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Depression Increases Risk of Stroke
Published on 22 Sep, 2011 at 7:36 in Health | | No Comments
People with depression are more likely to have a stroke than their mentally healthy peers, and their strokes are more likely to be fatal, according to a new analysis published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Depression is a relatively minor risk factor for stroke compared to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other health conditions and…
Depressed People Often Hide Symptoms from Doctors
Published on 14 Sep, 2011 at 8:31 in Health | | No Comments
Family doctors and other primary care physicians are often the first health professionals to learn that a patient is depressed, but that doesn’t mean they identify all of the depression cases that walk through their offices.
Far from it: A new survey of California adults has found that 43% of people would keep their depression symptoms to themselves…
Music Soothes Anxiety, Pain in Cancer Patients
Published on 11 Aug, 2011 at 11:11 in Health | | No Comments
Singing, playing an instrument, or even just listening to music may lessen anxiety in cancer patients and improve their overall quality of life, according to a new analysis of previously published research.
Music-based therapies appear to also have beneficial effects on pain levels, mood, and certain vital signs (such as blood pressure), the study found, suggesting that music may…
Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence Can Damage Long-Term Mental Health
Published on 4 Aug, 2011 at 8:48 in Health | | No Comments
Women are drastically more likely to develop a mental disorder at some point in their lives if they have been the victim of rape, sexual assault, stalking, or intimate-partner violence, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
While the connection between these harrowing experiences and poor mental health is hardly surprising, experts say…
Miami Dolphins Star Has Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on 3 Aug, 2011 at 9:47 in Health | | No Comments
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall is known as much for his headline-grabbing troubles off the field as he is for his standout play on it. If he has his way, he’s about to be famous for something else entirely.
In a press conference on Sunday, Marshall told reporters that he suffers from borderline personality disorder (BPD), a mental…
People in Affluent Nations May Be More Depression-Prone
Published on 27 Jul, 2011 at 6:32 in Health | | No Comments
Affluent countries, including the U.S., tend to have higher rates of depression than lower-income nations such as Mexico, a new study from World Health Organization (WHO) researchers suggests.
In face-to-face interviews, teams of researchers surveyed nationally representative samples of people in 18 countries on five continents—nearly 90,000 people in all—and assessed their history of depression using a standardized list of…
Can the Sunshine Vitamin Ease Fibromyalgia Pain?
Published on 21 Jun, 2011 at 9:26 in Health | | No Comments
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because when sunlight hits skin, the body produces this vitamin, essential for strong, healthy bones. (That’s the reason your mother told you to slurp down your vitamin D-fortified milk.)
However, a mountain of new evidence suggests that the vitamin may have a more versatile role than previously thought,…
Mental Illness Leading Cause of Disability in Youth
Published on 8 Jun, 2011 at 8:44 in Health | | No Comments
Mental health problems such as depression account for nearly half of all disability among young people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to a new study from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Researchers looked at data from 191 countries and estimated the number of years of good health lost to disability resulting from disease and injury…
New Antidepressant Targets Body Clock
Published on 20 May, 2011 at 9:35 in Health | | No Comments
Sleep problems and depressed mood often go hand in hand. Insomnia, early-morning waking, and nighttime disturbances can be symptoms as well as warning signs of depression—as can too much sleep and daytime fatigue.
For the past several decades, the treatment of depression has centered on medications that affect levels of brain chemicals involved in mood, such as…
“Cuddle Hormone” Linked to Postpartum Depression Risk
Published on 12 May, 2011 at 9:20 in Health | | No Comments
Women who have lower levels of the brain chemical oxytocin toward the end of their pregnancy may be more prone to develop postpartum depression than expecting moms with higher levels, a new study suggests.
Known as the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin is released during human-to-human contact (such as breast-feeding) and is critical to mother-baby bonding. Previous…
Arthritis Impacts Physical, Mental Health
Published on 29 Apr, 2011 at 5:54 in Health | | No Comments
Arthritis can limit mobility and make everyday tasks painful, and it can also take a toll on your mental health and overall quality of life, a new study suggests.
Researchers analyzed data from several national health surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that people with arthritis—which includes those with…