General Research Studies About Mental Illness

A Family Genetic Study of Tourette Syndrome (TS), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

The Center for Human Genetic Research with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is conducting a research study that focuses on families affected by Tourette Syndrome (TS), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The Center's researchers are looking for common behavioral straights, such as attention difficulties and impulsivity, which may be shared by these conditions. If found, researchers want to determine whether these traits are heritable, that is, can be passed down from parent to child. We hope that the information we learn will eventually help researchers to develop better treatments for these conditions.

The current study is enrolling families in which there is at least one child between the ages 6 to 21 who has TS, ADHD, and/or OCD, or any combination of these conditions. The participation of both parents, brothers and sisters is desired. Subjects will complete interviews, questionnaires and assessments examining areas, such as attention, impulsivity, problem-solving, visual-spatial skills, and sensory sensitivity. Researchers will also collect a blood or saliva sample for DNA testing. Study participation is strictly voluntary and may require 3-6 hours per person for the completion of all study tasks. NOTE: Study visits can be at MGH or in your home.

Families coming to MGH will have parking and meal expenses paid for them. Upon completion of all study tasks, families will be paid $100 for their participation. If a family meets the criteria and are interested in learning about this study, please call the Genetic Family Study at 1-800-471-2730, or send an email to cillmann@partners.org. Please visit our website at www.ts-adhd-ocd.org.

Posted: 24 August 2007

Stanford researchers are seeking participants for a study to learn about the effects of the medication olanzapine on the hormone insulin.

We are looking for people who are:

30-66 years old
overweight
already taking one of these meds: Olanzapine (Zyprexa®), Ziprasidone (Geodon®), Aripiprazole (Abilify®) or Risperidone (Risperdal®).

GET A FREE PRE-DIABETES TEST

Compensation up to $320

For more information: Call 650-493-5000 x67289

The study is conducted by the Stanford School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

Looking for a Few Good Men--With Borderline Personality Disorder

Hello, my name is Randi Kreger. I am the coauthor of the book Stop Walking on Eggshells and the author of the Stop Walking on Eggshells Workbook, both published by New Harbinger Publications. These are books for people who have a family member with Borderline Disorder.

I am writing a third book now, and I am having a very difficult time finding men with BPD who might be willing to discuss their views of the disorder. For example, how do you think fear of abandonment shows itself with men—is it different than women? Did you know that 25% of those with BPD are men—yet they are terribly overlooked in studies and educational material. I want to change that.

I am quite willing to work with whatever limits you set as far as what you do or don’t want to talk about, how I can guarantee being anonymous and such. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.

If you are interested, or might know someone who is, please contact me; see below. Anyone interviewed will get a free autographed copy of the book once it is published.

Thank you!

Randi Kreger
Randi@BPDCentral.com
WWW.BPDCentral.com
Eggshells Press
Phone: 414-267-2410

MENTAL ILLNESS INTERNET SURVEY:

Dr. Susan Miller of Florida State University is conducting an online survey about internet usage and social support and quality of life in persons with mental illness. You are invited to participate in this survey if you:

a) Have been diagnosed with a mental illness and
b) Are 18 years of age or older

Participation in the survey will take approximately 30 minutes. There are no anticipated risks to completing the survey. Please click on the following link if you wish to participate: http://surveys.coe.fsu.edu/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=3M2l743048l1G. You may also email Dr. Miller at smiller@coe.fsu.edu to have this link emailed to you directly. Thank you very much!

Help Us Solve the Schizophrenia Puzzle:

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has joined forces with university medical schools across the country including Harvard, UCLA, UCSD, Mount Sinai, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Univ. of Washington, and the Univ. of Colorado. Through this collaborative research project we hope to learn more about the genetic basis of schizophrenia. Understanding the genetic components of schizophrenia is crucial to finding out about the risk factors, and heritability of this illness. It may also help us to create more effective treatments, and hopefully, someday, find a cure.

What if my family does not live near any of the schools listed? In some cases we will be able to accommodate family members who do not live near any of the testing sites. Each situation is different, but we hope to include as many families as possible.

We will not ask you to change your medication in any way. The study lasts about 2-half days. Each participant will be paid for time spent participating in the study.

For additional questions about this study, please call (toll-free) 1-866-359-2496 or go to www.schizophreniaresearch.net

Recovery

The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University is conducting a research study to explore the ways in which mental health providers can promote recovery from disabling mental illnesses. The center is inviting consumers, providers, and providers with a mental illness to participate in the study. Participants are asked to fill out a brief and anonymous online survey. The survey may take 15 to 30 minutes to complete and the answers will be used to help enhance professional practices that promote recovery from mental illness. If you would like to participate in this study the survey can be accessed at www.bu.edu/sarpsych/recoverysurvey/. For additional information about this research study contact: Dr. Zlatka Russinova at 1-617-353-3549 or by email: zlatka@bu.edu.

Siblings Diagnosed with Severe Mental Illness

Tara Earl, a doctoral student in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, is undertaking a study looking at brothers and sisters who provide care for their brothers and/or sisters diagnosed with a severe mental illness. If you are a brother or sister of a person with a severe mental illness, please consider participating in this study. Whle the researcher is particularly looking for siblings of color (ethnic minorities), ALL siblings are welcome to participate by completing a questionnaire. If you are interested, please contact Tara Earl at 512-232-7117; or toll free at 1-888-404-4336; or tearl@mail.utexas.edu.