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The Oprah Winfrey Show recently discussed natural remedies for depression w
2008-01-29 19:55:00
Last week The Oprah Winfrey  Show discussed natural remedies for depression with Dr. Mehmet Oz and David Mischoulon, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Personally, I take a dim view of natural remedies for patients with severe depression. I had tried all of them and had absolutely no success. Also I think it trivializes a very serious biological illness.According to Dr. David Mischoulon, researchers are uncovering evidence that suggests that certain natural remedies may be effective in treating depression. The doctors talked  about diagnoses and treatments for depression, including three over-the-counter remedies which may be beneficial to patients when used in conjunction with professional help. The three remedies discussed were: Omega-3s: Dr. Mischoulon says preliminary studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oils (not flaxseed) may be effective for treating depression. Taking a daily supplement may have other benefits ...
More About: The Oprah Winfrey Show , Depression , Natural

Heath Ledger: a very lonesome cowboy, relaxed on the ranch but very nervo
2008-01-28 05:45:00
Heath Ledger was relaxed in the peacefulness of the ranch when he played a gay cowboy in the movie Brokeback Mountain. Off the ranch, he clearly struggled with many complex issues. His friends and associates applauded him as being a wonderful kind person. But you can still be a "good guy" and struggle with drugs and addiction. Jack Nicholson, his co-star in the upcoming movie The Joker made a very insightful comment:“There are too many around today who are lonely,” Nicholson said. “Film acting will drive you nuts – if you let it. You can get everything out there if you are young and famous. Any woman. Any drug. But you have to build up your safety zone. You’ve got to build up friendships and keep to them. People who suffer from depression are loners. It is a coping mechanism. I think that the talking pundits are confusing his alledged "shyness" when indeed  he was suffering from depression. Isolation, social withdrawal and drug use are classic sym...
More About: Heath Ledger , Cowboy , Heath , Ranch

Don't Suddenly Stop Taking an Antidepressant: learn about 7 symptoms you m
2008-01-28 00:59:00
If you want to stop taking an antidepressant, it's important to speak with your doctor first, the American Academy of Family Physicians says. The doctor may recommend weaning your body off the medication gradually. People who stop an antidepressant too quickly may trigger a host of symptoms that doctors call antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Symptoms may include: Anxiety. Feelings of depression or sadness. Moodiness and irritability. Tiredness. Headaches and dizziness. Nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea. If an antidepressant is causing an unpleasant side effect, your doctor may opt to lower your dose or prescribe a different type of antidepressant altogether. I know that the entire trial and error process is a total drag. I have been there and back. But it is critical that you strictly follow you doctor's directives.
More About: Stop , Learn , Antidepressant , Taking

Six different prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sleepin
2008-01-24 05:27:00
I am so very saddened by the death of Heath Ledger. I am particularly upset that he lived the last months of his life unhappy, anxious, exhausted   and depressed. According to New York City Police: Six different types of prescription drugs were found in Heath Ledger's apartment — including anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills — though the cause of his death won't be known for several days after a preliminary autopsy Wednesday came back inconclusive, authorities said.The Australian-born actor was found dead Tuesday by his housekeeper and a massage therapist — lying naked and face-down on his bed, police said. The pills were found in bottles in Ledger's bedroom and bathroom, and police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said that the autopsy on the 28-year-old actor was inconclusive and that more would be known in about 10 days, when more tests w...
More About: Anxiety , Medications , Anti , Antidepressants

Academy award nominee Heath Ledger ("Brokeback Mountain") found dead in app
2008-01-23 00:06:00
This is another sad story of a celebrity who seem to have everything: fame, fortune and fans. Yet he had nothing with inner peace and happiness. The star and Academy nominee for his role in the film Brokeback Mountain , Heath Ledger , was found dead today in his apartment in New York City due to a drug overdose. He was found by his housekeeper in his bedroom with pills strewn all over the room.When paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.It's shocking and a tragedy, especially given that the gifted, handsome twenty-eight-year-old actor was a new father and with a new movie. He plays The Joker in the upcoming Batman film, "The Dark Knight". But he will always be best known groundbreaking role as Ennis in "Brokeback Mountain." May he rest in peace.
More About: Academy Award , Dead

Battling the Bulge With Electricity: yet another potential involving the va
2008-01-22 20:57:00
Within a few years, Americans may have a new tool to fight back against obesity: electricity. Not from the power grid, but from implanted pacemaker-like devices that influence a key nerve linked to food-related functions, including feelings of hunger and fullness. The quest for obesity-fighting drugs and devices is a tricky area where companies have stumbled before, and hacking into the nervous system can prove challenging. But it's also a potentially huge market given the prevalence of obesity and the scarcity of useful, low-impact treatments. The company with the most attention-getting efforts here may be EnteroMedics Inc. The St. Paul, Minn.-based company is testing an implantable device called Maestro that periodically blocks transmission on the digestion-controlling vagus nerve. Limited study data suggests it may trigger significant weight loss. A bigger, yearlong randomized study that's enrolling over the next six months could put the company on track for U.S. approval in...
More About: Electricity

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the top five things you should know about this di
2008-01-22 05:50:00
Chronic fatigue syndrome • 5 things you should know January 21, 2008 1. FINALLY, VALIDATION Not long ago, chronic fatigue syndrome was dismissed as "yuppie flu." Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have labeled it a disabling disease, as debilitating as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The syndrome affects more than 1 million Americans, with only 20 percent of victims diagnosed. People with the disorder experience profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and may grow worse with physical or mental activity. Despite an intensive, nearly 20-year search into environmental, genetic and other factors, the cause remains unknown. 2. WHAT IT IS An international panel of experts ruled in 1994 that victims must have at least four of these symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multijoint pain without swelling or redness; headaches of a new type, pattern or severit...
More About: Syndrome , Things , Chronic Fatigue

Britney Spears: what was Dr. Phil thinking? What are medical credentials? P
2008-01-18 19:15:00
Dr. Phil does not have a medical degree, has no respect for the HIPAA Privacy laws and put his needs ahead of a deeply troubled person. It was a pitiful,  focused the spotlight on his ego and poor judgment. Phil McGraw says his recent visit to Britney Spears in the hospital was appropriate. His only regret: issuing a statement about it."Was it helpful to the situation? Regrettably, no. It was not, and I have to acknowledge that and I do," the talk show host told his audience Thursday during taping of a Dr. Phil episode that will run Monday."I definitely think if I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't make any statement at all. Period."Later, in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, McGraw discussed events that have made him the focus of intense criticism: the Jan. 5 hospital visit, his statement about it to Entertainment Tonight and a planned then canceled episode that was to have focused on Spears' situation.He stopped practicing years ago and i...
More About: Medical

Pharma's fancy foot work; data on antidepressants often shelved
2008-01-18 00:43:00
Nearly a third of antidepressant drug studies are never published in the medical literature and nearly all happen to show that the drug being tested did not work, researchers reported today. Researchers accuse drugmakers of displaying a bias in how they report the results of drug trials involving popular antidepressants like Prozac. In some of the studies that are published, unfavorable results have been recast to make the medicine appear more effective than it really is, said the research team led by Erick Turner of the Oregon Health & Science University.Even if not deliberate, this can be bad news for patients, they wrote in their report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine."Selective publication can lead doctors to make inappropriate prescribing decisions that may not be in the best interest of their patients and, thus, the public health," they wrote.The idea that unfavorable test results are quietly tucked away so nobody will see them -- sometimes call the "f...
More About: Work , Data , Antidepressants , Foot , Fancy

Antidepressants Under Scrutiny: Sweeping Overview Suggests Suppression of N
2008-01-17 05:13:00
Today's Wall Street Journal published a very controversial story about the effectiveness of antidepressants:The effectiveness of 12 popular antidepressants has been exaggerated by manufacturers' selective publication of favorable results, researchers asserted in a new review of unpublished data that were submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. As a result, the review concludes, doctors and patients are getting a distorted view of the effectiveness of blockbuster antidepressants like Wyeth's Effexor and Pfizer Inc.'s Zoloft. The review was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.Dr. Turner, who once worked at the FDA reviewing data on psychotropic drugs, said the idea for the study was triggered in part by colleagues who questioned the need for further clinical drug trials looking at the effectiveness of antidepressants. "There is a view that these drugs are effective all the time," he said. "I would say they only work 40% to 50% of the time," based on his r...
More About: Antidepressants , Scrutiny , Overview , Sweep

'Client,' 'Sleepers' Actor Brad Renfro Dies. Drugs, alcohol and depression
2008-01-16 23:49:00
Another Hollywood star falls victim to drugs, alcohol, addiction and depression. Brad Renfro was a street-smart Tennessee schoolboy plucked from obscurity in 1993 to play the title role in "The Client."The film's success brought him instant stardom, but struggles with drugs and alcohol dogged his career. On Tuesday, he was found dead in his home. He was 25.Blair Berk, who worked for a time as Renfro's defense attorney, tells PEOPLE that there's something particularly tragic and disturbing about the talented actor's death at such a young age."As critical and prescient as you become in this town, all I did was cry when I heard the news," Berk says. "I feel in some respects like we all failed."In "The Client," based on a John Grisham best-seller, he played a youngster who witnesses a suicide and gets caught up in a mob investigation. Susan Sarandon was nominated for an Oscar for her role as the lawyer the boy hires to help protect him.Renfro followed up with major parts in the 1995...
More About: Drugs , Depression , Sleepers , Alcohol

Fibromyalgia( chronic pain) finally is recognized as a real disease by the
2008-01-16 14:46:00
Fibromyalgia is a real disease. For patient advocacy groups and doctors who specialize in fibromyalgia, yesterday's approval of the drug  Lyrica is a milestone. They say they hope Lyrica and two other drugs that may be approved this year will legitimize fibromyalgia, just as Prozac brought depression into the mainstream. But other doctors — including the one who wrote the 1990 paper that defined fibromyalgia but who has since changed his mind — say that the disease does not exist and that Lyrica and the other drugs will be taken by millions of people who do not need them. As diagnosed, fibromyalgia primarily affects middle-aged women and is characterized by chronic, widespread pain of unknown origin. Many of its sufferers are afflicted by other similarly nebulous conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome. Because fibromyalgia patients typically do not respond to conventional painkillers like aspirin, drug makers are focusing on medicines like Lyrica that affect the bra...
More About: Pain , Disease , Real , Finally , Fibromyalgia

Dual diagnosis: Diabetes, Type 2 diabetes. Depression. Chronic diseases a
2008-01-15 14:22:00
Startling statistics are only one reason sufferers should get help and why research into this lethal combination must continue.  On the list of deadly diseases in the  United States, diabetes ranks fifth. And for so many reasons: major killers like heart attack and stroke are among a slew of diabetes' potentially lethal complications. Depression isn't typically cited among them. But it should be. Researchers for one study, published in the June 2006 issue of Diabetes Care, reported that depression increased the risk of mortality in people with diabetes by 30 percent. What's more, separate studies reveal both the odds of developing depression and the rate of depression is doubled for people who have diabetes to begin with. Published reports also suggest up to one-fourth of all people with diabetes suffer from depressive symptoms. "There is a lot of evidence the connection goes both ways," says Dr. Susan Guzman of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute in S...
More About: Diseases , Type , Diagnosis

Blame stress for just about everything. Stress kills. Its potentially fatal
2008-01-14 03:28:00
An article in Observer, the monthly magazine of the Association for Psychological Science, cites new research across psychology, medicine, neuroscience and genetics to conclude that stress is at the root of a whole range of health problems.Stress encompasses the strains experienced by living organisms in their struggles to adapt and cope with changing environments. When danger is perceived, a chain reaction of signals releases hormones like epinephrine ("adrenaline"), norepinephrine and cortisol from the adrenal glands.Besides heart disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression, chronic stress has been linked to ailments as diverse as intestinal problems, gum disease, erectile dysfunction, adult-onset diabetes, growth problems, and even cancer.These hormones kick up the heart rate, increase respiration, and up the glucose levels in the blood - enabling the "fight or flight" reaction. As these responses take a lot of energy, cortisol tells other physica...
More About: Blame , Fatal

HIV-Positive People With Depression More Likely To Follow Treatment Regimen
2008-01-12 23:25:00
      HIV-positive people with clinical depression who take the common antidepressants selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are more likely to follow their treatment regimens, according to a study published in a recent online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, HealthDay News/Washington Post reports.For the study, Michael Horberg -- director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif. -- and colleagues analyzed the mental health, disease progression and treatment data for nearly 3,400 HIV-positive people nationwide between 2000 and 2003. All of the participants recently had started highly active antiretroviral therapy, according to the study. The researchers found that 42% of the participants had depression during the 12-month study period. Participants who had depression were less likely to follow their treatment regimens and had worse viral responses than participants who were not depressed, according to the study. The st...
More About: People , Depression , Treatment , Positive

The top 5 health stories of 2007: Harvard Medical School
2008-01-10 21:46:00
Today, Harvard Medical School published its top 5 health stories of 2007. Not surprisingly, the human brain made the list:AVANDIA: What lessons did we learn? The FDA is supposed to allow drugs on the market only if they are safe and effective. In 2007, rosiglitazone (Avandia), became the latest medication found to have serious side effects that weren???t apparent when it was approved. The surprise came with study results showing that AVANDIA ??? markedly increases the risk of heart attack, as well as overall risk of dying from heart disease. The absolute risk is small: about one additional heart attack or cardiac death in 1,000 people taking the drug. . The surprise came with study results showing that AVANDIA markedly increases the risk of heart attack, as well as overall risk of dying from heart disease. The absolute risk is small: about one additional heart attack or cardiac death in 1,000 people taking the drug. The FDA put a ???black box??? warning on it, but rosiglitazone st...
More About: Health , Stories

Depression, antidepressants and unwanted weight gain can result in Type 2 d
2008-01-02 04:39:00
Depression sufferers are at twice the risk of developing Type II diabetes than the general population. Diabetes continues to grow as one of the nation's most alarming chronic diseases. One out of every 15 Americans live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Many lifestyle factors contribute to the risk of diabetes, including obesity's significance in the rise of type 2 diabetes. And the repercussions are severe: peripheral neuropathy (pain and numbness in the hands and feet), foot deformities and, finally, amputation. With the prevalence of an obesity epidemic in the U.S., type 2 diabetes is on an exponential rise, with children and young teens also being diagnosed. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas supplies too little insulin to keep up with the increased demand. Most often, patients are treated with a combination of diet and exercise with medication to increase and moderate insulin supply. Quiz: Are You Putting Yourself At Risk?To prevent those kinds of consequences , people who ar...
More About: Weight , Depression , Antidepressants , Result

Compulsive Hoarding: excessive clutter and disorganization are often sympto
2008-01-01 23:32:00
Getting organized is unquestionably good for both mind and body ??? reducing risks for falls, helping eliminate germs and making it easier to find things like medicine and exercise gear. But more importantly it is helpful for for your mental health. I''ve already started de-cluttering my house. It is a wonderful and liberating  feeling. Coincidentally today The New York Times published a terrific New Year's Day article about hoarding and the mental health ramifications of living in a cluttered home:Excessive clutter and disorganization are often symptoms of a bigger health problem. People who have suffered an emotional trauma  often find housecleaning an insurmountable task. Attention deficit disorder, depression   chronic pain and grief can prevent people from getting organized or lead to a buildup of clutter. At its most extreme, chronic disorganization is called hoarding, a condition many experts believe is a mental illness in its own right, although psychiatris...
More About: Clutter , Organ

Vagus nerve stimulation to be tested for the treatment of obesity and diabe
2007-12-18 17:00:00
Today Cyberonics, Inc., the manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator announced it had entered into an agreement with Ethicon Endo-Surgery granting exclusive rights to the company's patents and patent applications pertaining to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for the treatment of obesity and two related co-morbidities, diabetes and hypertension, in overweight patients. TEthicon Endo Surgery is owned by Johnson & Johnson, Inc."This agreement advances our mission to improve the lives of people affected by chronic neurological disorders," commented Dan Moore, Cyberonics' President and Chief Executive Officer. "Out-licensing our obesity-related patents permits us to obtain value from these assets while we continue to focus on our other strategic objectives -- achieving positive cash flow and profitability, growing our core epilepsy business, and appropriately developing our treatment-resistant depression business -- and provides an opportunity for a device leader in ...
More About: Obesity , Treatment , Tested

Vagus nerve stimulation may be effective for chronic pain or fibromyalgia;
2007-12-06 01:42:00
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain disorder of unknown origin, characterized by diffuse body pain and tenderness, often accompanied by depression and work disability. Conventional drug and behavioral therapies are often not successful in relieving FMS pain over time. For refractory FMS patients, those with severe, unrelenting pain, opioid maintenance therapy, the current 'last resort' treatment option, can be efficacious, however, it is commonly avoided for fear of addiction. Thus, FMS pain is often unrelieved leading to poor quality of life, disability, and economic disadvantage.Based on the encouraging results of pre-clinical and clinical research studies suggesting that vagus nerve stimulation VNS therapy may target central nervous system (CNS) processes involved in pain transmission at both spinal and supraspinal levels,stimulation of the vagus nerve might reduce pain and improve quality of life. The vagus nerve begins in the brain; it affects the vocal cords, the a...
More About: Pain , Effective , Fibromyalgia

FDA Approves Cymbalta for Maintenance Treatment of Major Depressive Disorde
2007-12-04 16:53:00
Eli Lilly and Company announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta(R) (duloxetine HCl) for the maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. "Relapse, the re-emergence of depressive symptoms after a successful treatment of depression, is a significant clinical concern," says Doug Williamson, M.D., Cymbalta associate medical director for Eli Lilly and Company. "This approval from the FDA is important because data from our Cymbalta clinical trial demonstrate that continuing to treat the patient delays the time to possible relapse." "Once an episode of depression has been successfully treated, it is imperative that the symptoms do not return," said Lauren Marangell, M.D., an internationally recognized expert on depression and other mood disorders and a distinguished scholar at Lilly. "The American Psychiatric Association has recommended maintenance of antidepressant treatment to help dec...
More About: Treatment , Maintenance , Major , Depressive , Tena

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation may be effective for Major Depression
2007-12-04 01:12:00
ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2007) ??? For the first time in a large-scale study, transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown to be an effective, non-drug treatment for major depression. Current antidepressant therapies are not beneficial for at least a third of depressed individuals, leaving many with a lack of adequate treatment options. Co-author Dr. Philip Janicak, professor of Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center, says the treatment may be an option for patients with major depression who have not responded to conventional antidepressant medications. Tran scranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive technique that excites neurons in the brain by magnetic pulses introduced through the scalp, has previously been identified as a potential new treatment for depression but prior, smaller studies have shown conflicting results. This study was also associated with a low dropout rate, due to generally mild side effects, indicating that the treatment was well-tolerated by p...
More About: Depression , Effective , Major , Rani

Vagus nerve stimulation may have implications for autoimmune diseases.
2007-10-26 16:09:00
Vagus Nerve Stimulation may be a New Way to Control Autoimmune Diseases A neurosurgeon at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research on Long Island New York, Dr.Kevin Tracey, MD has disproved the long held theory that there is no connection between the brain and the immune system. His research shows that the brain communicates directly with the immune system and sends out commands that control the inflammatory response to an infection and several autoimmune diseasesThey are now conducting clinical trials to see if stimulating the vagus nerve, which is the longest of the cranial nerves, will result in being able to block a defective inflammatory response and if it does, possibly be able to find a way to treat a variety of diseases, including sepsis, in which the whole body has an inflammatory response to and infection and which can be life threatening.The new knowledge that they have gained concerning the role of the vagus nerve in the regulation of inflammation, they feel t...
More About: Implications

Stress can aggrevate depression; new study by The American Psychological As
2007-10-25 15:40:00
We already know that the stress can aggravate depression. Sometimes when I get really stressed-out, I find it best to just lay down for thirty minutes, close my eyes and try to relax. The American Psychological Association just released a shocking study; one-third of Americans say that they are under " extreme stress":Worries about work and money are causing one-third of Americans to suffer from extreme stress, driving them to overeat, drink, and smoke. In an online survey for the American Psychological Association (APA) nearly half of the 1,848 people questioned believe their stress levels have shot up in the past five years, taking a toll on their personal relationships, work productivity and health. "We see stress as being an increasing problem," Dr Russ Newman, the executive director for professional practice at the APA, told a press briefing. Nearly three-quarters of people blamed work and money as the main sources of stress in their lives, followed by...
More About: Study , Depression , Stress

The top ranking jobs by rates of depression
2007-10-15 23:36:00
People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers. Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.Almost 11 percent of personal care workers - which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs - reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.Workers who prepare and serve food - cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses - had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 percent.In a tie for third were health care workers and so...
More About: Depression , Jobs , Ranking , Rates

Epilespy sufferers often suffer from depression due to chemical imbalances
2007-10-08 16:09:00
The identical chemical imbalances that are implicated in causes of depression, often take place in epilepsy patients. Epilepsy patients are not depressed because they have epilepsy, but because of these chemical imbalances. Lamictal is the best first-choice drug for partial epilepsy, while valproic acid is the best first choice for generalized epilepsy, two major clinical trials show. As usual, no medical decision is easy. Many  patients who learn they have epilepsy, finding the right drug to control their seizures is a  continual complicated process, including vagus nerve stimulation therapy.  That's because each epilepsy treatment has different benefits and different risks for different people. The same trial and error that depression sufferers have to endure, is also true for epilepsy patients. Two recent  trials looked at two different groups of patients.Epilepsy comes in a multitude of forms, but experts agree on two basic types. In partial or focal ...
More About: Depression , Balan , Chemical , Chem

You could have knocked me over with a feather when...
2007-10-04 01:23:00
the following study was released by The American Journal of Public Health. It has taken decades to come-up with the conclusion of the study "Work stress tied to higher depression risk" People who feel chronically stressed on the job may face an increased risk of depression, a large study suggests. The researchers found that among more than 24,000 working Canadian adults, nearly 5 percent had suffered from major depression in the past year. Those under heavy stress at work appeared to be at particular risk, according to findings in the American Journal of Public Health.A number of studies have found health risks associated with chronic job stress, including high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as depression. However, the depression studies have been limited to either certain occupations or single companies, noted Dr. Emma Robertson Blackmore, the lead author of the new study and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical School&nbs...
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Business sense, medical sense and common sense: "quickly treating employee
2007-09-27 03:29:00
We know that depression can be a costly disease, not only to you but your employer. Finally a new study from the Journal of American Medicine confirms that conclusion:Investing in depressed employees — quickly getting them treatment and even offering telephone psychotherapy — can cut absenteeism while improving workers' health. Many employers view mental health coverage as a financial black hole, but the study shows that spending money on depression is a smart business move, said researcher Dr. Philip Wang. Wang works for the National Institute of Mental Health, which funded the study. Employees who got the aggressive intervention worked on average about two weeks more during the yearlong study than those who got the usual care — advice to see their doctor or seek a mental health specialist. Also, more workers in the intervention group were still employed by year's end — 93 percent vs. 88 percent — savings that helped employers avoid hiring and training costs, the resear...
More About: Business , Medical , Sense , Common , Common Sense

College students please Visit Mental Health America at the Online College M
2007-09-08 03:41:00
Student mental health issues on college campuses has always been important. But with the advent of last year's  Virginia Tech murders by Seung-Hui Cho, it is now critical. Revolution Health invited Mental Health America to participate in their first Online College Mental Health Fair. It's  own “virtual” health booth features important tips and tools for college students facing mental health issues and their parents. At Mental Health America’s booth you can: Get the real facts about mental health conditions Find resources for seeking help Access the special college edition of Mental Health America’s podcast Take action against insurance discrimination and be a voice for change Learn about one student’s journey for mental health Help the college student in your life enjoy a healthy and successful academic year by inviting them to our booth.  Your visit to the health fair will also raise money for Mental Health America and our growing mov...
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Depression is the most disabling of all chronic diseases; new worldwide stu
2007-09-08 00:50:00
This is not news to depression sufferers. We have already experienced  the information contained in this worldwide landmark report. But here are the results:The first worldwide comparison of depression with four other non-fatal chronic diseases shows that feeling seriously blue is the most disabling of all, according to a study released on September 7th. Combing through self-reported health data on 245,404 adults from 60 countries collected by the World Health Organization (WHO), researchers found that an average of 3.2 percent of those surveyed had experienced depression over a one-year period.I think it is always interesting to have the  hard  numbers which support information about a disease that the general public does not consider serious. This study included a "quality-of-life index". In my opinion the ultimate goal of everyone is to have a high quality of life. The  results of a quality-of-life index called the "global mean health score&qu...
More About: Depression , Diseases , Worldwide , Seas