Research News
To ensure that we are providing the best and most current information to our members, NAMI monitors current research across the field of mental health. On this page, you can find up-to-date information from government organizations like the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), private institutions like the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, and academic and industry researchers.
For more new stories from the National Institute of Mental Health, please visit their Science News website.
For more new stories from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, please visit their Newsletter website.
May 14 2019
Naloxone is a medication administered by nasal spray or injection to reverse opioid overdose. In some states, a doctor must prescribe naloxone. In other states, pharmacists have the authority to dispense naloxone without a prescription to certain people—for example, people who are enrolled in a treatment program for substance abuse. Between 2013 and 2016, nine states instituted laws to allow pharmacists to dispense naloxone without a prescription to anyone who requests it. A new study shows that these states experienced the sharpest decrease in fatal opioid overdoses—an average 27% reduction in deaths in the first year after passing the law. To learn more about this study, please visit the NIH website.
May 01 2019
In recent years, studies have helped us understand much more about the way the immune system and the brain signal to each other and how these patterns can cause physical and behavioral health problems. Two new studies show that individuals with higher levels of inflammation have lower levels of connectivity in areas of the brain involved in emotional regulation and executive function. This suggests that immune stress can predispose a person to emotional difficulties, drug use and other risky behaviors. To learn more about this study, please visit the NIDA website.
May 01 2019
NIH has launched a new website for its MedlinePlus magazine offering content in English and Spanish. The site is fully bilingual, allowing users to search for magazine content by health topic or by quarterly print issue. Content includes articles, interviews, news stories and videos on a range of physical and mental health topics. To learn more, please visit the MedlinePlus website.