Among 13-17 year olds, academics is by far the most commonly mentioned source. Among 18-24 year olds, it is jobs and financial matters. Academic and career related pressures are ruining the life of young people. An average teenager today wants to excel in school, perform well in sports, keep up with the latest trends and choose the right higher education stream. Youngsters in there 20’s want a well paid job, they want to start saving for buying assets and also want to choose the right life partner. Added to this is the pressure to try and meet the expectations of the parents.

Another type of stress which is latent in the minds of youth but still present is the threat of terrorism and vandalism. Females particularly feel unsafe in many public places and this adds to their stress level. After a series of terrorist activities which have rocked the world, the fear is nagging in the minds of young people who find themselves helpless and not able to contribute towards its eradication.

According to surveys young females are more stressed out then males and incidences of high stress level are more in urban areas. The incidences of anxiety and depression are rising at an alarming rate and we keep hearing of teenager suicide cases around the world. Cut throat competition to keep up with peers is robbing youngsters of the pleasures of being young and healthy.

Via:MSNBC

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A study was conducted by Italian researchers on the effects of exercise on people who are suffering from depression. About thirty women aged between 40 and 60 who had been diagnosed with major depression were randomly assigned to stick with antidepressants alone or to include exercise twice a week while taking antidepressants for eight months.

It was found that women who exercised showed remarkable improvements in their depression symptoms when compared to those women who were in antidepressants alone.

It’s not a magic bullet, but increasing physical activity is a positive and active strategy to help manage depression and anxiety

says Kristin Vickers-Douglas, a psychologist at Mayo Clinic.

How does exercise help?

* Exercising when you are depressed firstly helps you get distracted as you concentrate on your workout instead of life’s misery.

* If you are out taking a walk, you get to interact with people, which may help you forget your worries and make you feel better when you know that you are not the only person in the world having problems.

* Identify the activity that you enjoy most or you are likely to give up the instant you hit the blues.

So, get going and the next time some one asks what stands for D - Say Dance and not Depresssion!


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Statistics say that apart from the youths, another age group that is particularly vulnerable to suicide is the people in the age bracket of 65 years and above. The overall U.S. suicide rate is 11 per 100,000 people. But for those 65 and older, that figure rises to 14 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although taking one’s life can be an acute, impulsive act at any age, suicide among the elderly is more often a drastic solution that has been contemplated for some time.
Change, in the form of retirement, moving to a nursing home or losing the ability to drive or walk can be a trigger. Depression is the most frequent cause of suicidal thoughts and alcoholism triggers depression.

Studies of alcoholics reveal that between 30 percent and 60 percent suffer from depression, and a significant proportion of alcoholics have other persons in their families suffering from depression. Sometimes the elderly are suffering from painful diseases and they put themselves out of misery by committing suicide.

But, this tragic situation can change!

Most elderly people don’t really want to die. Family, friends and health providers can step in to help prevent the suicide of elderly people. In the elderly people around you look for persistent sad or anxious mood, feelings of hopelessness or pessimism, loss of interest in hobbies or activities and signs of decreased energy.

A mere reminder to the elderly that they are still a part of a family or a community can give them hope to live.

Via:MSNBC

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Hyperactivity among young girls when not controlled poses serious risks when they get older. As they reach adulthood, they tend to suffer from poor lifestyle by getting low profile jobs, being involved in violent relationships and early pregnancies.

Such observations were seen in a study involving 800 girls aged 21 who were identified to be hyperactive. This is quite strange since boys are usually branded as more ‘hyperactive’ than girls.

But this study by the Canadian and UK researchers and their findings reported to the Archives of General Psychiatry is a good eye opener. This will help to treat young girls who seem to behave like naughty boys.

The missing link for now is what’s causing such psychological disturbance in the behavior of these hyperactive girls. What kinds of therapies are necessary to help them behave like normal children?

Having no focus in studying as children are hyperactive, the pitfalls are usually getting easily distracted to moving things; they tend to procrastinate of what they need to do; they are inattentive to lessons in class and disorganized in their belongings.

More studies need to be conducted to identify solutions to hyperactive girls and for them not to have poor lifestyle when they mature.

Source: BBC Health

With depression making rounds in the society in a grand manner, scientists may be on the verge of discovering a bio-chemical indicator for the assessment of depression. A condition which hitherto was diagnosed solely on the subjective opinion of a practitioner may now have a ‘lab test’ to determine the severity of the condition as well as the effect of different treatments and therapies on a particular patient.

Scientists at the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at the University of Illinois suggest that depression involves a bio-chemical process wherein the brain releases specific substances which can be detected by laboratory tests. The researchers conducted a post–mortem study of depressed people who committed suicide and compared their findings to that of normal people. They established that a certain protein called Gs alpha which relays information between the brain cells and the neuro-transmitters seemed to have been less effective in depressive people.

One of the main concerns faced by psychiatrists while treating a patient with anti-depressants is the unpredictability of the drug’s effect. Rasenick and his team are hopeful that this proposed technique would significantly step up the efficacy and quality of management of depressive disorders.

Source: Forbes
Image: Pinkfridge

ECT dates back to 1938 and has been used as a part of psychiatric treatment for psychotic depression when all the other forms of treatment fail. In Canada this form of treatment seems to be going strong with the mental health physicians and since 2002 there is no decline in its usage.

According to CBC News, Dr. Nizar Ladha, a psychiatrist from St. John’s, who has been using ECT for the last thirty years, says that ECT is a life saving treatment and even though it causes seizures it is not painful. He says that there were many cases where ECT was successful in combating depression preventing suicide. The Canadian Psychiatric Association and the Canadian Medical Association differ in their opinions regarding the effects of ECT. The former say it is safe and effective while the latter say that it causes brain damage. Dr. Paul Breggin is one of those few psychiatrists who acknowledges the ill –effects of ECT and feels that it should be banned. Dr. David Goldbloom, a Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto) psychiatrist feels that this form of treatment has survived despite repeated pleas to ban it and it is going to become more popular in future.

It is seen that generally the psychiatrists seem to favor the ECT while the rest including the patients feels that it is a traumatic treatment with very serious side effects. This form of treatment has both pros and cons. The pros are that there have been evidences showing that in the most severe types of clinical depression and suicidal tendencies, the ECT seems to have worked as a life saving treatment. The cons are of course the numerous brain related impairments. Given that the treatment of any form of serious ailments has side effects that may be traumatic, for example, chemotherapy for treating cancer, it is upto the common man to weigh the pros and cons and decide upon the acceptability of the treatment. ECT under expert medical guidance may not be that harmful after all.

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via: CBC News,

What do you do when you see your child is feeling low frequently and is oblivious to the excitement around her? Do you brush it off and think it is normal for kids to have mood swings? It’s time you don’t ignore the child and check if any symptoms of depression.

If you thought depression hits only the adults, think again and childhood depression is as serious as adult depression. Statistics reveal shocking facts. One in thirty three children and one in eight teens suffer from blues. If unchecked this could pose to be a mammoth problem in the coming days.

What causes childhood depression?
Children are very sensitive and a significant change in their life could upset them. Divorce among parents, death of a loved one or their pets, change of residence to a new location, tantrums from peer group, inability to live up to the expectations of parents could be some of the reasons that drive kids into a feeling of guilt and hopelessness.

What can you do as a parent?

It’s hard for parents to see normally cheerful children withdraw into a cocoon all of a sudden. It’s important for parents to recognize the symptoms of depression and spend time with the child and find out the reasons. Reassure the kid that she is not responsible of things that are not in her control and you are by her side to help her get out of the blues. In case the symptoms are worse, it’s better to consult a professional before things go out of hand.

Kids spread so much cheer around and it’s sad to see more children going blue these days. Identifying the root cause and dealing it with love could surely help children see the world in psychedelic colors again.

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The first study was carried out by the researchers from Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands. The study published in the journal Neurology assessed 503 individuals between 60 and 90 years without any symptom of dementia in the beginning of the study. 134 participants had a history of depression. After a six-year follow-up 33 people developed dementia. The study showed that people who had suffered from depression before 60 had four times more the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than a person without a history of depression. In case of a person developing depression after 60, chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease increased by 2.5 times compared to a depression-free individual. The MIT scan of the hippocampus and the amygdala regions of the brain showed no change in size with the onset of depression or Alzheimer’s disease refuting the common belief that Alzheimer’s disease is linked to brain shrinkage.

In another study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers of the Rush University Medical Center, Chicago found no evidence that depressive symptoms increased with advancement in Alzheimer’s disease. This rules-out the possibility of depression being a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.

These studies lead to the conclusion that while depression is not the obvious outcome of Alzheimer’s disease but depression at any age might lead to Alzheimer’s disease with advancement in age. Depression being a risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease, this condition of mind should not be ignored and must be treated as early as possible.

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Source: Web MD

We are losing our family life, and children are the worst sufferer. A recent survey has proved it and has created great anxiety among parents all over the world. The report revealed that children who spend too much of their times watching television or surfing Internet are greedy and unhappy.

The report also says:

These children argue more with their families; have a lower opinion of their parents, and lower self-esteem than other children.

The problem starts as early as among the students of the primary schools but remain suppressed till they enter their teenage. When the symptoms get prominent, the entire war has been lost. UK has been flooded by terrific teenage drug addiction, drinking, and under age sex problems. Before the matter goes out of control, it is high time we find out the deep rooted cause behind this problem.

The main reason is parental negligence. The lifestyle of parents has changed a lot during the years and that has seriously affected the time they share with their family. But the fundamental needs of children have not changed during these years. They still require food, shelter, and sleep. But moreover, they need an adult supervision to grow up. They need to know that there is someone caring for them while they grow up. But here we leave everything to the machines, like electronic baby sitter and in a later stage we depend on the kindergartens to help the kids grow up. But as they grow up, they need more attention and company of their parents, but parents need to rush through their daily life for earning more and more comforts for their families. And, they’re able to achieve it also, but at what cost?

This parental carelessness is the prime cause of increasing child depression. But at the same time they also have no option but to rush at break neck speed. They are also confined in some new age troubles like inflation rate, high mortgages, lower quality of living, and long working hours. To survive in this corporate world, they need to follow exactly the same regime everyday, resulting to their isolation from their own family. It is observed in nuclear families today that all members live under same roof, but they are very much isolated by heart. The emotional bond that keeps a family together is vanishing rapidly. Children spend their entire day mostly gazing on TV, or playing games at game station. This is certainly not what we call a life.

Sociologists all over the world have expressed deep concerns over this matter. But the solution is quite complex. We just cannot drop our lifestyle all of a sudden. At the same time, if this tendency prevails, then there will be a time when there will be no family at all. Children are having a tuff time these days in a social scenario like this and we need to take care of them. Otherwise the next generation will not be intelligent and bright enough to go forward and bring glory to our country.

Source: Dailymail

Quitting smoking, losing weight, and renouncing alcohol and cocaine may lead you to the risk of depression and even the chances of suicide. Now, it’s so very evident that the pills like Chantix, Rimonobant, and Taranabant are not free of offshoots as they lump pleasure centers in the brain that offer the feel-good response from smoking or eating.

Chantix, a hyped quit-smoking pill from Pfizer Inc. has been allied to several reports of suicides or suicidal behaviors. In February, the FDA said a linkage between Chantix and psychiatric problems appear ‘gradually more liable.’ Though it is believed that risks about Chantix will prove manageable because they mark nicotine pleasure switches and the side effects vary from person to person. Nicotine extraction and even quitting smoking can cause temper swings and depression. The risk-benefit quotient is seriously supporting use of the medication as the alternative, smoking, is comparatively highly risky.

Rimonobant and Taranabant, the anti-obesity pills, are also related to depression and suicides. Doctors haven’t remained to be so very optimistic about these professed ‘’super pills'’. In a new research last month, 43 percent of people using Rimonabant developed psychiatric troubles against 28 percent of those on dummy pills. One suicide and one attempt were reported in the studies. Even if the patient goes forward with the lowest doses in the case of Taranabant, the side-effects can’t be annulled.

So, there are slim chances of any real benefits coming out of these above mentioned pills taking care of obesity and smoking. Well has Dr. James Stein, a University of Wisconsin-Madison cardiologist, put it,” The door is closing'’

Source: Kpic