This infographic was commissioned by First Choice.

]]> http://www.fightingdepression.co.uk/sad-info-graphic-seasonal-affective-disorder/feed 0 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”..

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.

The neuro-protective benefit appears to come from the anti-inflammatory properties of Omega 3. “It prevents an acute inflammatory response that, if not controlled, is harmful to brain tissue” said Kriz

According to the Stroke Association, around 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year resulting in around 53,000 deaths. So what exactly is a stroke and can we do anything to prevent one?

Blood supply to the brain

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off which can result in damage to brain cells or death of the brain cells causing loss of function in the body.

Causes

There are 3 main things which can cause a stroke and these are atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries and thickening of the artery walls), a ruptured Aneurysm (an aneurysm is a weak spot on the artery wall), or a blood clot which forms in the heart caused by arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) which then travels to the brain.

Risk Factors

High blood pressure can increase the risk of both heart disease and stroke and so can high triglyceride levels and high cholesterol levels (the bad cholesterol). Medical conditions such as existing heart disease and diabetes can also increase the risk as well as a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and smoking and drinking. If you have already suffered a stroke then you are at risk of suffering another one.

Reducing the risk

The obvious things would be to stop smoking, reduce alcohol intake, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.

Diet plays a massive role in how healthy or unhealthy we are in general and should not be underestimated. Modern diets are not ideal for promoting good health as they tend to contain high levels of Omega 6, which is found in meat and dairy products, processed foods, confectionery and vegetable oils. There is nothing wrong with this in theory as Omega 6 fatty acids are just as important to our health as Omega 3 fatty acids.

Unfortunately, Omega 3 is not in such plentiful supply with the most abundant sources of it found only in cold water oily fish and fish oil supplements but nowadays we just don’t eat the same amount of fish that we used to in the past and at the same time we have increased our consumption of processed foods.

The Omega 3 Omega 6 imbalance

The implications on health of an imbalance between Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids becomes startlingly clear when we look at how these fatty acids behave in the body.

Amongst other things, too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3 can increase inflammation in the body, promote weight gain, thicken the blood, increase triglyceride levels and the levels of bad cholesterol, increase blood pressure, increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, inflammatory conditions, cancer, and even depression and other mental health problems.

It’s no coincidence that previous studies have found that a diet rich in Omega 3 can reduce the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer and depression as well as numerous other health problems.

Omega 3 helps to:

• Reduce inflammation
• Reduce Triglyceride levels
• Reduce Cholesterol levels
• Lower high blood pressure
• Thin the blood
• Regulate irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
• Alleviate symptoms of depression
• Keep artery walls clear of debris
• Improve memory and mental processing
• Boost the immune system

It is now clear from countless studies that Omega 3 can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, that’s why we are told it’s so important to continue to eat fish, just not too much due to the toxins they can contain. However, many of the risk factors that apply to heart disease also apply to strokes. By reducing these risk factors then it goes without saying that you also reduce the risk of suffering from a stroke.

Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke

There has been some concern that due to the blood thinning effect of Omega 3, bleeding times can be increased and that this could maybe increase the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain), however, a study by Skerrett P J, and Hennekens C H published in 2003 entitled “Consumption of fish and fish oils and decreased risk of stroke” no such association was found.

“No association was observed between consumption of fish or fish oil and hemorrhagic stroke. These data support the hypothesis that consumption of fish several times per week reduces the risk of thrombotic stroke but does not increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke” the researchers concluded.

If you are concerned about your health for any reason, or if you have an existing health problem, it’s always advisable to speak to your doctor before making major changes to your diet or before taking fish oil supplements.