Recurrent Depression

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Taking Depression to Heart
2012-02-14 15:49:00
Mental state can play a crucial role in physical health ? medical professionals have long known about the connection between anxiety and the immune system, for example. Now researchers at Tel Aviv University have found that mental health can also interfere with the heart. Heart attack patients who also suffer from depression are more likely to be readmitted for cardiac events and chest pains in the future, and have 14 percent more days of hospitalization than their happier counterparts, says researcher Vicki Myers of TAU?s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. Along with Dr. Yariv Gerber and other members of the Israel Study Group of First Acute Myocardial Infarction, Myers examined the association between depressive symptoms in heart attack patients and hospital admissions more than a decade after the initial attack. These findings have long-term ramifications, says Myers. Spending more time in the hospital, these patients are a massive financial burden on health services, but an invest...

Possible New Huntington?s Disease Treatment
2012-02-14 04:47:00
What protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youths from considering suicide and, conversely, what makes them most vulnerable to it? The question is of paramount concern because these youths are at least twice as likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual youths, prompting the national ?It Gets Better Project? with encouraging video messages from such public figures as Lady Gaga and President Barack Obama. Now the first longitudinal study to look at suicide ideation and self-harm in this population shows support from friends and family offers the most protection in preventing youths from thinking about suicide. Adolescents who know they can talk to their parents about problems and know they have friends who care about them are less likely to consider ending their lives, according to new Northwestern Medicine research. 

Veterinarian drug helps fight depression
2012-02-13 04:01:00
New research has found that the veterinarian drug ketamine hydrochloride when used experimentally relieves symptoms of depression and suicidal tendencies within hours instead of the months it takes today?s antidepressants to work. Chief Experimental Therapeutics of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program at the National Institute of Mental Health at Washington University, Carlos Zarate, has been studying how ketamine can be used in treating depression, anxiety and related disorders as current drugs prescribed like Prozac and Paxil, not only have many unpleasant side effect including nausea, headaches, insomnia and sexual performance, but take weeks to take effect and for many don?t work. Ketamine, which has the street name of Green, K, super K, special K or Vitamin K, is traditionally used as a pain reliever or anaesthetic for humans but more commonly for pets. However in the 1970s recreational drug users found that it could give you a ?high? by changing a person?s thinking and p...
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Physically abused children report higher levels of psychosomatic symptoms
2012-02-09 14:08:00
Children who display multiple psychosomatic symptoms, such as regular aches and pains and sleep and appetite problems, are more than twice as likely to be experiencing physical abuse at home than children who do not display symptoms, according to a study in the March edition of Acta Paediatrica. Swedish researchers who studied 2,510 children aged 10, 12 and 15 from 44 schools found a strong association between reported physical abuse and three or more psychosomatic symptoms. The association was highest in children who were physically abused and also witnessed intimate partner violence (IPV). However, there was no significant association between IPV on its own and multiple symptoms. ?The children were asked if they had experienced any of the following symptoms at least twice in the last month: stomach ache, headache, sleeplessness, dizziness, back pain and loss of appetite? explains co-author Professor Staffan Janson from the Division of Public Health Sciences at Karlstad Univers...
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Study to determine whether fish oil can help prevent psychiatric disorders
2012-02-08 18:37:00
Researchers at Zucker Hillside Hospital?s Recognition and Prevention (RAP) Program who have worked with teenagers at risk for serious mental illness for the past decade are now studying the effectiveness of Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil) for treating psychiatric symptoms. This new study is a National Institute of Mental Health-funded randomized double-blind trial that was designed to test whether Omega-3 fatty acids improve clinical symptoms, and help adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 25) who are at elevated risk for severe psychiatric disorders function better in school, work and other social environments. ?Of the 300 adolescents who have participated in the RAP Program, most have shown substantial improvement,? noted Barbara Cornblatt, Ph.D., director of the Recognition and Prevention (RAP) Program and investigator at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. ?If this study continues to show success, Omega 3 could offer a natural alternative to the range of medication...
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Schizophrenia Tied to Teen Brain Changes
2012-02-06 12:41:00
Teenagers who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or similar psychotic disorders sometimes show a greater decrease in gray matter volume compared to healthy teens, according to new research. The new study also found that adolescents with schizophrenia showed an increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the frontal lobe of their brain. ?Progressive loss of brain gray matter has been reported in childhood-onset schizophrenia,? the authors note in the new study. ?However, it is uncertain whether these changes are shared by pediatric patients with different psychoses.? The study was conducted by Celso Arango, M.D., Ph.D., of the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain, and colleagues, and was designed to examine the progression of brain changes in first-episode early-onset psychosis in teens. The research also wanted to look at the relationship to diagnosis and prognosis after two years.
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Immigration at Young Age Ups Risk of Psychosis
2012-02-06 12:41:00
Emerging research suggests immigrating during early childhood is linked to a higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder. The study supports recent findings that linked psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and certain types of international immigration. Investigators believe the research suggests the mental health of young children can be adversely affected by traumatic social upheaval. Sadly, children who immigrated when under the age of five had a twofold higher risk of such disorders than those who immigrated at age 10-14 years, and a threefold higher risk than those who immigrated as adults.
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No Medical Explanation for ?Crawling Skin? Disease
2012-02-06 06:19:00
The symptoms of the bizarre illness known as Morgellons are enough to make your skin crawl. For patients who say they are suffering from the condition, that sensation is all too real. Sufferers report feeling that bugs are crawling all over their skin or just under it. They have fatigue and painful sores. They also say that they?ve pulled ?fibers? and other solid materials like ?specks, granules, dots, worms, sand, eggs, fuzz balls and larvae? through their skin, leaving lesions, according to new research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new study - a $600,000 project launched in 2008 in response to a massive swell of interest and inquiries about the condition from lawmakers and patients - sought to determine how common Morgellons is. Perhaps more importantly for sufferers, the study also looked for a medical cause. The result: there is none.
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Rare Genetic Mutations Linked To Bipolar Disorder
2012-02-05 12:42:00
Abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants (CNVs) may play a role in the risk for early-onset bipolar disorder, according to new research from an international team of scientists. The variants, also known as CNVs, are alterations in which there are too few or too many copies of sections of DNA. Researchers have known that spontaneously occurring or de novo CNVs, which are genetic mutations not inherited from parents, increase the risk for some neuropsychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia or autism. But their role was unclear in bipolar disorder, according to principal investigator Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California San Diego?s Institute of Genomic Medicine. Sebat and his colleagues found that de novo CNVs contribute ?significant? genetic risk in about 5 percent of early-onset bipolar disorder, which appears in childhood or early adulthood.
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Brain Imaging Aids in Understanding Delusions
2012-02-05 12:40:00
Delusions are strong false beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary. While delusions are associated with neurological or mental illness, they are not tied to any particular disease although they often aid in the diagnosis of schizophrenia, manic episodes of bipolar disorder, and psychotic depression. New research finds that brain activity increases during delusional thinking, a finding that may allow new interventions and retraining for people with the disorder. The study, found in the journal Biological Psychiatry, compared brain activity as statements were read to a group of individuals with schizophrenia and to a group without schizophrenia.
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Genetic Link to Child Complications from Antipsychotic Drugs
2012-02-04 12:40:00
A Canadian study suggests a genetic variation can increase the risk of medical complications among children receiving antipsychotic medications. Investigators discovered the genetic variation can cause a six-fold greater risk for children to develop metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of symptoms that increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. The study showed susceptible children displayed an increased risk to develop high blood pressure and elevated fasting blood sugar levels (a precursor to diabetes).
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Grief Could Join List of Disorders
2012-02-03 12:37:00
In a bitter skirmish over the definition of depression, a new report contends that a proposed change to the diagnosis would characterize grieving as a disorder and greatly increase the number of people treated for it. The criteria for depression are being reviewed by the American Psychiatric Association, which is finishing work on the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or D.S.M., the first since 1994. The manual is the standard reference for the field, shaping treatment and insurance decisions, and its revisions will affect the lives of millions of people for years to come. In coming months, as the manual is finalized, outside experts will intensify scrutiny of its finer points, many of which are deeply contentious in the field. A controversy erupted last week over the proposed tightening of the definition of autism, possibly sharply reducing the number of people who receive the diagnosis. Psychiatrists say current efforts to revise the ...
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The very old may feel helpless, but not depressed
2012-02-02 14:11:00
People over 100 years old may say they feel ?helpless? and ?worthless? because they can?t do the things they used to, but that doesn?t mean they?re not in good spirits suggests a new study. The researchers say their findings indicate that people around 100 years old may see life differently than people 20 or 40 years their junior and traditional tests for depression may not be effective in the extremely old. ?We?re saying look at more of the components that make up depression,? said Peter Martin, a gerontology researcher at Iowa State University and one of the study?s authors. ?Some may be more relevant to centenarians than others.?

Will Depression Include Normal Grieving Too?
2012-02-02 12:33:00
It?s been heating up now for the past few weeks as a charge led mainly by professionals. And it has caught the eye of the mainstream media. I?m talking about the revision process for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5), the reference manual mental health professionals and researchers use to treat patients and design reliable research studies examining mental illness. The latest upset? The fact that the new DSM-5 suggests that depression could co-occur with grief. Critics see the changes as suggesting the DSM is trying to ?medicalize? normal grieving. Anyone who experiences grief after a tragic or significant loss will now be at risk for receiving - heaven forbid - mental health treatment and a diagnosis. We?ve covered this ground here on more than one occasion, but it appears time to talk about whether depression can occur at the same time as grief or not. My first reaction was - grief is grief, depression is depression, and the two never really c...
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Virus Ruled Out as Cause of Mental Illness
2012-02-01 12:33:00
A viral disease long suspected of possibly causing mental illness has apparently been acquitted, as a blinded case-control study found no association between the Borna disease virus (BDV) and mental health disorders. Prior studies have linked the virus to mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorder and dementia. Investigators were open-minded to the possibility as genetic fragments and antibodies to this RNA virus causes behavior disorders in a range of mammals and birds. Moreover, although the results have been inconclusive, traces of the virus have been found to be prevalent in psychiatric patients.
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Early Nurturing Aids in Brain Development
2012-02-01 12:32:00
A mother?s affection during the early stages of a child?s life appears to help the development of an area of the brain involved in learning, memory and stress response. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis determined school-age children whose mothers nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus. The hippocampus is a key structure important to learning, memory and response to stress. The research is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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Exercise for Depression
2012-01-30 09:34:00
Want to learn more about exercise and depression? Many studies indicate that people who exercise regularly benefit with a positive boost in mood and lower rates of depression. What Are the Psychological Benefits of Exercise With Depression ? Improved self-esteem is a key psychological benefit of regular physical activity. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as ?euphoric.? That feeling, known as a ?runner?s high,? can be accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life.

Exercise Provides Relief from Damaging Stress
2012-01-30 09:31:00
In today?s faced paced world, stress has become almost an epidemic. You experience stress during long, crowded commutes to and from work, at work, dealing with kids, from the pressures of debt and a host of other events. After prolonged periods of seemingly endless pressure, you may even find yourself crying out, either internally or expressively, for some way to reduce stress in your life. Physical Results of Stress The body is often the one to cry out for stress relief. There are a host of illnesses and diseases which you become susceptible to when you are exposed to frequent, regular and prolonged periods of stress. Under these adverse pressures of life, people often turn to drinking, smoking, excessive eating and even drugs to find relief. However, these activities make you prone to heart disease, lung disease, diabetes and other compromises in your health and quality of life. Those under prolonged stress are 90% more likely to have a stroke and it is a big factor in the dev...
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The Relationship Between Exercise and Mood
2012-01-29 09:24:00
Research conducted in the past investigating the relationship between exercise and mood has revealed that there is a ?possible relationship between exercise? and mood..."(Berger and Owen, 1998, p. 611). In research conducted by Harte and Eifert (1995), test subjects generally reported feeling less anxious, depressed, angry, hostile and fatigued after their exercise session. Further research conducted by Berger and Owen obtained that different levels of exercise intensity were associated with mood benefits. Moreover, Mack, Huddleston and Dutler (2000) reported that ?being involved in light physical activity did not result in negative mood...? (p. 913). This suggested that exercise might have a positive association with mood. Overall most of the studies concluded that physical activity is associated with beneficial mood changes. Thus one may assume that there quite possibly exist a relationship between exercise and mood. Previous research conducted by Berger and Owen hypothesized t...
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Medication helps some with mild depression
2012-01-28 12:44:00
People with mild depression may benefit from taking antidepressants, suggests a new analysis of past studies that compared symptoms in people on the drugs to those given drug-free placebo pills. Some earlier reports had suggested that antidepressants generally only improve mood in people with severe depression. But that might be because those studies weren?t precise enough to pick up on smaller changes in symptoms that can still make a difference for people with milder forms of the disease, researchers said. ?I think there?s a valid concern? that if someone has not-that-severe depression that hasn?t lasted that long, maybe it will get better itself or with therapy,? said Dr. David Hellerstein, from the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, who worked on the study.
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Exercise for depression
2012-01-28 09:38:00
It has long been known that regular exercise is good for our physical health. It can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and strokes. In recent years, studies have shown that regular physical activity also has benefits for mental health. Exercise can help people recover from depression and prevent them from becoming depressed in the first place. Dr Alan Cohen, a GP with a special interest in mental health, says that when people get depressed or anxious, they often feel they?re not in control of their lives. ?Exercise gives them back control of their bodies and this is often the first step to feeling in control of other events,? he says.
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Exercise may boost mood for some chronically ill
2012-01-27 17:11:00
Working out regularly may brighten the mood of people with chronic health problems like cancer, heart disease and back pain, according to the first sweeping look at previous research. But it?s no miracle cure: On average, six people would need to hit the gym or go for a jog for one person to see a mood improvement. ?It?s a nice piece of evidence and I?m pleased because I like the concept,? said Dr. Alan J. Gelenberg, who chairs the department of psychiatry at Penn State University in Hershey. Gelenberg, who wasn?t involved in the new work, said the findings jibe with guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association, which recommends regular exercise against the blues.
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Survey suggests family history of psychiatric disorders shapes intellectual
2012-01-27 08:18:00
A hallmark of the individual is the cultivation of personal interests, but for some people, their intellectual pursuits might actually be genetically predetermined. Survey results published by Princeton University researchers in the journal PLoS ONE suggest that a family history of psychiatric conditions such as autism and depression could influence the subjects a person finds engaging. Although preliminary, the findings provide a new look at the oft-studied link between psychiatric conditions and aptitude in the arts or sciences. While previous studies have explored this link by focusing on highly creative individuals or a person?s occupation, the Princeton research indicates that the influence of familial neuropsychiatric traits on personal interests is apparently independent of a person?s talent or career path, and could help form a person?s basic preferences and personality. Princeton researchers surveyed nearly 1,100 students from the University?s Class of 2014 early in the...
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Talking things through in your head may help autism
2012-01-25 19:54:00
Teaching children with autism to ?talk things through? in their heads may help them solve tricky day-to-day tasks and could increase the chances of them living independent lives when they grow up, British scientists said on Wednesday. Psychologists who studied adults with autism found that the mechanism for using ?inner speech,? or talking things through in your head is intact, but they don?t always use it in the same way as typically developing people do. The researchers found that the tendency to ?think in words? is also strongly linked to the extent of a person?s communication skills, which are rooted in early childhood.
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Genetic variation increases risk of metabolic side effects in children on s
2012-01-24 17:35:00
Researchers have found a genetic variation predisposing children to six-times greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome when taking second-generation anti-psychotic medications. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The study showed a close association with two conditions in particular: high blood pressure and elevated fasting blood sugar levels, which is a precursor to diabetes. The research is published today in the medical research journal Translational Psychiatry. ?This is the first report of an underlying biological factor predisposing children to complications associated with second-generation anti-psychotic medication use,? says Dr Dina Panagiotopoulos, study co-author, clinician scientist at the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI), pediatric endocrinologist at BC Children ?s Hospital, and assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia (UBC). ?It?s concerning because these...
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The impact of deleting 5 personality disorders in the new DSM-5
2012-01-24 17:33:00
A newly published paper from Rhode Island Hospital reports on the impact to patients if five personality disorders are removed from the upcoming revision to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-5). Based on their study, the researchers believe these changes could result in false-negative diagnoses for patients. The paper is published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and is now available online in advance of print. The DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders work group made several recommendations to change the approach toward diagnosing personality disorders. One of those recommendations is to delete five personality disorders as a way to reduce the level of comorbidity among the disorders. The ones originally slated to be removed include paranoid, schizoid, histrionic, narcissistic and dependent personality disorders. More recently, the Work Group recommended that narcissistic be retained. Lead author Mark Zimmerman, M.D., director of outpatient psychi...

Anxiety, other disorders more common in autism
2012-01-23 14:34:00
Autism tends to go hand in hand with a variety of other mental and behavioral conditions in kids, suggests a new study that highlights the fuzzy nature of autism diagnoses themselves. Researchers said that other disorders that often go along with autism - such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or learning disabilities - may complicate the diagnosis, or slow down any improvement in kids who do get diagnosed and treated early. ?The most important message that (the study) underscores is that these children tend to have multiple disabilities, not just autism,? said Johnny Matson, who studies autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge but wasn?t involved in the new research.
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Teen brain may be primed for addiction
2012-01-20 17:26:00
The teenage brain may be particularly wired to develop disorders like addiction and depression, a new study shows. Researchers compared the brain activity of adolescent and adult rats involved in a task in which they anticipated a reward. The researchers found increased brain cell activity in the adolescent rats? brains in an unusual area: the dorsal striatum (DS) - a site commonly associated with habit formation, decision-making, and motivated learning. The adult rats? DS areas, on the other hand, did not become activated by an anticipated reward.
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Treatment for Diabetes and Depression Improves Both, Researchers Say
2012-01-20 16:40:00
Patients simultaneously treated for both Type 2 diabetes and depression improve medication compliance and significantly improve blood sugar and depression levels compared to patients receiving usual care, according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Of patients receiving integrated care combined with a brief period of intervention to assist with adherence to prescribed medication regimens, more than 60 percent had improved blood sugar test results and 58 percent had reduced depression symptoms, compared to only 36 percent and 31 percent, respectively, of patients receiving usual care. The full results of the study are published in the January/February issue of The Annals of Family Medicine. There is a link between depression and diabetes - as depression is a risk factor for diabetes, diabetes also increases the risk for the onset of depression. Not only is depression common in patients with diabetes, but it also ...
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International health experts call for a special UN session on mental health
2012-01-18 05:20:00
A group of international health experts has called for a special session of the United Nations (referred to as UNGASS - United Nations General Assembly Special Session) to focus global attention on mental, neurological, and substance use disorders as a core development issue requiring commitments to improve access to care, promote human rights, and strengthen the evidence on effective prevention and treatment. Writing in this week?s PLoS Medicine, the health experts, led by Vikram Patel from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK and Judith Bass from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health , USA say: ?The time has come for recognition at the highest levels of global development, namely the UN General Assembly, of the urgent need for a global strategy to address the global burden of MNS disorders.? Mental , neurological, and substance use disorders (MNS disorders ? a relatively new acronym coined by the World Health Organization to refer to the complete range of disor...
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