Page last updated at 09:22 GMT, Friday, 1 May 2009 10:22 UK Drinking water which contains the element lithium may reduce the risk of suicide, a Japanese study suggests. Researchers examined levels of lithium in drinking water and suicide rates in the prefecture of Oita, which has a population of more than one million. The suicide rate was significantly lower in those areas with the highest levels

Children growing up alongside the rise of social networking websites may have a "potentially dangerous" view of the world, says a leading psychiatrist. Dr Himanshu Tyagi said sites such as Facebook and MySpace may be harmful. He told the Royal College of Psychiatrists annual meeting people with active online identities might place less value on their real lives. And the West London Mental Health N

The 1961 Suicide Act says it is illegal to aid, abet, counsel, procure or incite someone to kill themselves. But to be successfully prosecuted the individual has to have knowledge and participated in the suicide. The researchers, from Bristol, Oxford and Manchester universities, typed in 12 simple suicide-related search terms into the internet engines. They analysed the first 10 sites in each sear

The doctor who first linked the MMR vaccine to autism has defended the way he carried out his research and his motivation for doing so. Dr Andrew Wakefield said he adhered to official guidelines in his research, which led to the publication of the 1998 Lancet paper. He said he had wanted to help treat and prevent autism after being approached by worried parents. Dr Wakefield, and two colleagues, d

Encouraging cancer patients to write down their deepest fears about the disease may improve their quality of life, according to a US study. Nancy Morgan, a "writing clinician", approached patients waiting in a clinic at a cancer centre in Washington DC. Half those who took part said the exercise changed the way they thought about the illness, according to the journal The Oncologist. Younger people

Parents with stressful lives may be making their children as well as themselves vulnerable to illness, research suggests. A University of Rochester study, reported by New Scientist, found sickness levels were higher in children of anxious or depressed parents. It also found links between stress and immune system activity in the children. A UK scientist said children were "highly resilient", and ur

Pregnant women should consider avoiding caffeine, say researchers who found even moderate consumption in early pregnancy raises the miscarriage risk. Currently, the Food Standards Agency sets an upper limit during pregnancy of 300mg - or four cups of coffee a day. But an American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology study found more than 200mg of caffeine a day doubled the risk compared to abstai