‘Medications’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life, Page 4

The Mental Health Foundation has today released Cheers? — a new research report outlining the relationship between alcohol and mental health. The report reveals that many adults in the UK use alcohol to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety and depression, and highlights evidence that excessive drinking increases vulnerability to a range of mental health problems.

A recently published Danish study of treatments for obsessive compulsive disorder suggests that cognitive behavioural therapy offers more specific antiobsessional effects than a standard medication, although CBT together with the medication provided the greatest overall improvement in mood. CBT remains the most studied of all psychotherapy approaches, with a growing body of research supporting its effectiveness.

The first skin patch to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children will be sold under the name Daytrana. Designed to be worn for 9 hours, the ADHD patch contains methylphenidate, the same stimulant as that in Ritalin.

Schizophrenics struggle with such symptoms as hallucinations, delusions, social withdrawal, and other mental impairments that interfere with a normal lifestyle. Now a new federally-funded study has provided a head-to-head comparison of drugs that are most effective for treating schizophrenia. Another analysis of results for 300 patients provided more insight into the best medications for schizophrenia.

The anti-obesity drug rimonabant hasn’t even been approved for sale yet in the European Union, yet counterfeit versions of the drug are already being sold illegally over the internet, using the drug’s proposed brand name Accomplia. The EU Commission has warned bluntly: “Patients who buy unlicensed and counterfeit or illicit copies of rimonabant may be putting their health at risk”.