• Current mental health services in the United States are not adequately equipped to help the country’s Latino population, according to a newly released study by the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities. The study cites cultural, social and language barriers as hindrances to care.
• The Alzheimer’s Society is funding a research project to investigate whether chronic stress is a risk factor in developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. “This is the first stage in developing ways in which to intervene with psychological or drug-based treatments to fight the disease,” said Clive Holmes, lead investigator on the study.

• Four inmates who struggle with mental illnesses are taking part in a class-action lawsuit alleging that they have not received adequate mental health services since being held at the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, the country’s most secure “supermax” penitentiary.
• When an elderly person falls, his or her physical health is always a primary concern. But research has found that mental health should be a focus as well after a new study discovered that older people struggling with depression are more likely to fall.
• After recalling a negative event, thinking about a loved one or a romantic partner can make you feel better, reduce negative thoughts and possibly lead to fewer mental and physical health problems for at least a month afterward, according to Cornell University researchers.

Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.