Depression In Pregnancy Tied To Antisocial Behavior In Offspring During Teens

The journal *Child Development* issued the following news release:

Depression In Pregnancy Tied To Antisocial Behavior In Offspring During Teens

Children from urban areas whose mothers suffer from depression during
pregnancy are more likely than others to show antisocial behavior,
including violent behavior, later in life.

Furthermore, women who are aggressive and disruptive in their own teen
years are more likely to become depressed in pregnancy, so that the
moms’ history predicts their own children’s antisocial behavior.

 

Down syndrome myths and truths

The National Down Syndrome Society released the following list of “Myths
& Truths About Down Syndrome”:

Myth: Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.

Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition.
One in every 733 live births is a child with Down syndrome, representing
approximately 5,000 births per year in the United States alone. Today,
more than 400,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome.

Myth: People with Down syndrome have a short life span.

 

When self-help books increase depression

The new issue of *Behaviour Research and Therapy* (vol. 48, #2, pp.
152-157) includes a study: “When self-help is no help: Traditional
cognitive skills training does not prevent depressive symptoms in people
who ruminate.”

The author is Gerald J. Haeffela.

Here’s the abstract:

[begin excerpt]

A randomized trial was conducted to test the efficacy of three self-
directed prevention intervention workbooks for depression.

Cognitively at-risk college freshmen were randomly assigned to one of
three conditions: traditional cognitive, non-traditional cognitive, and
academic skills.

Consistent with hypotheses, participants who were high in rumination and
experienced stress exhibited significantly greater levels of depressive
symptoms after completing the traditional cognitive skills workbook than
after completing the other two workbooks.

This pattern of results held post-intervention and 4 months later.

These findings indicate that rumination may hinder ones ability to
identify and dispute negative thoughts (at least without the help of a
trained professional).

The results underscore the importance of identifying individual
difference variables that moderate intervention efficacy.

They also raise concerns about the potential benefits of self-help
books, an industry that generates billions of dollars each year.

[end abstract]

Here’s the contact info from the author note: Gerald J. Haeffela,
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Haggar Hall, Notre
Dame, IN 46556, < g h a e f f e l @ n d . e d u >.

Courtesy of Ken Pope

 

Meditation reduces risk of heart attack, stroke.

The Medical College of Wisconsin issued the following news release:

Heart Disease Patients Who Practice Transcendental Meditation Have
Nearly 50% Lower Rates of Heart Attack, Stroke, and Death

Results of first-ever study presented at annual meeting of the American
Heart Association in Orlando, Nov. 16

Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing
Transcendental Meditation(R) technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates
of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to nonmeditating controls,
according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the
annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., on
Nov.16, 2009.

 

A Question – Robert Frost

A voice said, Look me in the stars

And tell me truly, men of earth,

If all the soul-and-body scars

Were not too much to pay for birth.

 

Short term psychodynamic therapy effective for depression treatment

Next month’s issue of *Clinical Psychology Review* (February 2010,; vol.
30, #1) includes an article: “The efficacy of short-term psychodynamic
psychotherapy for depression: A meta-analysis.”

The authors are Driessen, Ellen; Cuijpers, Pim; de Maat, Saskia C. M.;
Abbass, Allan A.; de Jonghe, Frans; & Dekker, Jack J. M.

Here’s the abstract:

[begin abstract]

Objectives:

It remains largely unclear, firstly whether short-term psychodynamic
psychotherapy (STPP) is an effective treatment for depression, and
secondly, which study, participant, or intervention characteristics may
moderate treatment effects. The purpose of this study is to assess the
efficacy of STPP for depression and to identify treatment moderators.

Results:

 

Medications used in PTSD treatment

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered the first-line pharmacological treatment for PTSD. However, even when treated with this class of drugs, response rates rarely exceed 60% and less than 20-30% of the patients achieve full remission. The non-antidepressant agent with the strongest scientific evidence supporting its use in PTSD is risperidone, which can be envisaged as an effective add-on therapy when patients did not fully benefit from previous treatment with SSRIs. Prazosin, an adrenergic-inhibiting agent, is a promising alternative for cases of PTSD where nightmares and insomnia are prominent symptoms. So far, there is no consistent empirical support for using benzodiazepines in the prevention or in the treatment of PTSD

From the abstract for: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry* (Volume 33, Issue 2, Pages 169-180) includes an article: “Pharmacologic alternatives to antidepressants in posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review.”

By William Bergera, Mauro V. Mendlowicza, Carla Marques-Portellaa, Gustavo Kinrysc, Leonardo F. Fontenellea, Charles R. Marmard, & Ivan Figueiraa,.

 

Depression as deadly as smoking, but anxiety may be good for you

King’s College London issued the following news release:

Depression as deadly as smoking, but anxiety may be good for you

A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the
Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London has found that
depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking.

Utilising a unique link between a survey of over 60,000 people and a
comprehensive mortality database, the researchers found that over the
four years following the survey, the mortality risk was increased to a
similar extent in people who were depressed as in people who were smokers.

 

Psychotherapy for chronic major depression and dysthymia

Next month’s issue of *Clinical Psychology Review (Feb, 2010; vol. 30,
#1) includes an article: “Psychotherapy for chronic major depression and
dysthymia: A meta-analysis.”

The authors are Cuijpers, Pim; van Straten, Annemieke; Schuurmans,
Josien; van Oppen, Patricia; Hollon, Steven D.; & Andersson, Gerhard.

Here’s the abstract:

[begin abstract]

Although several studies have examined the effects of psychotherapy on
chronic depression and dysthymia, no meta-analysis has been conducted to
integrate results of these studies.

We conducted a meta-analysis of 16 randomized trials examining the
effects of psychotherapy on chronic depression and dysthymia.

We found that psychotherapy had a small but significant effect (d =0.23)
on depression when compared to control groups. Psychotherapy was
significantly less effective than pharmacotherapy in direct comparisons
(d =-0.31), especially SSRIs, but that this finding was wholly
attributable to dysthymic patients (the studies examining dysthymia
patients were the same studies that examined SSRIs).

Combined treatment was more effective than pharmacotherapy alone (d
=0.23) but even more so with respect to psychotherapy alone (d =0.45),
although again this difference may have reflected the greater proportion
of dysthymic samples in the latter.

No significant differences were found in drop-out rates between
psychotherapy and the other conditions.

We found indications that at least 18 treatment sessions are needed to
realize optimal effects of psychotherapy.

We conclude that psychotherapy is effective in the treatment of chronic
depression and dysthymia but probably not as effective as
pharmacotherapy (particularly the SSRIs).

[end abstract]

The author note provides the following contact info: <p.cuijpers@psy.vu.nl>.

Courtesy of Ken Pope

 

Everything matters

“The tasks that have been entrusted to us are often difficult.  Almost everything that matters is difficult, and everything matters.”

Rainer Maria Rilke – Letters to a Young Poet.