Tag: depression

New Subtypes Of Depression Discovered

For a new study, researchers set out to identify the subtypes of depression using “life history and MRI data.”

New research sheds some light on why not all depression can be treated with medication, according to Medical News Today.

Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) in Japan have identified three new depression subtypes.

According to Professor Kenji Doya of the Neural Computation Unit, there has always been speculation about different subtypes of depression, but it had never been proven.

A research team led by Doya studied data from 134 participants, half of which had recently been diagnosed with depression. Through questionnaires and blood tests, the research team gathered information about each individual’s life history, mental health, sleep pattern and other potential stressors in their life.

The team utilized functional MRI scanners to gather information about each person’s brain activity. In doing so, they mapped 78 brain regions and the various connections between them.

First study author Tomoki Tokuda, a statistician at OIST, says the challenge in this research was developing the right tool.

“The major challenge in this study was to develop a statistical tool that could extract relevant information for clustering similar subjects together,” he said, according to Medical News Today.

Tokuda was able to create a new statistical method from which researchers could categorize more than 3,000 “measurable features”—such as childhood trauma and level of depressive episode—into five data clusters.

In doing so, researchers found that three of the five data clusters connected to different subtypes of depression. Additionally, the brain imaging shed light on the “functional connectivity” of brain areas connected to the angular gyrus, which is the region of the brain that has to do with procession language, numbers, spatial cognition and attention.

The connection could predict whether or not SSRIs—the most common type of antidepressant—could effectively treat depression.

According to the researchers, one of the subtypes that did not respond to medication correlated with “high functional connectivity as well as with childhood trauma.”

The other two subtypes of depression did respond to medication. Researchers found that this subtype had low brain connectivity and no instance of childhood trauma.

The results of this study could help doctors predict how effective certain medications and treatments may be for a patient, according to Doya.

“This is the first study to identify depression subtypes from life history and MRI data,” said Doya, according to Medical News Today. “It provides scientists studying neurobiological aspects of depression a promising direction in which to pursue their research.”

View the original article at thefix.com

6 November 2018
Psilocybin Trials For Depression Treatment Get Greenlight From FDA

The FDA has recognized the psychedelic compound’s therapeutic potential.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted its “Breakthrough Therapy” designation to psilocybin-assisted treatment for depression.

By giving psilocybin research its “Breakthrough Therapy” designation, the FDA is expediting the development and review of psilocybin—the psychedelic compound in “magic mushrooms”—based on the results of preliminary clinical trials that demonstrate its potential to perform better than available treatments.

Previous research on psilocybin has yielded promising results for treating end-of-life anxiety and depression, alcohol and tobacco use disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder.

With the FDA’s blessing, the first large-scale clinical trial for treating refractory (treatment-resistant) depression with psilocybin will run for about one year in Europe and North America.

Psilocybin researchers say this is a significant development in the future of the psychedelic compound’s role in medicine.

“FDA Breakthrough status is a big deal,” Matthew Johnson, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University, told Inverse. “It implies that the FDA recognizes the treatment is potentially one with a large impact on a largely under-treated condition.”

Johnson and his colleagues recommend that the federal government re-categorize psilocybin to Schedule IV, instead of its current place in Schedule I, the category reserved for drugs defined as having a high potential for abuse and no medical value.

In Schedule IV, psilocybin would instead be in the same category as Xanax and Ambien. The scientists say that while there’s less of a risk for harm than heroin (Schedule I), “that doesn’t mean [psilocybin is] safe, and they certainly need to be regulated in some fashion.”

But while the FDA’s Breakthrough designation suggests that psilocybin is closer to mainstream acceptance than ever, it’s unlikely that the potential treatment will be widely distributed to the general population.

Roland Griffiths, PhD, another prominent psilocybin researcher and a colleague of Johnson’s, says, “It seems unlikely that these are compounds that will be dispensed at a pharmacy.”

“This is a significant positive development in the potential future regulatory approval of psilocybin, a classic psychedelic drug, for medicinal purposes,” Griffiths told Inverse.

“After a decades-long hiatus of research with psilocybin and related psychedelic drugs, investigators in the United States and Europe have demonstrated the safety and preliminary signs of efficacy of psilocybin for a variety of therapeutic applications.”

View the original article at thefix.com

1 November 2018
Can Hot Baths Help Ease Depression Symptoms?

A recent study examined the effects that a regular hot bath had on people with depression.

Can a bath a day keep the blues away? Researchers seem to think so.

A new study published in New Scientist indicates that by taking regular afternoon baths, people with depression may experience a “moderate but persistent lift in mood.”

During the study, researchers from the University of Freiburg in Germany took 45 individuals with depression and had one group soak in hot water (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 30 minutes, then wrap in a blanket and hot water bottles for an additional 20 minutes, while another group took 40 to 45 minutes of exercise twice per week.

Then, after eight weeks, the individuals taking the afternoon baths scored six points lower on a widely used depression scale, while those exercising scored about three points lower.

The theory is that warm baths strengthen and synchronize a person’s circadian rhythm by increasing the core body temperature. A circadian rhythm is “the daily fluctuations in behavior and biochemistry that affect every one of our organs, including the brain,” the Guardian notes.

For most people, core body temperature increases during the day and decreases at night, which helps the body to fall asleep. But in those with depression, the circadian rhythm is frequently “flatter, disrupted or delayed by several hours.” So, by affecting the core body temperature, baths may help those with depression to fall asleep more easily.

In addition to affecting the circadian rhythm, hot baths could lead to the firing of more neurons that distribute serotonin.

According to the Guardian, depression is likely related to low levels of serotonin in the brain, and research involving rats has found that neurons that release serotonin are connected to mood-regulating parts of the brain, which fire when body temperature increases.

When it comes to taking a good bath, the Guardian recommends picking a time without disruptions, possibly using an essential oil, making bathwater slightly warmer than body temperature, and taking into account the temperature of the room.

However, such hot baths could cause issues for some people. According to Bustle, some study participants struggled to get hot enough water at home, since 104 degrees is fairly high, and had to go to a spa instead.

People with health issues should be sure to check with their doctors before taking such hot baths, as they may be dangerous in some circumstances.

Of course, hot baths may not be the answer for everyone. But, as Bustle notes, they may be a good go-to while waiting the four-to-six weeks it can take for antidepressants to start working.

View the original article at thefix.com

31 October 2018
How Communication Affects Teen Mental Health

The more removed teens feel during adolescence, the less likely they are to trust their parents, a new study suggests.

A number of environmental factors can lead to anxiety and depression in teens, and a recent study has added another to the list: a fragmented parent-child bond.

According to WSB-TV Atlanta, researchers worked with a group of teens and monitored them through stages of adolescence. More specifically, the researchers followed 335 children from affluent white-collar communities from the 6th grade in 1998 until they turned 18.

Each year, they were given an annual assessment in which they rated their attachment levels to each parent, as well as their levels of depression and anxiety.

As the teens progressed in adolescence, their relationships with their parents saw significant changes, especially at the middle school level.

Researchers found that preteens felt more than one-and-a-half times as alienated at the middle school level as they did earlier on. As a result, they trusted their parents less and researchers say communication dropped about four times as much.

Such teens who felt alienated were also found to have lost more trust in their mothers than fathers and as a result, were more likely to have higher levels of anxiety and depression by 12th grade.

According to researchers, most relationships stabilized again toward the end of high school. However, the more removed a teen felt during their adolescence, the less likely they were to communicate well with their parents or trust them.

Study co-author Dr. Suniya Luthar, a foundation professor of psychology at Arizona State University, told ABC News that parents can play a role in curbing these feelings by creating strong connections with their children and overlooking attitudes.

“It would be helpful if, during this time of adolescence, parents would look past all the moodiness, distance and irritability, and express feelings of love and affirmation,” Luthar said.

Luthar also says that parents have to take care of themselves in order to take care of and connect with their children.

“Parents, particularly moms, hurt emotionally as well,” Luthar said. She added that when in crisis, mothers “act as first responders, meaning they do their best to diffuse a stressful situation.”

As such, mothers can be risking their own mental wellbeing, Luthar says. “Don’t pour from an empty or leaking cup,” she said. “Fill it first.”

According to Psych Central, researchers chose to collect responses only from children rather than children and parents.

“We wanted the child’s perspective on the relationship with their parents because ultimately it doesn’t matter much how parents think they are doing,” Luthar told Psych Central. “It’s what the children experience that is far more important in terms of effects on their mental health.”

View the original article at thefix.com

31 October 2018
Michael Phelps Speaks Out About Battling Depression, Anxiety

“I was so down on myself. I didn’t have any self-love and, quite honestly, I just didn’t want to be alive.”

Michael Phelps has won 28 Olympic medals, but despite his incredible history as a swimmer he’s also had serious bouts with depression, anxiety and alcoholism.

Since getting help, Phelps has been very open with the public about what he went through, but he recently admitted on Today that he’s “struggling weekly” with his mental health.

“From time to time, I’ll have bad days where I do go into a depression state,” Phelps said. “Being an athlete, you’re supposed to be strong and be able to push through anything. My struggles carried on through my career and I hid them well. There are so many people who struggle from very similar things that I go through and still go through… At times, it was a little scary and challenging to go through, but I found a way to get through it and I’m addressing these issues that I have.”

Phelps has certainly come a long way since he hit his personal bottom in October 2014. Phelps said he was so engulfed in despair, he couldn’t leave the house for five days and felt suicidal.

He admitted that he had “at least half a dozen depression spells” before this one. He recalled, “I was so down on myself. I didn’t have any self-love and quite honestly, I just didn’t want to be alive. It was a really, really, really crazy time for me and I didn’t want to see anybody. I saw myself as letting so many people down—and myself in particular. That’s hard to carry.”

Finally something in Phelps clicked, and he “realized that I can ask for help and it’s going to be okay. For me, that’s what changed my life. I never asked for help really ever in my career. That was the first time that I really did that. I was basically on my knees, crying for help.”

Since that dark time, Phelps has been very involved in getting help for others. He’s on the board of TalkSpace, a teletherapy company, and he was also interviewed for a documentary, Angst, where he discussed his anxiety.

“I’m lucky to be able to sit down with a therapist and chat and talk and open up,” Phelps says. “It’s challenging for people to do… It’s something that continues to teach me more and more about myself.”

View the original article at thefix.com

30 October 2018
Does Tech Addiction Play A Role In Workplace Mental Health Issues?

Mental health in the workplace is an evolving issue that needs to be addressed.

While technology is largely helpful in today’s professional world, it can also be somewhat hindering for mental health, according to Mike Serbinis, the founder and CEO of Canada-based employee benefits platform League.

“If people feel like they always have to be on, it’s stressful and hard to relax and get the downtime and rest your brain needs,” Serbinis tells Forbes.

Mental health in the workplace is an evolving issue that needs to be addressed. In fact, mental illness is now the greatest cause of disability in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

It’s an issue close to home for Serbinis too; 44% of employees in his country of Canada have faced a mental health issue in their place of work.

“We see it among our data [at League] too,” Serbinis tells Forbes. “Between one-third to one-half of all employees using us are checking in or accessing a service that has to do with helping them manage stress, anxiety, depression, and so on.”

In the United States, similar statistics demonstrate that one in five U.S. adults are living with mental health issues of some sort, though the number is likely higher due to lack of reporting.

According to Serbinis, it’s important to distinguish between the types of mental health issues. He says two of the biggest are depression and anxiety. “There’s a range of different conditions and illnesses,” Serbinis tells Forbes. “People speaking about mental health as one sort of general category almost doesn’t do it justice.”

When it comes to struggling with mental health in the workplace, Serbinis says “tech addiction” likely plays a large role.

“What’s happening is that people are getting conditioned to see those signals or numbers and feel like they have to go back and check constantly,” Serbinis says. “And that triggers this fight or flight response. Which jacks up adrenaline, which jacks blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular issues, which leads to anxiety… it’s a whole cascade of events that really emanates from this constant interruption.”

One solution is to expand employee benefits to cover mental health, Serbinis says.

Forbes says that in addition to covering mental health services, some companies are also taking time for mental health “office hours,” during which a therapist may visit a workplace. Or, as an alternative, companies are covering subscriptions for online tools such as Talkspace.

Another recommendation is to not encourage employees to constantly check work-related notifications during non-working hours. “We suggest that people to turn off their notifications at home, and dedicate time for messaging and emails at work that’s separate from your other tasks,” Serbinis tells Forbes.

When it comes down to it, Serbinis says, workplaces need to change their approach to mental health.

“The current way of doing things is not sustainable,” he said. “Employers need to see employee health and wellness as a core part of their strategy to build a top company.”

View the original article at thefix.com

23 October 2018
Can Social Media Predict Depression?

A new study examined whether social media data could be used to find markers for depression.

Social media could be an accurate predictor of depression, new research has found.

According to Medical News Today, researchers utilized an algorithm to examine data from social media that could pick out “linguistic cues that might predict depression.”

“We’re increasingly understanding that what people do online is a form of behavior we can read with machine learning algorithms, the same way we can read any other kind of data in the world,” lead author Johannes Eichstaedt, founding research scientist at the World Well-Being Project (WWBP) in Philadelphia, told Wired.

Eichstaedt’s team, co-led by H. Andrew Schwartz, a principal investigator of the WWBP, studied data from nearly 1,200 social media users who agreed to grant access to both their posts and their electronic medical records (EMR). Of those who participated, only 114 had dealt with depression in the past.

“For each of these 114 patients, we identified 5 random control patients without a diagnosis of depression in the EMR, examining only the Facebook data they created before the corresponding depressed patient’s first date of a recorded diagnosis of depression,” study authors wrote. “This allowed us to compare depressed and control patients’ data across the same time span and to model the prevalence of depression in the larger population.”

Researchers were then able to determine whether what they refer to as “depression-associated language markers” depicted “emotional and cognitive cues.” These included sadness, loneliness, hostility, rumination and increased self-reference.

The linguistic markers, according to researchers, could predict depression fairly accurately as soon as three months before the individual received a diagnosis.

Still, Eichstaedt says, there is a different method before turning to social media as a reliable tool to diagnose depression. “It would be irresponsible to take this tool and use it to say: You’re depressed, you’re not depressed,” he told Wired.

Eichstaedt also stated that the social media algorithm is comparable to a DNA analysis.

“Social media data contain markers akin to the genome,” Eichstaedt said, according to Medical News Today. “With surprisingly similar methods to those used in genomics, we can comb social media data to find these markers. Depression appears to be something quite detectable in this way; it really changes people’s use of social media in a way that something like skin disease or diabetes doesn’t.”

Eichstaedt says he is hopeful one day that this type of information could prove helpful in making diagnoses and treatments.

“The hope is that one day, these screening systems can be integrated into systems of care,” he said. “This tool raises yellow flags; eventually the hope is that you could directly funnel people it identifies into scalable treatment modalities.”

The report was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

View the original article at thefix.com

22 October 2018
How Parents Can Support Teens’ Mental Health

Parents play a key role in connecting teens with mental health treatment and helping them learn to live with their diagnosis.

The parents of teenagers used to fret about whether their kids were sleeping too much or “just saying no” to drugs, but today’s parents are more in tune with the mental health needs of their children, recognizing that many mental illnesses start during adolescence.

More than 17 million American teenagers have a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder, according to USA Today, and many times parents are key in connecting these individuals with treatment and helping them learn to live with their diagnosis.

With suicide being the second-leading cause of death among people ages 10-34 in the U.S., talking about mental health with young people could very well save a life.

Still, many parents aren’t sure what the warning signs of mental illness are, especially since teenagers are general apt to be moody and withdrawn. Parents should look for sudden changes in behavior—a quick drop in school performance, a change in sleeping or eating habits, or physical pains such as stomach issues. All of these can be signs of mental illness in teens.

Myths and stigma about mental illness can hinder access to treatment, so it’s important to remember that mental illnesses are biological conditions, not caused by bad parenting, personal weakness or character flaws. Just like physical illnesses require expert care, so do mental illnesses.

It’s important that parents consult with professionals such as counselors and primary care physicians to get teens the help they need. Most mental illnesses that emerge during the teenage years will become lifelong conditions. Although this is scary, connecting with the best treatment as soon as possible will help teens learn to cope with their illnesses.

Even when parents are able to identify that their child has a mental or emotional issue confronting them, it can be hard to talk about. However, talking is key. Ask your child how he or she is doing. If they’re not receptive to conversation, just try again later rather than pushing the issue.

If you suspect that something is wrong but your child insists that he or she is fine, turn to other adults in their life, like coaches, teachers or school counselors. Ask if they’ve noticed changes or behaviors that they find concerning.

Although a medical professional may not be able to give you information about your teenager due to patient confidentiality, they are always able to listen to your concerns.

Finally, connecting with teenagers is important for controlling and preventing mental illness. Take walks together outside or play sports. Eat dinner together. These activities allow you to connect with your teen without the pressure of a sit-down conversation.

View the original article at thefix.com

19 October 2018
How "This Is Us" Encourages Men To Speak About Mental Health

The critically-acclaimed series showcased a candid conversation about mental health in a recent episode.

Warning: This article may contain spoilers.

The NBC drama series This Is Us doesn’t shy from addressing tough issues like the stress of in-vitro fertilization and the trauma of war. In the most recent episode, the show depicts two men talking about mental health. This simple exchange, broadcast on a major TV network, is more impactful than we know.

A conversation between brothers-in-law Randall (played by Sterling K. Brown) and Toby (Chris Sullivan) turns to their personal demons.

“I can’t picture you with anxiety. You know, the way you present,” says Toby. “That’s what we do, right? Men,” Randall replies.

Toby, who we know has struggled with depression in the past, said that without his medication for his condition, “life gets pretty scary.” Randall is surprised to learn that his brother is medicating for depression. “Never would have known.”

Toby’s depression diagnosis surfaced after separating with his first wife. And as he and wife Kate Pearson (played by Chrissy Metz) struggle to conceive, he is informed by a doctor that his depression medication may be affecting his sperm.

As for Randall, his anxiety surfaced near the end of Season 1, when he had a panic attack, and it was addressed further, rather accurately, in Season 2. We learn that he has dealt with anxiety since he was a child and suffers panic attacks from time to time.

Writer and co-executive producer KJ Steinberg, described the making of the normally taboo conversation between Randall and Toby. “[It’s] actually a really sensitive conversation,” he said. “The fear is to treat it too glibly. You never want anything to appear too simple. But you also are writing for characters who share an intimacy and a need to connect with one another.”

Overall, the show is not afraid to depict the vulnerabilities of the men on the show. We learn that Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) had a drinking problem, as did his father. “We’re a family of addicts. Our father was an addict. We don’t talk about his drinking problem,” said Jack’s son Kevin (Justin Hartley), who faced his own addiction to opioid painkillers.

Public health campaigns like Heads Together in the UK encourage people to speak up, not hide away, mental health issues they may be struggling with—particularly men. Retired Olympic medalist Michael Phelps is also on a mission to shed the stigma of mental health issues. He has publicly discussed his own struggles with depression and alcohol on many occasions.

View the original article at thefix.com

18 October 2018
Can Social Media Reduce Depression In Older Adults With Chronic Pain?

A recent study examined how social media use affected the mental health of elderly adults living with pain.

There’s been lots of information put forward about the toll that social media can take on our mental health, with excessive use of social media linked to depression and addictive behaviors.

However, a new study indicates that there may be a silver lining: social media use might be associated with lower depression levels in older adults with pain.

The study, published in Journals of Gerontology, Series B and reported by Reuters Health, followed 3,401 people ages 67 or older. The people in the study all lived in the community, rather than in an assisted living or nursing facility, and 54% of them said they’d been bothered by pain in the past month.

Researchers found that among people with pain, 15% of those who did not use social media showed signs of depression. That dropped to just 6% among people who did engage with social media.

“Using online social media to maintain contact with family members and friends is a good way to compensate for seniors who restrict their social activities due to pain. It is not going to replace seeing people in person, but it will help supplement their reduced activities,” said Shannon Ang, a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and co-author of the study. “For us, this study is about preserving mental health.”

Despite the connection with better mental health, only 17% of participants were using social media, Ang found. He said that programs that teach the elderly how to use computers and engage online could be beneficial.

In the future, Ang wants to research the connection between social media and mental health further, looking at what social media platforms and patterns of use are most closely connected with mental health benefits.

Healthcare providers say it isn’t necessarily surprising that social media could reduce depression symptoms, since it can alleviate feelings of isolation.

“It’s very well known that social support is helpful for depression and physical symptoms. It’s a growing area of interest in research and clinical care,” said Dr. William Pirl of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who wasn’t involved in the study.

However, people should proceed with caution, Pirl said.

“People respond differently to it. Some people can become more anxious hearing other peoples’ stories or about other treatments for what they’re experiencing. There’s a lot of variability of whether social media is right for you.”

View the original article at thefix.com

16 October 2018