Can Religion Protect Us From Depression?

By: Riddhi Patel 

Nowadays, depression is commonly associated with having the “blues” or feeling “down in the dumps”. Although this association is not too far-fetched, depression is much more serious than that - it is a medical illness that involves the brain. A person can be diagnosed with depression when the feeling of unhappiness negatively starts to impact their daily life for at least 2 weeks. Anyone can have depression regardless of how old they are or where they are from. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 6.7% of the U.S population is diagnosed with this illness.  

Furthermore, studies have associated depression with thinning of the brain cortex. What if there was something out there associated with the thickening of the brain cortex and could possibly protect against depression?

A recent study conducted by Lisa Miller, professor and director of Clinical Psychology and director of Spirituality Mind Body at Teachers College, Columbia, included 103 adults at either high or low risk of depression. After being asked how much they valued religion or spirituality, the participants got MRI’s done and the results indicated that those who placed high importance on religion had a thicker cortex than those who placed low importance on religion. The findings suggest that there is a negative correlation between religious people and depression. In other words, religious people seem to be less susceptible to depression. 


Sources:

Lisa Miller, Ravi Bansal, Priya Wickramaratne, Xuejun Hao, Craig E. Tenke, Myrna M. Weissman, Bradley S. Peterson. Neuroanatomical Correlates of Religiosity and Spirituality. JAMA Psychiatry, 2013; 1 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.3067
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/depression/

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. 

Foundation For an Adolescent's Trust

By: Samantha Santo

During the teenage years, it is often hard to establish and maintain a trusting relationship with your adolescent.  It is not uncommon for an adolescent to stray, but it is important for you to let him or her know you will always be there.  If your adolescent knows you are always available to listen, he or she is more likely to feel comfortable talking to you.

Another important element for the foundation of trust is understanding your adolescent.  Adolescents are going through a period of change which can be difficult.  If he or she knows their parents understand this, they will be more inclined to communicate with you.

Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Symptoms and Treatment

By: Jillian Curry

This winter has already proven to be a harsh one.  With its recent snow storms and frigid temperatures, many people may find themselves feeling tired, unable to concentrate, and depressed.

These feelings may be signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or “the winter blues”, which according to Psych Central, affects as many as 14 million Americans every year.  Its cause is thought to be related to a disruption in the body’s circadian rhythm, or “sleep-wake” cycle.  While the body is asleep, assuming there is darkness, a hormone called melatonin is produced in order to create the drowsiness associated with sleep.  As the winter days grow shorter, the increased amount of darkness confuses the body’s melatonin regulation, leading to feelings of drowsiness, lack of energy, and even depression. 

The key to treating SAD is to help the body recognize and regulate the proper time to produce melatonin.  For some people, this can be done by taking melatonin supplements before bed.  Other people respond better to taking the supplement when waking in the morning.  This signals the brain to stop producing melatonin during the day, by suggesting that the right levels have been reached.

Other forms of treatment for SAD include light therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and antidepressant medications.  With all these options, it is very possible to relieve the symptoms associated with SAD until the spring months arrive again.

Sources:

http://www.wellnessresources.com/tips/articles/cold_weather_mood_shock_how_to_avoid_the_winter_blues1/

http://psychcentral.com/library/seasonal_affective.htm

http://psychcentral.com/lib/are-you-sad-this-winter-coping-with-seasonal-affective-disorder/00010241

Suicide: Rational or Irrational?

By: Jillian Curry

Common reasons for suicidal acts result from psychological disturbances.  For example, many people contemplate suicide as a last resort to end the feelings of sadness and hopelessness that come with depression.  Other people may use suicidal acts as a way to alert those around them that they are feeling troubled and are in need of help.  Motivations may also include the desire to end physical pain, or to shorten an inevitable death after receiving a serious medical diagnosis.  In rare cases, suicidal thoughts may result from psychosis, as hallucinations may command self-destruction.

With the recent suicide bombings taking place in Afghanistan, the latest occurring on January 17th in Kabul, many people are wondering what could be responsible for causing such horrible acts.  It may be surprising to learn that the motivations behind these suicide bombers are quite different from what we commonly think of as motivations for suicide.

In the case of the suicide bombers in Afghanistan, many are psychologically healthy.  What then is it that motivates these healthy young men and women to contemplate suicide?  It turns out that because these individuals are deeply rooted in their community and their sense of identity is tied to their terrorist organizations, dedication is their main motivation for suicide.  They sacrifice their lives to promote their group's religious and political agendas.

In this way, while we may commonly think of the motivations behind suicide as being individually based, those of the suicide bombers in Afghanistan are largely community-based.  This shows just how powerful group dedication can be, as it has the power to influence such an extreme personal decision to end one's life.

Sources:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/afghanistan-suicide-  bombing_n_4617809.html#slide=2706341
- http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/what-motivates-suicide-bombers-0
- http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201004/the-six-reasons-people-attempt-suicide

Mutiple ways to successfully quit or moderate alcohol consumption

By Irada Yunusova

     Cold turkey is often considered the only clear solution for reducing alcohol consumption. Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization which offers support and a single plan of abstinence, surrendering one's ego, and accepting one's "powerlessness" over alcohol, is often acclaimed as the most successful approach for alcoholics to improve their lives.  However, some individuals may find greater success with other approaches that require moderation and not elimination.

Research indicates that individuals who repeatedly drink more than they intend, sometimes having physical or psychological consequences from over-drinking, may benefit more from programs that encourage moderation instead of abstinence. Some individuals can successfully minimize alcohol consumption with brief interventions and practical advice about how to set better limits and change their drinking behavior by reducing consumption.

Some doctors treat alcohol-use disorders by prescribing drugs, including naltrexone, an opioid antagonist approved by the FDA in 1994. Although this drug has typically been prescribed to assist abstinence, some individuals have found greater success by taking the drug in conjunction with minimal levels of alcohol consumption. Psychologist John David Sinclair utilizes "pharmacological extinction," with which patients take naltrexone an hour before drinking. Naltrexone blocks the rewards produced by drinking, causing the individual to crave alcohol less and less, with a 78% success rate. Nalmefene, a drug similar to naltrexone, has been approved in Europe to aid heavy drinkers moderate their alcohol consumption.

Moderation Management has recently been identified as a very successful, free, nonprofit support group for nondependent problem drinkers who want to control their consumption, especially amongst women. M.M. implements techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy. Unlike A.A., M.M. encourages members to take "personal responsibly for choosing and maintaining their own path, whether moderation or abstinence." Members are provided guidelines for moderation where they are instructed to abstain for 30 days, reintroduce alcohol while evaluating the effects of drinking, and then stick within limits (for women, nine drinks a week and no more than three on any day). Another option for moderation is moderatedrinking.com, a website that helps drinkers set limits, self-monitor while they're drinking, get feedback on their progress and identify and manage triggers to overdrinking.

Certain approaches may be more successful that others depending on circumstances. Although abstinence is encouraged for severely dependent drinkers, moderation may be the ideal approach for some. It may be easier to prevent overdrinking through medication, meetings, and online websites. Treatment of alcohol dependency is difficult, but it is important to recognize different possible approaches, and to find the one that may work best in any situation.

Reference: Glaser, Garbrielle. "Cold Turkey Isn't the Only Route." The New York Times OP-ED. 2 Jan 2014.

Emotions correspond to different sensations in the body

By Irada Yunusova

     Most people believe that emotions are felt by the heart, or the mind, or by both. However, recent research indicates that emotions are felt by the whole body. Sensations felt in the head, limbs, and chest vary by emotion, so different levels of sensations correspond to an individual's emotional state.

     In a recent Finnish study, 5 experiments were run in which participants from Finland, Sweden, and Taiwan were given outlines of a body and asked to color in the regions where they felt warmer or cooler in certain body parts in response to 13 emotions. After comparing the responses, researchers found that all 13 emotions, including anger, fear, surprise, happiness, and depression, were all very different. However, the patterns of color were consistent across participants from different cultures.

     The diagram above depicts the results of the study, where blue indicates diminished sensation and yellow indicates elevated sensation. Most individuals found that anger increased sensation in the limbs, while sadness decreased it. Happiness was unique in its ability to increase sensation in all parts of the body. So the cliche happy feeling "all over" or the butterflies in your stomach from love are actually accurate descriptions of a person's emotional state.

     The results of this study, gathered from healthy individuals, allows researchers to better grasp the mind-body link. It also encourages further study to understand the mind-body link's role in mood disorders, possibly providing another means of diagnosing psychological conditions. The meaningful findings in this study demonstrate how both scientists and individuals themselves can better understand the human body and it's emotions.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/31/emotions-body-mapping-finnish-study/4260281/

Why do New Year's resolutions fail and how can they be more successful?

By Irada Yunusova

     We all search for turning points in our life, New Year's being the ideal option. Whether to lose weight or to save money, people often believe that a New Year's resolution will be a simple fix to any problem. But why is it that New Year's resolutions do not usually pan out? And why does over 50% of the population continue to make them?

     Researches have been interested in the psychology behind New Year's resolutions as early as 1980s. At that time, psychologist John Norcross studied New Year's resolutions of his time. He found that over 50% of the American population made New Year's resolutions, but after six months, only 40% followed through with them. Two years later, only 19% continued to stick to their resolutions. Amongst those, however, more than 50% experienced lapses, with as many as 14 on average. How do individuals continue to believe that they can change their behavior just because of a date on a calendar?

     In 2012, researchers Katherine Milkman,  Jason Riis, and Hengchen Dai from the University of Pennsylvania suggested that turning points are key in our decisions for change. Studying the journal Management Science, they found that temporal turning points, such as the beginning of a week, a month, or a year form a boundary which individuals believe can separate the old from the new. They found that daily Google searches for the term "diet" over a period of nine years peaked at the start of any week, month, or year. Immediately after New Year's, an 82% increase above the baseline for searches was found. The researchers found similar patterns for gym attendance and goal setting and achievement for a website called stickK. Beyond individual health, positive outlook at the beginning of the year even impacts the economy's health by improving the performance of the stock market.

     However, it is this same optimism that can ultimately lead to individuals' failures. Often, individuals overestimate their own abilities, underestimate the time and effort involved in following through with the goal, or have an exaggerated view of the effect that the change would have on their lives. Psychologists Janet Polivy and Peter Herman titled this phenomenon the false-hope syndrome, where unrealistic expectation about ability to change are followed by failure of high hopes.

     Scientists conclude that there is still hope for change, however, and realistic goal-setting is crucial. As long as individuals do not overestimate their own abilities or underestimate the required effort, they can be more successful. Peter Gollwitzer's theory of implementation intentions suggests that it is easier to stick to a goal if contingencies are considered in advance and responses are planned for each scenario. For example, if an individual sets a goal of going to the gym but knows that in the future he will reason with himself by saying he is too tired to go to the gym, he will be more successful in continuing with his goal if he had initially planned to drink coffee of eat an apple whenever such a setback occurs. As long as realistic and specific goals are set, individuals can be successful for any occasion, including New Year's resolutions.

Source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/12/why-we-make-resolutions-and-why-they-fail.html