The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT has received a $20 million philanthropic commitment to support research into mental illness. The gift, from MIT alumnus James Poitras and his wife, Patricia, of Narcoossee, Fla., will be used to establish the James W. and Patricia T. Poitras Center for Affective Disorders Research.

A psychiatrist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that although mortality from cardiovascular disease has declined in the United States over the past several decades, patients with severe psychiatric illness are not enjoying the benefits of that progress.

A leading health researcher says all levels of government should be working together to change the way Australia's health services deal with mental illness in young people.

Mental illness and emotional distress in patients with advanced cancer are often overlooked by oncologists but, if screened for, can be adequately managed to improve a patient’s quality of life.

Thousands of young Australians dealing with the dual problems of substance abuse and mental illness may be being denied help. A conference in Melbourne has heard that many services are not handling the joint issues properly and are simply passing young, vulnerable clients on to other services.

The Mental Health Council of Australia says up to 500,000 Australians are facing the dual challenge of substance use and mental illness.

Health plans seldom require screening for substance abuse and mental health in primary care even though it can improve detection, according to a new Brandeis University study published in the July issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. This may be a missed opportunity to help people with mental illness or substance abuse problems, only a fraction of whom currently receive treatment.

Each year, one in four U.S. adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder according to the National Institute of Mental Health. When diagnosed, such individuals often are culturally labeled as a “mentally ill person,” which can affect negatively their social and psychological well-being.

Comedian Richard Jeni had a history of mental illness that may have contributed to his decision to take his own life in March 2007, indicates a coroner's report.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today called on countries to provide a network of community health services to alleviate the hardships faced by the nearly 54 million people around the world suffering from mental disorders as well as those caring for them.

Research conducted at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs proves not everything goes downhill when it comes to aging. Older adults exhibit a better balance than younger adults in the way they process emotional information from the environment, according to research completed by Michael Kisley, assistant professor, Psychology, along with his collaborator, Stacey Wood from Scripps College and with the assistance of students at UCCS.

Psychiatric researchers at The Zucker Hillside Hospital campus of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have uncovered evidence of a new gene that appears to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by distorted thinking, hallucinations and a reduced ability to feel normal emotions.