Brookhaven Hospital: Mental Health Treatment for Behavioral Health Problems, Chemical Dependency, Eating Disorders, Brain Injuries, and Renewal Christian Treatment and Recovery

Wednesday, July 19, 2006 11:51 AM
posted by R. Shock

Depression Relapse

Reuters Health reports that people who have experienced a recent bout with depression are especially vulnerable to emotional stress or sadness that can reactivate depressive thinking.

In a study conducted by the University of Toronto, researchers examined if mood-linked changes in thinking predicted relapse in 301 adults recovering from a major depressive episode. The findings were quite interesting.

The subjects underwent "mood provocation", or a conscious attempt to induce an emotional state. The subjects were asked to recall a time when they felt sad while at the same time, the researchers played an excerpt from Prokofiev's orchestral piece "Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke" -- music which, when played at 1/2 speed, has been noted to induce feelings of sadness in earlier studies*.

Compared with patients who underwent cognitive behavior therapy, those who received antidepressant medication showed a greater tendency to have depressive thoughts after mood provocation. The magnitude of the mood-linked response predicted relapse during the 18 months, regardless of the type of previous treatment.

*Exactly why does "Russia Under the Mongolian Yoke" played at half speed elicit this kind of response? No one is entirely sure, but Jonathan Brown, a University of Washington psychologist and co-author of the study in which the music's effects were discovered, called the music "slow, sad, laborious and boring." Interestingly, Brown's study found that a jazz arrangement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 put his subjects in a generally happy mood.

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Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D., Diplomate ABDA, is the Chief Executive Office at Brookhaven Hospital and the Vice President of Rehabilitation Institutes of America. Dr. Gainer has been involved in the design and operation of treatment programs since 1977.

Stephen Harnish, MD is the Medical Director of Brookhaven Hospital. Dr. Harnish is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and is well known in Oklahoma for his informative radio and television appearances.

Aric Thorpe, MHR, is Brookhaven Hospital's Pastoral Liaison Representative. He conducts the quarterly Minister's Lifeline series and provides mental health information to pastors and clergy.

Sarah McGee serves as the Community Education Provider for Brookhaven Hospital. She provides information on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment to healthcare professionals in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

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