Social Networks Impact Sleep and Drug Use

While some may wonder where their bad habits – such as the use or abuse of illegal drugs – began, recent studies are pointing to adult social networks. According to a recent Science Daily piece, behaviors that can include happiness, smoking and even drug use are influenced by friends and the friends of friends.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Harvard University found that the behavior of adolescents is especially impacted by such social networks where drugs are concerned. This study was led by Sara C. Mednick, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

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Therapy via Teleconference Proves Effective

New research finds that obtaining therapy via teleconference is just as effective as face-to-face sessions. “Previous studies have shown that phobia therapy via teleconferencing was just as efficient as face to face contact,” says lead researcher Dr. Stéphane Guay, a psychiatry professor at the Université de Montréal who is also director of the Trauma Studies Centre at the Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital’s Fernand-Seguin Research Centre. “We wanted to see if the process could also be used for post-traumatic stress treatment.”

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Chronic Workplace Stress and Lack of Exercise Linked to Obesity

A new study has found that chronic job stress and lack of physical activity are strongly associated with being overweight or obese. Unexpectedly, researchers also found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables did little to offset the effect of chronic job stress on weight gain among the employees, who were mostly sedentary. Instead, exercise seemed to be the key to managing stress and keeping a healthy weight.

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Failed College Dreams Don’t Spell Depression

A wise person once said, “It is better to shoot for the stars and miss than aim at the gutter and hit it.” That’s right on, says Florida State University Sociology Professor John R. Reynolds, who just completed a study to determine whether unrealized educational expectations are associated with depression among adults. Reynolds also is the director of the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy at Florida State.

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Study Examines Potentials in Schizophrenia Treatments

As it can be a debilitating disease, scientists continue to research schizophrenia in the hopes of finding a cure or at least preventative measures to use in treatment. According to a recent Science Daily piece, researchers at UC Davis have found evidence that deficits in a brain chemical may be responsible for some of the debilitating cognitive deficits that accompany this disorder.

The study suggests that an important avenue of inquiry for improving cognitive function in those that suffer from this disorder is important, according to Jong H. Yoon, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UD Davis. Yoon was also the lead author on this study.

“We still know very little about the neurobiology of schizophrenia, particularly at the level of specific circuits and molecules and how their impairments affect behavior and cognition in the disease,” said Yoon. “We need this level of specificity to guide targeted treatment development.”

Abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality are the norm for those suffering with schizophrenia. These individuals may experience visual or auditory hallucinations, as well as paranoia, delusions and disorganized speech and thinking. At the same time, these individuals also experience profound cognitive difficulties that interfere with daily functioning.

“People think of schizophrenia as being related to psychosis. But patients’ cognitive limitations can be even more debilitating for them,” said Cameron Carter, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, director of the Imaging Research Center and the study’s senior author.

“This study actually looked at brain chemistry in live patients in relation to cognitive performance to determine the underlying neurobiology of the cognitive deficits. Our ultimate goal is discovering ways to help patients lead more productive lives.”

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Study Examines GABA Involvement in Depression

As depression can greatly impact an individual, the continued research into its treatment is necessary. A recent Science Daily release revealed that the next advance in this treatment could relate to a group of brain chemicals that are involved in virtually all brain activity.

In a study co-authored by Drs. Andrea J. Levinson and Zafiris J. Daskalakis of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), researchers determined that compared to healthy individuals, those with major depressive disorder have altered functions of the neurotransmitter GABA.

This study found that those individuals with the most treatment-resistant forms of illness demonstrate the greatest reductions of GABA levels in the brain. This suggests that medications that correct a GABA imbalance could advance the treatment of major depressive disorder.

“Our findings build on the idea that some current medications do not help many patients because those drugs don’t affect the GABA-related brain chemistry,” said study author Dr. Andrea Levinson, in Science Daily.

The GABA neurotransmitter and its receptors are involved in many different brain functions. GABA is part of the brain system that enables individuals to fine-tune their moods, thoughts and actions with an incredible level of detail. It also provides the necessary inhibitory effect that individuals need to block out excessive brain activity that can lead to excessive negative thinking.

“We are advancing the goal of a truly personalized medicine,” says study co-author Dr. Daskalakis. “It is intriguing to think that we may soon be able to apply simple brain stimulation to identify which treatments are most likely to help the individual person, eliminating the guesswork. That is, through these findings we may be able to one day determine who is and who is not going to respond to traditional pharmacological approaches to depression.”

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Guilt-Based PSAs Have Opposite Impact

Public service announcements (PSAs) are meant to contribute something positive to the community. In the case of PSAs aimed at shaming college students out of drinking activities may instead send them back to the bottle.

The New York Daily News recently reported on a new study that found PSAs that strongly associate binge drinking with shame and guilt may only foster resistance to the message, creating an opposite effect.

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Short Online Questionnaire a Valid Tool for Screening Psychiatric Illnesses

A one-page, 27-item questionnaire that is available free online is a valid and effective tool to help primary care doctors screen patients for four common psychiatric illnesses, a study led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers concludes. Results of the My Mood Monitor (M-3) checklist study are published in the March/April 2010 issue of Annals of Family Medicine.

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New Scale Measuring Anxiety Outcomes Developed

A new questionnaire and outcomes measurement scale developed by the department of psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital has proven to be a reliable and valid measure of anxiety. The scale can easily be incorporated into routine clinical practice when treating psychiatric disorders. The study appears online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

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Recognizing Signs of Mental Illness in Your Child

When something just doesn’t seem right with your child, your first reaction is most likely to check to see if there’s something physically wrong. But once you’ve ruled out, or taken care of, any obvious physical reason for your child behaving markedly different, you may wonder if there’s a psychological cause. While there’s usually another explanation for why your child is acting odd, sometimes there may be something more to it. If you suspect mental illness, it’s important to recognize the signs that may indicate a problem.

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