The study's findings, published this month in the journal Psychiatric Services------

People with serious mental illness -- schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and disabling depression -- are 2.6 times more likely to develop cancer than the general population, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

Can acupuncture help with those mental condition ?

New research concludes, "that patients diagnosed with schizophrenia would benefit from acupuncture treatment alongside conventional treatment.” Acupuncture was effective in alleviating schizophrenia and the side effects of psychiatric medication. Acupuncture also improved energy levels, sleep, physical disorders, and motivation.
Acupuncture has been used to treat mental health disorders, including schizophrenia, for more than 2000 years. However, in an analysis by the Cochrane Review (the leading medical review publisher) in early 2006 it was determined that there is:"insufficient evidence to recommend the use of acupuncture for people with schizophrenia. The numbers of participants and the blinding of acupuncture were both inadequate, and more comprehensive and better designed studies are needed to determine the effects of acupuncture for schizophrenia."

Acupuncture is currently being studied as a complementary treatment for bipolar disorder. Depending on the individuals underlying causes and specific symptoms, acupuncture may be able to treat some of the unpleasant symptoms of bipolar or other mood disorders. Specifically, acupuncture can help quell excessive energy during manic states, and help raise energy levels during severe depression. Some researchers believe that it may help people with bipolar disorder by modulating their stress response. Studies on acupuncture for depression have shown a reduction in symptoms, and there is increasing evidence that acupuncture may relieve symptoms of mania also.University of Arizona College of Medicine reported positive results on the use of acupuncture as a treatment for major, or unipolar, depression.

Current evidence supports the integrative treatment of BD using combinations of mood stabilizers and select nutrients. Other CAM or integrative modalities used to treat BD have not been adequately explored to date; however, some early findings are promising. Select CAM and integrative interventions add to established conventional treatment of BD and may be considered when formulating a treatment plan. It is hoped that the safety issues and clinical considerations addressed in this article may encourage the practice of safety-conscious and evidence-based integrative management of BD.[1]

Many clinical studies have shown that acupuncture is significantly effective in treating postpartum depression,Postpartum depression treatment would use acupuncture points to help restore your yin and blood as well as help balance the flow of your Qi. This can help balance your mood, improve your sleep, and increase your appetite. Additionally, there are Chinese herbal formulas as well as nutritional suggestions that can help improve your condition as well.Expect to have several sessions before feeling your symptoms of postpartum depression lift. Some women feel a drastic change in their moods after just one acupuncture session, but this is rare. The majority of people feel better after a series of appointments, while others find that this treatment method does not affect them at all.
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Reference:[1]Sarris J, Lake J, Hoenders R.J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Oct;17(10):881-90.

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ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2012) — Neuroscientists studying the link between poor sleep and schizophrenia have found that irregular sleep patterns and desynchronised brain activity during sleep could trigger some of the disease’s symptoms. The findings, published in the journal Neuron, suggest that these prolonged disturbances might be a cause and not just a consequence of the disorder’s debilitating effects.The possible link between poor sleep and schizophrenia prompted the research team, led by scientists from the University of Bristol, the Lilly Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), to explore the impact of irregular sleep patterns on the brain by recording electrical brain activity in multiple brain regions during sleep.