How better definitions of mental disorders could aid diagnosis and treatment

Mar 31, 2017 02:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Mental disorders are currently defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which includes hundreds of distinct diagnostic categories, but a new study we worked on suggests we could do...

New study shows HPV vaccine is working to reduce rates of genital warts

Mar 30, 2017 04:58 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced in Australia in 2007 and New Zealand in 2008 to prevent cervical cancer. It is free for women up to age 26 in Australia and to all women under 20 in New Zealand. This...

Why palpitations or an irregular heartbeat need urgent attention

Mar 30, 2017 04:24 am UTC| Health

When your hearts rhythm is faster than the recommended 60 to 100 beats per minute, its time to listen to it. The Conversation Africas Health and Medicine Editor Joy Wanja Muraya spoke to Dr Harun Argwings Otieno on why...

Beware of claims that mindful eating will help you lose weight

Mar 29, 2017 14:23 pm UTC| Health

Mindful eating is increasingly being promoted as a solution to being overweight. Mindful eating, we are promised, will help us eat less, transform our relationship with food and end our battle with weight once and for all....

A soldier and a sex worker walk into a therapist’s office. Who's more likely to have PTSD?

Mar 28, 2017 11:10 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

When we think about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we most often think of soldiers traumatised by their experiences of war. But the statistics tell another story. While about 5-12% of Australian military...

Did medical Darwinism doom the GOP health plan?

Mar 28, 2017 11:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Health Politics

We are now contemplating, Heaven save the mark, a bill that would tax the well for the benefit of the ill. Although that quote reads like it could be part of the Republican repeal-and-replace assault against the...

Technology-facilitated abuse: the new breed of domestic violence

Mar 27, 2017 16:34 pm UTC| Health Law

Domestic violence is a serious national issue in Australia and globally. It is an inherently gendered crime. Research consistently shows the overwhelming majority of offenders are male and the victims are...