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Mental Health News for
October
2008
Depression News, Polls and Quotes
As part of the
main
Information Centre,
this section of the website is intended to provide month-by-month news
about depression, anxiety and other related health concerns.
Archives from
previous months are available, and all polls from previous months remain
active if you should wish to vote.
If you would
like to help us to produce
next month's news, polls and quotes, please click on the links by each
applicable section and fill out the accompanying form.
Quotes and Philosophical Thoughts for October 2008:
>
"When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to
ask, "Compared to what?" - Sydney J. Harris
>
"Remember sadness is always temporary. This, too, shall pass." - Chuck T.
Falcon
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"Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too,
can be given to one only by other human beings." - Elie Weisel
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“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." - Oscar Wilde
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“Do you know what a pessimist is? A person who thinks everybody is as
nasty as himself, and hates them for it." - George Bernard Shaw
>
“Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss
>
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising everytime we
fall." - Confucius
Suggest A Quote
Millions of patients with treatment-resistant clinical depression,
who have struggled for years with disability and how to cope with their
condition, now have an option that could help them lead more productive
and successful lives. The NeuroStar TMS (Transcranial Magnetic
Stimulation) Therapy system, developed by Neuronetics, Inc.
The law firm of Izard Nobel LLP, which has significant experience
representing investors in prosecuting claims of securities fraud,
announces that a lawsuit seeking class action status has been filed in
the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
on behalf of those who purchased Biovail Corporation ("Biovail" or the
"Company") (NYSE: BVF) between December 14, 2006 and July 19, 2007,
inclusive (the "Class Period").
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy has received
clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now an
entirely new treatment option for patients suffering from depression.
Dr.
The Priory Group has issued a list of top ten indicators for stressed
City executives which should act as warning signs that professional help
should be sought. As the global economy goes into meltdown, experts at
the Priory Group are coping with escalating levels of depression and
related conditions amongst staff in the financial sector, also leading
to a rise in people seeking treatment for drink and drug abuse.
Neuronetics, Inc., a privately-held medical device company and a
leader in the field of neuromodulation, announced today that the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its NeuroStar TMS (Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy system for the treatment of depression.
A new animal model has provided insight into the cellular and
molecular mechanisms associated with behavioral therapy for depression.
The study, published by Cell Press in the October 9th issue of Neuron,
may provide a good model system for testing cellular and molecular
interactions between antidepressive medications and behavioral
treatments for depression.
According to a study published on bmj.com, Oregon's Death with
Dignity Act may not be adequately protecting the 25% of terminally ill
patients in the State of Oregon who have depression and then choose
physician assisted suicide.
Neuronetics, Inc., a privately-held medical device company and a
leader in the field of neuromodulation, announced today that the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its NeuroStar TMS (Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy system for the treatment of depression.
The herbal medicine St. John's wort appears to work just as well as
some prescribed antidepressants for treating patients with major
depression, a new review finds. However, patients in German-speaking
countries might experience the best benefits. While there is public
interest in the United States about whether St. John's wort adequately
treats depression, in some countries, like Germany, doctors commonly
prescribe it for mild symptoms.
New research provides support for the use of St. John's wort extracts
in treating major depression. A Cochrane Systematic Review backs up
previous research that showed the plant extract is effective in treating
mild to moderate depressive disorders. "Overall, we found that the St.
Data from a new study suggests that individuals who engage in
compassion meditation may benefit by reductions in inflammatory and
behavioral responses to stress that have been linked to depression and a
number of medical illnesses. The study's findings are published online
at http://www.sciencedirect.com/ and in the medical journal
Psychoneuroendocrinology.
The Mood Disorders Association of Ontario (MDAO) today launches "It's
All In Your Head!" an initiative to promote awareness of the work of the
MDAO and dispel myths about mental illness. Volunteers will be in the
Yonge-Eglinton subway station and the Yonge-Eglinton Centre to hand out
"heady" information to commuters during the evening rush hour. Mood
disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder will affect one in
five individuals at some point in their life.
Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Alternext US (COR)) reported that
top-line data from its second Phase IIa study in opioid-induced
respiratory depression (RD) demonstrated that a single oral dose of
1500mg of the AMPAKINE® compound CX717 achieved statistical significance
(p = 0.005) over placebo on the primary endpoint measure of spontaneous
basal respiration without affecting opioid-induced analgesia.
Images of the brain's fastest signals reveal an electromagnetic
marker that predicts a patient's response to a fast-acting
antidepressant, researchers have discovered. "Such biomarkers that
identify who will benefit from a new class of antidepressants could
someday minimize trial-and-error prescribing and speed delivery of care
for what can be a life-threatening illness," said Carlos Zarate, M.D.
A new method, based on clinical staging, has been suggested to
identify depression at early stages and is described in the current
issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Depressive disorders are
common and associated risks include the onset of secondary disorders,
substance use disorders, impairment in social and occupational
functioning, and an increase in suicidality.
According to the Mood Disorder Society of Canada, about 1.3 million
Canadians suffer from depression. University of Alberta researcher Ian
Colman says most people are not getting the type of treatment they need.
Colman, an assistant professor from the School of Public Health, and his
research team decided to perform a study to see the long term effects of
taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications.
Researchers at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas
Jefferson University and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University were
recently awarded a $3.7 million grant from The National Eye Institute to
study depression in patients diagnosed with age-related macular
degeneration (AMD). Barry W. Rovner, M.D.
A new study reveals the first-ever genetic link between obesity and
colon cancer risk, a finding that could lead to greater accuracy in
testing for the disease, said a researcher at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham (UAB). The discovery also may improve efforts to ward off
colon cancer with obesity-fighting activities like exercise, weight loss
and healthy eating. The findings are published in JAMA, the Journal of
the American Medical Association.
The Samaritans have reported a 25% increase in the number of calls to
its helpline in August and September, compared to the same time period
last year. They attribute the rise in calls to the stress and strain
caused by the ongoing credit crunch. The Recovery Network which launched
on November 5th 2007 is responding to this growing need by adding a new
section to their social networking internet platform focusing on mental
health.
A new study reveals that women who smoke are at greater risk of
developing major depressive disorder. The study has been published today
the British Journal of Psychiatry. Australian researchers from the
University of Melbourne and Geelng's Barwon Health assessed a group of
1043 Australian women, whose health had been monitored for a decade as
part of the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.
A study in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that
adolescent insomnia symptoms are associated with depression, suicide
ideation and attempts, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs
such as cocaine. Findings suggest that the presence of insomnia in
adolescents increases the risk of developing mental health problems and
also may increase the severity of these problems. Results indicate that
adolescents who had symptoms of insomnia were 2.
Women who smoke are at greater risk of developing major depressive
disorder, according to new research published in the October issue of
the British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers from the University of
Melbourne studied a group of women in Australia, who had been followed
for a decade as part of the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.
"Mental health services in Somerset will see further investment and
improvements to both community and inpatient services in the coming
year;" that was the pledge from managers of the county's mental health
trust.
In a large group of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, depression
was associated with a higher death rate from all causes during a
two-year study period. The findings are published in the October 2008
Journal of General Internal Medicine. Lead author Dr.
Heart patients should be screened for depression -- a common
condition that can profoundly affect both prognosis and quality of life
-- according to the American Heart Association's first scientific
statement on depression and coronary heart disease. The statement was
published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
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