Active clinical trials for "Mental Disorders"

Onset of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, typically occurs during late adolescence or early adulthood often resulting in chronic social and occupational disability. Deficits in cognition and functional outcome often precede the onset of full-blown psychosis although to a lesser degree than observed in schizophrenia. Recent progress in risk identification methodology has enabled reliable detection of persons who appear to be putatively prodromal for psychosis, that is, at clinical high risk (CHR) of developing a psychotic disorder. Since these CHR individuals already evidence cognitive deficits, which increase around the time of conversion, cognition is an excellent treatment target. Furthermore, there is clear evidence, in schizophrenia and in CHR samples, that deficits in cognition are related to poor functional outcome. Thus, treatments targeting cognition may consequently improve functional outcome. The primary aim of the project is to reduce cognitive deterioration and improve cognition among youths at CHR using cognitive remediation and to test the effectiveness of a new cognitive remediation program, the Brain Fitness program, in improving cognition of CHR individuals. A control treatment consisting of video games (VG) will be used. The primary hypothesis is that the BF group will have improved cognition at the end of treatment and 12 months post baseline compared to the VG group. A secondary hypothesis is that improved cognition will be associated with improved functioning. This is a longitudinal, single blind, placebo controlled pilot trial of cognitive remediation in 36 CHR persons. Participants will be randomised to either the BF or VG program, which will be administered over a period of 3 months. Assessments will occur at baseline, post treatment (3 months) and at 12 months after baseline. All subjects will be recruited in year 1 of the project and treatment will be completed by 15 months. The 40 hours of training will occur 4 days a week, for an hour each day, over a period of 10 -12 weeks.

This study evaluates Parenting Wisely (PW), an interactive, computer-based, online parenting program, through a formal randomized trial conducted in collaboration with the juvenile justice system (JJS), the primary market for such a program. Parents of 450 delinquent receiving JJS services as usual (SAU) will be randomly assigned to: PW plus a social networking online discussion forum, PW alone, or SAU. The investigators will also determine the potential marketability of the PW intervention to JJS programs based on the effects of PW on parent report and direct observation measures of parenting behaviors, adolescent behaviors, and family functioning, as well as measures of recidivism and cost savings. User satisfaction, program comprehension, receptivity, and parent self-efficacy will also be assessed. The investigators hypothesize that the two PW interventions (PW only and PW + Social Network) will produce greater reductions in disruptive behavior problems from baseline to 3- and 6-month assessments compared to SAU.

The primary aim of this application is to conduct a randomized, controlled clinical trial of a specialized mental health service delivery system specifically developed for prodromal psychotic disorders. The intervention is Family-aided Assertive Community Treatment (FACT). The goal of the treatment is prevention of psychosis and disability. This study will assess experimentally the clinical effectiveness of this new type of mental health service. Other domains of outcome include cognitive dysfunction and functional disability.

The project is a 15-year follow-up of 240 young adults whose families participated in an experimental evaluation of the New Beginnings Program (NBP), a preventive intervention for divorced families. The NBP was provided in late childhood; the follow-up occurred in young adulthood. Families were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: mother program (MP), dual-component mother and child program (MPCP), or literature-control (LC) condition. Programs were designed to change several putative mediators of children's post-divorce mental health problems using empirically-supported change strategies. The investigators expected that the NBP would have either main or risk by program interactive effects on mental health and substance use problems and disorders, developmental tasks, parent-young adult relationships, physical health problems, and competencies, such that YAs who participated in NBP will have better functioning than YAs in the control condition. The investigators expected that the NBP will have either main or risk by program interactive effects on mothers' mental health; those in the NBP are expected to have fewer mental health problems than those in the control condition.

Iron is essential for brain development and there is a well established association between iron deficiency in infants and poor neurological development. In Sweden, about 5% of newborns have low birth weight (< 2500 g). Due to small iron stores at birth and rapid postnatal growth, they have increased risk of iron deficiency and it is therefore important to prevent iron deficiency in this population. However, excessive iron supplementation can have adverse effects in infants such as growth impairment. In a randomized, controlled trial, we are investigating the effects of 0, 1 or 2 mg/kg/d of iron on brain myelination, cognitive development and growth in low birth weight infants.

Recent studies show that 25 - 30% of depressed patients never fully recover, resulting in a treatment-resistant condition. Thus, depression is a major cause of human suffering. We are interested in finding new ways of identifying and alleviating treatment-resistant depression, and we believe that recent advances in brain imaging can contribute to achieving that goal. In this project, we will use a novel compound ([N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine) that we invented for examining the neurochemistry of brain receptors involved in antidepressant actions. Our compound, [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine, is closely related to the clinically effective antidepressant drug mirtazapine (Remeron®). It labels several types of noradrenergic receptors that have often been implicated in "stress reactions" as well as depressive disorders. We believe that our compound can identify specific molecular brain dysfunctions that are causally related to treatment-resistant depression. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a reliable relationship between the level of mirtazapine in the bloodstream and the occupancy of neuroreceptors by mirtazapine in the brain. We will apply our standard procedures of PET brain scanning and region-of-interest data analysis, using healthy volunteers who will receive a daily dose of mirtazapine (double-blind design with placebo, 7.5 mg or 15 mg daily for 5 days). We believe that this project could provide a procedure for assessing brain function in treatment-resistant depression, with the aim of improving the guidelines for successful, evidence-based treatment of depression.

It is of great importance to generate interventions that help ensure greater inclusion and social participation of the population that was and is a victim of the armed conflict, especially in the post-conflict transition in Colombia, and to influence development in the post-accord period through relationships between groups and society. Therefore, the question for this investigation is, what is the effectiveness of a community-based cross-sector network for the management of mental problems and disorders associated with forced displacement due to armed conflict in the commune of Soacha - Cundinamarca, in order to contribute to inclusion and social participation in the post-accord period? Objective: To design a community-based cross-sector network for the management of mental problems and disorders associated with forced displacement due to armed conflict in the commune of Soacha - Cundinamarca, in order to contribute to inclusion and social participation in the post-accord period in Colombia.

During pregnancy and in the year after birth women can be affected by a range of mental health problems. Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental illnesses during the perinatal period. In low socio-economic country like Bangladesh, there is a huge knowledge gap. Perinatal mental disorders are preventable or manageable conditions if can be addresses primariliry at the community level. Better antenatal detection of depression offers an opportunity for earlier intervention to address the illness and reduce the risk that will cause longer term problems for the mother or her baby. Most of the patients do not seek care for mental health problems as they think if they go for treatment other people would tell them 'mad'. Moreover, due to lack of necessary training of the healthcare providers at primary and secondary level the patients with mental health problems cannot get adequate services to meet the requirements. Objective of the study is to develop a package of community-based primary mental healthcare services for delivering with the maternal services care in preventing perinatal mental disorders. The investigators will conduct an interventional study by using both quantitative and qualitative research methodology. At first, a literally feasible package of community-based primary mental healthcare services will be developed through series of workshops. Then training will be provided to the community health workers on developed package. For the cluster randomization trial will be done to test the efficacy in reduction of perinatal mental disorders. One group of pregnant mothers will be provided the developed package of sevices along with the antenatal care and another group will be provided only routine antenatl care. Both the groups will be ensured at least four sessions of antenatal care. Following up will be through the whole pregnancy period. Afterthat, assessment will be done on mental disorders (anxiety and depression) among the both groups and will be compared to find the efficacy of the package in terms of proportion of mental disorders among the perinatal mothers. For data collection, we use different check list. Moreover, in-depth interview and focus group discussion with different groups of community people will be done to get feedback and suggestions on the package. Then the community based primary mental healthcare package will be finalized.

Trial to prove the functionality and efficacy of a content-free speech analysis tool to detect problematic mental health status or phases of patients with pre known or unknown mental health disorders, focussed on affective disorders or neurodevelopmental disorders. The participants talk in free speech to the tool, this will be analyzed content-free and compared with psychological instruments to detect the mental status in conventional way.

The present study aims to determine the effect of presenting psychoeducation emphasizing "growth-mindset," and information on depression and anxiety symptom severity. The investigators hypothesize that psychoeducation emphasizing that mental health is malleable will increase the participant's engagement with risk factors outlined in the intervention