Thomasine Williams of Sherwood was constantly washing her hands and arranging and rearranging items. She was unable to go anywhere in public without taking a towel to sit on. She balked at opening doors and using silverware at restaurants. A mother of two, she first noticed her obsession with cleanliness when her children were young. […]

A team of UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute researchers is recruiting girls ages 11-17 for a study of how child abuse can change brain function and increase the likelihood of adults developing mental health disorders. The study, at the Brain Imaging Research Center, is hoping to uncover the effects early life trauma can have on the […]

The UAMS Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) and the Women’s Mental Health Program (WMHP) are recruiting participants for a research study that examines maternal behavior in depressed or opiate dependent mothers during the early postpartum period. Participants will be asked to submit a urine sample and to complete interviews and questionnaires regarding their background, mental […]

The UAMS Department of Psychiatry is hosting a wellness conference for mental-health professionals on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Hospital Lobby Gallery. “Hope for the Healing Heart” is open to physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and psychologists from all over Arkansas. The event is free; parking on campus is […]

LITTLE ROCK – A team of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) researchers has received a grant worth $1.45 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study the effects of trauma on adolescent girls in hopes of establishing a direct connection to substance abuse in adult women. Clint Kilts, Ph.D., director […]

The UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute will host an educational symposium designed to introduce Arkansas’ medical professionals to some of the latest innovations in interventional psychiatry. “Interventional Psychiatry – Innovative Treatment for Depression” will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room 8240 of the UAMS College of Public Health. Among […]

According to the Children’s Defense Fund, one in 10 children in this country has a mental illness serious enough to impair how they function at home, at school or with peers. Despite these high rates of mental illness in children, four out of five children who have mental health problems do not receive any help. […]

When a woman has depression, it interferes with her daily life and routine, such as going to work or school, taking care of children, and relationships with family and friends. Depression can cause pain for the person who has it as well as for those who care about him or her. Depression is a serious […]

Trauma occurs when a child, adolescent or adult experiences or witnesses a physically or emotionally harmful event or series of events. Traumatic events are not rare in the United States; around 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women will experience at least one trauma at some point in their lives, including sexual or physical […]

Everyone experiences ups and downs in their lives, but no one deserves to suffer from extended periods of sadness and depression. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 20.9 million American adults, or 9.5 percent of the population have mood disorders. These include major depressive disorder; dysthymic disorder (a chronic, mild depression); and bipolar […]