Is Depression In Teens Linked To Fear Response?

October 17, 2012

A new study carried out by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College has given us an interesting insight into a possible reason why depression, anxiety, and stress related problems peak during adolescence. Could a reduced ability to let go of fear lie at the root of at least some of the mental health problems experienced during this time?

 

The study involved a group of volunteers, a computer screen, headphones and sweat meters, and the results showed that when the teenagers were faced with a perceived threat, it triggered an emotional response that the youngsters couldn’t seem to suppress even after the threat was no longer present.

 

“This is the first study to show, in an experiment, that adolescent humans have diminished fear extinction learning” said Dr Siobhan Pattwell, lead author and postdoctoral fellow at Weill Cornell.

 

The study

 

The researchers asked a group of children, adolescent, and adult volunteers to look at a computer screen which showed a sequence of images consisting of blue or yellow squares. Associated with one of the squares was an unpleasant sound, for example, half of the time, one of the coloured squares consistently triggered the sound. The participants all wore headphones and skin sweat meters whilst viewing the images. If an individual acquired a fear of the sound, they perspired more when they saw that same image that had been associated with the unpleasant noise.

 

Adults and children responded differently to teens

 

The following day, the same group once again viewed a sequence of yellow and blue square images but this time there was no unpleasant noise associated with any of the images. This is where it gets interesting.

 

Those in the 12 to 17 age group didn’t show a decrease in their fear response whereas adults and children didn’t have this problem. The children and adults participating in the experiment appeared to quickly learn that neither the yellow nor the blue square was linked to an unpleasant sound and their fear response rapidly decreased.

 

“Teenagers didn’t decrease their fear response, and maintained their fear throughout subsequent trials when no noise was played” says Dr Pattwell.

 

“Our findings are important because they might explain why epidemiologists have found that anxiety disorders seem to spike during adolescence or just before adolescence. It is estimated that over 75 percent of adults with fear-related disorders can trace the roots of their anxiety to earlier ages.”

 

Standard exposure therapy may not work

 

According to Dr Francis Lee, Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and senior co investigator in the study, the standard desensitization techniques (exposure therapies) may not be effective on adolescents.

 

“If adolescents have a more difficult time learning that something that once frightened them is no longer a danger, then it is clear that the standard desensitization techniques from fear may not work on them”.

 

More personalized approaches needed

 

According to Dr Lee, personalized approaches to treatment of fear and anxiety disorders in teens needs to be investigated.

 

“It is essential that we find a way to help teenagers become more resilient to the fear they experience during adolescence to prevent it from leading to a lifetime of anxiety and depression.”

 

The study was published on September 17th in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS),

 

Adolescent Depression

 

Depression and anxiety related disorders can be difficult to diagnose in teenagers simply because teens often experience emotional ups and downs and this is considered perfectly normal. However if a teenager’s behaviour changes radically and they are showing symptoms and signs of depression that lasts for two weeks or more and it’s affecting the child’s ability to function on a day to day basis then speak to a doctor or health care provider.

 

What to look out for:

 

  • Persistent low moods
  • Negative thinking
  • Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
  • Constant fatigue
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Anxiety and fear
  • Complaining of aches and pains without an obvious cause
  • Changes in appetite
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Emotional instability
  • Changes in sleep patterns
  • Outbursts of anger
  • Agitation or Irritability
  • Withdrawal from family and/or friends
  • Irrational or bizarre behaviour
  • Poor performance at school or college
  • Loss of interest in appearance and poor personal hygiene
  • Use of alcohol or substance abuse
  • Suicidal thoughts or talking about death

 

If a teen is experiencing any of these symptoms it doesn’t necessarily mean they are definitely suffering from depression but a doctor will be able to rule out other possible causes. The teenage years are difficult enough for many children without the added burden of depression and anxiety, which if left untreated, is likely to persist into adulthood.

 

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Depression In Children May Be Contagious

October 17, 2012

 

We all know that kids can catch infectious childhood illnesses from each other but who would have thought that depression could be passed on? Many studies have already revealed that peer group pressure can influence children and that if a child is particularly disruptive he or she can influence other children, but now a recent study has found that depression and anxiety can be contagious too.

 

The study was run by Rebecca Schwartz-Mette at the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri. A total of 274 same sex friendship pairs were involved in the study, which took place over a six month period. There were two separate age groups, younger children from Grades 3 and 5 and adolescents from grades 7 and 9. The kids completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms, co-rumination, and self disclosure.

 

The researchers found that depression was contagious amongst them all and anxiety was contagious amongst girls and older boys.

 

Co-rumination a major factor

 

Further analysis of the data identified that co-rumination had a major influence on the contagious effect. Rumination literally means to chew something over for an extended period of time so co-rumination basically means discussing negative or depressive feelings in depth with someone else. The results suggest that over time, children who are exposed to persistent rumination somehow internalize these feelings.

 

“These finding highlight a previously unstudied risk factor for the development of internalizing symptoms in childhood” said Schwartz-Mette.

 

“Most important, a mechanism that helped to account for depression and contagion was identified”.

 

Home environment irrelevant

 

What this suggests is that regardless of a child’s home environment and whether it’s a stable and happy one or not, if they are constantly analyzing and discussing negative feelings, anxieties and emotions with their friends, their mental health may suffer as a result.

 

It is normal for children to have fears, worries and anxieties at certain times, however, when these symptoms become so severe that it is distressing enough to affect a child’s daily life then it’s time to seek help. For example, if a child is so anxious that they are terrified to go out, fall asleep, or be on their own, or if they become excessively clingy and tearful and there is no obvious reason for this, then it may be an idea to seek professional help.

 

Anxiety and depression in children

 

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, there are around 3,000 youngsters suffering from an anxiety disorder in the UK alone. However, this isn’t the whole picture as there are many more that say nothing and basically suffer in silence.

 

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem to affect children. There are several different types of anxiety disorders and these are:

 

  • General Anxiety Disorder – constant worry about anything and everything – not specific to one thing

 

  • Separation Anxiety Disorder – anxiety related to being away from home or separate from parents or loved ones

 

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – obsessive thoughts which may result in irrational compulsive rituals in order to deal with these thoughts, for example, obsessing about cleanliness and constantly hand washing

 

  • Social Phobia – intense fear of social situations, speaking in front of other people, participating in group events etc.,

 

  • Panic Disorder – recurring panic attacks

 

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance techniques that can develop some time after an intensely traumatic event was experienced or witnessed.

 

Depression can affect anyone at any age including children. It’s shocking that as recent as thirty years ago, many mental health professionals believed that children were not able to suffer from depression because it was believed they were not emotionally mature enough to feel hopeless. We now know this is simply not true.

 

There is no single reason as to why anxiety and depression affects one child and not another but there are some pointers. For example, youngsters who are less confident socially may worry more. Children who have experienced a traumatic event or situation may feel more anxious. If a child is having difficulty at school or is being bullied they may feel isolated and depressed.

 

Most children cope very well with their fears and anxieties but for some, the feelings can become disabling and if not dealt with may persist into adulthood. Also, a child who is anxious is more likely to become depressed and a child who is already suffering from depression is more likely to suffer from anxiety too.

 

Childhood is supposed to be a happy time but unfortunately, this is not always the case. However, help is available if a child is suffering from depression and/or anxiety and it doesn’t necessarily mean taking prescription drugs. Talking Therapies are proving to be highly effective as they help a child make positive changes to the way they think and view a situation, which in turn helps them to cope with their fears and anxieties.

 

 

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Stress Can Literally Shrink Your Brain

October 17, 2012

Sustained stress over a period of time can play havoc with our health, we all know that. It reduces our ability to function effectively and eventually takes its toll on the body. Stress is involved to some extent in every single ailment or disease known to man. Now we know it can shrink the brain too.

 

There has already been an association seen between stress and smaller brain size. In a study published in January in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers found that people who were under stress were found to have less grey matter in the prefrontal cortex part of the brain. Now, a recent study published in August in the journal Natural Medicine, a “direct connection” has been identified between anxiety, major depression disorder and a reduction in brain size.

 

Circuits normally involved in emotion, as well as cognition, are disrupted

 

In the most recent study, researchers from Yale University are the first to discover the genetic transcription that actually causes the brain to shrink. They analyzed the brain tissue of both depressed and non-depressed patients to identify differences in gene activation. What they found was that in the brains of people who were depressed, there were lower levels of expression genes that are needed for the function and structure of the brain.

 

“We wanted to test the idea that stress causes a loss of brain synapses in humans” said Ronald Duman, senior author on the study and Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Neurobiology and Pharmacology.

 

“We show that circuits normally involved in emotion, as well as cognition, are disrupted when this single transcription factor is activated”.

 

Transcription Factor GATA1

 

According to Lead author H. J. Kang, at least five of the genes could be regulated by a single transcription factor called GATA1 as laboratory studies have indicated that this transcription factor is involved both in the loss of brain connections and in the symptoms of depression.

 

Professor Duman reckons that identifying variations in GATA1 could also identify people who are more at risk from depression or who are more sensitive to the effects of stress and more effective treatments can be found.

 

“We hope that by enhancing synaptic connections, either with novel medications or behavioral therapy, we can develop more effective antidepressant therapies” said Duman.

 

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Connecticut Department of Mental health and Addiction Services.

 

Healthy individuals under stress

 

Earlier in the year, a study also by researchers from Yale, found that stress can reduce brain size and brain function in individuals who were otherwise completely healthy. The researchers asked 103 healthy participants (after prescreening for substance abuse, head injuries and other factors that might have an impact on the brain) to take part in a cumulative adversity interview that was designed to estimate the level of stress in their lives. Participants were asked questions about recent traumatic events such as divorce, financial problems, and other stress inducing factors.

 

MRI scans confirmed reduction

 

After the interviews, participants underwent MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans to see how the results of the interviews compared to the brains of these individuals. The scans revealed that those who were under high levels of stress also had a reduction in brain tissue in the prefrontal cortex part of the brain.

 

This study was the first to show the effect of stress on the brain in otherwise healthy individuals. Bearing in mind that these individuals were not suffering from any depressive illness the findings are significant as it could pinpoint individuals who may in the future be at risk of a mental health problem.

 

“The accumulation of stressful life events may make it more challenging for these individuals to deal with future stress, particularly if the next demanding event requires effortful control, emotion regulation, or integrated social processing to overcome it” said Emily Ansell, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and author of the study.

 

“These key regions are the regions we believe regulate our emotions, help us control our impulses and help us process our daily experience. They also control our physiology. These regions have implications for long-term health.”

 

Summary

 

Back in January, researchers from Yale found that people with no mental health problems but who were experiencing a significant amount of stress, had smaller brains than those who had less stress in their lives. Then another study identified what may be the genetic triggers that are involved in the loss of connections between neurons and a reduction in brain size. The implications are enormous.

 

If it is possible to identify those who are more at risk of a major depressive disorder or more susceptible to the effects of stress, then it may be possible to prevent problems too, either by taking steps to reduce the amount of stress or by earlier intervention with therapy.

 

 

 

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Brighter Outlook For SAD Sufferers

October 17, 2012

Following on from a successful pilot programme carried out in Cornwall in 2008/2009, the UK Met Office may soon be offering help to those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD as it is more commonly known.

 

If it goes ahead, the plan is, they will provide advice and send out text messages or email alerts when gloomy weather is on the way to give people a couple of days notice to use their light boxes or to take other appropriate action.

 

Do you suffer?

 

The symptoms of SAD are mainly lethargy, sleep disturbances, carbohydrate cravings and weight gain, loss of libido and depression and anxiety.  SAD also causes the immune system to weaken which of course means more colds, flu, and more misery. The symptoms usually appear gradually as the winter months approach and the amount of sunlight reduces, only to disappear again in spring.

 

For some people with SAD, the symptoms can be so severe they are disabling and make the winter months a living nightmare. It is estimated that around 2 million people in the UK alone suffer from SAD, however, no one knows the true number of people suffering from SAD because for many, the symptoms are no more than a mild inconvenience and these people are unlikely to associate their winter blues with something that can be alleviated or avoided.

 

Subsyndromal SAD may be more common than we think

 

There’s a very mild form of the winter blues where the sufferer feels lethargic and has some sleep problems, and they may also crave carbohydrates and eat more, but they don’t experience any symptoms of depression or anxiety – this is known as Subsyndromal SAD. So, there are many people who could be suffering from this mild form of SAD who don’t even know it.

 

SAD is rare around the equator

 

SAD is very rare in those living around the equator where the sun is high in the sky and the length of the days and nights are roughly equal. That’s not the case for those living in the Northern Hemisphere where the sun remains very low in the sky during the winter months.

 

Melatonin levels increase

 

Some reckon that SAD is caused by changes in melatonin production. Melatonin is basically a hormone that helps to regulate our circadian rhythm or body clock. As the sun goes down, melatonin production increases and we start to feel sleepy and at the same time Serotonin levels drop. Serotonin is the feel good hormone.

 

Vitamin D levels to drop

 

Others say that SAD is caused by Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin. This is because we get most of the Vitamin D we need from the sun shining on our skin. Most people are quite unaware if they are deficient in vitamin D as doctors don’t routinely check vitamin D levels. So, it’s quite simple; the main cause of SAD is lack of sunlight.

 

According to the Daily Express, anyone living 52 degrees North cannot produce enough Vitamin D during the winter months To put this in perspective, this is anyone living north of Birmingham.

 

A Brighter Outlook for all

 

Back in 2008/2009 the Met Office in the UK ran a pilot programme (Brighter Outlook) in Cornwall in order to ascertain the feasibility and benefit of delivering an innovative weather-based alert service as part of a care package for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

Those who participated in the programme were all given a light box and a self-help booklet. To measure how effective the Brighter Outlook care package was the participants each had three sessions with a mental health worker where a Patient Health Questionnaire was completed. Each participant was also asked to evaluate the programme at the end of the study.

 

The results showed that there was a marked improvement in symptoms after only 4 weeks on the programme, and overall, the service was considered highly effective, with the vast majority claiming the service should be promoted and more widely available.

 

The Met Office are now considering rolling out the service to the wider public to offer advice and support for those suffering from SAD, just as they currently offer advice and help to those suffering from Hay Fever or Asthma, or how to deal with heat waves or particularly cold spells.

 

According to the Telegraph, Patrick Saychon, the health business manager at the Met Office, said the Met Office was in talks with the NHS, the manufacturers of lightboxes and private health experts about the “Brighter Outlook” service.

 

“We are talking to a different number of people” he said, reported the Telegraph.

 

“If we deliver a service that warns sufferers about the period of gloomy weather and provides them with materials, it will help them improve their mental health.”

 

In the meantime, anyone who feels they may be suffering from SAD should seek advice from their doctor.

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Highlighting Tourettes Syndrome

October 17, 2012

Tourettes is often misunderstood by the general public. Many people associate the term Tourettes with persistent and involuntary swearing (coprolalia) whereas according to Tourettes Action (UK), only around 10 percent of Tourettes sufferers actually do this.

 

Radio One presenter Reggie Yates recently went on a mission to find talented musicians who also happened to be suffering from Tourettes Syndrome. In a recent BBC screening of ‘Let Me Entertain You’, Reggie introduced us to six young people with Tourettes, whose symptoms disappeared whilst they were performing. The reasons why this sometimes happens are not known.

 

Reggie gave us a unique and very positive insight into the difficulties faced by Tourettes sufferers and highlighted awareness of TS in an interesting and lighthearted way. It also gave the youngsters an opportunity they may never otherwise have had to showcase their talents. At the end of 12 weeks, the six performed on stage to a live audience and the results were spectacular with no evidence of Tourettes in sight.

 

So what do we know about Tourettes?

 

Not much really. Tourettes Syndrome or TS is an inherited neurological condition affecting around 1 percent of children, and for more than half of these children, the symptoms will persist into adulthood. It is characterized by involuntary tics which can be in the form of vocal sounds or sudden bodily movements. The tics vary widely from person to person in both the form and severity. It is more common in boys than in girls.

 

It’s important to stress that there is an irresistible urge to let the tics out, much like scratching an itch, sneezing or blinking your eye. Sometimes an individual with Tourettes is able to suppress the tics for a while, but the tics have to be let out eventually. Suppression of the tics can be exhausting and can cause tension and stress. Some people, even family and friends of TS sufferers, find it difficult to understand that the tics are completely involuntary, but they most definitely are.

 

Co morbidities are common

 

The vast majority of people with Tourettes (over 85 percent) have co morbidities too; this means they have additional conditions existing alongside the TS. These include Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Phobias, and so on. The point is, TS rarely exists by itself as many of the disorders are linked neuro-chemically.

 

At what age does Tourettes appear?

 

Most people develop TS in childhood between the ages of 5 and 7 with a peak in tics between the ages of 8 and 12 although this is not always the case. For 50 percent of sufferers the tics will gradually disappear throughout the teens.  Commonly, the first tics to appear are persistent blinking of the eyes, facial movements, throat clearing, and coughing. Again, this is not necessarily the pattern as no TS sufferers symptoms are the same.

 

What causes TS?

 

No one knows the exact cause of Tourettes syndrome but it is known that genetics play a role although no gene has been identified.

 

How is TS diagnosed?

 

There are no medical tests that can be used to identify TS. According to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), a diagnosis of Tourettes can be made when a person shows multiple motor tics and one or more vocal tics over the period of  a year with no more than 3 consecutive months where no tics appeared. The tics must have appeared before the age of 18 and are not the result of a substance or medical condition.

 

What is the treatment for TS?

 

There is no cure for TS. Treatment generally consists of finding ways and strategies to help the TS sufferer cope with the symptoms. Medication is sometimes given but usually only when the symptoms are so severe they interfere with the individual’s ability to function on a day to day basis, or to deal with a co-morbid condition such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Often, the tics can be alleviated by cognitive behavioural therapy.

 

By far the most effective way of dealing with TS is by reassurance, understanding, and by providing a positive and supportive environment. Many Tourettes sufferers find that if they direct their energies into something they love doing, like the musicians in the BBC screening Let Me Entertain You, they can get temporary relief from the symptoms of TS.

 

Advantages of Tourettes

 

It may seem strange to be talking about the advantages of a condition that also involves distressing tics, however, research has indicated that when it comes to certain skills, TS sufferers perform faster and have better timing ability than those without TS and they also have superior grammatical abilities. Indeed, a number of notable people have suffered from Tourettes including actor Dan Aykroyd, author Samuel Johnson, Goalie Tim Howard and possibly the musical genius Mozart too.

 

 

 

 

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WHO calling for end to mental health stigma

October 17, 2012

To coincide with World Mental Health Day (October 10th) The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for an end to the stigmatisation surrounding depression and other mental health disorders and better access to treatments for everyone who needs it.

 

Depression is extremely common in all regions of the world, it doesn’t discriminate against anyone regardless of age, gender, background, culture, social status or anything else for that matter, and yet there is still a stigma attached to mental health problems.

 

More than 3 million sufferers globally

 

According to WHO, more than 350 million people are suffering from depression, and almost a million people commit suicide every year, but many people with symptoms of depression will not seek help or even admit to themselves that there is a problem. Why? WHO says it’s because of cultural attitudes and a lack of proper understanding of depression that contributes to a reluctance to seek help.

 

Less than half receive the care they need

 

So despite awareness campaigns and media coverage, there are still large groups of the population that see depression and other mental health problems as a weakness, something that can be avoided, or worse, something to be ashamed about. The saddest part is that most mental health problems can be treated, if only people would seek help.

 

“We have some highly effective treatments for depression. Unfortunately, fewer than half of the people who have depression receive the care they need. In fact in many countries this is less than 10%,” says Dr Shekhar Saxena, Director of the Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

 

Ironically, each and every one of us is likely to have someone close to us who has been affected by a mental health problem at some point, perhaps even ourselves.

 

Relationship between depression and physical health

 

Depression is a result of “a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors” says WHO. “There is a relationship between depression and physical health, for example, cardiovascular disease can lead to depression and vice versa”.

 

They also say that up to 20 percent of woman who give birth experience post natal depression. Furthermore, they believe that the way things are going, by the year 2030, depression will overtake heart disease and cancer to become the most common disease known to man. This is shocking.

 

People are afraid of what it means

 

So why, if depression is so common, is there still a stigma attached to admitting it or seeking help? The most obvious answer is that people are afraid of what it means to seek help. So ignorance and lack of awareness plays a huge role in perpetuating stigma.

 

If an individual is suffering from the symptoms of depression they may well be afraid of speaking to their employer in case it has a negative impact on their job. They may also be reluctant to speak to their family and friends incase it jeopardises relationships. Perhaps they are scared to speak to their doctor because that would ultimately mean admitting to themselves they had a problem. And there’s the key.

 

Stigma in the workplace

 

Arguably, one of the areas where stigma has been hardest to squash is in the workplace. Employees depend on their colleagues to share the workload so may resent others taking time off; individuals rely on their pay cheque to pay the bills and so on. There is some positive news there though. According to new research by Aviva insurance company, 28 percent of UK employees believe there is less stigma attached to mental health problems in the workplace than a year ago.

 

“It’s good to see that employees are beginning to feel less stigma at work concerning mental health issues, and that many employers have more understanding and want to offer support. As very few employees say they would confide in their employer about a mental health condition, it’s important that managers are able to spot the signs of problems and have the right support in place” says Dr Doug Wright, Medical Director for Aviva, UK Health

 

“Mental health is high on the agenda for both employees and employers in the UK. Employers have a vital role in helping to support those who are suffering from depression, anxiety or other psychiatric conditions. There are many companies who offer no support at all to such employees, but equally we are seeing more and more companies starting to provide support and running training and awareness campaigns.”

 

Ok so it looks like there has been some progress. However, if only 28 percent think things have improved that means that nearly three quarters don’t think so or don’t know? In fact the results showed that around a third believed that mental health is still a “taboo” subject and over half think that there is not as much stigma attached to physical illness as there is to mental illness.

 

Long way to go

 

It seems like we have a very long way to go before mental health problems are considered no more or less of an issue than any physical condition.

 

 

 

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PSTD Sufferers Don’t Always Get Help They Need

February 9, 2012

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects over 700,000 people in England alone and yet less than half will seek help for their symptoms from their doctors says Dr Jennifer Wild of the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London.

 

Doctors don’t always get it right

 

Dr Wild told the BBC that it is common for people suffering from PTSD to wait years before getting help and many aren’t even aware that their symptoms are treatable. Furthermore, doctors don’t always have a lot of knowledge about PTSD and how to treat it.

 

This means that there are hundreds of thousands of people suffering and even if they do seek help, they may not get the right kind of help. According to Dr Wild, PTSD symptoms overlap with symptoms of depression so patients are often treated with anti depressants or sleeping pills.

 

This is not ideal for a number of reasons. Talking therapies have proved to be more effective for PTSD than drugs and it has to be said that drugs have many unpleasant side effects. Sleeping pills for example are highly addictive and will only deal with one of the symptoms of PTSD and not the source.

 

Dr Wild says that doctors need to be more aware of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and understand that some symptoms overlap with depression, so that they can make an accurate diagnosis.

 

PTSD can start after any kind of traumatic event or harrowing experience. For example, witnessing or being involved in an accident or a violent assault, natural or man-made disasters, war, being robbed, etc. Each person’s experience will be unique.

 

What to look for

 

Someone suffering from PTSD can feel depressed, anxious, angry, and guilty, they may find it difficult to relax or to sleep and feel constantly on their guard or in a heightened state of awareness. Others may try to distract themselves to block out the memory and feel emotionally numb.

 

Some of the effects of PTSD include flashback memories of the traumatic event, nightmares and trying to avoid reminders of the event.

 

Other symptoms which can appear as a result of PTSD include aches and pains, digestive problems, weight gain or weight loss, palpitations, headaches, panic and fear. Some may turn to alcohol or drugs to ease their turmoil.

 

Getting better

 

It’s important to keep routines as normal as possible, to talk over your feelings with a person you trust, and to make sure you are getting all the right nutrients in your diet.

Although it’s not possible to wipe out the traumatic event and forget it ever happened, talking therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy can help you change the way you think about the event and help you learn new ways of coping so that you can come to terms with it.

 

Help is available, people can access cognitive behaviour therapy sessions through IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme). They can either ask their doctor for a referral or they can refer themselves.

 

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Brain changes in Adolescents maltreated as children

February 9, 2012

An interesting but small study by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine and recently published in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine has found that adolescents who experienced abuse or neglect as children, had less grey matter in the part of the brain that deals with emotions and impulses, although they had not been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.

 

MRI scans showed reductions in prefrontal cortex

 

The study involved 42 adolescents who completed questionnaires designed to measure their perceived experience of emotional or physical neglect or abuse. Using MRI scans, the researchers found that there were reductions in the prefrontal cortex in all cases where the youngsters reported that they had been maltreated.

 

“Though these kids do not have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder, they are still showing physical signs of maltreatment,” said Hilary Blumberg, associate professor of psychiatry in the Child Study Center and the senior author of the study.

 

“The results could explain possible difficulties in school or future depression or behavioral issues.”

 

The children in this study will continue to be tracked to see if they do develop psychiatric disorders in the future.

 

Cerebellum and Insula

 

In the meantime, the researcher’s claim that other areas of the brain affected was linked to whether the child was male or female and whether they claimed they suffered physical or emotional abuse or neglect.

 

For example, neglect showed up in reductions in the Cerebellum, the part of the brain regulating pleasure and fear, and physical abuse showed up as a reduction in the Insula, a part of the brain controlling self awareness.

 

Everett Waters, professor of psychology at the State University of New York said that the results only show a correlation, they don’t prove that abuse or neglect in childhood leads to changes in the brain.

 

Gender differences

 

In girls the reduction was more concentrated in areas dealing with emotion and in boys the grey matter was reduced in areas to do with impulses. As depression is associated with an inability to regulate emotions, this findings highlights the fact that depression is higher in women than in men according to Jennifer Pfeifer, Assistant professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon.

 

Both Pfeifer and Waters maintain that longer studies are required that will track children from infancy in order to understand the development of structural brain changes.

 

Some more resilient than others

 

Some adolescents, said Blumberg, seemed more resilient to the effects of maltreatment than others despite some physical symptoms. Pfeifer and her colleague Philip Fisher also from University of Oregon suggested two possible reasons for this.

 

One is that the changes in the amount of grey matter makes the adolescents more vulnerable to psychological problems and these just haven’t happened yet, and the other is that the adolescents who are resilient have found other ways of adapting to their circumstances.

 

“It is also possible that brain problems led to the kids being abused,” Waters said, “or more likely, that some third factor led to both the brain problems and the abuse.”

 

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

 

 

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SAD Info Graphic , Seasonal affective disorder

November 28, 2011

out like a light click2 SAD Info Graphic , Seasonal affective disorder

This infographic was commissioned by First Choice.

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Posted in: SAD – 1 Comment

depression study

November 16, 2011

Hi,

My name is Louise Atkins and I am part of a team of researchers conducting an ethically approved research project (11/LO/1287) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College University of London.  We are currently trying to recruit depressed participants.

Our study aims to investigate the effect of a newly developed Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) training on depression. This is single session study and we pay for the participant’s time. If we identify that CBM training is efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms, this research will shed light on the development of a very cost-effective treatment in mental health.

I was wondering whether we could advertise our study on your website to help us recruit depressed participants?  Is there any procedure we would have to go through to be able to advertise our study on your website?

I would be very grateful if you could get back to me.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require more information  by email (louise.l.atkins@kcl.ac.uk)

Best wishes,
Louise

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Posted in: Depression – 8 Comments
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