Mental health experts say more people die from suicides each year than from wars and murders combined.

Dr. Jose Manoel Bertolote, a mental health official at the World Health Organization, says about 20 to 60 million people attempt to kill themselves every year, but only 1 million succeed.

Brian Mishara, president of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, tells Reuters that those who do kill themselves "are tragic situations where help could have been provided

A new study suggests that children of alcoholic parents could become addicts themselves. In addition, they may undergo emotional, behavioral and mental problems.

Earlier studies reveal that approximately 70 percent of children with alcoholic parents do tend to assume a compulsive behavioral pattern associated with alcohol, drugs, food, sex, work, or gambling. While, half also end up marrying alcoholics

A study says that long-term abstinence from alcohol can help the body recover from the damage caused by drinking; and it might even help in regaining cognitive ability.

Studies that have been done before in the area confirm that a prolonged history of alcohol dependency often results in "neuropsychological deficits in cognitive efficiency, executive functioning, perceptual motor skills, nonverbal memory, visuospatial abilities and gait and balance

A new research studying the effects of alcohol on sleep in women found that a moderate amount of liquor could produce deeper sleep, particularly in the initial hours.

The study, led by Mary A. Carskadon, PhD along with the Bradley Hospital Sleep, Chronobiology Laboratory and Brown Medical School, looked at a group of women who were between 22 and 25. They were given 0.49g/kg of alcohol, which is equivalent to three drinks (as in vodka tonics) an hour before bedtime over a period of three consecutive nights

A study in the Archives of General Psychiatry reveals obesity may increase the risk of some mental illnesses, including mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders like panic or generalized anxiety disorder. At the same time, the study indicates that the risk for alcoholism and drug abuse is less with obesity.

A national survey of over 9,000 men and women was conducted to collect data. Over 2,300 had a body mass index -a measure of weight relative to height - of 30 or higher which are determiners for obesity. Interestingly enough, the obesity-psychiatric illness association was most common among whites and people with higher education levels