Girls Report More Mental Distress And Are Prescribed More Psychiatric Drugs Than Boys

On January 10, 2012, in Medication, Mental Health, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
anti-depressant medication

More than 15 percent of Norwegian teenagers ages 15 to 16 reported “mental distress,” or symptoms of depression and anxiety, with significantly more girls reporting distress than boys, according to a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Girls with mental distress were also more likely than their male counterparts to be prescribed psychotropic drugs — those that alter chemical levels in the brain, affecting behavior and mood.

Fewer Allergies In Infants Who Are Not Stressed

On December 17, 2011, in Anxiety, Immunology, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a father holding his young baby

A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows that infants with low concentrations of the stress-related hormone cortisol in their saliva develop fewer allergies than other infants. Hopefully this new knowledge will be useful in future allergy prevention. The study is published in the December paper issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

A Novel Stress Regulation Mechanism Is Identified

On December 13, 2011, in Anxiety, Neuroscience, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
human brain

Neuroscience researchers from Tufts have demonstrated, for the first time, that the physiological response to stress depends on neurosteroids acting on specific receptors in the brain, and they have been able to block that response in mice. This breakthrough suggests that these critical receptors may be drug therapy targets for control of the stress-response pathway. This finding may pave the way for new approaches to manage a wide range of neurological disorders involving stress.

Most United States’ Presidents Live Beyond Average Life Expectancy

On December 6, 2011, in Anxiety, Health | Fitness, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
John F. Kennedy

Contrary to claims that United States’ presidents age at twice the normal rate, a new study finds that most U.S. presidents live longer than expected for men of their same age and era. The research letter, by noted University of Illinois at Chicago demographer S. Jay Olshansky, is published in the Dec. 7 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Boys With Regressive Autism, But Not Early Onset Autism, Have Larger Brains Than Age-Matched Healthy Counterparts

On December 2, 2011, in Autism, Brain Imaging, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Research Director David Amaral and Assistant Professor Christine Wu Nordahl

In the largest study of brain development in preschoolers with autism to date, a study by UC Davis MIND Institute researchers has found that 3-year-old boys with regressive autism, but not early onset autism, have larger brains than their healthy counterparts. The study is published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

Depression And Anxiety Not Linked To Delayed Resolution Of Abnormal Mammograms And Pap Tests

On December 1, 2011, in Mental Health, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a mother who is stressed out

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind to examine the relationship between pre-existing depression (with and without anxiety) and the amount of time to diagnostically resolve an abnormal mammogram and/or Pap test, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found suffering from depression was not associated with a prolonged time to diagnostic resolution in a vulnerable population of urban women. These findings currently appear in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Police Officers At Lower Risk Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Than Previously Believed

On November 22, 2011, in Anxiety, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
police car

Although police officers are at a high risk of experiencing traumatic events (TE) in their work, they are no more likely than the general population to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are the findings from the second phase of an original and groundbreaking study published by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) on the risk and protective factors of post-traumatic stress reactions in Quebec police officers.

Transcendental Meditation Significantly Decreased Psychological Distress In Public School Students

On November 17, 2011, in Anxiety, Meditation, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Middle School

With record levels of student stress reported in a recent UCLA survey, can a simple stress-reducing meditation technique be a viable solution? A new study published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology found the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique significantly decreased psychological distress in public school students. The study, conducted with at-risk minority secondary school students, showed a 36 percent reduction in overall psychological distress. Significant decreases were also found in trait anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Children’s Anxiety And Depression Halved When Parenting Is Styled To Personality

On November 11, 2011, in Family | Social, Mental Health, Personality, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
father with his two daughters

When it comes to rearing children, just about any parent will say that what works with one kid might not work with another. Parents use all sorts of strategies to keep kids from being cranky, grumpy, fearful or moody, while encouraging them to be independent and well-adjusted. But which parenting styles work best with which kids? A study by University of Washington psychologists provides advice about tailoring parenting to children’s personalities.

Omega-3 Reduces Anxiety And Inflammation In Healthy Students

On November 10, 2011, in Anxiety, Health | Fitness, Immunology, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
omega-3

A recent study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people. The research, supported by the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), was conducted by a team of scientists that has spent more than three decades investigating links between psychological stress and immunity.

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