Clipmarks | dmegivern's Mental Health collection

Brain Chemistry Ties Anxiety and Alcoholism

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:33:58 GMT

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Brain Chemistry Ties Anxiety And Alcoholism

Doctors may one day be able to control alcohol addiction by manipulating the molecular events in the brain that underlie anxiety associated with alcohol withdrawal, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center report in the March 5 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

"The association of anxiety with increased alcohol use is a key factor in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol addition," says Dr. Subhash Pandey, UIC professor of psychiatry and director of neuroscience alcoholism research, the lead author of the study.

Pandey and his colleagues have discovered the molecular basis for the link between anxiety and alcohol addiction, which may help in identifying new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

Obesity is Largely Genetic

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:06:26 GMT

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clipper's remarks: I knew it

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Obesity 'may be largely genetic'

Becoming overweight as a child is more likely to be the result of your genes than your lifestyle, claims a study.

Their American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that differences in body mass index and waist size were 77% governed by genes.

It is wrong to place all the blame for a child's excessive weight gain on the parents - it is more likely to be due to the child's genetic susceptibility

Professor Jane Wardle
University College London

Twin studies are a good way to test how far our genes or our environment influence our development.

Identical twins have exactly the same genes, while non-identical twins are genetically different, like brother and sister.

However, because they were born at the same time, and raised in the same household, they can be assumed to have roughly similar upbringing in terms of food.

They worked out that the effect of a bad environment was far less marked than the effect of a child's genes.

Tags: obesity

Mental Illness May Develop in the Womb

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:05:13 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Early Term Stress May Up Risk of Offspring Psychosis

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

A research study finds that children of women who undergo an extremely stressful event–such as the death of a close relative–during the first trimester of pregnancy, appear more likely to develop schizophrenia. According to the authors, prior studies have found “severe life events during pregnancy are consistently associated with an elevated risk of low birth weight and prematurity.” However, the new finding runs counter to existing opinion that a mother’s psychological state does not influence her unborn baby’s mental health risk.

Schizophrenia, a disabling condition associated with abnormal brain structure and function, is increasingly believed to begin in early brain development. Environmental factors, including those occurring during pregnancy, and susceptibility genes may interact to influence risk.

risk

67 percent greater among the offspring of women who were exposed to the death of a relative during the first trimester.

Parasite Associated with Schizophrenia

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:02:53 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Individuals infected with certain parasite 24% more likely to develop schizophrenia

by Jennifer Bechdel
February 3, 2008

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

It has long been hypothesized that it’s unhealthy for pregnant women to change the cat litter, but now more then ever, pregnant women have a reason to hand over the pooper-scooper responsibilities. A recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry claims that individuals exposed to the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which is carried by cats and farm animals, have a 24% greater risk of developing schizophrenia. The researchers that completed this study are planning further studies on whether treating the toxoplasma gondii infection can stop the progression of the schizophrenia.

This parasite can be found on undercooked meat and cat feces. It is thought that the parasite can live for up to a year in a damp shaded environment. If you are pregnant or you have children already, you may want to take the following precautions to avoid infection by the parasite

Risk Factors for Suicide Consistent Worldwide

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:59:10 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Only 17 countries out of the world were examined, but the trend looks similar worldwide

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Risk factors for suicide consistent across seventeen countries

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

A study by a Harvard University professor published in the British Journal of Psychiatry reports that risk factors for suicide are consistent across seventeen countries. According to the study, the risk factors for suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts are; being female, having a mental disorder, being unmarried and being younger and less educated. This study was based on surveys designed and distributed by the World Health Organization.

Of those surveyed 2.7% admitted having attempted suicide and 9.2% had thought about it at some point in their lives. The study also points out those suicidal tendencies are not just correlated with depression, but with those having impulse control problems, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. However, the study found that the type of disorder, as a risk factor, varied between countries having an on average higher income than those countries with an on average lower income;

Childhood Abuse Linked to Migraines and Depression

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:54:21 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Childhood Abuse Linked to Migraines and Depression

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Adult health problems among women may be traced to childhood abuse. According to a new study, a history of childhood abuse is more common in women with migraines who suffer depression than in women with migraines alone. The study is published in the journal Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The association between migraines and depression is well established, but the mechanism is uncertain. The study found women with migraines who had major depression were twice as likely as those with migraines alone to report being sexually abused as a child. If the abuse continued past age 12, the women with migraines were five times more likely to report depression.

“By questioning women about their abuse history we’ll be able to better identify those women with migraine at increased risk for depression.”

Gene Protects from Depression After Abuse

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:52:24 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Gene Protects From Depression After Childhood Abuse

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

An interesting research study suggests some forms of a gene that controls the body’s response to stress hormones appear to protect adults who were abused in childhood from depression. People who had been abused as children and who carried the most protective forms of the gene, called corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor one (CRHR1), had markedly lower measures of depression, compared with people with less protective forms, the researchers found in a recent study.

Some pharmaceutical firms are testing compounds that block CRHR1 as potential medications for depression.

The receptor for a hormone acts like a receiver or radar dish for messages sent between cells. CRH stimulates the pituitary gland to release another hormone, adrenocorticotropin, which in turn induces the release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex.

Extreme stress in childhood can over-activate this cascade of hormones, increasing the risk of depression in adulthood,

Driving Risk Higher with Early Alzheimers

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:58:58 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Early Alzheimer’s Ups Driving Risk

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

A new study finds people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) experience more accidents and demonstrate poorer performance on road tests than drivers without cognitive impairment. However, while the study does confirm previous reports of potentially hazardous driving in persons with early AD, it also indicates that some individuals with very mild dementia can continue to drive safety for extended periods of time.

The study results indicate that people with early AD experienced more accidents and performed more poorly on road tests when compared to participants without cognitive impairments. “We also found that people with what is defined as mild dementia were significantly more like to fail a road test than those defined with very mild dementia.”

When Should You Go to Therapy?

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:36:33 GMT

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Clip Source: marinacounseling.com

When is it time to consider psychotherapy?

When is it time to consider psychotherapy?

When a life event is having a strong, prolonged negative emotional impact that doesn't improve over time.

When you notice yourself repeating negative patterns with work, family, friends or personal pursuits.

When your work and/or personal life is negatively impacted by your moods or feeling states.

When you suffer from poor self esteem.

When habits or substances negatively impact your life.

When you are moving through an important life transition.

When life has ceased feeling meaningful, joyous or purposeful.

When an important relationship is in trouble.

When others express concern for you.

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a process of self-exploration and discovery that usually happens by way of dialogue between two people. The therapist and client come together to learn more about the client's presenting problems and to mobilize his or her abilities to respond to situations in constructive ways.

The Pretty, Compelling Pictures of fMRI

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:10:12 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

The Pretty, Compelling Pictures of fMRI

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

So it’s no wonder that humans love research that comes with pretty pictures. And not just pretty pictures, but compelling pretty pictures that seem to illustrate a direct, causative relationship. Even if one doesn’t exist. Or other data exist that water down the pretty-picture study’s findings.

The Basics of an fMRI

What does an fMRI actually measure? The fMRI indirectly measures the flow of oxygenated blood in the brain. That’s all. Not “activity of the brain” as it is often referred to in short-hand by journalists (and even some researchers). How is a typical fMRI study conducted?

So there are some challenges in getting the pretty pictures to line up with actual behaviors or thoughts (or political preferences, as at least one researcher has attempted to show).

The mind is what the brain does, and so every mental event, from falling in love to worrying about your taxes, is going to show up as a brain event.

PTSD triples in the Military

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:01:17 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

PTSD Triples Among Military

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Self-reported post-traumatic stress disorder has elevated 3-fold among combat-exposed military personnel since 2001, according to a study reported in the British Medical Journal. In response to concerns on the health impact of military deployment, researchers in San Diego analyzed the effect of deployment on over 50,000 military personnel who were taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study (a large 22-year study of the health of US military personnel).

These data show overall new incidence rates of 10 to 13 cases per 1000 person years and suggest a threefold increase in new onset self reported post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms or diagnosis among recently deployed military personnel with combat exposures, say the authors.

Identifying personnel with symptoms early may lead to a smaller burden of the disorder in the years to come if appropriate and timely treatments are provided.

Oh My Achy Unhappiness

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:37:27 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Stress hormones associated with inflammation (and a host of chronic illnesses) are more rampant in "unhappy" people.

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

Happiness may be good for your health

In the study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, women who reported more positive emotions had lower blood levels of two proteins that indicate widespread inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is believed to contribute to a range of ills over time, including heart disease and cancer.

One possibility is that happier people lead more healthful lifestyles, but not all studies have found this to be the case, explained Steptoe.

The current findings, according to Steptoe, add to evidence that happiness and other positive emotions are "associated with biological responses that are health-protective."

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

They found that men and women who reported happier moods had lower average cortisol levels over the course of the day -- even when factors such as age, weight, smoking and income were taken into account.

Ranking American's Mental Health

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 05:05:59 GMT

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Clip Source: www.mentalhealthamerica.net

Ranking America's Mental Health: An Analysis of Depression Across the States

Lost productive time among U.S. workers due to depression is estimated to be in excess of $31 billion per year. Depression frequently co-occurs with a variety of medical illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and chronic pain and is associated with poorer health status and prognosis. It is also the principal cause of the 30,000 suicides in the U.S. each year. In 2004, suicide was the 11^th leading cause of death in the United States, third among individuals 15-24.

Mental Health America has two goals for the report: (1) spur the development of a public health surveillance system to monitor the mental health of Americans and the specific impact of depression, and (2) to stimulate action by communities, public health professionals, federal and state policy makers, and others to address depression in their populations.

Download the full report (PDF)

State Ranking on Suicide Rates

Tags: state comparisons