Lifting depression can help the heart; exercise is essential.

When a cardiologist asks how a patient is feeling, the question usually refers to the body. But he or she should ask about moods and emotions, too. The answer can offer important information about a person's general as well as cardiovascular health.

Mental and physical health, historically understood as separate entities, are now known to be profoundly intertwined. The relationship between depression and heart disease is a good example. People who are depressed are more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than people who aren't depressed. ...

Can some food additives or nutrients affect symptoms? The jury is still out.

Diet alone probably isn't the driving force behind the multiple behavioral and cognitive symptoms that plague children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But several studies have renewed interest in whether certain foods and additives might affect particular symptoms in a subset of children with ADHD.

All of the qualifiers in the previous sentence are intentional. Traditional research finds no support for radical diets like the Feingold diet — which eliminates nearly all processed foods as well as many fruits and vegetables — for the majority ...

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Caring for someone with a brain disorder can be especially hard.

Any serious illness is stressful — not just for the person with the illness but also for the loved ones and friends who care for that person. This may be especially true when the illness is a brain disorder.

The National Family Caregivers Association estimates that more than 50 million Americans are caregivers for an elderly, disabled, or chronically ill family member or friend. And while the term "caregiver" may conjure up images of a gentle soul who fluffs pillows and ladles out steaming bowls of chicken soup, ...

Research into the genetic origins of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder suggests that, while distinct, the two mental illnesses are more alike than different.

Stress affects the brain's ability to shift attention, think creatively, and solve problems, but if the stress is alleviated, the effects are unlikely to linger.

Q. If I have obsessions or compulsions, does that mean I have obsessive-compulsive disorder?

A. Look around and you may find many people in your neighborhood who are troubled — at least once in a while — by obsessions (persistent, intrusive, anxiety-provoking thoughts) or compulsions (irresistible urges to repeat certain behaviors). So, no, these symptoms on their own do not indicate a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Clinicians make an OCD diagnosis only when symptoms cause significant distress, are time-consuming, or interfere with work, social activities, or relationships. As with most psychiatric diagnoses, there is no clear boundary between having ...