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Category: Depression Treatment

  • Can Omega-3s Help Treat Depression?

    Can Omega-3s Help Treat Depression?

    A panel of experts weighed in on whether the supplement provided any benefits for those with major depressive disorder. 

    Anyone with major depression or who is at high risk of developing the condition should take a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish oil, according to new recommendations. 

    The International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research made the recommendations and released them on Sept. 3 in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 

    Panel Of Experts Weigh In

    “The expert consensus panel has agreed on using [omega-3s] in [major depressive disorder] treatment for pregnant women, children, and the elderly, and prevention in high-risk populations,” the review authors wrote. 

    The expert panel reviewed research on omega-3s in the treatment of major depression. It concluded that the benefits of omega-3s were well-established. 

    “Several lines of evidence have suggested the efficacy of [omega-3s] as a preventive and treatment strategy in [major depressive disorder], from epidemiological and case-controlled studies to randomized-controlled trials and meta-analyses,” the authors wrote. 

    Despite that, there were no clinical guidelines that dictated the best way to use omega-3s for patients with major depression. The committee set out to create guidelines for doctors. They laid out the dosage that patients should get. 

    “The recommended therapeutic dosages should aim for 1–2 g/day of total EPA from pure EPA or 1–2 g/day EPA from an EPA/DHA (>2:1) combination,” they wrote. 

    Finding The Right Dosage

    The amount of omega-3s can be increased biweekly. That same amount can also be used as a preventive measure for high-risk individuals, the study authors noted. 

    It’s important to emphasize that the authors said that omega-3s should be combined with other treatments, including antidepressant medications and therapy. They are not effective on their own, but could make a big difference when used in conjunction with other therapies. 

    Dr. Kuan-Pin Su has studied the effect of omega-3s on patients with depression and anxiety extensively. He told Medscape that their effectiveness is often “overlooked” and should be “on the radar” of more physicians who are treating people with depression and anxiety. 

    Earlier this year, a study showed that eating a Mediterranean diet can cut the risk of depression by up to one-third. That’s in part because this way of eating includes many healthy fats, like omega-3s. 

    Food is important to overall mental health, said Charles Conway, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis.

    “Especially the omega three fatty acids,” he added. “Those are known to have pretty clear effects with depression.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Doctors Are Prescribing House Plants To Treat Depression, Anxiety

    Doctors Are Prescribing House Plants To Treat Depression, Anxiety

    A new mental health initiative is taking a nature-focused approach to treating depression and anxiety.

    Doctors in the United Kingdom are recommending prescription greens for people with depression, but not the type you might think.

    While some people with depression turn to marijuana and other cannabis products, doctors in the UK say that garden-variety house plants can help improve mood and mental health. In fact, one clinic, the Cornbrook Medical Practice, has begun giving out prescriptions for plants. 

    “The plants we [are] giving people are mainly herbs—things like lemon balm and catmint, which all have mindful qualities,” Augusta Ward, a medical secretary at the practice, told Metro UK.

    Gardening For Mental Health

    In addition to sending plants home with people, the practice has a program where patients can garden with others.

    “The plant is then a reason to come back to the surgery and get involved in all the other activities in our garden and make new friends,” Ward said. 

    The new initiative to integrate plants into medicine is being done in conjunction with Sow the City, a nonprofit that promotes the health benefits of plants and gardening on an individual and social level. 

    “There’s evidence that people who are socially isolated have worse health outcomes,” Jon Ross, the organization’s director, told Fast Company. “We provide a kind of community project within the [doctor’s office] so that people can get together and do the food growing and the gardening together with other patients.”

    Dr. Philippa James, who practices at Cornbrook, said that the idea of health benefits from plants isn’t new. 

    “There’s a lot of evidence now about how two hours a week in a green space can lift mood—and then that too has physical, mental and emotional benefits. That’s something we need to harness,” she said. She added that she has seen patients benefitting from the program already. 

    Green Spaces For Better Moods

    “I’ve seen how our patients relax in the garden—and how they then get involved in wider events like picking litter, which all adds to pride in our area,” she said. 

    Ross said that Sow the City aims to set people up for success in caring for their plants and keeping them alive. 

    He said, “We try and make it as easy as possible, and we set it up so that the plants are healthy to start with, and we train them on how to look after them.” 

    Dr. Ruth Bromley, chair of the Manchester Health & Care Commissioning, which oversees health initiatives in the city where Cornbrook is located, said that she is happy to see a practice taking an unconventional approach to care. 

    “So much of what keeps people happy and well isn’t medical,” she said. “That’s why ideas like this one are so wonderfully effective, building on what is best about our communities and supporting patients close to where they live.”

    View the original article at thefix.com