Category: Mental Health

4 Quick Tips for Coping with Depression

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Four quick tips for those with a friend or relative with depression.

  1. Be aware that depression can be a hidden illness.
    • You may not know that someone close to you is struggling.
    • Keep an eye out for any telltale signs.
  2. Be there for your relative or loved one.
    • Even though they will not necessarily always appreciate it.
  3. Stay in touch with someone if you think they are struggling.
    • An individual with depression may try to withdraw and not contact you, but do not take it personally.
    • Be proactive when it comes to keeping in contact.
  4. Offer support as best you can.
    • But do not forget to also look after yourself.

Fitness Trackers & Apps: Be Careful When Monitoring Your Goals

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Fitness trackers and apps can give us guidance on everything we do, from how well we are eating to sleeping, and therefore can be a useful aid to help us to meet our health and fitness goals.

However, new research highlights the importance of using such fitness trackers and apps wisely.

A small-scale study by researchers at Loughborough University suggests that these trackers and apps could be linked to obsessive behaviour regarding food and exercise – a term known as ‘disordered eating’.

In the study, individuals who tracked their activity or food intake (primarily to manage their weight or shape) showed the highest levels of disordered eating and exercise.

Sleeplessness & Anxiety, Get Some NREM

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While a sleepless night can result in a 30% rise in anxiety levels, deep sleep could actually be a remedy against anxiety according to researchers at the University of California.

The researchers found that when the brain is in deep sleep (aka non-rapid eye movement or NREM) it has a calming effect on individuals with anxiety disorders.

MRI scans and other methods were used to measure brain activity in participants.

The results revealed that sleeplessness shuts down the brain’s medial prefrontal cortex – this helps to keep emotions in check.

However, a full night of slumber helps to restore prefrontal changes.

A Trip to the Park Can Boost Happiness

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A new study has found that spending time in city parks can improve our mood just as much as Christmas.

Published in the People and Nature Journal, this research looked at the content of people’s tweets and found that those who visited urban parks used more upbeat words and expressed less negativity on Twitter than they did before their visit.

The results also showed that their increase in happiness lasted up to four hours after their green space fix.

Is Protein Intake Associated with Cognitive Functioning in Individuals with Psychiatric Disorders?

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Research Paper Title

Protein intake is associated with cognitive functioning in individuals with psychiatric disorders.

Background

Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are associated with reduced cognitive functioning which contributes to problems in day-to-day functioning and social outcomes.

A paucity of research exists relating dietary factors to cognitive functioning in serious mental illnesses, and results are inconsistent.

The study aims to describe the nutritional intake of persons with schizophrenia and those with a recent episode of acute mania and to determine relationships between the intake of protein and other nutrients on cognitive functioning in the psychiatric sample.

Methods

Persons with schizophrenia and those with acute mania were assessed using a 24-h dietary recall tool to determine their intakes of protein and other nutrients.

They were also assessed with a test battery measuring different domains of cognitive functioning. Results indicate that lower amounts of dietary protein intake were associated with reduced cognitive functioning independent of demographic and clinical factors.

Results

The association was particularly evident in measures of immediate memory and language.

There were not associations between cognitive functioning and other nutritional variables, including total energy, gluten, casein, saturated fat, or sugar intakes.

Conclusions

The impact of dietary interventions, including protein intake, on improving cognitive functioning in individuals with psychiatric disorders warrants further investigation.

Reference

Dickerson, F., Gennusa, J.V. 3rd, Stallings, C., Origoni, A., Katsafanas, E., Sweeney, K., Campbell, W.W. & Yolken, R. (2019) Protein intake is associated with cognitive functioning in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Psychiatry Research. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112700. [Epub ahead of print].

Do Lipid Alterations Predate Antipsychotic Treatment in Adolescents with Early-Onset Pyschosis?

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Research Paper Title

Lipid alterations in adolescents with early-onset psychosis may be independent of antipsychotic medication.

Background

Dyslipidemia and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) are cardiovascular risk factors prevalent in patients with psychosis.

Whether these factors are intrinsic or affected by lifestyle or antipsychotic medication (AP) is unclear.

Therefore, the researchers investigated lipid profiles, HOMA-IR, and psychotic phenotypes in patients aged 12-18 years with early-onset psychosis (EOP) with and without AP exposure.

Methods

The researchers measured fasting total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), triglycerides (TG), insulin, and glucose in patients with EOP (n = 39) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 66).

Diet information was not available. Negative symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

They used univariate analysis of variance to compare TC/HDL-C ratios and TG and HOMA-IR values, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and AP exposure.

They also assessed the explained variance of having EOP using multiple regression analysis.

Results

Patients with and without AP exposure had significantly higher TC/HDL-C (p = 0.003, p = 0.029) and TG values (p < 0.001, p = 0.021) than HC.

Significantly increased HOMA-IR scores were found only in AP-exposed patients (p = 0.037). EOP significantly increased the explained variance for TC/HDL-C and TG, but not for HOMA-IR.

Patients with a PANSS negative score > 21 had significantly higher levels of TG than those with low scores (p = 0.032).

Conclusions

The results suggest that lipid alterations predate AP treatment in adolescents with EOP.

Higher levels of negative symptoms and AP further increase metabolic risk.

The preliminary findings propose that subclinical dyslipidemia may be intrinsic to EOP.

Reference

Wedervang-Resell, K., Friis, S., Lonning, V., Smelror, R.E., Johannessen, C., Agartz, I., Ulven, S.M., Holven, K.B., Andreassen, O.A. & Myhre, A.M. (2019) Lipid alterations in adolescents with early-onset psychosis may be independent of antipsychotic medication. Schizophrenia Research. pii: S0920-9964(19)30546-8. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.039. [Epub ahead of print].

What are the Effects from Perinatal Period to Adulthood on Psychosocial Stress & Adversity?

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Research Paper Title

Psychosocial Stress and Adversity: Effects from the Perinatal Period to Adulthood.

Abstract

Early exposure to stress and adversity can have both immediate and lasting effects on physical and psychological health.

Critical periods have been identified in infancy, during which the presence or absence of experiences can alter developmental trajectories.

There are multiple explanations for how exposure to psychosocial stress, before conception or early in life, has an impact on later increased risk for developmental delays, mental health, and chronic metabolic diseases.

Through both epidemiologic and animal models, the mechanisms by which experiences are transmitted across generations are being identified.

Because psychosocial stress has multiple components that can act as stress mediators, a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between multiple adverse or beneficial experiences and their ultimate effects on health is essential to best identify interventions that will improve health and outcomes.

This review outlines what is known about the biology, transfer, and effects of psychosocial stress and early life adversity from the perinatal period to adulthood.

This information can be used to identify potential areas in which clinicians in neonatal medicine could intervene to improve outcomes.

Reference

Barrero-Castillero, A., Morton, S.U., Nelson, C.A. & Smith, V.C. (2019) Psychosocial Stress and Adversity: Effects from the Perinatal Period to Adulthood. NeoReviews. 20(12):e686-e696. doi: 10.1542/neo.20-12-e686.

Schizophrenia & the Dopamine Transporter

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Research Paper Title

Altered levels of dopamine transporter in the frontal pole and dorsal striatum in schizophrenia.

Background

The dopamine hypothesis proposes that there is a hypodopaminergic state in the prefrontal cortex and a hyperdopaminergic state in the striatum of patients with schizophrenia.

Evidence suggests the hyperdopaminergic state in the striatum is due to synaptic dopamine elevation, particularly in the dorsal striatum.

However, the molecular mechanisms causing disrupted dopaminergic function in schizophrenia remains unclear.

The researchers postulated that the dopamine transporter (DAT), which regulates intra-synaptic dopamine concentrations by transporting dopamine from the synaptic cleft into the pre-synaptic neuron, could be involved in dopaminergic dysfunction in schizophrenia.

Methods

Therefore, they measured levels of DAT in the cortex and striatum from patients with schizophrenia and controls using postmortem human brain tissue. Levels of desmethylimipramine-insensitive mazindol-sensitive [3H]mazindol binding to DAT were measured using in situ radioligand binding and autoradiography in gray matter from Brodmann’s area (BA) 10, BA 17, the dorsal striatum, and nucleus accumbens from 15 patients with schizophrenia and 15 controls.

Results

Levels of desmethylimipramine-insensitive mazindol-sensitive [3H]mazindol binding were significantly higher in BA 10 from patients with schizophrenia (p = 0.004) and significantly lower in the dorsal striatum (dorsal putamen p = 0.005; dorsal caudate p = 0.007) from those with the disorder.

There were no differences in levels of desmethylimipramine-insensitive [3H]mazindol binding in BA 17 or nucleus accumbens.

Conclusions

These data raise the possibility that high levels of DAT in BA 10 could be contributing to lower synaptic cortical dopamine, whereas lower levels of DAT could be contributing to a hyperdopaminergic state in the dorsal striatum.

Reference

Sekiguchi, H., Pavey, G. & Dean, B. (2019) Altered levels of dopamine transporter in the frontal pole and dorsal striatum in schizophrenia. NPJ Schizophrenia. 5(1), pp.20. doi: 10.1038/s41537-019-0087-7.

Treatment of Anxiety Disorders

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When treating anxiety disorders, there are a number of things to consider:

  • Treatment of the cause if appropriate;
  • Psychotherapy;
  • Drug therapy; and/or
  • Treatment of other active disorders.

Accurate diagnosis is important because treatment varies from one anxiety disorder to another.

Additionally, anxiety disorders must be distinguished from anxiety that occurs in many other mental health disorders, which involve different treatment approaches.

If the cause is another medical disorder or a drug, medical professionals aim to correct the cause rather than treat the symptoms of anxiety.

Anxiety should subside after the physical disorder is treated or the drug has been stopped long enough for any withdrawal symptoms to abate.

If anxiety remains, anti-anxiety drugs or psychotherapy (such as behavioural therapy) is used.

For individuals who are dying, certain strong pain relievers, such as morphine, may relieve both pain and anxiety.

If an anxiety disorder is diagnosed, drug therapy or psychotherapy (such as behavioral therapy), alone or in combination, can significantly relieve the distress and dysfunction for most individuals.

Benzodiazepines (such as diazepam) are commonly prescribed for acute anxiety.

For many individuals, antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), work as well for anxiety disorders as they do for depression.

Specific treatments depend on which anxiety disorder is diagnosed.

All of the anxiety disorders can occur along with other psychiatric conditions.

For example, anxiety disorders often occur along with an alcohol use disorder.

It is important to treat all of these conditions as soon as possible.

Treating the alcohol use disorder without treating the anxiety is unlikely to be effective since the individual may be using alcohol to treat the anxiety.

On the other hand, treating the anxiety without addressing the alcohol disorder may be unsuccessful because daily changes in the amount of alcohol in the blood can cause levels of anxiety to fluctuate.

Diagnosis of Anxiety Disorders

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A diagnosis of anxiety disorder is via a medical professional’s evaluation, based on specific criteria.

Deciding when anxiety is severe enough to be considered a disorder can be complicated.

Individual ability to tolerate anxiety varies, and determining what constitutes abnormal anxiety can be difficult.

Medical professionals usually use the following specific established criteria:

  • Anxiety is very distressing.
  • Anxiety interferes with functioning.
  • Anxiety is long-lasting or keeps coming back

Medical professionals look for other disorders that may be causing anxiety, such as depression or a sleep disturbance.

They may also ask whether relatives have had similar symptoms, because anxiety disorders tend to run in families.

Medical professionals also do a physical examination. Blood and other tests may be done to check for other medical disorders that can cause anxiety.