The following Fact Sheets are available in pdf version to download (click on the link below) or from the Institute. If you would like further material on Mental Illness, please contact the Institute on (03) 9388 1633.

Fact Sheet No. 1: The Institute
Fact Sheet No. 2: Schizophrenia
Fact Sheet No. 3: Alzheimer's Disease
Fact Sheet No. 4: Mental Illness
Fact Sheet No. 9: Bipolar Affective Disorder
Fact Sheet No. 10: Clozapine

A Guide to Psychotropic Drugs

Australian Health Mental Services Guide

Mental Illness: The Facts
One in five Australians will experience a mental illness.

'Mental Illness' is a general term relating to those illnesses that affect the mind in the same way that other illnesses affect other parts of the body.
Mental illnesses can come and go throughout people's lives and often people may only experience a mental illness once and then fully recover. For other people it is more repetitive or continuous. Mental illness is caused by a physical dysfunction in the brain, however exactly what it is that triggers this is still a mystery.
People who suffer from mental illnesses can suffer a great deal, being disturbed or frightened by their illness. They often experience rejection and discrimination.
Mental illnesses can be separated into two main categories: psychotic and non-psychotic illnesses. For more information on various types of mental illnesses, please follow the links below.
The Mental Health Research Institute is working hard towards improving our understanding of the causes of mental illness and continues its work thanks to the generous support of corporate and private donors.

Please click on the links below for information about the following categories of mental illnesses:
Depression
Alzheimer’s disease
Psychotic Illnesses
Non-Psychotic Illnesses
Schizophrenia
Other Disorders
Myths and Misunderstandings

Mental Illness News

Mental illness affects four out of five
MORE than four out of five people suffer mental illness or have a family member or friend who is affected, says a report for one of Australia's largest charities.
To read the full article click here.

Enhanced Environment Restores Memory in Mice with Neurodegeneration
A new study has found that placing mice in an enriched environment can reinstate learning behavior and reestablish access to long-term memories after significant brain atrophy and neuronal loss has occurred.
To read the full article click here.

Blood Test Can Diagnose, Monitor Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
A simple test to diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD) before symptoms appear by measuring the levels of a protein in blood is being developed by researchers from the Howard Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne and The Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria.
To read the full article online click here.

Atypical Antipsychotics in Bipolar Disorder
By CME/CE David A. Gutman, MD, PhD; Charles Nemeroff, MD, PhD Medscape
Although bipolar disorder is one of the most devastating of all psychiatric disorders in terms of risk for suicide, need for hospitalization, and suffering, the available pharmacologic agents for its treatment, until relatively recently, have been quite limited.
To read the full article online click here.

Study Detects a Gene Linked to Alzheimer’s
By NICHOLAS WADE, The New York Times
Published: January 15, 2007
A variant gene involved in Alzheimer’s disease has been detected through study of Dominican families living in Manhattan, scientists are reporting today.
To read the full article online click here.

Study Detects a Gene Linked to Alzheimer’s
By NICHOLAS WADE, The New York Times
Published: January 15, 2007
A variant gene involved in Alzheimer’s disease has been detected through study of Dominican families living in Manhattan, scientists are reporting today.
To read the full article online click here.

Troubled Children
A New York Times Series
At least six million American children have difficulties that are diagnosed as serious mental disorders, according to government surveys — a number that has tripled since the early 1990's.
This series will examine issues including the transition to adulthood, the uncertainty of diagnosis, the use of multiple medications and the role of parents.
To read the full articles online click here.

Treating the Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: An Expert Interview With Joseph Coyle, MD
Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health, Posted 11/13/2006
On behalf of Medscape, Jessica E. Gould, BA, interviewed Joseph Coyle, MD, Eben S. Draper Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and Director of the Laboratory of Molecular and Psychiatric Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Coyle discussed the significance of negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, including how they are identified and treated. Dr. Coyle is a member of the NARSAD Scientific Council and has received several awards for his accomplishments.
To read the full article online click here.

$1M for Alzheimer’s Quest
By ANDREW OKUYIGA
The Harvard Crimson, Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Professor Rudolph Tanzi, who recently visited the Mental Health Research Institute as the John and Alison Kearney Visiting Professor for 2006, has recently been awarded funding for his research into the genetic causes of Alzheimer's Disease.
To read the full article online click here.

Evidence-Based Prescribing for Bipolar Disorder: An Expert Interview With Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD
Posted 19/10//2006 Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD
The pharmacotherapy of patients with bipolar disorder is sometimes very challenging for the psychiatrist or primary care provider. The number of available medication options continues to expand, but knowing how and when to apply them requires knowledge and skill. On behalf of Medscape, Randall F. White, MD, FRCPC, obtained advice on this matter from expert psychopharmacologist Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. To read a full transcript online click here.

Two Weeks of Lifestyle Changes Improve Cognitive Function
Caroline Cassels, Medscape Medical News 2006, July 25, 2006
Simple lifestyle changes, including memory exercises, daily exercise, relaxation techniques, and a healthy diet, significantly improve cognitive function and brain efficiency in as little as 2 weeks, a small pilot study suggests. To read the full article online click here (note: you will need to register free on this site to read the article).be

Treatment of Dementia: Anything New?
From Current Opinion in Psychiatry
Posted on Medscape 12/04/2006
The aim of this article is to discuss new data on presently approved drugs for dementia, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, and concerns regarding the use of antipsychotics for treating neuropsychiatric symptoms, as well as to summarize some relevant studies recently published on emerging therapies with potential disease-modifying effects.
To read the full articles online click here.

Physical and Somatic Symptoms in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression: An Expert Interview With Maurizio Fava, MD
Posted 26/05/2006, Medscape
The interplay of physical and somatic symptoms significantly complicates the diagnosis and treatment of patients with depression. As many as two thirds of depressed patients in primary care present with somatic symptoms, including general aches and pains, insomnia, and fatigue. These patients are difficult to diagnose and treat, feel a greater disease burden than those without somatic symptoms, and rely heavily on healthcare services. Patients who present with somatic complaints are 3 times more likely to be misdiagnosed compared with patients who have no physical complaints. On behalf of Medscape, Jennifer M. Covino, MPA, spoke with Maurizio Fava, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, about the role of physical and somatic symptoms in the diagnosis and treatment of depression and approaches that may improve results. To read a full transcript online click here.

Link Between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Deepens
17 July 2006, The New York Times
Several new studies suggest that diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, adding to a store of evidence that links the disorders. The studies involve only Type 2 diabetes, the most common kind, which is usually related to obesity. To read the full article online click here.betes and Alzheimer’s Deepens

Mental Health Gets $170 Million Budget Boost
Tuesday 30th May 2006 - Victorian Government Media Release
Health Minister, Bronwyn Pike, outlines the increase in state funding addressing mental health issues in our communities, including a focus on early intervention. For a full copy of the media release click here.

Physical Frailty Increases Your Risk for Alzheimer's
May 25, 2006
According to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation , signs of bad physical health such as weak grip or lack of balance could result in an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, explaining why regular exercise may help to ward off Alzheimer's in old age. For a full copy of the article click here.

Screening for Depression in Primary Care
Saturday 9th July 2005
Despite the frequency of depression, diagnosis by nonspecialist practitioners is often haphazard. Studies show that primary care physicians who provide usual care fail to recognize depressive symptoms in 30% to 50% of patients with depression.[7] What is being missed is not a small problem here and there, but a range of disorders, some of which-such as major depression-occur frequently and can be quite severe. For example, of persons who committed suicide, 40% had visited their primary care physician in the month before their death.[8,9] During these visits, the question of suicide was seldom raised. For a full copy of the article please click here.

Early Intervention May Help Ward Off Alzheimer's
Monday June 27th 2005
Getting regular exercise, eating a heart-healthy diet, even avoiding gum disease may help to ward off Alzheimer's years down the road, new research suggests. The findings, presented last week at the Alzheimer's Association's first International Conference on the Prevention of Dementia in Washington, D.C., add to a growing body of evidence that lifestyle measures may help to keep the brain young as we age. For a copy of the full article please click here.

Folic acid helps slow memory loss
Wednesday June 22nd 2005
High-dose folic acid pills - providing as much of the nutrient as one kilogram of strawberries - might help slow the cognitive decline of aging. So says a Dutch study that shows a vitamin could really improve memory. The research, unveiled this week at a meeting of Alzheimer's researchers, adds to mounting evidence that a diet higher in folate is important for a variety of health effects. It's already proven to reduce birth defects, and research suggests it helps ward off heart disease and strokes, too. For the complete article please click here.

Study finds strong link between epilepsy and risk of schizophrenia
Friday June 17th 2005
People with a history of epilepsy are at increased risk of developing schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychosis, concludes a study published online by the BMJ today.
For access to full article please click here.