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.

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.

This infographic was commissioned by First Choice.

]]> http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk/sad-info-graphic-seasonal-affective-disorder/feed 1 http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk/depression-study-hi-my-name-is-louise-atkins-and-i-am-part-of-a-team-of-researchers-conducting-an-ethically-approved-research-project-11lo1287-at-the-institute-of-psychiatry-kings-college-unive http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk/depression-study-hi-my-name-is-louise-atkins-and-i-am-part-of-a-team-of-researchers-conducting-an-ethically-approved-research-project-11lo1287-at-the-institute-of-psychiatry-kings-college-unive#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:30:57 +0000 admin http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk/?p=1664 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

Findings from 30 large studies conducted around the world show that people who consume just one or two servings of fish per week lower their risk of a fatal heart attack by an average of 36 percent.

That’s good news for Filipinos as the Department of Health ranks heart disease as the number-one killer in the country. “The death toll from cardiovascular diseases in the country is about one every seven minutes,” says Dr. Philip S. Chua, one of the country’s top cardiologists.

Cardiovascular diseases don’t affect the heart itself but also the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart.

If you have already had a heart attack, shifting to a high-fish diet can cut your chances of future deadly attacks by one third.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a form of polyunsaturated fat that the body derives from food. Omega-3s (and omega-6s) are known as essential fatty acids because they are important for good health. The body cannot make these fatty acids on its own so omega-3s must be obtained from food, particularly fish.

The American Heart Association suggests that a person should eat at least two servings of oily fish each week to help keep his hearts healthy. Among the fish species high in omega-3s are bas (striped), herring, mackerel (Atlantic), oysters (Pacific), sablefish, salmon, trout (freshwater), and tuna.

Shrimp may not be considered a fish but it is still seafood. One study found that people who ate shrimp everyday for three weeks had a relatively small rise in LDL (touted to be the “bad cholesterol”) but an even greater jump in HDL (“the good cholesterol”). Result: Their heart disease risk actually went down.

Consuming oily fish may likewise reduce the risk of developing asthma.

In a University of Cambridge study of 770 volunteers, researchers found that those with symptomatic asthma were less likely to report having eaten fish at least twice a week throughout the year than those without asthma.

Study author Dr. Bipen Patel believes that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may reduce the production of substances that can cause constriction and inflammation in the airway.

The anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil have also been found to treat many medical conditions including rheumatoid arthritis.

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.

Are they all they’re cracked up to be?

Statins are widely prescribed and have been for some time but their use is still controversial. Some studies have linked prolonged use of statins with certain types of cancer but the results have not been consistent.

They can, however, produce a number of side effects which include headache, stomach pain, bloating, nausea, skin rashes, and occasionally more serious side effects such as muscle pain and kidney failure.

Omega 3 fatty acids

Omega 3 fish oil is now well known to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as many other health conditions including everything from arthritis to skin problems and even depression. The reason for this is that Fish oil produced from oily fish such as Salmon, Sardines and Tuna, contains important Omega 3 fatty acids that the body needs but cannot make. One of the most important Omega 3 fatty acids is Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA which is believed to be largely responsible for the beneficial effects on health.

Many studies to date have shown that fish oil reduces inflammation, thins the blood, and helps to maintain healthy arteries, lowers blood pressure, as well as lower triglyceride levels and levels of so called bad cholesterol.

Fish oil is considered safe to use and carries very few side effects, the most common being a fishy aftertaste in the mouth and fishy burps.

What about both?

Most people won’t question the use of Statins and will take them because they have been prescribed by their doctor, however, more and more people, including doctors are becoming aware of the health benefits associated with fish oil. It has to be said though that most doctors are still unlikely to prescribe or recommend fish oil alongside or instead of statins but this is starting to change.

Fish oil with a kick

It takes time for the results of studies to filter down into the doctor’s surgery but now, drug regulators in Australia have approved a concentrated form of Omega 3 fish oil for use by people who have had a heart attack or who are already taking Statins and beta blockers. It’s only available on prescription though. Experts have described the new Omega 3 “drug” as “fish oil with a kick”.

According to Yahoo News Professor Gerald Watts, from the University of WA’s school of medicine and pharmacology at Royal Perth Hospital, welcomed the approval of the new drug,

“It’s safe, it’s simple and will cost the punter some money but it will probably be pretty appealing as an extra insurance against a heart attack” he said.

The Japanese JELIS study

Probably the most major study to show the benefits of taking fish oil alongside Statin therapy is a Japanese study led by Dr Mitsuhiro Yokoyama from the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. The results of The Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) were published in the March 31^st 2007 issue of the Lancet.

The Japanese JELIS study involved 19,466 people all of whom were taking a low dose of statins for high cholesterol. Of these, 9326 were given a daily dose of 1800 mg of a highly concentrated and purified form of EPA alongside their statins, and the remainder received statins alone. Cholesterol levels were identified at the beginning of the trial and were checked after six months, after 12 months, and then yearly after that.

Reduction in risk

At a follow up just over 4 and a half years later, the results revealed that in the group taking EPA alongside statins there was a 25 percent reduction in cholesterol levels in both groups.

In the group that was given EPA alongside statins there was a 19 percent reduction in the risk of major coronary events which included death from heart disease, heart attack, unstable angina, and the need for revascularization.

“The beneficial effects of EPA could have stemmed from many biological effects that lead to the attenuation of thrombosis, inflammation, and arrhythmia, in addition to a reduction of triglycerides” said the authors.

“Overall, this study shows that EPA, at a dose of 1800 mg per day, is a very promising regimen for prevention of major coronary events, especially since EPA seems to act through several biological mechanisms.”

Taking into consideration the results of the JELIS study it would appear there is some benefit to be had by supplementing with fish oil whilst taking statins, however, it’s important to note that the fish oil used in the study was a highly concentrated and purified form of fish oil. Anyone who wishes to take fish oil alongside statin therapy should speak to their doctor or health care professional first.

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.

Both Vitamin D and Omega 3 fish oils have been hitting the headlines lately due to their potential to have a positive impact on overall health as well as specifically on certain health problems and diseases. Now a major new US study is underway which is aiming to test the effectiveness of Omega 3 fish oils and Vitamin D3 for reducing the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and stroke.

The VITAL Study

VITAL (VITamin and omegA-3 triaL) is being carried out by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston Massachusetts and will be funded by the National Institutes of Health.

VITAL began recruiting volunteers in January and will continue to recruit throughout the rest of this year. However, it’s not necessary to live in the area as no clinic visits are necessary and all the supplements and questionnaires will be sent by post.

What’s different?

To date there have been numerous studies involving all sorts of nutrients, including Vitamin D and Omega 3, many of them concentrating on the positive effect they can have on people who are already sick, but what about preventing disease in the first place?

What is different about this study is that first of all it will be a huge trial involving around 20,000 volunteers, but it will also only be recruiting healthy volunteers.

Large Primary Prevention Trials Lacking

In the detailed description of the trial it states “Existing data from laboratory studies, epidemiologic research, small primary prevention trials, and/or large secondary prevention trials strongly suggest that these nutritional agents may reduce risk for cancer or cardiovascular disease, but large primary prevention trials with adequate dosing in general populations are lacking.”

As this is such a large study on healthy people it means we will be able to more clearly identify the protective benefits over a period of time.

 According to VITAL researchers “Although the omega-3s haven’t made headlines as often as vitamin D lately, scientific research regarding their health benefits remains promising though inconclusive. VITAL is the first and only large trial to study the health effects of omega-3 supplements in people who are generally healthy.”

 Who can take part?

If you are interested in taking part, then you are eligible to participate in the trial if you are a woman aged 55 or over, or a man aged 50 or older and you have not previously suffered from a heart attack, cancer or stroke. However, you must also agree not to take other fish oil supplements or vitamin D supplements at a level of more than 800 IU daily, throughout the trial.

4 Groups

Each of the volunteers will be randomly assigned to one of 4 groups and will be given two pills a day. These will be a Vitamin D3 supplement and an Omega 3 supplement, or a vitamin D3 placebo and an Omega 3 placebo, or a Vitamin D3 supplement and an Omega 3 placebo, or an Omega 3 supplement and a Vitamin D3 placebo. The amount of Vitamin D3 given in the trial will be 2000 IU and the amount of Omega 3 fish oil will be 1 gram.

The participants will also be required to complete a questionnaire each year that will ask questions about health, lifestyle, exercise, diet, smoking, medication and dietary supplements, family medical history and any new medical diagnosis.

Ancillary Studies

In addition to the main study, VITAL will also conduct ancillary studies to determine other health benefits of Omega 3 and Vitamin D including their effect on the risk of:

• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Memory Loss or Cognitive Decline
• Autoimmune conditions
• Infections
• Depression
• Chronic knee pain symptoms
• Physical disability and falls

Reducing risk

Prevention is better than cure as they say so if taking a simple supplement such as Vitamin D or Omega 3 fish oil can reduce the risk then great. There is a slight concern with Vitamin D as too much of it can lead to vitamin toxicity, however, as far the VITAL study is concerned, the researchers have taken steps to ensure that no one will be deficient in Vitamin D and no one will receive too much.

We can get Vitamin D from sunlight but our bodies are unable to make Omega 3 fatty acids so we have to source them from the diet, however, as it isn’t advisable to eat too much fish, the main source of Omega 3 fatty acids, we are kind of stuck unless we supplement with fish oil.

The VITAL study is due to last until June 2016 so we’ll have to wait 5 years for the final results which will identify once and for all the protective benefits of these vitally important nutrients. However, why wait for five years as there is enough evidence to show that adequate amounts of Vitamin D and Omega 3 are absolutely necessary for good health.

Previous research has already found that even a little bit of exposure to green spaces can help calm the mind and improve concentration in people without ADHD so this inspired researchers from the University of Illinois, Andrea Faber Taylor and Frances (Ming) Kuo to look at whether the same held true for kids with ADHD.

They analyzed data from a 2004 National Internet Based Survey of parents of children who had been diagnosed with ADHD and did indeed find a link between playing in greener spaces and milder ADHD symptoms.

Exposure to nature

In this new study, they also looked to see if it was the same when children played in the same green space setting regularly.

“Before the current study, we were confident that acute exposures to nature – sort of one-time doses – have short-term impacts on ADHD symptoms,” Kuo said.

“The question is, if you’re getting chronic exposure, but it’s the same old stuff because it’s in your backyard or it’s the playground at your school, then does that help?”

To find out

They looked at other data in the 2004 survey such as the parents descriptions of their child’s play areas and matched this with the severity of ADHD symptoms; they also took into account age, sex, and socio-economic status.

“On the whole, the green settings were related to milder overall symptoms than either the ‘built outdoors’ or ‘indoors’ settings,” Taylor said. This was true regardless of sex or household income.

Open spaces reduced hyperactivity

They also found that children who were more hyperactive benefited from playing in open spaces such as a large lawn or a football field rather than in a more enclosed green space with lots of trees or in a built up outdoor play setting or playing indoors.

The researchers noted

The findings don’t by themselves prove that routine playtime in green space reduces the symptom of ADHD said Kuo, but taking into consideration other studies showing a cause and effect relationship between exposure to nature and improved concentration and impulse control, “it is reasonably safe to guess that that’s true here as well”..