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Two innovative new app based questionnaires could help identify the suicide risk for females when these tools are used along with a blood test designed to detect certain biomarkers. When the app based questionnaires were used along with the blood test the researchers were able to predict any future suicidal thoughts with an accuracy of 82%. In addition the researchers could accurately predict future hospitalizations associated with suicidal thoughts or actions at around 78%. In 2015 research was published that showed the suicide risk for males could be predicted with certain questionnaires and biomarker blood tests, and the latest research shows that these study findings could also be used for women as well. The Indiana University School of Medicine researchers determined that while women tend to successfully commit suicide less often than men women generally make more attempts to do so but they typically use means which are less violent and which may not be as lethal.
IU School of Medicine professor of psychiatry and medical neuroscience, Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center attending psychiatrist, and principal investigator for the latest study on suicide risk and app based questionnaires Alexander B. Niculescu III, M.D., Ph.D. Explained the findings. “Women have not been adequately studied in research about suicide, and we did not know how well we would be able to define objective predictors of suicide in women. It was important to determine whether biomarkers and app-based questionnaires could be used to make predictions among women, and whether such tests can be adjusted for gender to be more accurate. These results suggest that the best way to proceed would be to use gender-tailored approaches.”
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According to recent research and the latest medical study certain violence risk factors associated with mental illness can be predicted. The researchers identified 3 specific factors that could up the odds of violent behavior by an individual who has been diagnosed with mental illness. These risk factors are the use of alcohol, being the victim of violence and behavior that is violent, and engaging in violent behavior. Mental health professionals should pay close attention to these three risk factors in order to predict which mentally ill patients may become violent in the future. Early intervention by mental health professionals could minimize or even eliminate the risk of violence in this class of patients. The recent study utilized a database with information on more than 4,400 cases and patients who were diagnosed with some form of mental illness, and these mental disorders included bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression.
North Carolina State University associate professor of psychology Dr. Sarah Desmarais was one of the co-authors on the research study paper concerning the link between violence risk factors and mental illness. According to Desmarais “Our earlier work found that adults with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators —and that is especially relevant to this new study. One of the new findings is that people with mental illness who have been victims of violence in the past six months are more likely to engage in future violent behavior themselves. We found that these risk factors were predictive even when we accounted for age, sex, race, mental illness diagnosis and other clinical characteristics. This is useful information for anyone working in a clinical setting. But it also highlights the importance of creating policies that can help protect people with mental illness from being victimized. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it makes for safer communities.”
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DNA addiction testing sounds like science fiction but there is already an opioid risk genetic profile test called the Proove Opioid Risk genetic profile test that can be used by physicians and patients. Some medical and addiction experts have questioned whether the testing is legitimate or how accurate the test results truly are though. Roswell Pain Specialists physician and addiction treatment specialist Dr. Damon Christian Kimes believes in this genetic testing, so much so that he provides it to all of his new patients. Others point out that the research and data from this testing has been supplied by the company’s own scientists and this data has not been independently confirmed.
When discussing the opioid risk genetic profile testing and DNA addiction testing with Atlanta news media Fox 5 Dr. Kimes explained “People often do not know what their genetics hold. What we will be able to do is look at the opioid risk index, we are going to be able to look at specific medications and how your body metabolizes or breaks down those medications. When you have that genetic DNA test right there … you can say this is in your genetic makeup, [and] we can act on it or avoid certain things because we know that this is something that we may have a problem with later on.” According to Proove, the company that provides the genetic testing, the opioid risk genetic profile has an accuracy rate of 92%, and the test determines whether the opioid dependency risk for the individual is low, moderate, or high.
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Sober living facilities are residential centers designed for individuals who are in substance abuse recovery and who are ready to leave intensive inpatient rehab but who may not be ready or strong enough in their recovery to go back home yet. These facilities are typically group homes where all of the residents are expected to follow the same rules, undergo drug and alcohol testing, perform certain household chores, and stay clean and sober while they live at the facility. This environment promotes the recovery process and lowers the risk of relapse after the individual has left rehab. Adjusting to life without addictions can be a challenge and these facilities can help recovering addicts meet these challenges in a way that is less stressful. These facilities may be owned by private individuals, charitable organizations, and even businesses.
One of the biggest rules in sober living facilities is that every resident must stay clean and sober while they reside in the residence. Residents have greater freedom than they did while they were in rehab, and most facilities offer resources for substance abuse recovery such as group therapy sessions which may be mandatory. The goal is to transition from rehab to home without a big risk of relapsing, and to give the individual in recovery some space so that they can adjust to life without drugs or alcohol before they head home to the same environment that they used in. People who have substance abuse issues are typically irresponsible and make poor choices. Sober living facilities can help the individual make better choices, and the threat of being made to leave the facility if testing positive for drugs or alcohol may keep the individual from using while they are still trying to recover.
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A new study performed by researchers at the National institutes of Health has determined that children who suffer from Cushing Syndrome may be at a higher risk for suicide and depression than children who do not have this syndrome. The condition is a disorder of the endocrine system which is rare, and it results in the production of abnormally high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Often the excess hormone is caused when a tumor forms on the pituitary or adrenal glands, but it can also be the result of taking excessive steroid medications as well. There is a marked difference in the development of depression between adults and children who suffer from Cushing Syndrome. Adults typically experience anxiety and depression before receiving treatment while children generally develop these same symptoms after treatment is received.
NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Division of Intramural Research director Constantine Stratakis, a senior author of the study on Cushing Syndrome, depression, and suicide, explained the study results. Stratakis stated “Our results indicate that physicians who care for young people with Cushing syndrome should screen their patients for depression-related mental illness after the underlying disease has been successfully treated. Patients may not tell their doctors that they’re feeling depressed, so it’s a good idea for physicians to screen their patients proactively for depression and related conditions.” The findings for the study have been published in Pediatrics. Researchers have suggested that children who have Cushing Syndrome should be informed that they could experience changes after treatment so these patients know what to expect and they can report any changes to their physician.
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Co-dependency is a behavior that is learned, often starting in early childhood, and it usually leads to unhealthy relationships and dysfunctional family dynamics. This learned behavior can be passed down through generations, and it is often called relationship addiction. The relationships that people who are co-dependent have are usually emotionally destructive, abusive in some way, and completely one sided. This condition was first noticed when researchers studied the families of alcoholics, and co-dependency is learned by watching members of the family unit display these traits. People in a co-dependent relationship are usually suffering from some type of substance abuse or they are a relative or friend of someone who has an addiction or substance abuse issue. Co-dependency can also be found in cases of compulsive gambling, compulsive shopping, sex addiction, and other addictions as well.
Co-dependency results in unhealthy relationships for many reasons. The person who cares about the individual with a substance abuse disorder or other problem may unconsciously enable the destructive behavioral pattern. The co-dependent individual may feel a need to be needed, or they may have learned in childhood that their needs are less important than the needs of the alcoholic or addict. Before co-dependency can be addressed and resolved the person must evaluate why they enable certain behaviors and what they need to work on to be emotionally healthy themselves. Co-dependency can be eliminated but this requires the right treatment and a healthy state of mind. Co-dependency can not help build a healthy relationship and the destructive patterns that this condition causes can ruin your life.
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New research on cellphones and mental health shows that when cellphone use is excessive this could lead to depression or anxiety. The study determined that for some college students a cellphone may be used like a security blanket, allowing the individual to avoid situations or experiences that they find uncomfortable or stressful. The latest study involved over 300 college students, and determined that heavier use of technology was linked to a higher risk for anxiety or depression. These findings were not true when cellphones were used to relieve boredom or to entertain though. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers also concluded that the devices themselves did not cause or contribute to mental health issues.
Tayana Panova, a co-author for the study on cellphones and mental health risks, noted that “Handheld devices, with their countless applications and entertainment options and their constant presence at our fingertips, make it easier than ever before to disconnect with the problems [and] stresses of reality, and avoid actively engaging with them. But over time turning to the device whenever an uncomfortable situation or feeling arises can become an escapist pattern of behavior, and may make people more vulnerable to stressors due to insufficient emotional ‘exercise.” The study was conducted as part of the undergraduate honors thesis by Panova, and she cautioned that “The causation of the effect is unknown. It may be that individuals with higher anxiety/depression use [phone] devices more intensively or that using devices more intensively can eventually lead to the development of anxiety/depression. Or it can mean that there is a cyclical relationship.”
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Anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that can be very difficult to treat, can cause a number of physical and mental health problems and even lead to death in some cases. A new study found that people who suffer from this eating disorder may benefit from brain stimulation. Transcranial stimulation is a treatment which has received approval for depression, and researchers in Britain evaluated patients who were diagnosed with anorexia nervosa both before and after the patients received the brain stimulation. According to a news release from King’s College London by researcher and first author of the study Jessica McClelland “With rTMS we targeted … an area of the brain thought to be involved in some of the self-regulation difficulties associated with anorexia.” The treatment involves magnetic pulses which are delivered to specific brain areas, and it alters the nerve cell activity in the patient’s brain.
The study on brain stimulation and anorexia nervosa was published in PloS One, a medical journal. McClelland explained “We found that one session of [brain stimulation] reduced the urge to restrict food intake, levels of feeling full and levels of feeling fat, as well as encouraging more prudent decision-making. Taken together, these findings suggest that brain stimulation may reduce symptoms of anorexia by improving cognitive control over compulsive features of the disorder.” Kings College London professor and the senior author of the study Ulrike Schmidt also commented in the news release, stating “Anorexia nervosa is thought to affect up to 4 percent of women in their lifetime. With increasing illness duration, anorexia becomes entrenched in the brain and increasingly difficult to treat. Our preliminary findings support the potential of novel brain-directed treatments for anorexia, which are desperately needed.”
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Arizona State University researchers have determined that a natural resilience to life stressors is not the norm after all, although until now many have claimed that this is the case. When a life altering event occurs the researchers found that people may “struggle considerably and for longer periods of time” than previously believed. The study results and data were published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science. Study co-author and assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University Dr. Frank Infurna explained “We show that, contrary to an extensive body of research, when individuals are confronted with major life stressors, such as spousal loss, divorce, or unemployment, they are likely to show substantial declines in well-being and these declines can linger for several years. Previous research largely claimed that individuals are typically resilient to major life stressors. Whereas when we test these assumptions more thoroughly, we find that most individuals are deeply affected and it can take several years for them to recover and get back to previous levels of functioning.”
According to Dr. Infurna the natural resilience to life stressors that has always been assumed in the past may not hold true after all, and there are many variables at play in each case. “Our findings go against the grain and show there can be more to the picture than that,” Infurna said. “It may not be the case that most people are unperturbed and doing fine. We used previous research as a basis and analyzed the data based on their specifications. Then we used our own specifications that we feel are more in line with conceptual assumptions and we found contrasting results. The previous research postulated that most people, anywhere from 50 to 70 percent, would show a trajectory characterized by no change. They are largely unperturbed by life’s major events. We found that it usually took people much longer — several years — to return to their previous levels of functioning. These are major qualitative shifts in a person’s life and it can have a lasting impact on their lives. It provides some evidence that if most people are affected, then interventions certainly should be utilized in terms of helping these individuals in response to these events.”
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Some new research has determined that individuals tend to have a stronger belief in god when they consider what might have been or what could have happened, and this is especially true after a major event or life experience whose outcome could have been much worse than what it was. The study data and conclusions were published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, and the research has also concluded that rational and deliberate cognitive processes are used by believers to process evidence that backs their religious conviction. The research was performed after the lead investigator for the study, Dr. Anneke Buffone, started to be “intrigued by the question of how people perceive God as an active, trustworthy, and giving influence in their everyday lives.”
Dr. Buffone explained the study on a belief in god and what might have been by saying “Why is it that the vast majority of Americans, and many people across the globe, perceive a divine or spiritual influence in their lives and are firm believers in God, even in our modern world where many mysteries of the past have been scientifically explained?” The lead investigator went on to describe the study and stated “Counterfactuals — imagining how life would be different if a given event had not occurred — seemed like a good candidate due to its effect of making inferred connections between events seem more meaningful, surprising, and ‘meant to be’. We specifically explored how downward counterfactual thinking — thoughts about how life would be worse if an important life event had not occurred — may be a way in which believers come to perceive evidence for a God that is acting for their benefit. The results suggest that counterfactual thinking leads believers to the belief that the event did not occur by chance alone, and leads them to search for a source, in this case God, and this in turn leads to an increase in religious faith.”
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A new research study has found a link between parental depression and asthma in children, showing that when a parent receives treatment for depression there is a good possibility that the child’s asthma will improve. Studies have shown that kids with asthma are more likely to experience depression, and when a caregiver or parent for a child with asthma is depressed then the child will typically experience worsening symptoms. The latest study on this topic had led researchers from the University of Texas, Dallas, and the University of Buffalo to recruit 200 individual families so that further research and studies can be performed. The studies will take place at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.
The new research on children with asthma and depression in a parent or caregiver will screen the caregivers of children diagnosed with asthma to identify caregiver or parental depression. According to psychiatry and pediatrics professors Beatrice Wood, Ph.D. and Bruce Miller, M.D., “We are hypothesizing that an improvement in the caregiver’s depression will lead to a subsequent improvement in the child’s asthma. We have continuously found associations between emotional stress and worsening asthma, and that family relational stress plays a key role. We have specifically shown that a negative family emotional climate predicts worse asthma disease activity.”
Wood and Miller continued to explain the link with worsening asthma symptoms in children and parental depression, saying “When the parents’ depression got better, the children’s asthma got better. If a caregiver is depressed he or she may be less able to carry out the care of a child, especially a fragile child who is vulnerable with illness, They may not be able to manage the child’s medications or get the child to the doctor when necessary. At the same time our previous studies have shown that depression in the parent cascades into negative parent-child relationships, child depression, and worse asthma.”
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1. Choosing the wrong type of addiction treatment facility or program is a very big mistake, one that could cost you a future of sobriety and abstinence from drugs or alcohol. The wrong treatment methods or facility type could cause you to relapse, or even to leave treatment before you are finished and on the way to recovery.
2. One of the more common mistakes when it comes to substance abuse treatment is failing to understand what addiction is or how this condition works. Extended drug or alcohol use changes the way your brain works, and the damage done could take months or even longer to reverse once you do finally seek help and go for treatment.
3. Not cultivating the right attitude towards addiction treatment can mean failing to get sober and stay that way. Recovery can be a very challenging time even when the individual is highly motivated and has the right attitude. Those who are not willing to change or who are trying to fake it just to work the program or system will not get the help they need and deserve because they have the wrong attitude.
4. Not cultivating a strong and extensive support system is one of the biggest and most common mistakes that you can make. A strong support system is necessary so that you have the support you need when your will or motivation is low or when you feel a relapse close by. You will find that some friends and loved ones make recovery harder than it can be, and these people should not be considered part of your support group because they will not help you stay strong and keep your resolve to finally beat addiction once and for all.
