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.

Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit From Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

On January 1, 2012, in Cancer, Meditation, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Jame Armer

Women recently diagnosed with breast cancer have higher survival rates than those diagnosed in previous decades, according to the American Cancer Society. However, survivors continue to face health challenges after their treatments end. Previous research reports as many as 50 percent of breast cancer survivors are depressed. Now, University of Missouri researchers in the Sinclair School of Nursing say a meditation technique can help breast cancer survivors improve their emotional and physical well-being.

Depression Can Lead To Heart Disease

On December 21, 2011, in Depression, Disease | Disorders, Psychophysiology, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a women with a cane walking down the street

Depression may have more far-reaching consequences than previously believed. Recent data suggests that individuals who suffer from a mood disorder could be twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to individuals who are not depressed. This process has been poorly understood — until now. A new study led by Concordia University has found that depressed individuals have a slower recovery time after exercise compared to those who are non-depressed.

Sleep Disorders Are Common Among Police Officers With Links To Increased Risk Of Poor Health And Safety / Performance Outcomes

On December 20, 2011, in Sleep, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
police officers

A survey of police officers indicated that about 40 percent have a sleep disorder, which was associated with an increased risk of adverse health, safety and performance outcomes, according to a study in the December 21 issue of JAMA. Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and shift work disorder, affect 50 to 70 million U.S. residents. Most are undiagnosed and remain untreated. The study was conducted by Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and colleagues. Included in this report is a video summary of the study results.

Long-Lasting Depressive Symptoms And Physical Impairment Often Follow ICU Stays

On December 9, 2011, in Depression, Healthcare, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a patient receiving treatment

Critically ill patients who recover from a potentially deadly syndrome known as acute lung injury frequently emerge with new, apparently long-lasting depressive symptoms and new physical impairments that make them unable to perform many daily tasks, Johns Hopkins research suggests. Results of the new study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, also suggest that the depressive symptoms frequently precede the new physical impairments, not the other way around.

Group Programs To Prevent Childhood Depression Prove To Be Effective

On December 7, 2011, in Depression, Psychotherapy, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a troubled teenage girl

Psychological interventions to prevent depression in children and adolescents can be useful and with protective effects that last for up to a year, finds a new systematic review. According to research cited in the new review, in 2002, depression ranked second greatest cause of disability in developed countries and first in many developing ones. The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

Medication Spending Is Up, While Psychotherapy Utilization Decreases For Depression

On December 5, 2011, in Depression, Healthcare, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
Prozac

Over a 10-year period, spending for Medicaid-enrolled patients with depression increased substantially but only minimal improvements in quality of care were observed, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The study was carried out by Catherine A. Fullerton, M.D., M.P.H., of Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance, Boston, and colleagues.

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.

‘Concreteness Training’ Can Be A Self-Help Treatment For Depression

On November 29, 2011, in Depression, Psychotherapy, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a lonely, depressed man

This study suggests an innovative psychological treatment called ‘concreteness training’ can reduce depression in just two months and could work as a self-help therapy for depression in primary care. Led by the University of Exeter and funded by the Medical Research Council, the research shows how this new treatment could help some of the 3.5 million people in the UK living with depression.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Reduces Disability And Depression In Adolescents With Fibromyalgia

On November 22, 2011, in Fibromyalgia, Psychotherapy, submitted by Christopher Fisher, PhD
a stressed girl

A recent trial shows cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) reduces functional disability and depressive symptoms in adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia. The psychological intervention was found to be safe and effective, and proved to be superior to disease management education. Full findings from this multi-site clinical trial are published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

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