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Approximately 5.9% of the population in the USA, or 14 million Americans, have borderline personality disorder. When all forms of mental disorders are calculated the percentage of the population that is affected is much higher. Statistics show that 20% of patients hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital has BPD, and 10% of those who engage in outpatient mental health treatment have this condition as well. With statistics and numbers like these it is rare for someone not to have a family member or friend who has BPD or another one of the possible mental disorders. In spite of this mental illness still carries a stigma, and some are ashamed to admit that they need help or that someone they know and care about needs treatment.
It is possible to detect signs of mental disorders, including borderline personality disorder, so that the individual can get the help and treatment that they need. Some of the most common symptoms of BPD include:
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Constantly overreacting, exaggerates on a regular basis.
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Unstable relationships with family, friends, and significant others. Because the individual with BPD are often angry or even violent this can impair relationships and lead to deep feelings of hurt and mistrust.
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People who have borderline personality disorder have a distorted self image of themselves, with a feeling of low self worth and very poor self esteem. This can cause depression and mood swings which only make things worse.
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People with this mental disorder tend to be reckless, engaging in impulsive decision making and acting without any concern for their safety or the safety of others.
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A recent research study has found that prescription painkiller abuse among teens from rural areas and small communities is higher than what has been seen in large cities and urban areas. The research showed that this type of teen drug abuse was 35% higher for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years old who lived in rural communities. Teens who reside in small towns are 21% more likely to engage in this form of substance abuse than urban adolescents. One explanation for the increased risk that researchers have focused on is that primary care providers are not widely available in rura areas, causing teens to go to an ER or urgent care clinic. These medical facilities are typically more likely to prescribe opioid drugs for pain.
The study on teen drug abuse and prescription painkiller abuse by adolescents utilized data that was collected for the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2011 and 2012. The data included survey information from more than 32,000 teens. According to Pennsylvania State assistant professor of rural sociology, demography, and sociology Shannon Monnat “Over 1.3 million adolescents abused prescription opioids within the last year. With this number of adolescents there are major implications for increased treatment demand, risk of overdose, and even death from these opioids.” The study also showed that girls were more likely to engage in prescription painkiller abuse than boys were. The prescription drugs which seem to be used in rural areas include morphine based formulations like percocet, Oxycontin, and oxycodone. Monnat went on to say “There has been a shortage of primary care practitioners in rural areas for a long time. Often, emergency rooms or urgent care clinics might be the only place for someone to receive treatment in a rural area.”
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A new study by King’s College London researchers shows that individuals with schizophrenia who have negative symptoms also tend to typically fair worse and have a worse outcome than those with this mental disorder who do not have negative symptoms. The patients who exhibited negative symptoms of schizophrenia had a much higher risk of admission to the hospital for this illness, the admission time was longer, and these patients were also more likely to be readmitted to the hospital after they have been discharged. Some of the negative symptoms that may be experienced include less speech and activity, poor motivation, and even failing to make eye contact with others. Positive symptoms include delusions and hallucinations, and these are usually the first symptoms targeted for treatment.
The study by the researchers is the biggest ever to look at and evaluate the link between clinical outcomes and negative symptoms for people with schizophrenia. The study involved sample cases from a pool of 7,500 individuals with schizophrenia. Department of Psychosis Studies researcher Dr. Rashmi Patel explained “Hospital admissions are the main drivers of cost in the care of patients with schizophrenia — yet they have traditionally been linked to the severity of positive psychotic symptoms. Our data indicate that negative symptoms are an equally important factor, and suggest that a greater emphasis on assessing and treating these features of schizophrenia may have significant health economic benefits. However, as our findings are drawn from observational data, interventional clinical studies are required to determine whether an effective treatment for negative symptoms would lead to better clinical outcomes.”
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Science is discovering that the bacteria normally found in your digestive system can help treat depression, in a field of study called psychobiotics which is relatively new. You have roughly 100 trillion different bacteria and other microbes in your body, and these microbes carry out a number of vital functions. Many believe that the microbes in the body also have a link to mental health. It is possible that these bacteria and other microbes may be able to treat more than just digestive system disorders, and the could hold the key to an effective treatment for chronic depression. University College Cork in Ireland microbiome specialist and neuropharmacologist Dr. John F. Cryan , PhD, is one of the leading researchers in the link between your digestive system and your mental health.
Studies have been performed on mice in the lab which show that a disruption in the usual microbes in the body can lead to both mental and physical problems. Some of these studies have shown that mice which are bred in conditions with no beneficial bacteria at all have social awkwardness, and when the natural biome in the mice is disrupted the mice will display signs of depression, anxiety, and even autism. Dr. Cryan has worked very closely with a range of specialists during his research on the link between mental health and beneficial bacteria and other microbes, including psychiatrists, gastroenterologists, and microbiologists. Another study on mental health and bacteria in the digestive system was performed by Dr. Mazmanian in 2013. This study showed that mice with certain symptoms of autism had a lot fewer of the bacteria Bacteroides fragilis in their gut than the normal mice.
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Coping with catastrophic thinking is possible so that this pattern does not have a negative effect on your life. 4 ways that you can cope with this type of thinking include:
1. Face the fears that you have so that they do not become larger than life. If you continuously shy away from the things that make you fearful then you will never overcome the fear and it will continue to haunt you. If you are worried that you will fall to your death from a high height then try rappelling with safety equipment. If you are scared of flying because you just know the flight will crash then schedule a flight just to address this fear head on.
2. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, so that you learn to recognize valid fears from those that are unrealistic or highly unlikely. When you focus on your thoughts this can help short circuit the catastrophic thinking and reset your frame of mind.
3. Instead of trying to control every little thing in your life take control over things that you can. This can help minimize the anxiety that you feel over a loss of control and it can be an effective coping mechanism.
4. Seek professional help from a mental health expert. Sometimes catastrophic thinking requires professional treatment and assistance, and self help measures do not always work for everyone. If you have difficulty coping with your thoughts or you always seem to be in an anxious or negative state of mind then a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist should be consulted.
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The use of psychedelic substances is illegal in most parts of the world, but one United Kingdom expert is psychiatry believes that these substances have the potential to treat psychiatric disorders and that these drugs “should be legally reclassified so that researchers can investigate their therapeutic potential.” According to Dr. James Rucker, who is associated with King’s College London, U.K., “Psychedelic drugs, especially LSD and psilocybin, which is found in magic mushrooms, were extensively used and researched in clinical psychiatry before their prohibition in 1967. Hundreds of papers, involving tens of thousands of patients, presented evidence for their use as psychotherapeutic catalysts of mentally beneficial change in many psychiatric disorders, problems of personality development, recidivistic behavior, and existential anxiety. But no evidence shows that psychedelic drugs are habit forming; little evidence shows that they are harmful in controlled settings; and much historical evidence has shown that they could have use in common psychiatric disorders.”
Not everyone agrees that psychedelic substances have the potential to treat psychiatric disorders though. Journal of Public Mental Health editor Dr. Woody Caan explained that “Some patient populations may be more, or less, vulnerable to psychedelic substance use. Some hallucinogenic substances have clear “cumulative toxicity.” Caan continued by saying “Unlike our present conventions on drugs, a good system of legislation and regulation would balance risks and benefits and comprehend some individual variation among patients. Users become sensitized to repeated doses, progressing to disturbances of perception that are spontaneous, uncontrollable, and potentially distressing.” The use of these substances for any reason is highly controversial.
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According to research that was recently published in the Molecular Psychiatry journal new blood tests and questionnaire instruments have been developed which may help more accurately identify suicide risk through biomarkers and questionnaire answers. The combination can help predict the suicide risk with a rate that s higher than 90%, far higher than other tests. These tests can predict which individuals will start to contemplate suicide or actually attempt this step. Indiana University School of Medicine researchers developed these tools in order to provide an accurate assessment of the suicide risk. Many different types of mental disorders may involve suicidal thoughts or actions, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. IU School of Medicine professor of psychiatry and medical neuroscience Alexander B. Niculescu III, M.D., Ph.D. Explained “We believe that widespread adoption of risk prediction tests based on these findings during healthcare assessments will enable clinicians to intervene with lifestyle changes or treatments that can save lives.”
When discussing the research on the biomarker and questionnaire testing Dr. Niculescu “We now have developed a better panel of biomarkers that are predictive across several psychiatric diagnoses. Combined with the apps, we have a broader spectrum predictor for suicidality. In additional to reproducing and expanding our own previous work, we reproduce and expand other groups’ results in this burgeoning field.” The blood samples were analyzed for RNA biomarkers, and then used along with answers from newly developed questionnaires. Researchers had the ability to accurately predict the suicide risk of patients around 92% of the time.
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Severe depression can lead to a very high suicide risk, but can this risk be influenced by the decision skills that the individual has? Many people struggle with severe depression or even suicidal thoughts at times, but in the past there was no way to identify people who were the most likely to actually attempt suicide. Only a small percentage of people who are severely depressed actually attempt to commit suicide, and new research may be able to identify this percentage by their decision skills. Some people are naturally more susceptible to suicide and if these individuals can be identified early on then the outcome may be greatly different. The new research has determined that the way decisions are made by a person can determine whether the individual is vulnerable to suicide.
High risk decision making skills have been shown to make an individual more vulnerable to suicide. The research results can be found n the Journal of Psychiatric Research. McGill University Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Fabrice Jollant was involved in the research study and explained “We know that the close relatives of people who commit suicide carry certain traits linked to suicide vulnerability, even if they have never expressed them through a suicidal attempt. People who have a tendency to make risky decisions lean toward solutions that provide short-term benefits despite the high risk, instead of solutions that are safer over the long term. They also have difficulty identifying alternative solutions when faced with a problem. We have specifically demonstrated that individuals who make risky decisions experience more problems in their personal relationships, which represent classic triggers for suicidal crises.”
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There are many forms of child abuse, and new research shows that emotional abuse is often overlooked but that this form of abuse can be the worst form. The study shows that the consequences of emotional abuse can be worse than those of sexual or physical abuse. The study also showed that emotional abuse or neglect is frequently under the radar and is rarely addressed by physicians, mental health experts, and clinicians. Joseph Spinazzola, Ph.D, the lead author of the study, said “Given the prevalence of childhood psychological abuse and the severity of harm to young victims, it should be at the forefront of mental health and social service training.” The study data and results can be found in a special issue of Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.
The study on child abuse, and the oversight of emotional neglect and abuse in children, is disturbing. Spinazzola stated “Child protective service case workers may have a harder time recognizing and substantiating emotional neglect and abuse because there are no physical wounds. Also, psychological abuse isn’t considered a serious social taboo like physical and sexual child abuse. We need public awareness initiatives to help people understand just how harmful psychological maltreatment is for children and adolescents.” The study used a national set of data on childhood traumatic stress, and the data involved more than 5,600 children and adolescents. Children who experienced emotional or psychological abuse were more likely to suffer from conditions like PTSD, suicidal thoughts or attempts, low self esteem, depression, and anxiety.
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According to a recent large scale analysis by University College London researchers there is a proven link between the hours worked, chronic stress, and coronary heart disease. The analysis was published in The Lancet journal. When the researchers performed a comprehensive review and a meta analysis of previous published studies and studies which have not been published it became clear very quickly that working more hours each day and week had an effect on cardiovascular disease. In fact the researchers found that an individual who puts in 55 hours or more at work each week had a 33% increase in their risk of developing coronary heart disease when they were compared to individuals . The analysis showed that the more hours an individual worked the higher their risk of having a stroke or developing coronary heart disease was.
The lead researcher on the analysis between hours worked, chronic stress, and coronary heart disease was epidemiology professor Mika Kivimäki, Ph.D. Kivimäki explained “The pooling of all available studies on this topic allowed us to investigate the association between working hours and cardiovascular disease risk with greater precision than has previously been possible. Health professionals should be aware that working long hours is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, and perhaps also coronary heart disease.” These findings should be a wake up call for individuals, employers, and medical professionals alike. The analysis findings were consistent across all areas. This consistency was seen even after the various risk factors including sex, age, and socioeconomic status were taken into account.
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A new research study on chronic stress in teens had results that some may find surprising. Many teens are already burned out from chronic stress before they even leave high school, and this stress just gets even worse as they move on to college. According to New York University College of Nursing senior research scientist Noelle Leonard, Ph.D. “School, homework, extracurricular activities, sleep, repeat —that’s what it can be for some of these students. We are concerned that students in these selective, high pressure high schools can get burned out even before they reach college. The Charles Engelhard Foundation is interested in the issue of college engagement, and funded us to explore whether the roots of disengagement reach back as far as high school. We found that indeed they do.”
Chronic stress in teens can lead to disengagement or even mental health issues for emerging adults according to the research study. Principal Investigator for the study, Marya Gwadz, Ph.D., said “While there is no doubt students in selective public high schools also experience high rates of chronic stress, we decided to study the private school setting, which has been under-studied compared to public institutions.” The study involved four phases, and the results were published in Frontiers in Psychology. There are some who believe tat all students today have much more stress than they did in the past, and far fewer hours each week just to be kids or teenagers. Do you think that teens today have too much chronic stress? Why or why not?
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New research has many experts calling for mental health and substance abuse benefit integration for children and adolescents. These problems are delivered most effectively through the primary medical care setting, and that is especially true with younger age groups like children and adolescents. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles have confirmed that this is the most beneficial relationship. According to the researchers integrating mental health and substance abuse benefits into the primary care model improved outcomes by as much as 66% for children and adolescents. UCLA professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, lead study author, and UCLA Youth Stress and Mood Program director Joan Asarnow, Ph.D. explains “The take-home message is that integrated care works. Kids and teens do better than they otherwise would. That’s promising because we have a huge mental health problem in this country.”
Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer, UCLA distinguished professor of pediatrics, anesthesiology, psychiatry, and biobehavioral sciences and a study co-author, discussed the integration of mental health and substance abuse into primary care models for children and adolescents. “The old model has been that if your child has a medical problem, he or she goes to the pediatrician. But mental health was often not addressed, or if it was, patients were referred to a mental health specialist, and the child’s health insurance determined whether or not the child had access to the mental health specialist as well as the quality of that care. Children of poorer families lost out.” Asarnow also stated “Integrated approaches bring mental health care to a setting where kids already are, reducing barriers to mental health care such as stigma or the practical complications of shifting to a different care setting.”
