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Mental Health
Unique mental health challenges for SA’s youth
Just like millions of young people worldwide, South African youth face significant mental health challenges, due to shared experiences like economic uncertainty, geopolitical instability...
Mental health disorders to affect half the world by 75 – large global study
Scientists who examined data from more than 150 000 adults across 29 countries found a high prevalence of mental health disorders, the results showing...
Schizophrenia care under strain in private and public health sectors
South Africa’s critical shortage of psychiatrists and specialised staff in the field is not only a public health issue, according to experts, who say...
Time to review underwriting of mental health, say SA insurers
Insurers Investec Life and Liberty are both observing a significant increase in mental health concerns from their client bases, echoing a global trend highlighted...
Call for more awareness of depression in cancer patients
There needs to be greater awareness of patients with mental health issues, particularly among cancer patients, says the SA Society of Psychiatrists, warning that...
Depression risk fed by ultra-processed foods – Australian study
A large Australian study has linked high consumption of ultra-processed – or industrially produced – foods to depression.
Medical News Today reports that the NOVA classification...
Mental health still last in line seven years after Life Esidimeni
The 2016 Life Esidimeni tragedy was a watershed moment for mental healthcare – and should have been a wake-up call. Why it wasn’t is...
High suicide intention rate among students – SA study
The mental health of students has become an increasingly prominent issue in South Africa, with some academics suggesting suicidal behaviour has reached epidemic proportions...
Mental health illness toll on life expectancy – South African study
Almost one-third of South Africans receive a mental health diagnosis at some point in their lives, placing a high toll on life expectancy, a...
Interaction with dogs boosts brain activity – Swiss study
The most recent research exploring the benefits of interactions with pets shows that prefrontal brain activation in healthy subjects increased with the rise in...
Half an hour of physical activity reduces depression risk – SA study
Even moderate increases in exercise can help prevent depression, particularly in women, according to a South African study, one of the largest to date...
Mental resilience key to better health for older people with type 2 diabetes
Researchers have found that older adults diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, (T2D) who had high levels of psychological resilience, were more likely to have...
Experts propose eight-point global plan to end mental health stigma
Experts have called for urgent and radical global action to end the stigma and discrimination against people who have mental health conditions, as this...
Leading Alzheimer’s study under investigation over possible manipulation
Critical elements of one of the most cited pieces of Alzheimer’s disease research in the past two decades, published in 2006, may have been...
Major study casts doubt over serotonin link to depression
Experts have cast doubt on widespread antidepressant use after a major “eye-opening” review found “no evidence” of a link between serotonin and its relationship...
Helping teens channel stress, improve resilience – New York study
Adolescents today are more stressed than ever, exhibiting record levels of stress-related mental health problems. Of course, there are plenty of reasons for teens...
Study shows how psychedelics work on the brain to relieve depression
Up to 30% of people with depression don’t respond to treatment with anti-depressants – possibly due to differences in biology between patients and that...
Perinatal depression: mums, dads, babies all at risk – London meta-analysis
A major study of the mental health of new parents in 15 countries has revealed that three or more in 100 couples are affected...
Children in team sports linked to fewer mental health issues – US study
A large-scale study of US children and adolescents has found that participation in a team sport is linked to fewer mental health difficulties, but...
Suicide gun deaths up in 31 countries, but overall worldwide drop – Serbian analysis
Firearm suicides are a major public health concern in many countries, being particularly high in the USA and Greenland, although few studies have examined...