Month: April 2010

A study found that people taking antipsychotic medications, which can cause weight gain, were able to lower their body mass index and improve their overall health by taking metformin, which lowers blood sugar.

Researchers are exploring a potential link between thyroid deficiency and mental health problems. Though the findings are inconsistent, there is evidence that thyroid medication can help those with depression, even if their thyroid function is normal.

Medications under study may be able to treat Alzheimer’s disease, by targeting the abnormalities that develop in the brain long before the disease manifests.

Researchers believe that bipolar disorder is being overdiagnosed, perhaps because clinicians find it easier to treat than disorders with similar symptoms, such as depression.

In the mental health community, there is debate about whether treatment that leads to higher self-esteem should be a goal in itself, or whether improving self-esteem should come as a result of achieving other goals in one’s life.

In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.