Are You a Workaholic?

Are you spending more and more time at the office? Has this behavior increased over the past six months to a year? Do you think – or suspect – that you may be a workaholic? This is no joking matter, for a true workaholic is headed for some potentially serious physical and psychological problems. How do you know for sure if you are a workaholic?

20 Questions

Here are 20 questions adapted from Workaholics Anonymous. Answer them honestly – no holding back – and we’ll go from there.

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Children with Mental Health Problems Have Greater Risk of Obesity

It has long been known that there is a connection between mental health and physical health. As a result, there is also a connection between mental wellness and obesity. According to a new study, children with emotional difficulties are at a higher risk for developing obesity in adult life.

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Pre-Natal Exposure to Antidepressants Can Influence Newborn’s Health

A new report shows that exposure to a certain class of antidepressant medications during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, a low five-minute Apgar score (a measure of overall health of the baby), and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit.

The study, published in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, reports that more than one in ten pregnant women are estimated to have depression, comparable in frequency and severity to postpartum depression. “Depression, antidepressants, and lifestyle factors associated with depression may influence pregnancy outcomes and newborn health,” the authors write.

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US Children Are Exposed to More Violence and Abuse Than Previously Recognized

A new study has found that U.S. children are routinely exposed to even more violence and abuse than has been previously recognized. The study conducted by the University of New Hampshire also revealed that nearly half of the children experienced a physical assault in the study year.

“Children experience far more violence, abuse, and crime than do adults,” said David Finkelhor, director of the UNH Crimes against Children Research Center and the study director. “If life were this dangerous for ordinary grown-ups, we’d never tolerate it,” he said.

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Social Groups Play an Important Role in Overall Health and Well-Being

Social groups may be good for your health, according to new research by the Universities of Exeter and Queensland, Australia. Study results suggest that the quality of a person’s social life could have a greater impact on health and well-being than diet and exercise.

Science Daily recently posted a release on this study, which suggested that being a member of a social group can significantly reduce the risk of conditions like stroke, dementia, and even the common cold. Researchers involved with this study reviewed a number of previous studies that identify a link between group membership and physical and mental health.

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Study Examines Link between Sanity and Creativity

For years there has been an assumption that the overly creative may also be overtly insane – for lack of a better term. If you refer to such examples of Vincent van Gogh and his ill-fated ear or Sylvia Plath and her suicide by oven, it makes little sense to the sane why such actions would be taken.

Science Daily recently posted a release that examined new research reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. This research studied the link between psychosis and creativity.

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ADHD and Depression May Predict Internet Addiction in Adolescents

Adolescents with psychiatric symptoms such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social phobia, hostility, and depression may be more likely to develop an Internet addiction, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Addiction to the Internet can negatively impact school performance, family relationships, and adolescents’ emotional states.

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Depression Shortens Lives of Cancer Patients

It is well known throughout the health care industry that there is a direct link between depression and serious illness. This link can have significant implications for anyone with an illness as it can hamper an individual’s ability to fully recover.

US News recently reported that in cancer patients, depression can shorten a person’s life. This finding is the result of an analysis of research that raised questions about the need to screen patients for psychological problems.

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Children Who Eat Sweets Daily Are More Likely to Be Violent Adults

Children who eat sweets and chocolate every day are more likely to be violent as adults, according to new research.

A study of almost 17,500 participants in the 1970 British Cohort Study found that 10-year-olds who ate sweets daily were significantly more likely to have been convicted for violence at age 34.

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Smoking During Pregnancy Puts Children at Risk of Psychotic Symptoms

Mothers who smoke during pregnancy put their children at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teenage years.

Science Daily reports that researchers from Cardiff, Bristol, Nottingham, and Warwick Universities studied 6,356 12-year-olds from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. All the children completed an interview for psychotic-like symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions.

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