Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Protein Decline May Link to Depression in Pregnancy
Research presented at the American Psyciatric Association Annual Meeting shows a potein important to fetal development may play a role in depression in pregnancy. Read the press release.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Protein Decline May Link to Depression in Pregnancy
Research from the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting shows that a protein important to fetal development declines significantly in the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy which can cause depression in some pregnant women.
These findings were presented Tuesday, May 17, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, being held in Honolulu May 14-18.
Authors concluded that BDNF may be sequestered by the fetus during pregnancy, and that low levels of the protein during pregnancy could put some women at risk for developing depression during pregnancy. The presenters suggested future research on BDNF levels in depressed pregnant women.
These findings were presented Tuesday, May 17, at the 164th American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, being held in Honolulu May 14-18.
Researchers looked at levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, known as BDNF, a growth-related protein important to healthy fetal development, in the bloodstream of a group of healthy women who were pregnant and compared BDNF levels to women who were not pregnant. Serum BDNF was significantly lower in pregnant women.
Authors concluded that BDNF may be sequestered by the fetus during pregnancy, and that low levels of the protein during pregnancy could put some women at risk for developing depression during pregnancy. The presenters suggested future research on BDNF levels in depressed pregnant women.The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at http://www.psych.org/ and http://www.healthyminds.org/.
Study: Peer-Led Therapy May Reduce Suicide Risk
Participation in peer-led therapy groups can help at-risk patients become less vulnerable for suicide according to new research to be presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in Honolulu.
Suicide risk assessment has become increasingly refined and utilized in public and private medical and psychiatric facilities across the nation including within the military where high suicide rates have been reported among recently returning military and older veterans.
The research examined whether identifying and reinforcing a primary care patient’s suicide protective factors, such as responsibilities toward children and family, optimism, hope, and positive coping skills, spiritual, moral, and religious factors, and social supports, may help lessen the impact of crises and depression and reduce the risk for suicide.
The study involved screening primary care patients at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers for suicide risk using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Patients identified as at-risk were invited to a 4-week peer-led therapy group aimed at providing social support and educating patients on the importance of these protective factors and ways to integrate the factors more fully into their lives and ongoing awareness.
Data collected thus far, author Shabnam Balai, M.D., reports, are encouraging and show that by participating in a low-intensive, peer-led therapy group, primary care patients can become less vulnerable for suicide.
The research was presented at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu. The meeting was May 14-18, 2010.
Suicide risk assessment has become increasingly refined and utilized in public and private medical and psychiatric facilities across the nation including within the military where high suicide rates have been reported among recently returning military and older veterans.
The research examined whether identifying and reinforcing a primary care patient’s suicide protective factors, such as responsibilities toward children and family, optimism, hope, and positive coping skills, spiritual, moral, and religious factors, and social supports, may help lessen the impact of crises and depression and reduce the risk for suicide.
The study involved screening primary care patients at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers for suicide risk using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Patients identified as at-risk were invited to a 4-week peer-led therapy group aimed at providing social support and educating patients on the importance of these protective factors and ways to integrate the factors more fully into their lives and ongoing awareness.
Data collected thus far, author Shabnam Balai, M.D., reports, are encouraging and show that by participating in a low-intensive, peer-led therapy group, primary care patients can become less vulnerable for suicide.
The research was presented at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu. The meeting was May 14-18, 2010.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Placebo Treatment: Informed Consent not to be Informed
Research examining attitude about use of placebos found people very willing to accept the use of placebos for first line treatment of depression and for other medical conditions. The research will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 14.
Researchers led by Uri Nitzan, M.D., used a cross sectional survey to investigate whether subjects suffering from medical conditions in general and depression in particular would consent to receive placebo, and whether receiving placebo would negatively affect their autonomy or doctor patient relationship.
Study participants, 344 college, medical and law school students from Israel, were provided a thorough explanation about the placebo effect and its efficacy and limitations in the treatment of depression and then completed a self report questionnaire.
Seventy percent of study participants expressed consent to receive placebo as a first line treatment if they were they to suffer from depression in the future and 73 percent consented to receive placebo treatment for other medical conditions. Nearly 90 percent did not consider a physician administering a placebo deceitful, nor the act of prescribing it a deceit.
The researchers concluded that “despite the declared disapproval of placebo treatments by the medical establishment, the majority of our study population was willing to use placebo medication in general, and as first line treatment for depression in particular.” The authors invite physicians to rethink and discuss the legitimacy of administering placebos in clinical practice.
The study (NR01 44) will be part of the new research poster session scheduled for May 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in room Kamehameha Hall 3, Level 1 (adjacent to the exhibits) in the Hawaii Convention Center at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu.
The APA’s 16th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, 2010 in Honolulu.
Researchers led by Uri Nitzan, M.D., used a cross sectional survey to investigate whether subjects suffering from medical conditions in general and depression in particular would consent to receive placebo, and whether receiving placebo would negatively affect their autonomy or doctor patient relationship.
Study participants, 344 college, medical and law school students from Israel, were provided a thorough explanation about the placebo effect and its efficacy and limitations in the treatment of depression and then completed a self report questionnaire.
Seventy percent of study participants expressed consent to receive placebo as a first line treatment if they were they to suffer from depression in the future and 73 percent consented to receive placebo treatment for other medical conditions. Nearly 90 percent did not consider a physician administering a placebo deceitful, nor the act of prescribing it a deceit.
The researchers concluded that “despite the declared disapproval of placebo treatments by the medical establishment, the majority of our study population was willing to use placebo medication in general, and as first line treatment for depression in particular.” The authors invite physicians to rethink and discuss the legitimacy of administering placebos in clinical practice.
The study (NR01 44) will be part of the new research poster session scheduled for May 14, 10 to 11:30 a.m., in room Kamehameha Hall 3, Level 1 (adjacent to the exhibits) in the Hawaii Convention Center at the APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu.
The APA’s 16th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 18, 2010 in Honolulu.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Women-Focused Sessions at 2011 APA Annual Meeting
Maternal Mental Health and Menopause Myths Addressed Next Month
Research has shown that nearly twice as many women as men are affected by a depressive or anxiety disorder. Sessions and workshops at the 2011 APA Annual Meeting in Honolulu will explore transitions in a woman’s reproductive life cycle linked to mood disorders and uncover ways to optimize overall mental well-being. Sexuality and aging is one of several topics featured at the American Psychiatric Association’s 2011 Annual Meeting, when presenters examine moods, memory, and menopause. Related sessions look to debunk popular gender myths and identify effective treatments for depression, insomnia, and hot flashes. The APA’s 164th Annual Meeting, the world’s largest psychiatric meeting, will run Saturday, May 14, to Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in Honolulu at the Hawaii Convention Center.
Improving the mental health care of pregnant women and new mothers is another focus. Not always recognized as a mental health concern for women, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is acknowledged by some as an issue new moms can face following a traumatic birth. The presidential symposium on translating neuroscience for advancing PTSD prevention, which is scheduled for Monday, May 16, will include a presentation on treating maternal PTSD. Another Annual Meeting session on optimizing maternal care will present research on treating pregnant women with bipolar disorder.
Reproductive concerns will also be addressed in a series of sessions examining the psychiatric effects of infertility, abortion, miscarriage, and genetics on women’s mental health. Gisele Apter, M.D., Ph.D. will chair a presentation on how to identify and manage antenatal maternal mental health dilemmas. Presentations on prenatal and newborn genetic screening will highlight the ethical and legal challenges surrounding psychiatric and behavioral genetics.
Several sessions focus on women’s mental health and cancer diagnosis, including new research on the psychological impact of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. David Spiegel, M.D. will lead a presentation on how a woman’s mood can predict her survival rate with metastatic breast cancer. Additional studies showing the link between the mental attitudes of breast cancer patients and their cellular immunity will be discussed.
Online advanced registration for journalists is open. Review the guidelines for press participation in the meeting.
Monday, May 24, 2010
New Research Poster: Tai Chi Benefits Depressed Older Adults
Use of Tai Chi, a mind-body exercise, in combination with antidepressants, provides additional improvements in older adults with depression, according to new research being presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting.
Older adults with depression are at increased risk for decline in health functioning, morbidity and mortality, including suicide. Fewer than half of elderly depressed patients achieve remission and functional recovery in response to initial use of antidepressants alone.
Researchers Helen Lavretsky, M.D., M.S., and Michael Irwin, M.D. at UCLA studied a group of older adults with major depression and compared the use of an antidepressant combined with use of Tai-Chi-Chih (TCC, a brief standardized version of Tai Chi) to use of an antidepressant combined with a health education program. The older adults each participated in two hours per week of either Tai Chi or the health education program.
The new research poster was presented Monday, at the APA Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
The Tai Chi and health education participants demonstrated comparable improvement in the severity of depression. However, people in the Tai Chi group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in resilience, health-related quality of life, and cognitive function (memory, attention, and executive function).
Tai-Chi intervention has an advantage in that it is easily translatable to the community and can be readily implemented among adults with physical limitations. Researchers concluded that “complementary mind-body interventions can improve partial response to antidepressants via stress-reduction, improved physical functioning, increased socialization, and reduced risks of polypharmacy.”
Older adults with depression are at increased risk for decline in health functioning, morbidity and mortality, including suicide. Fewer than half of elderly depressed patients achieve remission and functional recovery in response to initial use of antidepressants alone.
Researchers Helen Lavretsky, M.D., M.S., and Michael Irwin, M.D. at UCLA studied a group of older adults with major depression and compared the use of an antidepressant combined with use of Tai-Chi-Chih (TCC, a brief standardized version of Tai Chi) to use of an antidepressant combined with a health education program. The older adults each participated in two hours per week of either Tai Chi or the health education program.
The new research poster was presented Monday, at the APA Annual Meeting in New Orleans.
The Tai Chi and health education participants demonstrated comparable improvement in the severity of depression. However, people in the Tai Chi group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in resilience, health-related quality of life, and cognitive function (memory, attention, and executive function).
Tai-Chi intervention has an advantage in that it is easily translatable to the community and can be readily implemented among adults with physical limitations. Researchers concluded that “complementary mind-body interventions can improve partial response to antidepressants via stress-reduction, improved physical functioning, increased socialization, and reduced risks of polypharmacy.”
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