Tagged: Depression

Moderate to severe mid-life anxiety may be linked to later life dementia - News

Jean Balchin • May 02, 2018 •

• anxiety,
• brain cell ageing,
• CNS,
• degenerative,
• Dementia,
• Depression,
• meditation,
• middle age,
• Mindfulness

An analysis of the available published evidence in the online journal BMJ Open suggests that moderate to severe mid-life anxiety may be linked to dementia in later life. However, it remains unclear as to whether active treatment could curb this risk. Moreover, the degree to which non-drug therapies such as meditation and mindfulness that reduce anxiety might help is unknown also. Read More

Is it ethical to grow brain tissue? - News

Jean Balchin • Apr 27, 2018 •

• Alzheimer's,
• anxiety,
• brain tissue,
• conscious,
• Depression,
• ethical framework,
• ethics,
• laboratory,
• morals,
• mystery,
• neurological illnesses,
• neuroscience,
• opinion,
• Parkinson's disease,
• psychiatric,
• Schizophrenia

In this week’s Nature, there is an intriguing op-ed about the ethics of growing or sustaining human brain tissue. We must consider the fact that researchers one day might be able to create a model in the laboratory that may be capable of what might appear to be conscious experiences. If this were to happen, it would raise a number of … Read More

Cannabis and psychosis: what is the link and who is at risk? - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 27, 2018 •

• alteration,
• anxiety,
• cannabinoids,
• Cannabis,
• Depression,
• euphoria,
• gene variants,
• growing brains,
• hallucinations,
• paranoia,
• paranoid personality,
• Psychology,
• Psychosis,
• Schizophrenia,
• THC

Jerome Sarris, Western Sydney University and Joe Firth, Western Sydney University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. There has been a recent global rise in “green fever”, with various jurisdictions either decriminalising or legalising cannabis. But alongside relaxing the rules comes concern about the health implications … Read More

Mental health disorders among leading causes of children’ illness - News

Jean Balchin • Apr 13, 2018 •

• anxiety,
• children,
• Depression,
• Diabetes,
• Europe,
• hallucinations,
• Health,
• Infectious disease,
• Mental health,
• Panic attack,
• panic disorder,
• paranoia,
• Psychology,
• Schizophrenia,
• social anxiety disorder

According to a study published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, although global rates of mental disorders in children have remained stable over time, the decline of infectious diseases will place mental disorders among the main causes of disease in children aged 4-15 years. In the study, Marie-Laure Baranne and Bruno Falissard at INSERM, France describe the prevalence of mental … Read More

Menopausal mood swings can signal more serious mental illness - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 12, 2018 •

• anorexia,
• anxiety,
• binge eating,
• bipolar disorder,
• bulimia,
• delusions,
• Depression,
• dopamine,
• episode,
• food intake,
• hallucinations,
• hormonal changes,
• hunger,
• irritability,
• menopause,
• menstruation,
• Mental health,
• mood swings,
• neurological changes,
• oestrogen,
• psychotic,
• puberty,
• satiety,
• Schizophrenia,
• weight gain,
• women

Tania Perich, Western Sydney University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Most women expect to experience the effects of hormonal changes when they come to menopause and many anticipate increased irritability and mood swings. But mood swings that can be just an annoyance for some women can develop into something … Read More

Gene-based tests may improve treatment for people with bipolar disorder - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 04, 2018 •

• anti-epileptic,
• antipsychotics,
• bipolar affective disorder,
• catatonia,
• Depression,
• hallucinations,
• lithium,
• mania,
• manic episodes,
• medical assistance,
• medication,
• Mental health,
• mood symptoms,
• paranoia,
• Psychiatry,
• relapses,
• sodium valproate

Klaus Oliver Schubert, University of Adelaide and Bernhard Baune, University of Adelaide This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) affects around 2% of the world’s population, leaving them with bouts of severe depression and episodes of what is commonly referred to as “mania”. A … Read More

Is psychiatry ready for medical MDMA? - Guest Work

Guest Author • Mar 30, 2018 •

• clinical psychology,
• Depression,
• development,
• Drugs,
• MDMA,
• medication,
• Psychiatry,
• Psychology,
• psychotherapy,
• PTSD

Gillinder Bedi, University of Melbourne This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Within five years, science will likely have answered a controversial question: can methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) treat psychiatric disorders? After some studies showing a positive effect, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is entering final clinical trials as a treatment for post-traumatic stress … Read More

Opinion: The importance of hearing the stories behind the statistics - Guest Work

Jean Balchin • Mar 23, 2018 •

• anxiety,
• Depression,
• electroshock therapy,
• energy,
• eugenics,
• intellectual,
• lobotomies,
• Martin Luther,
• Mental health,
• overmedicating,
• psychotic,
• Schizophrenia,
• strength

On Saturday night, I had the immense pleasure of watching the Suitcase Theatre perform Mental Notes as part of the Dunedin Fringe Festival. Rarely have I encountered such an uplifting and touching take on mental health. Mental Notes, is at its heart, an exploration of mental health, a sustained conversation with many different voices. Over the course of … Read More

Why mental health treatment is not an easy solution to violence - Guest Work

Guest Author • Mar 21, 2018 •

• anxiety,
• bipolar disorder,
• Depression,
• Florida,
• gun violence,
• Mental health,
• mental illness,
• Psychiatry,
• Psychology,
• Schizophrenia,
• screening,
• stigma,
• United States

Sarah L. Desmarais, North Carolina State University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. In the wake of mass shootings and other tragedies, a frequent refrain is: Why don’t we get those dangerous people off the streets? And, just as frequently, people suggest that mental health treatment is the answer. Read More

Meta-analysis finds antidepressants ARE probably effective - News

Jean Balchin • Feb 22, 2018 •

• antidepressants,
• citalopram,
• clomipramine,
• Depression,
• drug,
• fluoxetine,
• fluvoxamine,
• generic,
• Mental health,
• metaanalysis,
• mirtazapine,
• paroxetine,
• Patent,
• Placebo,
• SSRI,
• The Lancet,
• trazodone,
• Treatment

A major meta-analysis study comparing commonly used antidepressants has concluded that all are more effective than placebo for the short-term treatment of acute depression in adults, with effectiveness ranging from small to moderate for different drugs. What is depression? According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression “is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, … Read More