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Tag: mental health

  • Serena Williams Gets Candid About "Postpartum Emotions"

    Serena Williams Gets Candid About "Postpartum Emotions"

    By being open about her issues, the tennis star is bringing awareness to postpartum depression that she says is needed.

    Tennis champ and new mom, Serena Williams, is shedding the shame of struggling with “postpartum emotions.”

    The 23-time Grand Slam champion is in the midst of a rocky comeback after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr last September.

    In July, Williams lost the chance to win her 24th Grand Slam title after ending this year’s Wimbledon tournament as runner-up. And she pulled out of the Rogers Cup in Canada (August 4-12) citing “personal reasons.”

    But in a Monday Instagram post, the tennis star shared that she was struggling with postpartum depression (or PPD).

    “Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom,” Williams wrote in the caption.

    “I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal.”

    PPD is a type of depression that occurs in women after giving birth. According to one study, postpartum depression affects about 1 in 7 women.

    “It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby,” Williams continued on Instagram. “We have all been there. I work a lot, I train, and I’m trying to be the best athlete I can be.

    “However, that means although I have been with her every day of her life, I’m not around as much as I would like to be. Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes.

    “I’m here to say: If you are having a rough day or week—it’s ok—I am too! There’s always [tomorrow]!”

    Williams has been candid about the challenges of being a new mom. Many of the commenters on her Instagram post are fellow moms who can relate.

    By talking through her issues, the tennis star is bringing awareness to postpartum depression that she says is needed. In a June interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK, she said, “I think people need to talk about it more because it’s almost like the fourth trimester, it’s part of the pregnancy.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Could Depression Be Diagnosed By A Blood Test In The Future?

    Could Depression Be Diagnosed By A Blood Test In The Future?

    Researchers may have discovered a possible biomarker for major depressive disorder.

    A blood test is in the works that may be an important new step in fighting depression.

    In a new study, researchers in the U.S. and Sweden have been examining a chemical in the brain, acetyl-L-carnitine, or LAC for short, to determine if it plays a role in depression. 

    Natalie Rasgon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, who is a senior author in this study, told ABC News, “Previous animal studies convincingly showed the role of LAC in models of depression. This study is the first confirmation of the results from animal studies in human subjects with depression.”

    A previous study on LAC was conducted on mice and it did improve their depression symptoms. LAC could be used as a biomarker in patients, meaning a measurable chemical in the brain that shows the presence of a disease, and it could eventually be a way to screen and diagnose people with serious or treatment-resistant depression.

    Newsweek reports that among the 116 people who participated in this survey, 71 had depression and 45 did not. The participants with depression had lower levels of LAC than others. For the participants with severe depression, their LAC levels were very low. This study revealed that LAC levels were lowest with women who had treatment-resistant depression, and who endured childhood trauma.

    There could also eventually be supplements that could improve people’s LAC levels down the road, yet Rasgon adds, “We are at the very beginning of this discovery and can’t recommend people to buy this supplement at the GNC store… There are many questions to be answered—who will ultimately benefit from taking this supplement, what is the right dose, what is the appropriate duration of use.”

    Over 300 million people live with depression worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It is a complex mental health issue to fight. “Depressive disorders can present differently in different people,” Rasgon says. “What is known now is that depression affects not just the brain but the whole organism.”

    Still, Rasgon is enthusiastic about the early results from this study. “We are working on extending them to further understand the role of LAC in patients receiving treatment for depression,” she says. “It is one of the pieces of a very large puzzle that constitutes depressive disorders as an illness.” 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Hay Fever's Link To Mental Health Issues Examined

    Hay Fever's Link To Mental Health Issues Examined

    Researchers examined the link between hay fever and depression in adolescents for a study.

    For many people, itchy eyes, sneezing and a scratchy throat are a right of passage every spring as the flowers bloom and the pollen begins to blow.

    However, although it might be common, one report found that hay fever is linked to depression and anxiety in adolescents.

    A review published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology looked over 25 studies of individuals with hay fever, concentrating on patients who were between the ages of 10 and 19. The review found that adolescents with hay fever had a lower quality of life than other teens, were more likely to have their sleep and routines disrupted, and have academic consequences.

    “Although [hay fever is] sometimes perceived as trivial conditions, this review indicates that [the] effect on adolescent life is negative and far-reaching,” the authors wrote. “It is critical that clinicians gain a greater understanding of the unique burden of [hay fever] in adolescents to ensure they receive prompt and appropriate care and treatment to improve clinical and academic outcomes.”

    “The emotional burden of hay fever can be huge for adolescents,” lead study author Dr. Michael Blaiss told Medical News Today. “Three of the studies in our review examined how adolescents are emotionally affected by hay fever […] and hay fever with eye allergies (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis). They found adolescents with hay fever had higher rates of anxiety and depression, and a lower resistance to stress. [They] also exhibited more hostility, impulsivity, and changed their minds often.” 

    Blaiss pointed out that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of disruption to their sleep. 

    “Lack of sleep or poor sleep are both huge issues for adolescents, and it can be made worse by the symptoms of hay fever with or without eye allergies,” he said. “Poor sleep can have a negative impact on school attendance, performance, and academic achievement.”

    Between 15 and 38% of teens have hay fever, so understanding the social and emotional consequences is important for public health. It’s also important economically, since millions of doctors visits and sick days are caused by hay fever each year.

    Researchers also pointed out that teens might have their hay fever present differently from younger children or from adults. For example, teens are more likely to say that itchy eyes or sneezing is their most pressing symptom.

    However, symptoms like snoring at night and night waking are the cause for the most concern, since they can lead to sleep disruption. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How Rising Temperatures May Affect Mental Health

    How Rising Temperatures May Affect Mental Health

    A new article examined the grim link between high temperatures and suicide rates.

    Not only is climate change dangerous to the natural environment, one writer posits, it can negatively affect mental health as well.

    In a new article, Bloomberg columnist Leonid Bershidsky cites research that has found that rising temperatures can increase the likelihood of suicide.

    Most recently, a report by Marshall Burke and his colleagues of Stanford University, estimated that a “1 degree Celsius increase in average monthly temperature produces a 0.68% increase in the monthly suicide rate in the U.S.,” Bershidsky wrote. In Mexico, the resulting increase in the monthly suicide rate was even higher—2.1%.

    This year’s North American heat wave may have come and gone, while western Europe is predicted to be hit next with dangerous heat during the first week of August, average temperatures are on the rise.

    According to the U.S. Office for Coastal Management, the five warmest years on record in the United States all have occurred since 2006. 

    This research is significant given that average temperatures are predicted to continue to rise. According to the Office for Coastal Management, if we continue on this trajectory, by 2050, “the average American will likely see 27 to 50 days over 90 degrees (Fahrenheit) each year.”

    According to Burke’s research, this could have a grim impact on people’s mental health. His team calculated that a 2.5 degree increase in U.S. average temperatures by 2050 would increase the suicide rate by 1.4%, causing more than 14,000 more suicides.

    Bershidsky cites other research that came to similar outcomes, showing that hotter temperatures affected suicide rates.

    A report in 2007 from Lisa Page and colleagues at the London Institute of Psychiatry discovered that with “each degree above 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit), the suicide rate increased 3.8%.”

    But despite discovering these correlations, it’s still a mystery as to why exactly weather can affect people in this way.

    “While speculative, perhaps the most promising mechanism to link suicide with high temperatures is a psychological one,” wrote Page. “High temperatures have been found to lead individuals to behave in a more disinhibited, aggressive and violent manner, which might in turn result in an increased propensity for suicidal acts.”

    Bershidsky concludes that based on this research, communities should make a “better effort” to deal with the effects of climate change by investing in mental health support.

    During a heat wave, defined as a prolonged period of abnormally hot weather, it is advised to drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous activity during the midday and afternoon to avoid heat exhaustion or stroke, and to take care that the elderly, children and pets, especially, are kept out of the heat.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Tennessee’s Mental Health Courts Strained By Budget Cuts, Demand Increase

    Tennessee’s Mental Health Courts Strained By Budget Cuts, Demand Increase

    The state ranks 35th in the nation when it comes to investing in mental health support.

    A new report by the Tennessean features the work of Tennessee’s mental health courts.

    These courts divert non-violent offenders living with mental health issues to services instead of jail, but they’re now struggling to handle the increasing caseload amid a lack of funding.

    “You want to get them out of jail so they stay out,” said Judge Melissa Blackburn, who presides over Davidson County’s mental health court. “I don’t want them back.”

    Artist Charles Chesney, who lives with bipolar disorder, is featured in the Tennessean for his experience in Davidson County’s mental health court. Chesney’s bouts of mania have gotten him in trouble with the law.

    After one particular manic episode at his mother’s home, Chesney was arrested, but instead of ending up in jail, he went before the mental health court. Now, he is on probation and lives in a therapeutic halfway house, according to the Tennessean. He is also required to receive counseling, attend a 12-step program, and work.

    Chesney said this court-mandated structure has given him a sense of stability that he did not have before.

    But according to the publication, Chesney is among the lucky few who are able to go through the mental health court and find housing. The state’s mental health courts have struggled amid budget cuts, after reductions to the state’s TennCare program in 2005.

    “As soon as TennCare went away, the numbers skyrocketed,” said retired Judge Dan Eisenstein. “Mental health court wasn’t set up to handle the numbers we were seeing.”

    The controversial program was designed to cover the costs of prescription medications, psychiatric visits, inpatient care and provide transportation for people without access to private health insurance, according to the Tennessean.

    Instead, people like Chesney are enrolled in the Behavioral Health Safety Net program, which pays for Chesney’s psychiatric medication.

    While at least a third of people in Nashville jails live with a mental health issue, according to Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall, the state is lagging behind the national average when it comes to investing in mental health support.

    According to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute, Tennessee’s mental health spending is well below the national average of $119.62 per capita, ranking it 35th in the United States.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Descendants" Star Dove Cameron Gets Candid About Anxiety, Panic Attacks

    "Descendants" Star Dove Cameron Gets Candid About Anxiety, Panic Attacks

    “Today I had my first full on panic attack in months. Out of nowhere, and for no reason. That’s just sometimes how anxiety goes.”

    Dove Cameron, the star of the Disney Channel film series Descendants, recently took to Twitter to discuss her struggles with anxiety and to offer advice to fans who may be dealing with it as well.

    “Do your best to not speak negatively of others, of life, of any given situation,” Cameron tweeted. “And especially, do your best to not speak negatively of yourself. It’s hard at first, but it gets easier. I am not perfect at it, but it does make a difference for my anxiety and my noise in my mind.”

    Cameron told her Twitter followers that she “wanted to speak honestly,” and that she has been “doing phenomenally” with her anxiety.

    “It’s always there, a little bit, sometimes a lot… but I have gotten more skilled at keeping it quieter, reasoning with myself, breathing… but today I had my first full-on panic attack in months. Out of nowhere, and for no reason. That’s just sometimes how anxiety goes.”

    Cameron revealed that after making it through the panic attack, she wanted to share her experience.

    “I wanted to tell you this so that you don’t look at me and feel hopeless because I always seem stable,” she tweeted. “I know I can present like that sometimes.”

    Cameron continued, “No one is ‘perfect’ and we should not strive to be ‘cured,’ but rather, embrace highs and lows as a fact and centerpiece of being alive. ‘This moment is inevitable…’ There is help, hope, and growth for all of us. But we should never compare our paths to others, but rather, honor, embrace and accept our own path… None of us are OK 100% of the time, and that’s OK.”

    A couple of years ago on Twitter, Cameron addressed the importance of speaking up about mental health issues to help break the stigma.

    “So many people have anxiety/related things. It needs to be less taboo to talk about it, it helps so much to talk.”

    She added that anxiety had “made me that much more disciplined in my thoughts. So it has been a blessing in disguise… It’s not about hiding it, it’s about genuinely embracing, acknowledging and managing it.”

    In previous tweets, Cameron recommended the following to combat anxiety: “Time alone, self-reflection, laughter, getting in touch with my body, journaling, therapy, sleep, nature, exercise.”

    Cameron also revealed that she has taken up meditation in an effort to to deal with her anxiety and she “100% recommends” it to others dealing with the mental health issue. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • People With Depression Miss Fewer Days In Supportive Workplaces

    People With Depression Miss Fewer Days In Supportive Workplaces

    Researchers examined workplace policies and even varying gross domestic product for a recent global study on working with depression.

    People with depression miss fewer days of work if they are employed somewhere that supports them in their illness, a new study has found. 

    The study, published in The British Medical Journal, looked at workers in 15 countries. It found that workers with self-reported depression who have managers who support and assist them miss fewer days of work, lessening the economic impact of their disease.  

    “Working in an environment where managers felt comfortable to offer help and support to the employee rather than avoid them was independently associated with less absenteeism and more presenteeism,” the authors concluded. 

    Supportive workplaces might have formal policies for handling mental health issues, time-off policies that allow for mental health episodes, or a system for referring people to mental health care. All of these can result in fewer missed days of work and therefore a lower economic impact of depression. 

    “We know that supportive managers and workplace practices are associated with greater openness and disclosure, in addition to more positive attitudes towards employees with depression,” the study authors write. 

    In addition to looking at differing workplace policies, the study authors looked at differences in support for depression in countries with varying gross domestic product (GDP). In countries with lower GDPs, people with depression were more likely to miss days of work, possibly because there are fewer resources available than in countries with higher GDPs. 

    “Country contextual factors such as country GDP and financial resources can also influence the availability of support and potential for investment,” authors wrote.

    While this might be expected, study authors found that managers’ reactions to employees with depression were “at least as important” as a country’s GDP in predicting how often the employee would miss work. 

    Researchers also examined how social pressures impacted employees’ presence at work. They found that employees with depression were less likely to disclose their condition in Asian countries compared with Western countries, likely because of stigma around mental health in those places. 

    “Workplace policies and practices are likely to reflect broader sociocultural attitudes and beliefs about mental health and societal values about investment in prevention and support for people with mental health problems,” authors wrote.

    “This may influence workplace culture in relation to openness and comfort in discussing mental health issues. Previous research has shown that a cultural context which is more open and accepting of mental illness is associated with higher rates of help-seeking, antidepressant use and empowerment.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Vets Turn To Medical Pot, Despite The VA's Policy

    Vets Turn To Medical Pot, Despite The VA's Policy

    The VA remains focused on studying the drug’s “problems of use” instead of its “therapeutic potential.”

    Once a month, the veterans’ hall in Santa Cruz, California, is home to an unlikely meeting, where dozens of former service members line up to receive a voucher for free cannabis products from local distributors. 

    “I never touched the stuff in Vietnam,” William Horne, 76, a retired firefighter, told The New York Times. “It was only a few years ago I realized how useful it could be.” 

    The VA medical system does not allow providers to discuss or prescribe medical marijuana, since the drug remained banned under federal law, which governs the VA.

    However, up to a million veterans who get healthcare through the system have taken matters into their own hands, using marijuana to relieve symptoms of PTSD, pain and other medical condition associated with combat. 

    “We have a disconnect in care,” said Marcel Bonn-Miller, a psychologist who worked for years at the veterans hospital in Palo Alto, California, and now teaches at the University of Pennsylvania medical school. “The VA has funded lots of marijuana studies, but not of therapeutic potential. All the work has been related to problems of use.” 

    This means that veterans like those in Santa Cruz can end up self-medicating with cannabis without any medical oversight. 

    A bill proposed this spring would mandate that the VA study cannabis for treating PTSD and chronic pain. 

    “I talk to so many vets who claim they get benefits, but we need research,” said Representative Tim Walz, a Democrat from Minnesota, who introduced the bill along with Phil Roe, a doctor and Republican from Tennessee. “You may be a big advocate of medical marijuana, you may feel it has no value. Either way, you should want the evidence to prove it, and there is no better system to do that research than the VA.” 

    Still, VA spokesperson Curt Cashour said the bill is not enough to change the department’s policies. 

    “The opportunities for VA to conduct marijuana research are limited because of the restrictions imposed by federal law,” he said. “If Congress wants to facilitate more federal research into Schedule 1 controlled substances such as marijuana, it can always choose to eliminate these restrictions.” 

    Former Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs David J. Shulkin said that it’s time the system looked into the potential benefits of cannabis. 

    “We have an opioid crisis, a mental health crisis, and we have limited options with how to address them, so we should be looking at everything possible,” he said. Although two small studies are currently being done at the VA, Shulkin would like to see more. 

    “In a system as big as ours, that’s not much, certainly not enough,” he said.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How Processed Meats May Affect Mental Health

    How Processed Meats May Affect Mental Health

    A new study examined whether the nitrates used to cure meat played a role in manic episodes. 

    Nitrates, a chemical relied on to cure meat, is believed to be linked to mania, a symptom of mental illness, Newsweek reports.  

    According to Psych Central, manic episodes are “a mood state characterized by period of at least one week where an elevated, expansive, or unusually irritable mood exists.”

    Those having manic episodes are often energized beyond their normal and may describe it as being “on top of the world.”

    Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine studied data on 1,101 people with and without mental illnesses between 2007 and 2017. The information in the data included health, dietary and demographic information about those who participated. Of those who participated, about 55% were female, 55% were Caucasian and 36% were African American.

    Researchers initially intended to determine whether being exposed to certain infections made individuals more likely to have a mental illness.

    However, the researchers discovered that individuals who had been hospitalized for mania were 3.5 times more likely to have consumed processed meat before their hospitalization in comparison to a group without mental illnesses.

    To test their theory, the researchers fed rats nitrates. In doing so, they discovered that those rats were more likely to exhibit hyperactivity and irregular sleep patterns when compared to rats on a normal diet.

    They also found that the rats that consumed nitrates had a different bacteria makeup in their digestive systems and exhibited differences in their brain’s molecular pathways linked to bipolar disorder. 

    Dr. Robert Yolken, lead author of the study and professor of neurovirology in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, released a statement acknowledging the prominence of processed meat in the diets of those with manic episodes.

    “We looked at a number of different dietary exposures and cured meat really stood out,” he stated, according to Newsweek. “It wasn’t just that people with mania have an abnormal diet.”

    Previously, Yolken and his team conducted another study that implied that probiotics could decrease the likelihood that someone with mania would be re-hospitalized in the six months following hospitalization.

    “There’s growing evidence that germs in the intestines can influence the brain,” he said. “And this work on nitrates opens the door for future studies on how that may be happening.”

    Seva Khambadkone is an M.D. and Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins who participated in the study. According to Newsweek, he says genetic and environmental factors play a role in mental illness.

    “It’s clear that mania is a complex neuropsychiatric state, and that both genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors are likely involved in the emergence and severity of bipolar disorder and associated manic episodes,” he stated. “Our results suggest that nitrated cured meat could be one environmental player in mediating mania.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Demi Lovato's Fans Pay Tribute To Her Mental Health & Recovery Advocacy

    Demi Lovato's Fans Pay Tribute To Her Mental Health & Recovery Advocacy

    Fans created the hashtag #HowDemiHasHelpedMe to tell the world how the pop star’s advocacy work has positively affected their lives. 

    Pop star Demi Lovato has made a name for herself as a champion of mental health and recovery support—having herself battled problem drug use, bipolar disorder, and self-harm.

    The impact of her advocacy is real. Fans are paying tribute to the pop singer, who was hospitalized for a suspected overdose on Tuesday in Los Angeles, with a new hashtag: #HowDemiHasHelpedMe. The singer is reportedly “awake and talking,” according to People.

    People on social media described how songs like “Warrior,” “Skyscraper,” and “Confident” helped them get through the worst times—through suicide attempts, bullying, and depression.

    Her songs and her story helped me stay strong through the years I was bullied. She taught me that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my mental illnesses or eating disorders. She taught me that getting help is not a sign of weakness but strength. @kkaaylana 

    Her music helped me realize that it was okay to be broken. Her being honest about her problems helped me see I could be something other than a mental illness. @princessofsinss 

    She showed me it takes a strong person to ask for help. @hydxan 

    She gives me so much light and happiness. But beyond the excitement and joy she gives me, she is on a journey with me. We are both figuring out life, and she inspires me to grow as she does. I completely love her and don’t know what I’d do without her here. @ddlxpeace 

    She is very outspoken about mental illnesses, especially anxiety & depression… It makes me feel like I shouldn’t be ashamed of my journey & my struggles. That I am human. @mercifuldreamer 

    Though the exact cause of her hospitalization is yet unknown, Lovato is suspected to have suffered a drug overdose. According to reports, the singer was treated with Narcan in her Hollywood Hills home.

    Lovato has been active and vocal in her recovery. This past March, she celebrated six years of sobriety. In June, she released a song called “Sober,” revealing a recent relapse: “To the ones who never left me we’ve been down this road before. I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore.”

    The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer has been recognized as a champion of mental health and recovery support, and a fighter against stigma and shame. “Every day is a battle,” she said while accepting the Spirit of Sobriety award at a fundraising event last October.

    “You just have to take it one day at a time, some days are easier than others and some days you forget about drinking and using, but for me, I work on my physical health, which is important, but my mental health as well.”

    View the original article at thefix.com