the Mental health community of South Africa

Financial crisis to increase mental illness

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:13:00 +0200

BEIJING: The global financial crisis is likely to cause increased mental health problems and even suicides as people struggle to cope with poverty and unemployment, the World Health Organisation warned Thursday, 9 October, 2008. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Antipsychotics linked to risk of stroke

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:48:00 +0200

All drugs used in the treatment of psychosis appear to increase the risk of stroke. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Drinking themselves stupid: Binge drinking in teens reaching epidemic proportions

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:09:00 +0200

Do you drink until you're drunk - but only on weekends? Do you defend your teenager's drinking because “all her friends drink, and it's only at parties”? Binge drinking, “the consumption of five or more drinks in one sitting” (WHO), has become a serious problem among South African youth where 15.8% of boys and 9% of girls had their first drink before they were 13 (The South African Youth Risk Survey, 2002). Read full story... | Send to a friend

Antidepressants may affect driving ability

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:23:00 +0200

A new study has raised serious concerns about how some people prescribed antidepressants are affected by the drugs. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Toll-free Substance Abuse Help Line answers the pleas of desperate South Africans

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:49:00 +0200

If South Africa has ever had a need for a specialised toll-free helpline, it is for this severely under-reported, under-emphasised epidemic - substance abuse. Read full story... | Send to a friend

International Day Against Drug Abuse sees launch of toll-free Substance Abuse Help Line

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:06:00 +0200

"Illicit drugs destroy innumerable individual lives and undermine our societies. Confronting the illicit trade in drugs and its effects remains a major challenge for the international community." (Kofi Annan) Read full story... | Send to a friend

Sildenafil improves antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction in women

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:54:00 +0200

Women with sexual dysfunction caused by the use of antidepressants experienced a reduction in adverse sexual effects with use of sildenafil, commonly known as the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, according to a study in the July 23/30 issue of JAMA. Read full story... | Send to a friend

St. John's wort not effective in treating ADHD

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:11:00 +0200

St. John's wort does not appear to improve the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and teens in comparison with a placebo. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Rural woman woes

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:01:00 +0200

Research indicates rural, unmarried women have a higher risk of depression than their married counterparts do. Read full story... | Send to a friend

Teens stressed and sleepless because of mobile phones

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:38:00 +0200

The latest research into the use of mobile phones suggests that they can cause sleep problems in teenagers. Read full story... | Send to a friend