The findings, reported in the journal of Nature Medicine, point to potential new ways to treat depression in people. Researchers found that mice that had a week’s worth of workouts on a running wheel showed altered activity in a total of 33 genes, the majority of which had never been identified before. It’s possible that the current findings reflect a direct effect of exercise on nerve cells in the hippocampus, or more general changes in the brain, like better blood flow and increased hormonal activity…
Hostility Linked to Artery-Clogging Plaque: People who seem to always be looking for a fight may find themselves at greater risk of heart disease, a new study suggests. Researchers found that adults whose spouses rated them high on the “antagonism” scale were more likely to have calcium build-up in their heart arteries, an indicator of artery-clogging plaque. A number of studies have found a link between hostile temperament and heart disease. These findings, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, suggest that a specific component of hostility – antagonism – is particularly hard on the heart. For the purposes of psychosocial assessment, antagonism refers to a person’s tendency to be suspicious of others, argumentative, competitive, or emotionally cold…
Clergy Often Downplay Mental Illness: When people experience psychological distress the first source of help is often the clergy. Unfortunately, a new study finds that ordained leaders often deny or dismiss the existence of mental illness. In a recent Baylor University study of 293 Christians who approached their local church for assistance in response to a personal or family member’s diagnosed mental illness, Baylor researchers found that more than 32 percent of these church members were told by their church pastor that they or a loved one did not really have a mental illness. The study found these church members were told the cause of their problem was solely spiritual in nature, such as personal sin, lack of faith, or demonic involvement. Researchers also found that women were more likely than men to have their mental disorders dismissed by the church. All of the participants in these studies were previously diagnosed by a licensed mental health provider as having a serious mental illness, like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, prior to approaching their local church for assistance. It was also found that those whose mental illness was dismissed by clergy were not only being told that they don’t have a mental illness, they were also being told that they need to stop taking their medication. That can be a very dangerous thing. The results of this study were published in the journal Mental Health, Religion, and Culture…
Americans Losing Sleep Over Financial Crisis: During the height of the financial crisis last October, a research study revealed that 92 percent of the 1,137 employed adults in the online survey said the economic turmoil was keeping them awake at night. Of those, a third said their biggest worry was the cost of living, while another third cited their credit card debt. The study, conducted by ComPsych, a Chicago-based provider of employee assistance programs, also indicated that one in six respondents said their biggest worry was their mortgage payment, and another one in six cited concern over their retirement account. Eight percent of those surveyed said they were not worried.
