Category Archives: Depression

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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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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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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Heavier children more likely to have social problems

September 28, 2011

In the Western world obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, and now more children are overweight than ever before. Apart from the obvious health problems associated with carrying round extra weight like an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, it seems mental health might be at stake too.

More likely to suffer emotionally and socially

A recent study carried out by Australian researchers found that obese 8 and 9 year olds were more likely to suffer emotionally and socially than other children who were not overweight reports Health Day News.

The children who had a high BMI (body mass index) before the age of 5 had up to a 20 percent greater risk of suffering socially by the time they reached the age of 9.

Which comes first?

One question that has often been asked is whether social problems lead to weight gain or whether it’s the other way round.

“There have been a number of studies over the past 5 to 10 years looking at whether or not obesity in young children and adolescents is related to emotional, behavioral and mental health problems,” noted Dr. Julie Lumeng, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics and communicable diseases at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

“There’s been a lot of discussion about which direction that relationship goes in — does obesity cause children to be unhappy, or is it that unhappy children are more likely to become obese? Many people think it goes in both ways.”

According to the researchers being overweight may have contributed to their unhappiness perhaps as a result of being teased or socially ostracized.

However, the researchers also note that the effect of obesity may be different in countries where obesity levels are higher. In the Australian sample of 3,363 children only 4 or 5 percent were obese whereas in the United States the number of obese children is around 17 percent.

Fast foods and video games don’t help

These days with fast foods and video games children are not getting the kind of nutrition children had in the past and are also spending a lot more time slumped in front of a screen indoors instead of running around outside.

There is little doubt that children who are overweight are more likely to face problems with self esteem and to suffer health problems than children who are not. It has to be said that unless parents take more responsibility for their children’s weight earlier in life through improved nutrition and adequate exercise, the extra pressure on a child from carrying around extra pounds is bound to take its toll at some point either physically or mentally or both.

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Drinking coffee may protect against depression

September 28, 2011

People suffering from depression are often told to cut down on the amount of coffee they drink but now it seems that drinking a few cups of coffee may not be such a bad thing after all.

20 percent reduced risk

New research from America has found that drinking four or more cups of coffee cut the risk of depression by around 20 percent when compared to drinking only one cup or less of caffeinated coffee a week.

The protective benefit of coffee was also linked to dose, for example, two or three cups of coffee reduced the risk by 15 percent.

The results took into consideration other potential risk factors such as medical conditions, smoking, amount of exercise and even marital status.

10 year study

The research involved Over 50,700 women who had taken part in the Nurses’ Health Study which began in the late 90’s and lasted 10 years.

During the course of the study just over 2,600 of the participants developed depression although none of the women had depression at the start of the study. More of the women who developed depression drank little or no coffee.

More research needed

Coffee is known to have an effect on brain function as a result of the caffeine but the researchers say they can’t be certain of a causal link between coffee and reduced risk of depression and more research is needed to confirm their findings.

A similar link was not found with decaffeinated coffee or with chocolate or even other sources of caffeine such as tea and soft drinks.

Dr Michael Lucas, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston wrote:

 

“Our results support a possible protective effect of caffeine, mainly from coffee consumption, on risk of depression

“Further investigations are needed to confirm this finding and to determine whether usual caffeinated coffee consumption may contribute to prevention or treatment of depression”.

The findings have been reported in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

A previous study from Finland also found a link between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of suicide.

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Two former depression sufferers launch service to help others

September 28, 2011

A free online mentoring service has been launched by two women; both of who share a history of depression, reported the Daily Mail recently.

Jayne Hardy (30) and Samantha Hadadi (25) wanted to provide a safe and welcoming place for others affected by depression to share their feelings openly.

One in four

Depression is extremely common and will affect one in four of us at some point in our lives. For most who visit their doctor for help, the answer is likely to be anti depressants or a lengthy wait for therapy.

Some who have been prescribed drugs for depression will find that they either don’t work or that the side effects make their lives even more miserable.

 

“Doctors often didn’t have time to help, and the antidepressants they prescribed made me worse” Jayne told the Daily Mail.

Ashamed of being depressed

Others may feel isolated and alone, reluctant to talk about it to anyone. This is the tragedy of depression. Despite massive awareness campaigns, there is still stigma attached to mental health problems.

“Because I’d become withdrawn and isolated, I’d have felt too intimidated to walk into a selfhelp group of strangers. I felt ashamed of being depressed” said Jayne.

Samantha’s first experience of depression came whilst she was studying at university and for her the drugs did work.

“My mum urged me to seek help. I was lucky. My doctor was understanding, antidepressants did help, as did the counselling my doctor lined up” says Samantha.

“But I know I would never have considered joining a group, even if I’d known they were there. I think many young people would be similarly reluctant, which is why I think our online mentoring could prove especially helpful”.

You can find Jayne and Samantha’s mentoring service at blurtitout.org.

Other ways to help beat depression include:

Diet

Many people with busy lives live on processed foods and takeaways. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, cut down on red meats and eat more fish.

Fish contains important Omega 3 fatty acids that are known to be essential for healthy brain function and studies have shown they can help alleviate the symptoms of depression. If you don’t want to eat more fish try fish oils.

Exercise

Exercise releases ‘feel-good’ hormones and allows more oxygen to reach the brain. If you’re not a fitness fanatic, don’t worry, studies have shown that taking a walk, particularly in a “green space” has proved to be helpful for depression.

Relaxation

We all need time to recharge our batteries and allow our bodies and brains some time to recover from the stresses and strains of life. Prolonged stress releases Cortisol, the stress hormone, which over time can be harmful to health. Spend some time each day doing something that you enjoy whether it’s reading, taking a bath, or listening to music.

Don’t suffer in silence

The most important thing to remember is that depression is treatable, too many people are afraid to seek help and suffer unnecessarily either because they don’t want to admit they are depressed to themselves or to others or because they are afraid. Don’t suffer in silence.

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Could lactose intolerance be stress, anxiety or depression in disguise?

May 11, 2011

According to recent research from Italy, the symptoms of lactose intolerance and other food allergies are all in the mind and are more likely to be a result of depression, anxiety or stress.

This may be hard to swallow for anyone currently suffering but that is actually what a study by researchers from the University of Milan revealed.

Previous research has already found that as many as nine in ten people in Britain who really believe they have a food allergy or intolerance are actually perfectly healthy the MailOnline reports, and that although 20 percent of men and women claim they are suffering from food allergies, the reality is that that less than 2 percent actually do.

The Italian study was led by Dr Guido Basilico and involved more than 100 people who were showing signs of lactose intolerance which include symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, and loose bowels. Dr Basilico and his team carried out tests to discover whether they really had a problem breaking down the sugar in lactose.

Part of the study also involved asking the participants about their mental and physical health and any aches and pains they experienced.

According to Dr Basilico, most people tested in the study were not lactose intolerant at all as they were perfectly capable of digesting lactose and the symptoms they experienced were more likely to be a result of stress, anxiety or depression rather than the milk in their coffee.

Dr Basilico is not saying that lactose intolerance doesn’t exist of course, as there are cases where a person’s genetic makeup may make it difficult for them to tolerate lactose; however, he is saying that for a large majority, the symptoms of lactose intolerance have more of a psychological basis rather than a physiological one. Just as stress can cause headaches, it can also cause tummy problem.

Believing yourself to be lactose intolerant when you’re not has implications on health as a shortage of dairy products could leave people severely short of calcium, increasing the odds of brittle bones, falls and fracture in old age so Dr Basilico is urging people to think twice before cutting out dairy products.

“Excluding dairy products should be discouraged and doctors should pay more attention to the psychological problems of their patients” he said.

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Could “Hazy Recall” or an “Overgeneral Memory” signal future depression?

May 11, 2011

According to an article in the New York Times, studies into depression are revealing that the way we actually remember things could indicate future depression.

It’s all to do with a phenomenon called “overgeneral memory” which basically means that during memory recall, we miss out the details of past experiences, and a tendency to make a habit out of missing out the details has been linked to depression.

For example, participants in a study carried out at Oxford, Northwestern University in Illinois, were given a cue word and had 30 seconds to come up with a specific memory of a single event. One cue word was “rejected” and a specific response to that cue word was “A few weeks ago, I had a meeting with my boss and my ideas were rejected”.

On the other hand a vague or hazy response by another participant was “my brothers are always talking about going on holiday without me”. You can see that this second response was not a specific memory at all but referred to something that happened on more than one occasion.

Overgeneral memory is “an unsung vulnerability factor for unhelpful reactions when things go wrong in life,” said Mark Williams, the clinical psychologist who has been leading the Oxford studies.

According to the NYT Dr Williams first discovered overgeneral memory purely by chance back in the 80’s when he asked research subjects to write down memories after giving them certain cues but thought he hadn’t made the instructions clear enough when some of them left the page blank. He also found in a previous study that inducing an overgeneral memory style in participants made them less able to solve problems.

Research is now being carried out by Oxford University on thousands of youngsters to see whether those who display overgeneral memory traits are more likely to suffer from depression in the future.

“Based on everything we know of memory specificity and depression, there’s a good chance we will find these effects,” said Dirk Hermans, a research psychologist at the University of Leuven in Belgium who collaborates with Dr. Williams.

Of course sometimes it’s helpful to have an overgeneral memory as it could be a way to lessen painful or traumatic memories but the problems seem to begin when it becomes the norm to do so.

“If you’re unhappy and you want to be happy, it’s helpful to have memories that you can navigate through to come up with specific solutions,” Dr. Williams said. “It’s like a safety net.”

According to Dr. Williams overgeneral memory can be helped by “mindfulness”, a form of meditation that encourages us to accept negative thoughts rather than trying to avoid them as by becoming more tolerant of negative memories we are less likely to try to escape them, a tendency which can lead to overgenerality.

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Childhood Mental Ailments Targeted With New Treatments

April 28, 2011

The causes which underlie childhood obsessive compulsive disorder along with Tourette’s are to be targeted by new treatment options.

To date there have been many similarities in how these two disorders have been treated, pertaining to their sharing of similarities in their psychiatric features, the genetic factors inherent, and the environment in which they present themselves.

But more effective treatments are now being put forward.

The Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology is a peer-reviewed journal that in its latest issue contains the new ideas. The Guest Editor, one Barbara J. Coffey, MD, MS concludes that “studies are still few, and validated predictors, moderators and mediators of treatment response are still very much needed.”

Riluzole

Promise has been shown for the treatment of the conditions by Riluzole, a drug used for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is evidential from clinical trials taking place that it can also be used for treatment of OCD in children, however there is further study needed to access the side effects. The potential of this drug being used in this way is outlined by Jane Song, Paul Grant, and Susan Swedo of the National Institute of Mental Health as, being of potential benefit in helping to control the symptoms of OCD.

Pancreatitis

This benefit is possible based on Riluzole’s ability to block the releasing of glutamate from nerve cells. It has been used at therapeutic doses, yet there have been instances of pancreatitis in children to date as a side effect of use, which is causing concern obviously.

Tourette’s Breakthrough

The vocal tics associate with Tourette’s have undergone new study too, with the avenue of new treatments the goal. It has been determined that these vocal tics occur because of how neural networks, brain circuits, and chemical neurotransmitters behave in the affected person.

Brain Images

It is now expected that new brain scanning technology will help to find a better treatment allowing for more specific targeting of brain regions as can be pin pointed through the brain imaging.

Infectious Disease Onset

It is also being discussed in this new edition of the journal how infectious diseases may lead to the onset of such conditions, with Streptococcus becoming increasingly linked with certain Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

There is a push given for the link between infectious diseases and these conditions to be further explored, and a panel of experts setup for the exploration of new treatments based on the infectious disease mechanism.

Background

Tourette’s syndrome affects the brain. It is mainly evident in its causing movements outside of the control of the individual and leading to the development of nervous tics. In milder cases it is less likely that the condition will ever be diagnosed.

In the main if Tourette’s is to present itself in the individual then it will do so when the child is quite young, usually between the ages of five and seven years old.

Therapies

There are new behaviour therapies for Tourette’s increasingly becoming available. These can be in the restraining therapy form, which can serve to counter the nervous tic associated with the condition.

Exposure and response therapy is another method of treatment which has the same function. Talking therapy has been found to deal with the condition also. Here it is evident that just talking through the condition with a psychotherapist, may lead to the individuals’ ability to cope with their condition.

The bulk of the medicines currently in use to better the condition are along the lines of neuroleptics, they do however come with certain side effects which may leave the individual having a ‘jerk’ response giving the illusion that the condition is getting worse and not better. This is only at first however and the condition will become less severe with time.

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