December, 2009
Early Intervention for Behavioral Problems in Autistic Children Could Negate Medication
While it is often said that children do not come with training manuals, one type of child just might. The Science Daily recently posted a release that examined a study evaluating the serious behavior problems associated with children suffering from autism and related conditions. This Yale University study found that serious behavior problems can be reduced with a treatment plan that includes medication combined with a structured training program for parents.
An Interview with Kimberly Mitchell: Residential Manager at Promises
“This is the first time in my life that I actually enjoy going to work every day,” said Kimberly Mitchell, Residential Manager of Promises in West Los Angeles. “I get to move around and help people, and every day I’m inspired by the staff and the clients,” she added.
Nearly four years ago, Kimberly was working at an architectural firm and realized that her career wasn’t fulfilling to her because she wasn’t helping people in need. Her boss agreed that she needed to switch careers, so they searched for jobs together, which led her to apply for an office manager position at Promises. When she interviewed, she was recommended for a different position—a Tech (short for Rehabilitation Technician) —because she would be more hands-on with the clients. After working as a Tech for about two years, Kimberly was promoted to Residential Manager, and she now supervises a team of about 17 Techs.
“A Tech gives support and direction to the clients at all times, making sure they’re following the rules and upholding the integrity of the program,” Kimberly explained. “Techs are the eyes and ears of the clinical team, always reporting back the events of the day; they also spend the most amount of time with the clients, and they are always there to fulfill any need.”
Kimberly explained that in her role as Residential Manager, she ensures that the Techs are completing their assignments, that the clients are monitored properly during detox, and that the simple things—like having coffee available first thing in the morning—are taken care of. “Part of my role is not only managing Techs and clients but also making sure that clients are getting their needs met,” she said. “I also help the clinical team individualize treatment plans, making sure clients are getting exactly what they need.”
When asked to describe a typical day for clients, Kimberly said that clients perform morning chores, attend a meditation group, go to the gym, and attend group and individual meetings and therapy sessions, followed by a 12-step meeting and a 10-step meeting at the end of the day.
“Clients are asked to think of an intention every morning, which is a goal for the day, such as maintaining a positive attitude,” Kimberly explained. “At the end of the day in 10th-step, clients talk about how they did with their intention—did they follow through, or did they struggle? Clients talk about any resentment they felt throughout the day and write them down, and they also write a gratitude list to remind them that although they may have had a rough day, they have many things in their lives to be thankful for,” she said.
One of the things Kimberly likes most about working at Promises is the staff. “It can be scary to be a new client, but the staff is so warm and welcoming that we make the transition easier for them,” she said. “It’s also great when clients come back—for instance, we just had someone who was here as a patient three years ago apply to work for Promises. Her experience at Promises was so great that she wanted to continue to be a part of it,” she continued. “I also love the clients. I’m a recovering addict with a little over 8 years of sobriety, so I’ve been in their shoes, and I think they’re amazing.”
“We have a client who has only been here for three days, and he’s already telling people that Promises is the best place to be. When asked why, he says that whenever you turn around there’s a staff member, so your needs are always met, and that the atmosphere is amazingly warm and welcoming,” she recounted.
“It’s all about the staff; we do what we say we’re going to do,” Kimberly said when asked what makes Promises stand out from other treatment centers. “The majority of people who work here have been in similar situations as the clients, so we have a better understanding of what they’re going through,” she said.
“I don’t think there’s one person at Promises who is just here to collect a paycheck—everyone here loves what they do. It’s about helping clients get back on their feet, helping them to be children, friends, husbands, and wives again.”
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Adolescents’ Perception of Risk & Drug Use
Adolescents are under a constant barrage of information, between school, extracurricular activities and parental instruction. As they gain more freedom with friends and time, however, one area of instruction is critical: the risks of substance abuse.
Adolescents’ perceptions of risk associated with a behavior are closely related to their choices, with an inverse association between drug use and risk perception (as risk is perceived to be higher, the adolescent chooses not to participate in the behavior). Risk awareness is a key component to educating adolescents about substance abuse, and a recent study examined risk perception across genders, ages and drug types.
Depressed Individuals Tend to Exaggerate Symptoms
Do you remember when you had a sore finger as a child and mom would make it feel better by simply applying a band aid and a kiss? It is quite likely that the finger did not hurt as much as we would like to believe and when we received the attention and comfort desired, the pain went away.
Much of this same concept applies for those who are dealing with depression. This is not to say they have made up their depression, but instead that their depression is leading to the creation of symptoms that may or may not actually exist.
Science Daily recently examined this phenomenon in a post which featured new research that found those who feel depressed tend to recall having more physical symptoms than they actually experienced. According to the study, depression – and not neuroticism – is the cause of over-reporting.
Psychologist Jerry Suls is a professor and collegiate fellow in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He attributes the findings to the fact that depressed individuals recall experiences differently. As a result, these individuals tend to dwell on and exaggerate the bad.
“People who felt depressed made the most errors when asked to remember their physical symptoms,” Suls said. “They tended to exaggerate their experience. For 30 years, the hypothesis has been that neuroticism is behind inflated reports of symptoms. We’re saying no — depression appears to be the big player,” Suls said. “We discovered that people high in neuroticism but low in depression are not likely to misremember symptoms.”
While this study focused only on women, Suls and colleagues plan to examine results for a group of mixed genders. Those who participated in the studies were considered to be in good health overall. Suls also plans to investigate how depression affects symptoms reported in individuals with chronic illnesses.
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Climate Change Adversely Affects Mentally Ill
Climate change receives a lot of press, but most of this coverage is on the dangers we face in light of a threatened environment. One element that tends to be overlooked is the health consequences of climate change – most notably mental health.
A recent post in the Science Daily notes that leading mental health researchers warn that mental health consequences will be significant, but likely overlooked at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.
These consequences were examined by Dr. Lisa Page and Dr. Louise Howard from the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London. Both experts predict the effects of climate change will be felt most by those who with pre-existing serious mental illness. At the same time, there is likely to be an increase in the overall burden of mental disorders worldwide.
Dr. Page commented: “Climate change is assuming centre stage with the upcoming UN conference in Copenhagen. While delegates will discuss the effects of climate change and possible responses by the international governments, we fear that the effects of climate change on mental health will be largely ignored, posing a tremendous risk to the mental health of millions of people in the not-too-distant future.”
Climate change is likely to impact mental health in a number of ways, including natural disasters which have shown to produce adverse psychiatric outcomes in the past that include PTSD, major depression and somatoform disorders; those with chronic mental illness are often overlooked in the aftermath of a disaster in favor of those dealing with trauma; and the knowledge of man-made climate change could in itself have adverse effects on individual psychological well-being.
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Military Deployment’s Harmful Effects on Mental Health of Children
When a parent is called to duty overseas, the stress it can put on the family members left at home can be significant. In a recent Truth Out post, an account was shared of the attempted suicide by a seven-year old boy whose father was serving another tour in Iraq.
At the time of the Vietnam war, a man was exempt from the draft if he had a family as military leaders had an overwhelming concern about the harmful effects deployment could have on children. While the country has not re-instated the draft, nearly half of the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are parents.
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Exercise Does Not Offset Affects of Binge Drinking
Few people may recognize an association between binge drinking and regular exercise, but it turns out that one helps to compensate for the other. A recent news report on a site for Bulgaria shares the results of a new survey that more than 25 percent of drinkers exercise regularly to compensate for a spree of binge drinking.
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Children’s Mental Problems Often Overlooked
About 13 percent of American children and young teens suffer from at least one mental health disorder, yet only about half have been seen by a mental health professional, according to a survey funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and published in the journal Pediatrics.
“We need to get these kids the help they need and determine what the best type of intervention to help kids from suffering needlessly,” NIMH researcher Dr. Kathleen R. Merikangas noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health.
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Medications Linked to Increased Risk of Falls for Elderly
It isn’t uncommon for the elderly to have a fall that can break bones or even leave the individual incapacitated. Now, new research suggests that these falls are easily associated with specific medications the individual may be taking.
This research was summarized in a Science Daily release and found that several classes of drugs were associated with falls, including sedatives prescribed as sleep aids and medications that are used to treat mood disorders.
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Mindfulness Mental Training Eases Anxiety and Depression
Mental training based on mindfulness – or an emotional self-regulating tool consisting of a focus on what we are doing, thinking about or feeling at every moment – helps to fight against psychological diseases such as anxiety, depression, concern or complaints about health.
According to a doctoral thesis from the University of Granada and summarized in a Science Daily post, psychological diseases are very common among secondary education teachers. Mental training based on mindfulness may offer an answer as it has been proven to be very positive for emotional regulation.
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