Archive for April, 2009
Preliminary research examining the difference in brain activity between soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and those without it moves scientists a step closer to the possibility of being able one day to use brain scans to help diagnose the condition.
The search for the footprints left in the brain by psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing area of research. Read the rest of this entry »
A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first to demonstrate that chronic insomnia with objectively measured short sleep time is an independent and clinically significant risk factor for hypertension.
Results indicate that participants with insomnia and an objectively measured, severely short sleep duration of less than five hours had a risk for hypertension that was 500 percent higher than participants without Read the rest of this entry »
A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that babies are more likely to have night wakings at both 6 months and 12 months of age if they are born to women who suffered from anxiety or depression prior to the pregnancy.
Results indicate that preconceptional psychological distress - anxiety or depression - was a strong predictor of infant night waking, independent of the effects of postnatal depression, Read the rest of this entry »
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends screening adolescents for clinical depression only when appropriate systems are in place to ensure accurate diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. This applies to all adolescents 12 to 18 years of age. In a separate recommendation, the Task Force found insufficient evidence to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening children 7 to 11 years of age for clinical depression. Read the rest of this entry »
Following the devastating Australian bushfires of February 2009, occupational therapists and health professionals will be in a central position to contribute to the well-being of children and their families affected by their traumatic experience. An editorial in the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published by Wiley-Blackwell describes the important issues that health professionals have to consider when identifying and treating clients experiencing a range of post-traumatic Read the rest of this entry »