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Can Acupuncture Successfully Treat Migraines and Tension-Type Headaches?

Mental health professionals have long debated about the beneficial effects of acupuncture on migraines and tension-type headaches. An article published in Medscape Psychiatry January 26, 2009 examines this issue. The article reports on a study published online January 21 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The researchers “examined 22 randomized controlled trials with 4419 participants who had been diagnosed with migraine with or without aura…The studies were at least 8 weeks long and compared acupuncture prophylaxis with routine care (acute treatment), sham acupuncture, or another intervention.” The results were interesting. “….Six trials, including 2 large trials with 401 and 1715 patients, which compared acupuncture prophylaxis with acute care, found that after up to 4 months of acupuncture, patients had fewer headaches. Of these 6 trials, 1 showed the beneficial effects of treatment continued at 9-month follow-up…In 14 trials that compared true acupuncture vs sham acupuncture, patients in both groups had fewer migraines…In 4 trials that compared acupuncture with proven prophylactic drug treatments, patients reported greater improvements and fewer adverse effects with acupuncture.” There are several implications of this review of acupuncture and headaches. First, for patients who question whether acupuncture a bonafide medical treatment, this review supports the idea that acupuncture is indeed a legitimate medical treatment that can have positive outcomes on headache treatment. Second, this review supports the idea that acupuncture for migraine prevention as as least as effective as prophylactic drugs without the medication side effect.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that acupuncture can successfully treat migraines and tension-type headaches.  

Additional Sources of Information: 

Great Youtube Video on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

 

Are Migraines and Mood Disorders Related?

Mental health professionals have long debated about the relationship between mood disorders and migraines. An article published in Medical News Today January 22, 2009 examines this issue. The article reports on a study published in the January-February 2009 issue of General Hospital Psychiatry. The researchers “…analyzed data on 4,181 participants in the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey. Migraines were diagnosed by a physician and trained interviewers evaluated participants for mental disorders.” The results were interesting. “…11 percent of participants had migraines. Participants had a variety of disorders: major depression, general anxiety disorder, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, panic disorder, substance abuse disorders, agoraphobia and simple phobia.” There are several implications of this study. First, health care professionals need to be educated that migraines and mental disorders often occur together. Second, health care professionals who treat patients who present with either migraines or mental disorders need to screen for both. Third, life functioning is much more impaired when a patient struggles with both migraines and a mental disorder making imperative that both disorders by recognized and treated.    

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that migraines and mental disorders are often linked.

Additional Sources of Information: 

Great Youtube Video on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Are Depressed Adolescents Less Expressive of Their Emotions?

Mental health professionals have long debated about how depressed adolescents express their emotions. A article published in Medical News Today, 12 May 2009, “Teen Depressives Are Less Expressive, “ examines this issue. The article reports on a study published recently in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology. The researchers  “….looked at the emotion regulation strategies of 44 teenagers aged 12 to 16 with a high level of depressive symptoms and compared them to the strategies of 44 adolescents with no symptoms.” The results were interesting. “…..the teenagers with symptoms of depression suppressed the expression of their emotions significantly more than their non-depressed peers. The teenagers with no depressive symptoms instead reported high levels of 'cognitive reappraisal' - these teenagers were able to think about potentially negative events and re-frame them in a more positive way. For example, rather than seeing a poor assignment grade as a sign of failure, they would see it as a way to improve their future performance. “ There are several important implications of this study. First, parents who experience their adolescents becoming less emotionally expressive should alert to the possibility that their child may be developing a depressive disorder. These parents should consult with the child’s PCP to determine the most appropriate next step. Second, teachers who perceive one of their adolescent students becoming more withdrawn and less emotionally expressive should inform the student’s guidance counselor about the child’s behavior. Third, public health professionals and mental health advocates should do more to educate the general public and especially the parents of adolescent children about the signs and symptoms of adolescent depression.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly support the idea depressed adolescents are less expressive of their emotions.

Reference: The original article

Additional Sources of Information:

Check out The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression authored by Dr. Jeff and Dr. Tanya and now available in a great informational website hosted by Squidoo.com. Below is a sneak preview of the website's Table of Contents:

• The Definition of Adolescence
• The Definition of Depression
• What Increases the Risk of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults?
• Does Using Placebos Harm Adolescents with Depression?
• Are Anxious and Depressed Teens and Adults the Same or Different?
• Frequently asked questions about the treatment of children and adolescents with depression and other psychiatric disorders
• Great Youtube Video on Understanding Adolescent Depression
• Great Youtube Video on What Adolescent Depression Looks Like
• Great Youtube Video on the Causes of Adolescent Depression
• Great Youtube Video on Understanding Adolescent Depression and Suicide
• Five Great Books on Adolescent Depression
• Add to Amazon's List of Great Books on Adolescent Depression
• Great Flickr Photos on Serenity for Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness
• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Adolescent depression
• Great Blogposts on Adolescent Depression from Google
• Great Google Feeds on Adolescent Depression
• Twitter Search on Adolescent Depression
• Great Links on Adolescent Depression
• Links to Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya"s Best Blogposts on Adolescent Mental Disorders
• The Best Parent Resource Guide on Teen Mental Health
• Great Articles Authored by Dr. Jeffrey Speller and Dr. Tanya Korkosz about Adolescent Depression and other Mental Disorders
• More Informative Articles by Dr. Jeffrey Speller and Dr. Tanya Korkosz about Adolescent Depression and Other Disorders
• Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Weblog on Adolescent Depression and Other Disorders
• Follow Dr. Speller on Twitter
• The Best from The New York Times on Mental Health and Psychiatric Disorders
• Scientific American 60 Second Psychiatry
• The Latest Clinical Psychiatric News
• Dr. Jeffrey Speller's Bio
• Dr. Tanya Korkosz's Bio
• Other Great Lenses by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz
• About Psychopharmacology Associates of New England
• Location of Psychopharmacology Associates of New England
• Dr. Jeff''s and Dr. Tanya's Favorite New England Scenes
• Reader Feedback

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

• For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Can Job Loss Make You Ill?

Mental health professionals have long debated about how job loss and psychiatric illness. A article published in Medical News Today, May 11, 2009, “Losing Your Job Can Make You Sick, Study, “examines this issue. The article reports on a study “…shortly to be published in the May 2009 issue of the journal Demography.” The researchers studied, “….data from the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative survey from 1999, 2001 and 2003…The study looked at closures of establishments that employed blue and white collar workers. A blue collar worker is usually a manual labourer or craftsperson who is paid by the hour and usually works on the "shop floor", and a white collar worker is usually a person in a salaried position like a manager, a salesperson or a computer engineer who usually works in an office.” The results of the study were suprising. “…regardless of occupation, those who lost their jobs because of establishment closure were 54 per cent more likely to report fair or poor health, and among those with no pre-existing health condition, it raised the odds of them reporting a new health condition by 83 per cent.” There are several major implications of this study. First, individuals who lose there jobs must be alert to the development of major physical illness. The researchers note that “…losing your job can make you sick by raising your risk of developing new health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, stroke or diabetes, even if you find a new job soon after.” All individuals who lose their job should immediately seek an appointment with their PCP to determine their risk level for developing a significant medical disorder and learn about actions to take to prevent the development of a medical disorder. Second, individuals who have a history of psychiatric illness should, after their job loss, immediately consult with their mental health provider to develop strategies to prevent the recurrence of a psychiatric disorder. And third, individuals who lose their jobs should be alert to the negative psychological impact of job loss on their children’s emotional and psychological stability.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that job loss and increase the risk of developing medical illness.  
 
Reference: The original article

Additional Sources of Information:

Additional Sources of Information: 

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and How to Survive Job Loss

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

• For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
• For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Can Brain Stimulation Help with Depression?

Mental health professionals have long debated about the merits of brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders. A article published in Medical News Today, May 6, 2009, “Cortical Brain Stimulation Offers Hope To People With Treatment-Resistant Major Depression, “examines this issue. The article reports that the “…results of this study, Long Term Follow-up of Cortical Stimulation to Treat Major Depressive Disorder, were presented …during the 77th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in San Diego.” The researechers “….used an investigational epidural cortical stimulation system to deliver targeted stimulation to the left DLPFC in 12 patients with MDD….The 12 patients were randomized to single blind active or sham stimulation for 8 weeks, and then all subjects received active stimulation. One patient was excluded from analysis due to a protocol deviation. During the procedure, the electrodes were placed epidurally, outside the dura, through a small craniotomy. Outcome assessments included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). The results of the study were interesting. “At 8 weeks, HDRS decreased by 22 percent (active: n=6) versus 3 percent (sham: n=5)…MADRS decreased 22 percent (active) versus 8 percent (sham)…GAF increased 23 percent (active) versus 12 percent (sham)….In all patients, continued improvement was seen at 6 months (average HDRS: 20 percent) and 12 months (average HDRS: 33 percent)…At 12 months, patients whose electrodes were implanted >20 mm from the precentral sulcus averaged a 59 percent improvement in HDRS compared to a 12 percent improvement in patients (n=6) with electrodes <20mm from the precentral sulcus…Four patients with electrodes <20mm from the precentral sulcus elected electrode revision surgery.” There are several important implications of this study. First, patients with treatment resistant depression should consult a qualified mental health professional to determine if this procedure is right for them. Second, the researfchers note that this procedure is “…is reversible, nondestructive, less invasive than other forms of stimulation, and can be modified by adjustment of the stimulator settings after implantation.”

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that deep brain stimulation may be a viable treatment for treatment resistant depression in selected patients.

Reference: The original article

Resources:

How to improve your understanding of depression. View this top rated video from Youtube:

Ten Great Books on Depression

1. Anxiety & Depression Workbook For Dummies (For Dummies (Psychology & Self Help)) (Paperback) by Charles H., PhD Elliott (Author), Laura L., PhD Smith (Author), Aaron T., MD Beck (Author)
2. Depression for Dummies (Paperback) by Laura L., PhD Smith (Author), Charles H., PhD Elliott (Author)
3. Overcoming Depression One Step at a Time: The New Behavioral Activation Approach to Getting Your Life Back (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) (Paperback) by Michael E., Ph.D. Addis (Author), Christopher R. Martell (Author)
4. Overcoming Depression: A Step-by-Step Approach to Gaining Control Over Depression (Paperback) by Paul Gilbert(Author)
5. Overcoming Depression, 3rd edition by Demitri Papolos (Paperback - Jan 10, 1997)
6. Overcoming Depression (Victory Over the Darkness) by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson (Paperback - Jul 2004)
7. Woman's Guide to Overcoming Depression, A by Archibald Hart and Catherine Hart Weber (Mass Market Paperback - Nov 1, 2007)
8. Overcoming Anxiety and Depression: Practical Tools to Help You Deal with Negative Emotions by Bob Phillips (Paperback - Aug 15, 2007)
9. Overcoming Depression (Overcoming) by Paul Gilbert (Paperback - May 25, 2000)
10. Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Depression: New Ways to Regain your Confidence by James Gardner, Arthur H. Bell (Paperback - Feb 1, 2005)

Twelve Resource and Support Groups for Depression

1. Broken Smiles 
2. Journey Towards Freedom
3. Depression Forums
4. Depression Boards  
5. Depression Resources
6. Depression Understood  
7. Depressionsupport1  
8. Yahoo Depression Support Groups
9. The Depression Support Group
10. Depression and Bipolar Support
11. Alliance
12. Families for Depression Awareness

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System

Sources: National Institute of Mental Health, See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Reference: Medical News Today, February 3, 2009, “Postpartum Depression Predicted By Elevated Levels Of Pregnancy Hormone.”

Additional Resources:

• For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
• For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
• For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com