Depression,Multiple Sclerosis,Neurology,Neurosurgery,Psychiatry,Psychology,Sleep,Stress,Stress Related

Depression increases in some patients with multiple sclerosis over time, according to neuropsychologists, and this research finding could help reduce depression in patients and aid in better treatment strategies.

“Depressed mood in patients with multiple sclerosis changes more significantly over time than other stable depression symptoms such as a negative view of oneself or problems in sleep, fatigue, concentration, and appetite,” said Peter Arnett, associate professor of psychology at Penn State.

In addition, data from the tests show that a larger number of patients in the increased depressed mood group were also using interferon beta drugs to slow down progression of the disease, but researchers say it is too early to say whether the drugs might be causing the depression.

“At this point we can only make an inference, but not a causal connection,” said Arnett, a faculty member in the College of the Liberal Arts. He published his findings in the current (May) issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Statistical analyses suggest that while symptoms such as negative outlook, sleep problems and concentration remained stable over time, depressed mood changed significantly.

Depression is very common in multiple sclerosis. Around half of all MS patients are diagnosed with clinically significant depression at some time during the course of the disease. This may not only affect patients’ cognitive ability but also their daily functions and quality of life, Arnett explained. However, the way in which depression progresses is still unclear because previous studies focused on a single measure of depression, rather than several symptoms such as mood, a negative outlook, and problems with sleep, fatigue, concentration, and appetite.

“We have to understand the characteristics of how depression changes and evolves over time,” said Arnett. “A better understanding of the natural history of these changes might help inform better treatment strategies. This is the first study to have done this.”

Working with John Randolph of Dartmouth Medical School, Arnett chose 53 patients who were diagnosed with definite or probable multiple sclerosis. Patients were tested twice over a gap of three years to see what effect changes in coping strategies had on the patients’ depression, and whether an increase in depression symptoms was linked to interferon beta treatments.

“We found that patients whose depressed mood increased over time also showed a decreased use of actively coping with stress, while patients whose depression decreased were using significantly more active ways of coping,” said the Penn State researcher. “We could make an inference that reduced use of active coping causes people to become more depressed, however, we cannot make that connection with certainty, given the methodology we used.”

Data from his study indicate that 43 percent of patients with an increased depressed mood were taking interferon beta drugs at both test points, compared to just 13 percent of patients with a decreased depressed mood. In other words, people who increased in their depressed mood were much more likely to be taking interferon beta drugs.

“Once again we cannot prove anything causally, but it warrants some comment that maybe these interferon drugs represent some kind of a risk factor for increased depression,” said Arnett.

One implication of the results is that people who have depressed mood might benefit from learning some active coping strategies while in therapy, and thus become less susceptible to increased depression, he added. Second, since negative evaluative symptoms of depression were found to be quite stable over time and unlikely to change easily, targeting them through cognitive-behavioral therapy might prove beneficial.

Physicians, psychologists, and neurologists who are involved in prescribing interferon beta drugs need to be careful about following up and seeing how the patients are doing in terms of their depressed mood, according to the Penn State researcher.

“Suicide is a big risk in MS patients. You certainly wouldn’t want to prescribe somebody a drug that might increase that risk without monitoring that person very carefully,” he noted.

http://www.psu.edu

Depression,Mental Health,Seniors,Sleep

According to a new government report caregivers, waiters and social workers have the highest rates of depression among full-time workers in the United States.

The report found that almost 11 percent of personal care workers, including those tending the elderly, disabled and children, reported being depressed for periods lasting two weeks or longer.

The second highest rate of depression among full-time employees aged 18 to 64 was found to be workers who prepare and serve food – waiters, cooks and bartenders – at 10.3 percent.

Third were health care and social workers at 9.6 percent.

The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 percent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) judging from data from 2004 to 2006, seven percent of full-time workers had struggled with depression in the preceding year.

While women were more likely than men were to have had a major bout of depression, younger workers also had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.

A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that companies in the U.S. lose up to $44 billion annually because of employee depression.

Depression was tracked in 21 major occupational categories which were broadly grouped and over 15,500 workers were surveyed.

A major depressive episode is defined as a period of two weeks or longer during which there is depressed mood or a loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.

However among the unemployed the overall rate of depression is quite higher at 12.7 percent.

Experts say depression exacts a high price from workers and from their employers and depression screening, outreach and enhanced treatment can improve productivity, lower employer costs, and improve the quality of life for individuals and their families.

Depression,Mental Health,Seniors,Sleep

According to a new government report caregivers, waiters and social workers have the highest rates of depression among full-time workers in the United States.

The report found that almost 11 percent of personal care workers, including those tending the elderly, disabled and children, reported being depressed for periods lasting two weeks or longer.

The second highest rate of depression among full-time employees aged 18 to 64 was found to be workers who prepare and serve food – waiters, cooks and bartenders – at 10.3 percent.

Third were health care and social workers at 9.6 percent.

The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 percent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) judging from data from 2004 to 2006, seven percent of full-time workers had struggled with depression in the preceding year.

While women were more likely than men were to have had a major bout of depression, younger workers also had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.

A report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that companies in the U.S. lose up to $44 billion annually because of employee depression.

Depression was tracked in 21 major occupational categories which were broadly grouped and over 15,500 workers were surveyed.

A major depressive episode is defined as a period of two weeks or longer during which there is depressed mood or a loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.

However among the unemployed the overall rate of depression is quite higher at 12.7 percent.

Experts say depression exacts a high price from workers and from their employers and depression screening, outreach and enhanced treatment can improve productivity, lower employer costs, and improve the quality of life for individuals and their families.

Blood Pressure,Brain,Cholesterol,Diabetes,Education,Exercise,Mental Health,Smoking,Smoking Addiction,Stroke,Vitamin E,Vitamin K

A comprehensive review says heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, help keep brains healthy as we grow old.

The report from the National Institutes of Health, examined a number of previous studies which had looked at aging and maintaining brain power, and says many of the factors that can put our brain health at risk are things we can modify and control.

The report from a panel of experts looked a number of previous studies on aging and says heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, help keep brains healthy as we grow old.

From a public health point of view, the repot’s main finding is the importance of controlling cardiovascular (CV) risk factors for maintaining brain health as we age, and these say the researchers, are factors that people can change, such as reducing blood pressure, reducing weight, reducing cholesterol, treating (or preferably avoiding) diabetes, and not smoking.

They also found a strong link between physical activity and brain health and that older people who exercise are less likely to experience cognitive decline.

They suggest that a clinical trial to determine if physical activity, possibly in combination with intellectual activity, can prevent cognitive decline, would be useful.

Higher education level, higher socio-economic status, emotional support, better initial performance on cognitive tests, better lung capacity, more physical exercise, moderate alcohol use, and use of vitamin supplements were all factors which appeared to be protective for brain health.

Psychosocial factors, such as social disengagement and depressed mood, are linked it seems with with both poorer cognitive and emotional health in late life, while increased mental activity throughout life, such as learning new things encouraged brain health.

Genetic influences on cognitive and emotional health with aging are poorly understood at present and the panel suggest more research is needed in this area.

The panel proposed that there would be great value now in conducting intensive study of each of the potential risk factors identified in the survey.

Three institutes of the NIH – the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) joined efforts to conduct the initiative.

Blood Pressure,Brain,Cholesterol,Diabetes,Education,Exercise,Mental Health,Smoking,Smoking Addiction,Stroke,Vitamin E,Vitamin K

A comprehensive review says heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, help keep brains healthy as we grow old.

The report from the National Institutes of Health, examined a number of previous studies which had looked at aging and maintaining brain power, and says many of the factors that can put our brain health at risk are things we can modify and control.

The report from a panel of experts looked a number of previous studies on aging and says heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, help keep brains healthy as we grow old.

From a public health point of view, the repot’s main finding is the importance of controlling cardiovascular (CV) risk factors for maintaining brain health as we age, and these say the researchers, are factors that people can change, such as reducing blood pressure, reducing weight, reducing cholesterol, treating (or preferably avoiding) diabetes, and not smoking.

They also found a strong link between physical activity and brain health and that older people who exercise are less likely to experience cognitive decline.

They suggest that a clinical trial to determine if physical activity, possibly in combination with intellectual activity, can prevent cognitive decline, would be useful.

Higher education level, higher socio-economic status, emotional support, better initial performance on cognitive tests, better lung capacity, more physical exercise, moderate alcohol use, and use of vitamin supplements were all factors which appeared to be protective for brain health.

Psychosocial factors, such as social disengagement and depressed mood, are linked it seems with with both poorer cognitive and emotional health in late life, while increased mental activity throughout life, such as learning new things encouraged brain health.

Genetic influences on cognitive and emotional health with aging are poorly understood at present and the panel suggest more research is needed in this area.

The panel proposed that there would be great value now in conducting intensive study of each of the potential risk factors identified in the survey.

Three institutes of the NIH – the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) joined efforts to conduct the initiative.

Blood Pressure,Brain,Cholesterol,Diabetes,Education,Exercise,Mental Health,Smoking,Smoking Addiction,Stroke,Vitamin E,Vitamin K

A comprehensive review says heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, help keep brains healthy as we grow old.

The report from the National Institutes of Health, examined a number of previous studies which had looked at aging and maintaining brain power, and says many of the factors that can put our brain health at risk are things we can modify and control.

The report from a panel of experts looked a number of previous studies on aging and says heart health risk factors and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, learning new things and staying socially connected, help keep brains healthy as we grow old.

From a public health point of view, the repot’s main finding is the importance of controlling cardiovascular (CV) risk factors for maintaining brain health as we age, and these say the researchers, are factors that people can change, such as reducing blood pressure, reducing weight, reducing cholesterol, treating (or preferably avoiding) diabetes, and not smoking.

They also found a strong link between physical activity and brain health and that older people who exercise are less likely to experience cognitive decline.

They suggest that a clinical trial to determine if physical activity, possibly in combination with intellectual activity, can prevent cognitive decline, would be useful.

Higher education level, higher socio-economic status, emotional support, better initial performance on cognitive tests, better lung capacity, more physical exercise, moderate alcohol use, and use of vitamin supplements were all factors which appeared to be protective for brain health.

Psychosocial factors, such as social disengagement and depressed mood, are linked it seems with with both poorer cognitive and emotional health in late life, while increased mental activity throughout life, such as learning new things encouraged brain health.

Genetic influences on cognitive and emotional health with aging are poorly understood at present and the panel suggest more research is needed in this area.

The panel proposed that there would be great value now in conducting intensive study of each of the potential risk factors identified in the survey.

Three institutes of the NIH – the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) joined efforts to conduct the initiative.