Easier to let go – can depression help people deal with life?
Patients with depression find it easier to abandon unattainable goals, psychological study at the University of Jena shows
Stop smoking services may boost mental health of people with depression
Smokers with depression who successfully quit smoking using stop smoking services may see an improvement in their mental health, according to new research, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Annals of Behavioural Medicine.
New data show heightened risk of birth defects with antidepressants prescribed during pregnancy
A new Université de Montréal study in the British Medical Journal reveals that antidepressants prescribed to pregnant women could increase the chance of having a baby with birth defects.The risk – 6 to 10 %, versus 3 to 5 % in women who do not…
Heavy alcohol use in adolescence alters brain electrical activity
Long-term heavy use of alcohol in adolescence alters cortical excitability and functional connectivity in the brain, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital. These alterations were observed in physically and mentally healthy but heavy-drinking adolescents, who nevertheless…
Depression as hard on the heart as obesity and cholesterol
Depression poses a risk for cardiovascular diseases in men that is just as great as that posed by high cholesterol levels and obesity. This is according to a report recently published in the ‘Atherosclerosis’ journal by researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum München, together with colleagues…
Antidepressant use increases hip fracture risk among elderly
Antidepressant use nearly doubles the risk of hip fracture among community-dwelling persons with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland. The increased risk was highest at the beginning of antidepressant use and remained elevated even 4 years later. The…
Benzodiazepines and related drugs increase stroke risk among persons with Alzheimer’s disease
The use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-like drugs was associated with a 20 per cent increased risk of stroke among persons with Alzheimer’s disease, shows a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland. Benzodiazepines were associated with a similar risk of stroke as benzodiazepine-like drugs.
Legal or Not, Marijuana Can Increase the Risk of Developing Alcohol Use Disorders
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) develop with time and in stages. Following the initiation of drinking, some people progress to problem drinking, and then develop a “cluster” of specific problems to comprise an AUD. However, not all stages of AUD development have been studied equally. This…
Study unveils how stress may increase risk of heart disease and stroke
Heightened activity in the amygdala – a region of the brain involved in stress – is associated with a greater risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study published in The Lancet that provides new insights into the possible mechanism by which stress…
Gambling addiction triggers the same brain areas as drug and alcohol cravings
Gambling addiction activates the same brain pathways as drug and alcohol cravings, suggests new research.The study, by international scientists including researchers from Imperial College London, suggests targeting these brain pathways may lead to future treatments for the condition.
Even unconscious stress can cause stress symptoms
Our vision of stress is starting to change fundamentally. We can suffer stress without even being aware of it, while sleeping as wall as during the day.