Asian-American immigrants who came to the United States before they were 25 years old have poorer mental health than their compatriots who came to this country when they were 25 or older, according to data from the first national mental health survey of Asian-Americans.
The study is noteworthy because it shows that using traditional measures of socio-economic status – number of years of school and household income – to predict health outcomes is not accurate for individuals who immigrate when they are children or young adults, according to Janxin Leu, a University of Washington assistant professor of psychology and lead author of the study. [continue reading…]
A new Mayo Clinic study shows that variations in the serotonin transporter gene could explain why some people with depression respond better than others to treatment with citalopram (Celexa), an antidepressant medication.
The study, in the current issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, examined the serotonin transporter gene, or SLC6A4, in 1,914 study participants. The study showed that two variations in this gene have a direct bearing on how individuals might respond to citalopram. SLC6A4 produces a protein that plays an important role in achieving an antidepressant response. [continue reading…]
New data may help doctors more accurately diagnose patients
The expectation that East-Asian people emphasize physical symptoms of depression (e.g. headaches, poor appetite or aches/pains in the body) is widely acknowledged, yet the few available empirical studies report mixed data on this issue. A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) debunks this cultural myth, and offers clinicians valuable insight to into cultural context when assessing a patient, leading to more accurate diagnosis. [continue reading…]
Sex is good for a lot of things. One of the most important is the way in which sex leads to a shuffling of the genetic cards in every individual. Scientists in Cardiff are beginning to build up a picture of what certain genes are doing in the brain and how they affect behaviour. The results, delegates were told in Geneva today (Sunday 13 July), could help researchers find the causes for conditions such as autism. [continue reading…]
