Mental Illness Content

New Insight on Maternal Infections and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Andy Fell — May 04, 2020 - 12:23pm

The immune responses of a female mouse before pregnancy can predict how likely her offspring are to have behavioral deficits if the immune system is activated during pregnancy, according to researchers from the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis. The findings, published April 23 in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, could help resolve what role serious infections during pregnancy play in the later development of conditions such as autism and schizophrenia in offspring.

New Study Suggests Ways to Alleviate Social Withdrawal Symptoms in Mental Illnesses

Karen Michele Nikos — April 27, 2020 - 3:43pm

Even as people are now being forced to social distance to avoid contracting coronavirus — a situation considered stressful for many — some people avoid social situations even under everyday circumstances. Social avoidance is a hallmark of a variety of psychiatric illnesses, including depression and anxiety disorders as well as autism.

Growing Up in Poverty Increases Diagnoses of Psychosis-Spectrum Mental Illnesses

Karen Michele Nikos — April 24, 2019 - 12:06pm

A study suggests that intervention through social policies and investment in neighborhood improvements, as well as identifying those most in need of help by observing certain child behaviors, could prevent psychosis-related mental illnesses.