| College mental health in the wake of Virginia Tech
Ann Arbor, MI � For the sixth straight year, the University of Michigan Depression Center will host the nation�s leading conference on college mental health issues on March 18 and 19, bringing together psychologists, doctors, nurses, counselors, researchers, administrators and students. But in the wake of the April 2007 tragedy on the campus of Virginia Tech, the conference has taken on a heightened significance. Now more than ever, colleges and universities are developing comprehensive education, outreach and treatment programs to address the mental health needs of diverse student populations, in order to provide a safe, supportive community for all. The U-M conference will help institutions of all kinds do just that, as attendees share information, review the latest research results, and learn about the �best practices� and model programs that have worked on other campuses.
Parenting lessons don't stop toddler tantrums
PARIS - A NEW study shows that parent training programmes fail to reduce behavioural problems in toddlers, suggesting that coaching on how to rear children may be a waste of time and money. On average, behavioural problems afflict every seventh child aged 4 to 17, previously studies have shown. Aggressive or extremely defiant youngsters are said to have externalised problems, while those of kids who withdraw, or suffer anxiety and depression, are described as internalised. Troubles in childhood often have serious personal, social and economic consequences later in life, experts say. Left untreated, approximately 50 per cent of preschoolers with behaviour problems develop mental health problems, including depression. Besides the direct cost of treatment, there are social costs as well: unemployment, family stress or violence, drug use and increased crime have all been linked to behavioural difficulties very early in life.
Autism Risk Higher In People With Gene Variant
Scientists have found a variation in a gene that may raise the risk of developing autism, especially when the variant is inherited from mothers rather than fathers. The research was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health.Inheriting the gene variant does not mean that a child will inevitably develop autism. It means that a child may be more vulnerable to developing the disease than are children without the variation.The gene, CNTNAP2, makes a protein that enables brain cells to communicate with each other through chemical signals and appears to play a role in brain cell development. Previous studies have implicated the gene in autism, and in this study researchers were able to link a specific variation in its structure to the disease.Results of the study were reported online January 10 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, by Aravinda Chakravarti, Ph.D., Dan E.
Mental health center scrambles for funding
Public mental health providers saya lack of funding means they can only serve the most seriously ill patients in Beaufort County. The officials also say they are having trouble retaining and attracting counselors and psychiatrists because of low salaries. Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center wants the Beaufort County Council to give it more money for recruiting and retention. The average salary at the center is about $35,000 for counselors and $140,000 for psychiatrists. With a staff of 96, the center also is spread too thin, said executive director Ray Norris. The ratio is 3.5 staffers per 10,000 people in the region serving Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Colleton and Allendale counties. That's below the state average of 5 staff members per 10,000 population.
Spears locked up 'for safety'
TROUBLED pop icon Britney Spears is in hospital for the second time this month, this time locked away for an involuntary mental health evaluation. Celebrity website TMZ.com said Spears was taken by ambulance to the UCLA Medical Centre at about 8.30pm AEDT and was to be placed on what is called a "5150 hold", the involuntary confinement of a person deemed a danger to themselves or others.A psychiatrist treating the singer contacted Los Angeles police to set the events in motion, according to TMZ which cited law enforcement sources. Read full story Move along folks...nothing to see here!...move along. (before ya'll do some mental damage to ya selves!) Posted by: SpearsChukka of Fedup With Brit 12:34pm today Comment 10 of 10 Hope you get better soon britney Posted by: Sam of South Perth 12:21pm today Comment 9 of 10 Im sorry but you dont become a celebrity wtihout the media, people pay her way by buying her records etc which includes promotional stuff.
Pa. Man Sentenced After Choking Puppy
A judge says a Bucks County man who choked a puppy that was later euthanized must continue seeing a mental health therapist, and perform 100 hours of community service. Police say Jonathan Allison, of Bristol, choked the 8-week-old Beagle because it chewed on his video game wires. Allison entered a guilty plea Monday to a cruelty-to-animals charge. Allison says he loved the dog. He told the judge, "I wish I could get it back." He says he was under stress because he injured his back and lost his job. He later attempted suicide, and is now taking medication. Bucks County Judge Jeffrey Finley says Allison appears truly remorseful, but what he did was cruel. The puppy was euthanized when it had increasing trouble breathing. A veterinarian says the dog had a bruised neck and fluid-filled lungs.
Parent coaching no help, for you or kids
PARENT training programs don't reduce reduce behavioural problems in toddlers, an Australian study shows, suggesting they may be a waste of time and money. On average, behavioural problems afflict every seventh child aged four to 17, previously studies have shown. Aggressive or extremely defiant youngsters are said to have externalised problems, while those of kids who withdraw, or suffer anxiety and depression, are described as internalised. Troubles in childhood often have serious personal, social and economic consequences later in life, experts say. Left untreated, about 50 per cent of preschoolers with behaviour problems develop mental health problems, including depression. Besides the direct cost of treatment, there are social costs as well: unemployment, family stress or violence, drug use and increased crime have all been linked to behavioural difficulties very early in life.
Middle Age a Low Point for Most
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- People around the globe hit the height of their misery and depression in middle age, a new international study suggests. The finding by British and American researchers was based on an analysis of well-being among approximately 2 million people in 80 nations. With few exceptions, the observation appears to apply across the board, regardless of gender, culture, geography, wealth, job history, education, and marriage or parental status. "The scientific fact seems to be that happiness and positive mental health follow a giant 'U' shape through life," said study author Andrew J. Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick University in Warwickshire, England. "For the average person, it's high when you're 20, and then it slowly falls and bottoms out in your 40s.
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