Depression as Deadly as Smoking, Study Finds
A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking. Utilising a unique link between a survey of over 60,000 people and a comprehensive mortality database, the researchers found that over the four years following the survey, the mortality risk was increased to a similar extent in people who were depressed as in people who were smokers.
ScienceDaily - 11/19/2009
Full recovery now possible for an 'untreatable' mental illness: Innovative therapy that offers new hope
Patients coping with the chaos and misery of Borderline Personality Disorder now have reason for strong confidence in making major life changes through a new treatment, Schema Therapy. For the first time, three major outcome studies have shown that many patients with Borderline Personality Disorder can achieve full recovery across the complete range of symptoms. In one study Schema Therapy was shown to be more than twice as effective as a widely practiced ...
EurekAlert - 11/19/2009
Parental Monitoring Can Curb Teen Marijuana Use: Those who keep an eye on their kids help stave off unwanted behavior, study says
Parents who take the time to know what their teenage children are up to and have strong anti-drug views can be effective in reducing their children's marijuana use, a new study says. Among all the illicit drugs, marijuana is the most widely used by teens, with nearly 42 percent of high school seniors having tried it, according to the study authors.
HealthDay - 11/19/2009
Motivational 'Women-Only' Cardiac Rehab Improves Symptoms of Depression
Depressive symptoms improved among women with coronary heart disease who participated in a motivationally-enhanced cardiac rehabilitation program exclusively for women, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009. Depression often co-occurs with heart disease and is found more often in women with heart disease than in men. Depression also interferes with adherence to lifestyle modifications and the ...
ScienceDaily - 11/19/2009
Common plastics chemicals linked to ADHD symptoms
Phthalates are important components of many consumer products, including toys, cleaning materials, plastics, and personal care items. Studies to date on phthalates have been inconsistent, with some linking exposure to these chemicals to hormone disruptions, birth defects, asthma, and reproductive problems, while others have found no significant association between exposure and adverse effects. A new report by Korean scientists, published by Elsevier in ...
EurekAlert - 11/19/2009
The depressed are more apt to get opioids for pain
People who suffer from depression are much more likely to be prescribed powerful opioid painkillers like morphine and codeine and to stay on the drugs long-term, new research shows. What's more, they are often prescribed these more potent medications at higher doses, Dr. Jennifer Brennan Braden of the University of Washington in Seattle and her colleagues found. Because depressed people may also be at greater risk of abusing or becoming addicted to ...
Reuters - 11/19/2009
Army helps vets with ‘invisible wounds’ get jobs: Officials say many veterans with PTSD struggle to find employment
Richard Martin keeps a rearview mirror on his desk to prevent co-workers from startling him in his cubicle. The walls are papered with sticky notes to help him remember things, and he wears noise-canceling headphones to keep his easily distracted mind focused. Martin, an Army veteran who was nearly blown up on three occasions in Iraq, once feared that post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury would keep him from holding down a civilian job, despite years of ...
MSNBC - 11/19/2009
Thoughtful Words Help Ease Impact of Marital Strife on Immune System
Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system. "Previous research has shown that couples who are hostile to each other show health impairments and are at greater risk of disease," said Jennifer Graham, assistant professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State. "We wanted to know if couples who ...
ScienceDaily - 11/16/2009
Don't Be Happy, Be Worried: Sports Fans Need Dose of Negative
For sports fans watching their favorite team play, the greatest enjoyment comes only with a strong dollop of fear and maybe even near-despair, a new study suggests. Researchers studied fans of two college football teams as they watched the teams' annual rivalry game on television. They found that fans of the winning team who, at some point during the game, were almost certain their team would lose, ended up thinking the game was the most thrilling and suspenseful.
Ohio State University - 11/16/2009
Ethnic pride may boost African-American teens' mental health
A study of more than 250 African-American youths from urban, low-income families examined the unique effects of racial identity and self esteem on mental health. Findings reveal that when young people's feelings of ethnic pride rose between 7th and 8th grades, their mental health also improved over that period, regardless of their self-esteem. The researchers also found that racial identity was a stronger buffer against symptoms of depression for boys than for girls.
EurekAlert - 11/16/2009
Youths See All Parental Control Negatively When There's A Lot Of It
A new study has found that young people feel differently about two types of parental control, generally viewing a type of control that's thought to be better for their development more positively. However, when parents are very controlling, young people no longer make this distinction and view both types of parental control negatively.
ScienceDaily - 11/13/2009
Teens' mental health affects how long they stay in school, new study shows
Queen's University researcher Steven Lehrer has won a prestigious international award in recognition of his contributions to health economics. A professor in Queen's School of Policy Studies and Department of Economics, Dr. Lehrer shares the RAND Corporation's Victor R. Fuchs Research Award with Jason Fletcher of Yale University. Their prize-winning paper, recently published in the journal Forum for Health Economics & Policy, examines the effects of ...
EurekAlert - 11/12/2009
Smoking tied to suicide risk in bipolar disorder
People with bipolar disorder who smoke appear to have a heightened risk of suicidal behavior -- possibly because they are generally prone to impulsive acts, a new study suggests. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is marked by dramatic swings in mood -- ranging from episodes of debilitating depression to periods of euphoric recklessness. Previous studies have found that bipolar patients who smoke have a higher suicide risk than their non-smoking ...
Reuters - 11/12/2009
Chocolate Soothes the Stressed-Out Soul: Study found eating dark version lowered levels of stress hormones
Feeling stressed? A dose of dark chocolate could cheer you right up by lowering your stress hormone levels, a new study suggests. Swiss researchers, who report their findings in the online issue of the Journal of Proteome Research, tracked volunteers who said they were highly stressed. "The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 grams [1.4 ounces] during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers," ...
HealthDay - 11/12/2009
Study Links Yo-Yo Dieting to Addiction: Rats fed sugary chow suffered withdrawal when regular meals returned
Not a big fan of dieting? Join the club. But new research in rats hints at why weight loss is so tough -- perhaps as tough as kicking drug addiction. In the study, rats weaned off a high-calorie diet showed the same effects on the brain as withdrawing from drugs and alcohol. Rat brains aren't the same as human brains, of course, and human neurology may work differently. But study author Pietro Cottone said the research suggests there's indeed a link between yo-yo dieting and ...
HealthDay - 11/12/2009
Mood Improves On Low-fat, But Not Low-carb, Diet Plan
After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters' mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Obese individuals who lose weight tend to have an improved psychological state, including a better mood, according to background information in the article.
ScienceDaily - 11/12/2009
Depressed and Pregnant? Flu Shot May Be Needed: Symptoms of seasonal flu could be severe in this group of women, study finds
Pregnant women who are depressed may suffer severe symptoms if they catch seasonal flu, a new study suggests. Ohio State University researchers assessed depressive symptoms and took blood samples from 22 pregnant women before they received a seasonal flu shot. Those with significant symptoms of depression had a stronger inflammatory response to the flu shot than the other women.
HealthDay - 11/9/2009
Easing nightmares can ease depression
The night Yael Levy turned a circle of menacing sharks into a ring of harmless dolphins, she knew she had achieved mastery over a life-long foe: her nightmares. "I was able to change my nightmare while it was happening," says the 29-year-old New York City graduate student. "I had control over my dreams." That relief was more than Levy expected when she showed up at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center two years ago. Levy says she just ...
USA Today - 11/9/2009
Brain Stimulation May Ease Treatment-Resistant Depression: Small study reports some people went from incapacitated to working again
Electrical stimulation of a certain area of the brain may prove an effective treatment for severe depression, say German researchers. They implanted electrodes in the nucleus accumbens area of the brains of 10 people. This area of the brain is part of the reward system that ensures that people remember good experiences and puts them in a state of pleasant anticipation. None of the study participants had responded to psychotherapy or drug treatment.
HealthDay - 11/9/2009
Suicides in the downturn raise worries about recession’s real cost
Coroner John White is presiding over a sad tally in this northern Indiana county, tracking rising numbers of suicides he believes are linked to the lingering recession. Rumors of an economic recovery may be whispered elsewhere, but here, where the downturn remains entrenched, 22 people have killed themselves this year, and two more cases were likely suicides, outpacing the county's annual average of 16 self-inflicted deaths. In more than a quarter of the cases, ...
MSNBC - 11/9/2009
Chill: A little stress may help you live longer -- Being frazzled can be good for you, but you've got to find the right balance
Here's a statement you never hear: "I'm so stressed out — it's awesome!" But the fact is, certain pressure-filled situations — say, the occasional public-speaking gig or cramming for an exam — can be good for your health. "There are good and bad types of stress. The bad kind is chronic and uncontrollable, like the tension caused by an unhappy marriage or a sick relative," says Edward Calabrese, Ph. D., a toxicologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
MSNBC - 11/6/2009
Without Job Stress, Retirees Sleep Better: Those who left demanding jobs report the most improvement, study finds
What you're not doing once retired seems to make a good night's sleep come more easily. A study of nearly 15,000 French workers who had retired found that the odds of having disturbed sleep in the seven years after retirement were 26 percent lower than in the seven years before they stopped working. Sleep improvements probably had less to do with how they were spending their retirement, though, than with the removal of the demands and psychological stress ...
HealthDay - 11/6/2009
Treating depression in teens has lasting benefits
Longer-term treatment of depression for adolescents is associated with persistent benefits, even after treatment ends, according to results of the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). TADS is a randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of three common treatments for adolescents with depression: the antidepressant Prozac (also called fluoxetine); "talk therapy," also called cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT); their combination ...
Reuters - 11/4/2009
Folate Levels in Pregnancy Tied to ADHD in Offspring
Low folate levels during pregnancy are associated with higher odds for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring aged 7 to 9, new research has found. The findings seem to support the long-held belief that folate (folic acid) levels in expectant mothers influence their children's nervous system development.
HealthDay - 11/4/2009
How stressed are kids? More than we think
Howard Hirsch, an insurance executive from Lomita, Calif., was laid off two years ago, and it took him a few months to find work. Now the family is very cost-conscious – and he knows that can't help but affect his sons, ages 9 and 11. "They see that my wife and I are stressed. They see we are financially stressed. They see they can't do some of the things we used to do. We don't go out to eat as much. We don't go to movies as often. We have to explain to them there's ...
USA Today - 11/4/2009
Depression May Blur Memory of Aches and Pains: Expert suggests having people write down symptoms as they occur
Depressed people tend to report more physical symptoms than they actually experience, a new study finds. The study involved 109 women who completed questionnaires designed to assess their levels of neuroticism and depression. For the next three weeks, they kept daily records of whether they felt any of 15 common physical symptoms, including aches and pains, gastrointestinal problems and upper-respiratory issues. At the end of the three-week period, the women ...
HealthDay - 11/4/2009
Use Of Cannabinoids Could Help Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Patients
Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. This is exposed in a new study carried out at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa's Department of Psychology. The study, carried out by research student Eti Ganon-Elazar under the supervision of Dr. Irit Akirav, was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
ScienceDaily - 11/4/2009
Why memory lane is such a mortifying stroll: Your brain is wired to keep mental souvenirs from times you'd rather forget
While most of us have a few humiliating memories tucked away in our heads, we seldom think about why they tend to stick around so long. But a researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center offer insights into why the brain gloms on to certain memories, particularly ones stemming from a single incident.
MSNBC - 11/2/2009
Depression link to processed food
Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression, research suggests. What is more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found. Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported. The team said the study was the first to look at the UK diet and depression.
BBC News - 11/2/2009
'Culture Of We' Buffers Genetic Tendency To Depression
A genetic tendency to depression is much less likely to be realized in a culture centered on collectivistic rather than individualistic values, according to a new Northwestern University study. In other words, a genetic vulnerability to depression is much more likely to be realized in a Western culture than an East Asian culture that is more about we than me-me-me. The study coming out of the growing field of cultural neuroscience takes a global look at mental health across ...
ScienceDaily - 10/30/2009
Psychotherapy Beats Light Treatment for SAD: Study finds it easier, more effective therapy for seasonal affective disorder
As daylight hours dwindle, people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can often feel the onset of wintertime depression, but a new study suggests one type of remedy may work better than another at banishing the SAD blues. Cognitive behavioral therapy specially designed to treat people with SAD is more effective at preventing recurrences of depression than either light therapy or a combination of the two, the study found.
HealthDay - 10/29/2009
Millions of Americans Don't Get Enough Sleep: Seven hours of rest a night is important for good health, expert says
Only one-third of adults say they are getting enough sleep every night, a new U.S. government report shows. Some 50 million to 70 million American adults suffer from sleep and wakefulness disorders, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not getting enough sleep has been tied to mental distress, depression, anxiety, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and certain risk behaviors including cigarette smoking, physical inactivity ...
HealthDay - 10/29/2009
No Pain, No Gain: Mastering A Skill Makes Us Stressed In The Moment, Happy Long Term
No pain, no gain applies to happiness, too, according to new research published online in the Journal of Happiness Studies. People who work hard at improving a skill or ability, such as mastering a math problem or learning to drive, may experience stress in the moment, but experience greater happiness on a daily basis and longer term, the study suggests.
ScienceDaily - 10/29/2009
Phone Counseling for Depression Rings With Promise: Talk sessions plus psychotherapy offer most benefit, study finds
An intensive telephone counseling program for people with depression offers substantial benefits at moderate cost, U.S. researchers say. They studied 600 people who were randomly assigned to one of three types of care for their depression. One group received telephone care management, which included five outreach calls for monitoring, support, feedback and care coordination. Another group received telephone care management plus psychotherapy, which added ...
HealthDay - 10/27/2009
Depression Often Goes Untreated in Working Moms: Health insurance, employee assistance could help mothers get treatment, researchers say
More than 65 percent of U.S. mothers with depression don't receive adequate treatment, a new study has found. Black, Hispanic and other minority mothers are least likely to receive adequate treatment. Mothers with health insurance are three times more likely to receive adequate treatment than those without insurance, wrote the researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
HealthDay - 10/27/2009
Kids on psych drugs have alarming weight gain: Many gain between 10 and 20 pounds in only 11 weeks, new study shows
Children on widely used psychiatric drugs can quickly gain an alarming amount of weight; many pack on nearly 20 pounds and become obese within just 11 weeks, a study found. "Sometimes this stuff just happens like an explosion. You can actually see them grow between appointments," said Dr. Christopher Varley, a psychiatrist with Seattle Children's Hospital who called the study "sobering." Weight gain is a known possible side effect of the anti-psychotic drugs which are ...
MSNBC - 10/27/2009
Married With Children The Key To Happiness?
Having children improves married peoples' life satisfaction and the more they have, the happier they are. For unmarried individuals, raising children has little or no positive effect on their happiness. These findings by Dr. Luis Angeles from the University of Glasgow in the UK have just been published online in Springer's Journal of Happiness Studies. Previous research suggests that increasing numbers of children do not make people any happier, and in some cases the ...
ScienceDaily - 10/27/2009
Antidepressants get to work immediately to lift mood, contrary to current belief, UK researchers say
Although patients may not notice the effects until months into the therapy, the team say they work subconsciously. The action is rapid, beginning within hours of taking the drugs, and changes negative thoughts, according to the Oxford University researchers. These subtle, positive cues may add up over time to lift the depression, the American Journal of Psychiatry reports. It may also explain why talking therapies designed to break negative thought cycles can also help.
BBC News - 10/26/2009
Adolescents' Gambling A Part Of A Cluster Of Problem Behaviors
Ten percent of young adolescent boys -- or one in 10 -- exhibit a symptom of conduct disorder as well as a symptom of risky or problem gambling, according to new research findings from the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA). As the number of conduct disorder symptoms increase, the number of problem gambling symptoms increase in step, the study showed.
ScienceDaily - 10/26/2009
A younger, smarter wife is the secret of a happy marriage, say experts
The secret to a happy marriage for men is choosing a wife who is smarter and at least five years younger than you, say UK experts. These pairings are more likely to go the distance, particularly if neither has been divorced in the past, according to the Bath University team. The findings predict a happy future for pop star Beyonce Knowles, 28, and rapper husband Jay-Z, 39. The work is published in the European Journal of Operational Research.
BBC News - 10/26/2009
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