Tuesday, March 21, 2006 1:15 PM
posted by Michael Mason Healthy Mom = Health Kids New studies show that when mothers get help for their depression, the result turns into better mental health for their children as well:
"When depressed mothers achieve remission of their depression after three months on medication, the diagnoses and symptoms in their children of anxiety, disruptive behaviors, and depressive disorders also went down significantly, reported Myrna M. Weissman, Ph.D., of the New York State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia here, and colleagues at other centers."
If anything, these new findings hint at the interdependent nature of many health problems, and how they can be affected by a variety of external sources.
Click here to read more about Treating Depressed Moms.
link to this post  Tuesday, March 14, 2006 5:21 PM
posted by Michael Mason Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Memory and Learning Deficits It is well known that the use of drugs and alcohol have devastating effects, not only on the individual who is involved with using, but also on the family. The following study validates the assertion that long-term marijuana use has damaging effects on the mind. The analysis follows a group of users who consume the drug at least four days a week over a five-year period:
"PATRAS, Greece, March 13 - Heavy marijuana use for five years or more may impair memory and slow cognitive function, according to researchers here.
Compared with controls, persons who used marijuana at least four days a week had lower scores on a standardized test of verbal learning skills and were generally "slow learners," Lambros Messinis, Ph.D., and colleagues of University Hospital Patras reported in the March 14 issue of Neurology.
Moreover, while the impairment was greater among long term users -- those who regularly used marijuana for at least 10 years -- it was also evident among those who used for only five years, they wrote."
Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Memory and Learning Deficits
link to this post Wednesday, March 01, 2006 9:39 AM
posted by Michael Mason The Effect of War on Mental Health The Department of Veteran Affairs has released some distressing findings about the mental health problems faced by returning soldiers in Iraq. Here's an excerpt from the Washington Post:
"More than one in three soldiers and Marines who have served in Iraq later sought help for mental health problems, according to a comprehensive snapshot by Army experts of the psyches of men and women returning from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. " Of course, it's a good thing that soldiers are seeking out mental health treatment, but the numbers are truly unsettling. While politicians continue to argue about the fiscal cost of war, the military's own research division has proven that this war has taken a psychological toll that nobody could have anticipated.
Click here to read "Veterans Report Mental Distress."
link to this post |
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. |
