Clipmarks | Mental health Clips

Cure for Depression: Get Married

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:33:22 GMT

clipped by: Catshade

To test their theory, they looked at a sample of 3,066 men and women who had been interviewed and tested for depression once in either 1987 or 1988 and then again five years later. In the interviews, they were asked about the quality of their marriage (if they were married).

On average, controlling for differences in depression, subjects who had gotten married over the five-year span between the two interviews reported improved psychological well-being in the second interview--scoring an average of 3.42 points lower on the 84-point depression scale--than their counterparts who did not marry.

When they teased apart how marriage affected those who had been depressed at the start of the study to those who had been happy, however, they came across something unexpected. The depressed who married scored an average of 7.56 points lower on the depression scale than the depressed who did not marry, while those who were happy and got married scored only 1.87 points lower on the scale.

Tags: depression, marriage, stress, mental health

9/11 Health Issues Still Affecting New Yorkers

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:28:30 GMT

clipped by: Marcariel
clipper's remarks: I remember this day. It was an ongoing horror, and it appears the nightmare continues for a great many of the first responders and others.

Clip Source: healthcommentary.org

As one of our nation’s greatest tragedies -- 9/11 -- approaches its 7th anniversary, it is a fading memory to some. But for many -- including thousands of people who lost loved ones, witnessed the events, or participated in the recovery efforts – the pain lingers. Increasingly, federal and state officials are acknowledging a significant disease burden in these survivors which will last their lifetime. Physical and mental ailments are now beginning to be reported in careful follow-up studies. And the news is not good:

Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the hospital's program monitoring afflicted workers, told lawmakers in 2006 that new patients are still arriving at Mount Sinai to be treated for 9/11-related illnesses and thousands probably will need lifelong care.

One of the biggest problems is the effect of dust-laden air tied to the catastrophe. What was in the air that day? Pretty much everything that had been in two 100-story buildings

Read the full transcript of this story.

Tags: 9-11, twin towers, world trade center, disease

Patient dies after being left in chair 22 hours

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:58:32 GMT

clipped by: A53GG4

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Patient dies after being left in chair 22 hours

RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- A mental patient died after workers at a North Carolina hospital left him in a chair for 22 hours without feeding him or helping him use the bathroom, said federal officials who have threatened to cut off the facility's funding.

The state sent a team Tuesday to help Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro draft new procedures to ensure patients receive proper care.

An investigator's report released Monday found that 50-year-old Steven Sabock died in April after he choked on medication and was left sitting in a chair for close to a day at the facility about 50 miles southeast of Raleigh. Surveillance video showed hospital staff watching television and playing cards a few feet away.

Federal officials have threatened to cut off funding because of Sabock's death and a report that a physician punched a patient after the teen bit the doctor.

Tags: health

Death in the Waiting Room

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:22:53 GMT

clipped by: Imnclady
clipper's remarks: The report said Sabock sat, unattended, in the room for four work shifts. The report also found that Sabock, formerly of Roanoke Rapids, ate nothing the day he died and had little food in the three days preceding his death. The 47-page report also said workers were supposed to be closely monitoring Sabock's condition and may have forged documents that said they had.

A patient in New York died in June after she waited in a hospital's mental ward waiting area for nearly 24 hours. Security video showed her writhing on the floor. It was nearly an hour before someone else flagged down a staff member who got help for the unresponsive woman.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

NC man dies after waiting 22 hours at hospital

RALEIGH, N.C. - A mental patient died after workers at a North Carolina hospital left him in a chair for 22 hours without feeding him or helping him use the bathroom, said federal officials who have threatened to cut off the facility's funding.

An investigator's report released Monday found that 50-year-old Steven Sabock died in April after he at one point choked on medication and had been left sitting in a chair for close to a day at the facility about 50 miles southeast of Raleigh. Surveillance video showed hospital staff watching television and playing cards just a few feet away.

Federal officials have threatened to cut off funding because of Sabock's death and a report that a physician punched a patient after the teen bit the doctor.

Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Tom Lawrence said the state team also may investigate what, if any, disciplinary action should be taken following Sabock's death.

Tags: healthcare, health

Federal Bureau of Prison

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:28:50 GMT

clipped by: gscandell
clipper's remarks: Need for Cover letter for school and job.

Clip Source: www.bop.gov

The Health Services Division, overseen by RADM Newton E. Kendig, M.D., is responsible for medical, dental, and mental health (psychiatric) services provided to Federal inmates in Bureau facilities, including health care delivery, infectious disease management, and medical designations. The Division also coordinates the BOP's Safety Program (Occupational Safety, Environmental Health, and Life Safety and Fire Protection), which ensures a safe, healthy environment for staff and inmates. Additionally, the Division manages the Food Service Program in BOP facilities.

The BOP has over 3,000 health care positions, including approximately 750 Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Officers detailed from the Department of Health and Human Services. This cadre of health care providers has been supporting the medical mission of the BOP since 1930.

Alcohol/Drug Rehab Program & Mental Health Treatment Center

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:13:44 GMT

clipped by: nsrecovery

Clip Source: www.newseasonsrecoverycenters.com

New Seasons is a thoughtfully designed psychological disorder and drug and alcohol addiction treatment center located in a quiet Pacific Ocean setting, just south of Santa Barbara. Here, on our sumptuous three acre campus, we have an unprecedented array of individual services specifically tailored to treat those suffering from addiction and coexisting psychological disorders.

The joy of taking some time out

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:22:40 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks:

Embrace the faff. Stare out of the window. Bend paperclips. Stand in the middle of the room trying to remember what you came downstairs for. Pace. Drum your fingertips. Move papers around. Hum. Look at the garden.Go to the shed with the intention of tidying up and instead fall asleep. Make mental notes. Read every single word of the newspaper - even the job ads - before getting down to work. Lose yourself in erotic reveries. Pat your pockets. Resolve to be more organised in future. Be useless.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

A new report says that we waste three hours a day faffing around, doing nothing in particular

The survey was carried out by the Learning and Skills Council, who, not surprisingly, argued we should instead use those three hours to Learn some Skills.

I beg to differ.

Faffing is when we disconnect from the matrix and idle for a while, like a car. Our body and spirit know deep down that human beings were not made for constant toil so subconsciously creates space through the mechanism of faffing.

Faffing of course does not fit the programme. We are supposed to be busy, productive citizens.

Clearly these sorts of ideals are designed to make us faffers feel bad. Well, don't.

Faffing is completely harmless, whereas its opposite - dynamic, purposeful activity - is often very harmful. Faffers do not tend to kill people or make them work 12-hour days or sell them shoddy merchandise or lend them vast sums of money that they cannot pay back.

Tags: self, time, well-being, health, body, work, survey, opinion, advice, rest

The Age of Anxiety

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 08:57:20 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: Good economic units must be anxious all the time

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anxiety is a bigger problem than this navel-gazing might suggest. Across a spectrum that includes panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress, phobias and the catch-all, generalised anxiety disorder - anxiety disorder has become the most prevalent mental health problem in the world, according to a World Mental Health Survey of 18 countries.

And it's about to get worse. We are entering a new age of anxiety.

Could it be caused by consumerism, which we grow into more slowly?

It could, says Tom Hodgkinson, editor of The Idler and author of the inspirational How to Be Free. He believes that our economic system functions precisely by keeping us anxious. We're encouraged to believe, at all times, that we're just one purchase away from happiness: 'Anxious people make good consumers and good workers. Anxiety will drive us back into our comfort blankets of credit-card shopping and bad food

deliberately produces anxiety while simultaneously promising to take it away.

Tags: anxiety, economics

The Importance of Sleep and the ABC's of Catching Z's

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:31:48 GMT

clipped by: nekoneko
clipper's remarks: Go for a good sleep - I'll try too

Clip Source: www.naturalnews.com

The Importance of Sleep and the ABC's of Catching Z's

(NaturalNews) A recent study concluded that 90% of Americans suffer from too little sleep. Sleep is vital to maintaining good health and a positive mental wellbeing. During the deepest stages of the sleep cycle, the immune system repairs damage inflicted on the body throughout the waking hours while important neurotransmitters in the brain refuel for the day to come.

Low serotonin levels and too much stress are the two most common reasons that so many suffer from sleeping disorders.

Obama's Flip-Flops Compiled

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:26:01 GMT

clipped by: pocketfulofsunshine

Clip Source: patterico.com

I want you to help me compile a full list of Obama’s flip-flops.

Leave a comment fully documenting one or more flip-flops. Links are critical. For maximum usefulness, I would like to see the following for each flip-flop:

1) Obama’s original quote, with a link.

2) His later flip-flopping quote, also with a link.

Here’s an example of what I’m looking for:

Flip: Obama says the health exception for late-term abortions has to be a serious physical issue:

I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that ‘mental distress’ qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term.

Flop: the health exception can include non-physical issues like mental diseases:

Now start documenting!

Tags: flop

Mental Illness goes Untreated in Asian Americans

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:02:42 GMT

clipped by: dmegivern

Clip Source: www.newsweek.com

East Mind, West Mind

Mental health problems among Asian-Americans are often stigmatized and untreated. But doctors are finding ways to help.

And some of the national data point to a need for increased vigilance and treatment: Asian-American females, for instance, have the highest suicide rates among American females in the 15-24 age group, and Asian-American women who are 65 or older are 10 times more likely to commit suicide than are their white counterparts, according to numbers compiled by the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS). Forty percent of Southeast Asian refugees suffer from depression, and anxiety plagues significant parts of that population as well, according to the ACRS statistics. And because of language and insurance barriers, many Asian-Americans aren't particularly likely to seek professional help.

Tags: mental illness

Sexual Dysfunction Related to Mental Health

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:05:03 GMT

clipped by: dmegivern

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

Sexual Dysfunction Related to Life Experiences

Clip Source: psychcentral.com

A new study finds sexual dysfunction is not an inevitable part of aging, but it is strongly related to factors, such as mental and physical health, demographics and lifetime experiences.

The study is a companion to a 1999 study Laumann led that looked at sexual dysfunction among men and women, ages 18 to 59. That study found that physical health was a bigger predictor of sexual problems for men than it was for women. For that younger age group, having an STD did not increase the odds of experiencing sexual dysfunction.

Among men, mental health issues and relationship problems contributed to a lack of interest in sex and the inability to achieve orgasm, while being treated for urinary tract syndrome was associated with trouble maintaining and achieving an erection.

Among men, blacks were twice as likely to report a lack of interest in sex

Tags: mental health, sexuality

Ten Dubious Clip Tips for Mental Health

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:15:41 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: <<<Transcultural Psychiatrists would certainly have a few dilemmas with the above list. The serious Neuroanthropologist probably does too! But what the heck, I put them here just for fun! Mind you, the list might lead to some interesting questions about what could be considered the definitive TOP 10 FOR BRAIN HEALTH applicable across cultures!>>>
(article author).
There are grains of truth floating about in this fun , of course. I infer the writer is inviting readers to confirm the state of their own mental fitness by indulging in a healthy demolition of such breezy tips lists. I'd say you should be able to rattle off ten major objections to the list fairly quickly if your mental health is robust.

Clip Source: neuroanthropology.net

1. A healthy diet.

avoid substances that stress the brain and limit drugs like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

2. Stimulate your brain

Exercise the brain as you would the body.

3. Keep a diary

writing notes for yourself helps convert information stored in your short-term memory to long-term memory.

4. Sleep well! Getting a good night sleep is essential for concentration.

5. Regular exercise!

6. Regulate your couch-time.

7. Socialise!

The brain is the organ of society and socialisation is an integral part of brain health.

8. Organisation.

9. Relax. Spend time on a hobby, take your dog for a walk or just sit back in a comfortable armchair with a great book. Technique to relax are not only useful to reduce stress and enhance brain performance, relaxation methods have also been shown to play a positive role in emotional health. For example, mindfulness meditation has been shown to decrease the recurrence of depression.

10. Positive thinking.

Tags: mental health, thinking skills

Moderate Exercise: The Elixir of Mental Health

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:28:54 GMT

clipped by: bellapria

Clip Source: juvenon.com

Sigmund Freud blamed mental problems on our parents and early upbringing. Pavlov said they were all a condition-response effect. These early investigators of the mind did not have today's investigative tools to examine what makes us tick at the biochemical level. More recent research into brain function has made it evident that the expression of a particular mental state — happiness, aggressiveness, depression, submissiveness — is the consequence of different physical-biochemical properties of specific regions of the brain.

Exercise Can Positively Affect Biochemical Properties of the Brain

Tags: mental health, exercise

PTSD is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:53:27 GMT

clipped by: dmegivern

Clip Source: www.reuters.com

PTSD causes early death from heart disease: study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly raises the risk of premature death from heart disease, according to results of a long-term study of Vietnam veterans.

In the study, veterans who experienced PTSD were roughly twice as likely to die from heart disease during follow up as veterans without PTSD.

PTSD causes the body to release stress hormones, which leads to inflammation and damage to the arteries and cardiovascular system. Stress hormones also tend to reduce the amount of cortisol in the body, a hormone that fights inflammation.

Tags: health, mental health, risk, stress