develop the mental disorder, but the association does suggest that some cases might be prevented.

Study to examine whether puppies and ponies can help veterans' mental health

The Canadian PressMay 8, 2013 12:41

OTTAWA - A new study will examine how puppies and ponies can help veterans improve their mental health. Veterans Affairs Canada is working with St. John Ambulance Canada and Can Praxis to study the use of dogs and horses as therapy animals specifically for former soldiers. Both organizations already work with the animals for therapeutic purposes and will now connect with university researchers to better understand the benefits of the programs. The federal government is contributing $25,000 to each organization for the project.

Conservatives raise fears of mentally ill with flawed crime bill, doctors say

The Canadian PressMay 8, 2013 09:39

OTTAWA - Mental health professionals from across Canada are banding together during Mental Health Week to ask the Harper government to rethink its latest crime bill. Nine different organizations, including their multiple provincial organizations, say changes to the Not Criminally Responsible regime for mentally ill offenders have been made without evidence or input from mental health workers. They're offering to help the government redraft bill Bill C-54 so that it continues to help victims but doesn't undo years of progress.

New app, research money announced for vets suffering post-traumatic stress

The Canadian PressMay 6, 2013 13:30

TORONTO - The roll-out of a new smartphone app and money for a two-year study should go some distance toward helping Canadian veterans and others cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, the federal government announced Monday. The initiatives should also help families of vets, Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney said in making the announcement at the start of Mental Health Week. "Our government recognizes the seriousness of PTSD among veterans and Canadian Armed Forces personnel and its impact on their families," Blaney said.

New app, research money announced for vets suffering post-traumatic stress

The Canadian PressMay 6, 2013 09:15

TORONTO - The roll-out of a new smart-phone app and money for a two-year study should go some distance toward helping Canadian veterans and others cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, the federal government announced Monday. The initiatives should also help families of vets, Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney said in making the announcement at the start of Mental Health Week. "Our government recognizes the seriousness of PTSD among veterans and Canadian Armed Forces personnel and its impact on their families," Blaney said.

China bans forced mental hospital detentions

Agence France-PresseMay 2, 2013 00:45

A new law has taken effect prohibiting Chinese from being committed to mental hospitals without their consent in an attempt to prevent "forced detentions", state-run media said Thursday. China's first mental health law comes after right groups accused authorities of locking up hundreds of thousands of people in psychiatric hospitals each year, often as a form of punishment for dissidents.