Friday, February 27, 2004
Dr. Grohol to Present at Psychotherapy Networker Conference Next Week
Yup, that's right! On Friday, March 5, 2004, I'll be presenting a symposium entitled, Making the Internet Work for You and Your Clients at the annual Psychotherapy Networker symposium in Washington, DC. Please stop by and say "Hi!" if you're at the conference!!
Depression can lead to back pain
It is well documented that physical pain can lead to feelings of depression, but a new study from the University of Alberta shows the reverse can be true as well.
Dr. Linda Carroll, a professor in the U of A Department of Public Health Sciences, led the study that shows depression is a risk factor for onset of severe neck and low back pain. The study is published in the journal Pain.
Study: Job Dictates Dangerous Driving Habits
Your risk for crashing your car or getting a speeding ticket depends on what you do for a living, according to a new study. The report released by San Francisco-based Quality Planning Corporation found that students have the most crashes of any other group, followed by professionals.
When it comes to crashes, medical doctors rank second only to students. The study concluded that, on average, for every one thousand doctors, there are 109 wrecks, followed by 106 crashes for every 1,000 attorneys. Architects are a close third with 105 crashes per 1,000.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Television Advertising Leads to Unhealthy Habits In Children says APA Task Force
Research shows that children under the age of eight are unable to critically comprehend televised advertising messages and are prone to accept advertiser messages as truthful, accurate and unbiased. This can lead to unhealthy eating habits as evidenced by todays youth obesity epidemic. For these reasons, a task force of the American Psychological Association (APA) is recommending that advertising targeting children under the age of eight be restricted.
The Task Force, appointed by the APA in 2000, conducted an extensive review of the research literature in the area of advertising media, and its effects on children. It is estimated that advertisers spend more than $12 billon per year on advertising messages aimed at the youth market. Additionally, the average child watches more than 40,000 television commercials per year.
Lilly Warns Of Zyprexa Risk For Elderly
Eli Lilly and Co. said it had warned doctors and psychiatrists that elderly patients suffering from dementia face a higher risk of stroke if they use the company's top-selling drug, the anti-psychotic Zyprexa.
Lilly made the warning in a letter sent nationwide on Jan. 15 based on findings from recent clinical trials of Zyprexa, Lilly spokesman Dan Collins said Friday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not require the warning, he said.
"We felt it was important to be proactive in communicating this information about the increased risk of stroke in elderly patients with dementia-related psychoses," Collins said. That category of patients accounts for about 2 percent of total Zyprexa sales, he said.
Women who were sexually abused as children more likely to smoke
Women who were sexually abused as children are much more likely to be current smokers than women who weren't abused as children. That's a key finding of a preliminary study on possible connections between sexual abuse and smoking -- a topic that has been largely overlooked in medical research.
I'm very close to purchasing a new car... Yay! I'll let you know and post pictures when the deal's complete.
Friday, February 13, 2004
Research into love letters reveals that Spaniards are traditionally more romantic
New research by historian Dr. Rebecca Earle, from the University of Warwick, charts love letters from the 16th -18th centuries to reveal that over 300 years ago men commonly used flowery, romantic words to express emotions, and that the emotionally open New Man is not so new. Her research also suggests that 16th century Spaniards were more romantic than their wealthy American or English contemporaries.
Stressed at work? How taking a coffee break might make things worse
Trying to reduce feelings of stress by taking a coffee break might actually increase them - particularly in men, working alone, who believe it should help them perform faster - according to new research sponsored by the ESRC.
However, the study, led by Professor Peter Rogers and Dr Lindsay St. Claire at the University of Bristol, also found that men working in teams could feel less stressed after enjoying a sharp intake of caffeine.
Existing theories about stress management suggest that caffeine consumption can trigger stress. However, while studies into the effects of caffeine show that it can sometimes worsen anxiety, there is also evidence that it boosts confidence, alertness and sociability as well as making us better able to perform various tasks.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Study: Women over 40 biggest online gamers
AOL, a unit of CNN's parent company Time Warner Inc., released a study showing that U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens.
Of those women over 40 who had formed online friendships, AOL said, more than 20 percent converted those virtual connections into real-life relationships.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Optimism Provides No Help Against Cancer
A positive attitude does not improve the chances of surviving cancer and doctors who encourage patients to keep up hope may be burdening them, according to the results of research released Monday.
Optimism made no difference in the fate of most of the 179 cancer patients that Australian researchers followed over five years. Only eight people were still living by the time the study ended in 2001.
Sleep shortage takes toll on middle schoolers
Feelings of depression and low self-esteem plague children as they advance through middle school because they get increasingly less sleep, according to a new study of 2,259 Illinois students.
"Sleep clearly played a significant role in predicting depressive symptoms and self-esteem during adolescence," says psychologist Jean Rhodes, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Cohabiting couples not likely to marry, study finds
A new study suggests that couples who live together before marriage may be less likely to eventually marry than previously believed.
Only about 40 percent of cohabiting couples studied ended up marrying within four to seven years. And 42 percent of cohabiting couples disagreed about the future of their relationship, the study found. [...] Overall, the study shows that living together is not necessarily a transitional period that leads to marriage.
Inherent mistrust of research institutions limits minority representation
Medical peer reviews are increasingly highlighting the inadequacy of minority representation in biomedical research. Ethnic minorities and African Americans in particular, seem hesitant to participate in clinical trials for fear of becoming unsuspecting test subjects for experimental drugs.
The absence or under representation of such a significant racial group can be detrimental to research. Studying racial and ethnic health disparities might, for example, help unravel the role of genetics in diseases such as cancers. Read more about this problem...
Low testosterone levels associated with depression in older men
Men with low testosterone levels are more likely to be depressed, according to an article in the February issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to information in the article, testosterone deficiency (hypogonadism) is a common condition in older men, occurring in 30 percent of men older than 55. Testosterone levels peak in early adulthood, and then decrease by approximately 1 percent per year after age 40. Symptoms of hypogonadism include decreased muscle mass and strength, decreased bone mineral density, diminished appetite, decreased libido, fatigue and irritability. Some symptoms overlap with those of depression, but the association between hypogonadism and depression is unclear. Read the rest of the article about this finding...