Clipmarks | dmegivern's Health and Mental Health collection

Schizophrenia as By-Product of Evolution

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:39:56 GMT

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Evolution Spawns Schizophrenia

New research adds credence to the theory that schizophrenia is a costly by-product of human brain evolution.

The idea that certain neurological diseases are by-products of increases in metabolic capacity and brain size that occurred during human evolution has been suggested before, but in this new work the authors used new technical approaches to really put the theory to the test.

They identified the molecular changes that took place over the course of human evolution and considered those molecular changes observed in schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder believed to affect cognitive functions such as the capacities for language and complex social relationships.

They found that expression levels of many genes and metabolites that are altered in schizophrenia, especially those related to energy metabolism, also changed rapidly during evolution.

Tags: schizophrenia, evolution

10 Common Myths about Mental Illness

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:26:24 GMT

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clipper's remarks: 8. Children can’t have serious mental disorders.

9. Doctor/patient confidentiality is absolute and always protected.

10. Mental illness is no longer stigmatized in society.

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Top 10 Myths of Mental Illness

by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.
June 13, 2008

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

1. Mental illness is just like a medical disease.

Many mental health experts believe in the “bio-psycho-social” model of mental disorders. That is, there are multiple, connected components of most people’s mental illness that include three distinct, yet connected, spheres: (1) the biological and our genetics; (2) the psychological and our personalities; and (3) the social and our environment. All three seem to play an important role in most people’s development of a mental disorder.

2. Medications are the only treatment you need to treat a mental illness.

3. If a medication or psychotherapy doesn’t work, that means your situation is hopeless.

4. Therapists don’t care about you – they only pretend to care because you pay them.

5. If it isn’t serious, it can’t hurt you.

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

6. Psychology and psychiatry aren’t “real sciences.” They’re supported only by fuzzy research and contradictory findings.

7. Mental illness is a myth,

Sleep Apnea can Lead to Memory Loss

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:30:49 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Sleep Problem Can Lead to Memory Loss

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

New research suggests a common sleep disorder can lead to memory loss. In the study, UCLA scientists discovered people with sleep apnea show tissue loss in brain regions that help store memory.

Reported in the June 27 edition of the journal Neuroscience Letters, the findings emphasize the importance of early detection of the disorder, which afflicts an estimated 20 million Americans.

“Our findings demonstrate that impaired breathing during sleep can lead to a serious brain injury that disrupts memory and thinking,” said principal investigator Ronald Harper, a distinguished professor of neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Harper hypothesizes that repeated drops in oxygen lead to the brain injury. During an apnea episode, the brain’s blood vessels constrict, starving its tissue of oxygen and causing cellular death. The process also incites inflammation, which further damages the tissue.

The Diabetes and Depression Link

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:34:11 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Increased Risk of Depression for Diabetics

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

New research discovers individuals with treated type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for developing depression, while a more modest association was found between persons with depression and the risk of diabetes.

These associations may be related to increased risk of depressive symptoms in individuals with diabetes, increased risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals with depressive symptoms, or both. It is unclear whether type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for increased symptoms of depression.

“Our findings of an association in participants with treated but not untreated type 2 diabetes suggests that the psychological stress associated with diabetes management may lead to elevated depressive symptoms,” the authors write.

“… the present study contributes to a growing body of literature indicating a bidirectional association between these 2 serious long-term diseases.

Tags: health, diabetes, depression

Medicate the War Away

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:38:42 GMT

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Clip Source: www.time.com

America's Medicated Army

For the first time in history, a sizable and growing number of U.S. combat troops are taking daily doses of antidepressants to calm nerves strained by repeated and lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The medicines are intended not only to help troops keep their cool but also to enable the already strapped Army to preserve its most precious resource: soldiers on the front lines. Data contained in the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report indicate that, according to an anonymous survey of U.S. troops taken last fall, about 12% of combat troops in Iraq and 17% of those in Afghanistan are taking prescription antidepressants or sleeping pills to help them cope. Escalating violence in Afghanistan and the more isolated mission have driven troops to rely more on medication there than in Iraq, military officials say.

Chronic Pain Hurts our Brains

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:20:59 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Chronic Pain Drains the Brain

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

The means by which persistent or chronic pain affects an individual’s ability to live a ‘normal’ life has been clarified by investigators at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. People with persistent pain live a life that often includes coping with a host of symptoms beyond the non-stop sensation of throbbing pain. They also have trouble sleeping, are often depressed, anxious and even have difficulty making simple decisions.

Scientists found that in a healthy brain all the regions exist in a state of equilibrium. When one region is active, the others quiet down. But in people with chronic pain, a front region of the cortex mostly associated with emotion “never shuts up,” said Dante Chialvo, lead author and associate research professor of physiology at the Feinberg School.

This is the first demonstration of brain disturbances in chronic pain patients not directly related to the sensation of pain.

What is Existential Depression?

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:23:51 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

What is Existential Depression?

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

When people talk about depression, sometimes they refer to different types based upon what they think may have caused their depression. One such possible cause is existential in nature, that is, a person ends up questioning his or her life, death or meaning of life, and by doing so, lapses into depression.

According to existentialism, a specific type of philosophy, humans are driven to meaning in their lives not by a specific type of deity or god, or by an outside authority, but internally, through our own choices, desires and pursuits. Humans are entirely free, and, therefore, entirely responsible for their own happiness or misery. It is up to each one of us to create the meaning which drives our life, whether it be through work, hobbies, charity, religion, relationships, offspring, family, or something else.

Existential depression may occur when a person comes face to face with these kinds of issues of life, death, freedom and the meaning of their life.

Becoming Run-Down While Sick Explained

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:32:49 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Why Mental Lethargy When Sick

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

A recent study examines why it is hard to concentrate when you feel sick. This problem very likely reflects the effects of substances that are released by immune cells in the brain.

The research, published in Biological Psychiatry, describes how the immune cells, called inflammatory cytokines, help your body cope with infection.

During an infection, humans typically experience a set of physiological and psychological symptoms, including fever, confusion, decreased motivation, depression and anxiety that are accompanied by a slowing of movements.

These changes, collectively known as “sickness behavior,” are the body’s way of conserving energy during illness so that an effective immune response can be launched. This new study helps researchers further understand how cytokines communicate between the immune system and the brain to promote sickness behavior.

Where's the Private Sector?

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:09:49 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Minnesota governor cuts services to poorest, most vulnerable. For some reason, no private sector businesses or associations have stepped up to pay for their care.

Clip Source: www.naswmn.org

Health Care Reform: The Good News and the Bad News

Governor Pawlenty proposed balancing the budget on the backs of the state’s poorest individuals by raiding the Health Care Access Fund and cutting health and human services. Leadership battled with the governor most of the session and finalized a budget deal in the last remaining hours. So what happened?

Well, good news first:

A Health Care Reform bill was passed that MPR says will provide more information about medical payments, reward doctors for treating chronic illness, and reduce overall state health care costs 10-15% by 2015. MinnesotaCare eligibility was expanded by 12,000 people and nursing homes will get a much-needed 2% increase in their cost of living funding.

And the bad news:

Approximately $170 million was cut from the health and human services budget for next year and $206 million in the following biennium.

“This bill takes most of the cuts from the most vulnerable people: the elderly, the disabled, the sick and the poor.”

Tags: privatization, medicaid, minnesota

Exercise Keeps Cells Young

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:15:18 GMT

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Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Physical Activity Keeps Cells Young

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

A new report in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests individuals who are physically active during their leisure time appear to be biologically younger than those with sedentary lifestyles. Researchers discovered chromosomes in white blood cells were more robust among active individuals, a finding that helps explain the anti-aging effect of regular exercise.

Telomere length decreased with age, with an average loss of 21 nucleotides (structural units) per year. Men and women who were less physically active in their leisure time had shorter leukocyte telomeres than those who were more active.

Oxidative stress—damage caused to cells by exposure to oxygen—and inflammation are likely mechanisms by which sedentary lifestyles shorten telomeres, the authors suggest. In addition, perceived stress levels have been linked to telomere length. Physical activity may reduce psychological stress, thus mitigating its effect on telomeres and the aging process.

Tags: exercise

Costs of Mental Illness More than Personal

Mon, 12 May 2008 23:44:46 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Costs to society from serious mental illness. Mental illness was the cause of poverty for our family so it was a high price personally, but there are societal costs as well.

Clip Source: www.time.com

Tallying Mental Illness' Costs

Serious mental illnesses (SMIs), which afflict about 6% of American adults, cost society $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year, according to findings published in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry. Surveying data from nearly 5,000 participants, researchers determined that people suffering from a SMI — defined as a range of mood and anxiety disorders, including suicidal tendencies, that significantly impaired a person's ability to function for at least 30 days over the past year — earned at least 40% less than people in good mental health.

Kessler and his colleagues determined that a person suffering from SMI had earned $23,000 on average in the previous year. Those respondents without SMI averaged nearly $40,000. The researchers attributed 75% of that difference to the person's mental illness. The other 25% was attributed to a greater likelihood that a mentally ill person would not have worked at all, thus earning nothing

Does Stress Cause Weight Gain?

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 03:39:38 GMT

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Clip Source: www.intelihealth.com

Q: Can stress cause weight gain?

The short answer is yes, though not in every person. Some people lose their appetite and lose weight when they're stressed. But if you already tend to be overweight, stress usually leads to weight gain. It also can make it harder to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

How likely are you to respond to negative emotions and stress by eating? It's hard to know. But in a large British study, researchers found that people with the lowest body mass index (BMI) tended to lose weight when stressed, while people with the highest BMI usually gained weight.

Since food is essential for survival — and for most of human history food was relatively scarce — the brain has evolved to protect us against times of scarcity. Sadly, the brain does a poorer job of protecting us against abundance! In fact, it may actively undermine many of us. Some experts say that chronic stress leads to a preference for foods that are high in sugar and fat.

How Does Your State Rate?

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:51:14 GMT

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clipper's remarks: Depression levels by state

Clip Source: www.nmha.org

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.

The Ranking of the States

State Ranking on Suicide Rates

South Dakota was the healthiest state with respect to depression status.

Utah was the most depressed state.

The Five Factors Affecting Depression Status

Mental health resources -

Barriers to treatment -

Mental health treatment utilization -

Socioeconomic characteristics -

Mental health parity -

Factors That Influence State Mental Health Status and Suicide Rates

Troubles At Work Disrupt Sleep

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:17:57 GMT

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Clip Source: www.ns.umich.edu

U-M study: Work hassles hamper sleep

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Common hassles at work are more likely than long hours, night shifts or job insecurity to follow workers home and interfere with their sleep.

But this is the first U.S. study to clarify the link between work and sleep quality for all workers, not just rotating shift workers or medical students, who have unusual work and sleep arrangements.

Because the surveys were prospective—following the same people over time—the researchers were able to show that work conditions affected sleep patterns, not the other way around. Their analysis controlled for initial sleep quality, health, pessimism and other confounding factors.

Respondents who felt upset or bothered at work on a frequent basis, or had on-going personal conflicts with bosses or co-workers, were about 1.7 times more likely than others to develop sleep problems.

Suicide Prevention for Indigenous Youth

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:08:30 GMT

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Clip Source: indigenousissuestoday.blogspot.com

Indigenous People's Issues Today

Suicide, Native American and Alaskan Native Indigenous Peoples, and Successful Prevention Programs for Youth at Risk

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, accounting for a greater number of deaths than the next seven leading causes of death combined for 15 to 24 year olds (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2006). Almost 1 in 12 adolescents in high school made a suicide attempt in 2005, with 17% of all adolescents seriously considering making a suicide attempt (CDC, 2006). Despite the staggering facts behind these numbers, Native American and Alaskan Native indigenous youth have even higher rates.

Suicide prevention programs that are culturally appropriate and incorporate culturally specific knowledge and traditions have been shown to be the most successful and well received by Native American and Alaskan Native indigenous communities.