Thursday, April 22, 2004

Addressing Metabolic Effects in Children
Article in the April Psychatric Times - "Interim results will soon be analyzed in a longitudinal study examining biological and genetic risk factors for weight gain and metabolic abnormalities in children and adolescents taking atypical antipsychotics... The open-label, naturalistic safety monitoring study, underway since December 2001, is being funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)."  
  

Racial Role in Suicide Studied
Atlanta Journal Constitution story reprinted at PsycPORT - "Suicide intervention programs aimed at African-Americans should focus on reducing the cultural stigma of admitting to depression and seeking mental health help, a new state study suggests. Upon reviewing 1,300 suicide cases in Fulton County from 1988 through 2002, health researchers discovered that black people were less likely than white people to report being depressed or having a family history of suicide. They also found blacks who killed themselves had been more reluctant than whites to tell friends or family about relationship and financial troubles. ... But formulating clear-cut conclusions about the differences between blacks and whites when it comes to suicide is challenging, researchers admitted."