Higher Average Potency Cannabis May Increase Risk for First Disorder Symptom
Recreational cannabis is legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C., but regulations regarding potency do not exist. The results of a new study, led by an Iowa State University researcher, may prompt states to reconsider.
Study Reveals Sleep Problems in Young Adult Students
A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research indicates that sleep problems are both prevalent and increasing among students.
Trial Examines How Mindfulness Meditation May Improve Mood
In a randomized controlled trial of 134 mildly stressed, middle-aged to older adults, participants who were assigned to a six-week mindfulness-meditation training program experienced significantly reduced negative affect variability—which refers to subjective distress and includes a range of mood states such as worry, anxiety, anger,…
Gene Testing Doesn’t Add Much Information for Antidepressant or Antipsychotic Prescribing
Pharmacogenetic tests are marketed as an aid to psychiatrists in selecting the antidepressant or antipsychotic medication that will work best in individual patients, based on their genetic makeup. But for most patients, these pharmacogenetic tests don’t provide much useful information, beyond a basic understanding of…
Study shows diet and weight may affect response to Bipolar Disorder treatment
Data from a clinical trial has shown that how people respond to treatment for Bipolar Disorder may be influenced by their weight and the overall quality of their diet, including whether they are eating a diet high in foods thought to contribute to general inflammation….
Research shows club drug GHB associated with brain and cognitive changes.
Scientists have discovered that regular use of the party drug GHB, and especially unconsciousness following GHB use, is associated with brain changes including negative effects on long-term memory, working memory, IQ, and higher levels of stress and anxiety.
Depressive symptoms in adolescents are very common
A substantial proportion of adolescents in Germany is affected by depressive symptoms. This is the result of a representative survey reported by Lutz Wartberg and colleagues in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2018; 115: 549–55).
Teen cannabis use is not without risk to cognitive development
Although studies have shown that alcohol and cannabis misuse are related to impaired cognition in youth, previous studies were not designed to understand this relationship and differentiate whether cannabis use was causal or consequential to cognitive impairment. A new study by researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine…
Children whose mothers use marijuana are more likely to try it at younger age
As prevailing regulatory and cultural shifts normalize adult medical and recreational cannabis use, identification of potential risk factors is key to preventing public health consequences, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Commonly used antidepressant drugs serotonin-noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors may cause dependence and withdrawal when stopped
The difficulties that people have in discontinuing antidepressant medications has been in the news recently. An analysis published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic on the effects of discontinuing commonly usedantidepressant drugs like venlafaxine and duloxetine indicates that these drugs may cause dependence…
Stress during pregnancy increases risk of mood disorders for female offspring
A study in Biological Psychiatry examines the effects of maternal cortisol levels on brain connectivity and behavior in offspring
Can we predict the long-term outcome of boys with ADHD?
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not uncommon among boys, but how well children with ADHD fare later in life varies considerably