Researchers from Ohio State University found that attending fortnightly counselling groups helped women with breast cancer.
This Telegraph article (18 November 2008) reports on the study from the Comprehensive Cancer Centre which found that interventions boosted survival rates for breast cancer patients.
Barbara Andersen, who led the research, comments: "The results suggest that we can help breast cancer patients make positive steps that may help them live longer. Many of the strategies learned in the intervention programme, such as stress reduction, may have had benefits against heart disease and other causes of death."
You can find out more about this research by visiting the press pages for the Ohio State University.
www.therapyme.com
Friday, 21 November 2008
Saturday, 1 November 2008
News: Binge-drinkers 'risking dementia' - BBC News
Britain could be heading for a dementia epidemic following a doubling of alcohol consumption since the 1960s, warns this BBC News article (1 November 2008).
Reporting on research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, Alcohol-related dementia: a 21st-century silent epidemic, the BBC piece quotes Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society: "Binge drinkers hitting the town on a Saturday night are becoming a familiar sight, but we don't yet understand how it will affect the numbers of people with dementia."
"As drinking habits change, it is vital we understand more about the relationship between alcohol and this devastating condition."
The research authors, Dr Susham Gupta and Dr James Warner, comment: "Given the neurotoxic effects of alcohol and the inexorable increase in per capita consumption, future generations may see a disproportionate increase in alcohol-related dementia."
Reporting on research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, Alcohol-related dementia: a 21st-century silent epidemic, the BBC piece quotes Dr Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society: "Binge drinkers hitting the town on a Saturday night are becoming a familiar sight, but we don't yet understand how it will affect the numbers of people with dementia."
"As drinking habits change, it is vital we understand more about the relationship between alcohol and this devastating condition."
The research authors, Dr Susham Gupta and Dr James Warner, comment: "Given the neurotoxic effects of alcohol and the inexorable increase in per capita consumption, future generations may see a disproportionate increase in alcohol-related dementia."
Monday, 20 October 2008
News: This is the age of paranoia, scientists say - Telegraph
Who are you calling paranoid? One in four of us regularly has paranoid thoughts, according to research from the Institute of Psychiatry. The Telegraph (20 October 2008) article quotes Dr Daniel Freeman from King's College London: "Social isolation, a frequent drawback to urban life, is closely associated with paranoid thoughts. In the UK nearly four times as many people live alone than 50 years ago. Increasing paranoia is certainly one more challenge posed by galloping urbanisation."
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
News: Long-term psychotherapy is superior, study finds - Los Angeles Times
Long-term psychotherapy is more effective than short-term therapy when treating complicated conditions, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1 October 2008).
The LA Times (30 September 2008) quotes the JAMA editor, Richard M. Glass, who comments upon the the report's positive findings: "It is ironic and disturbing that this occurs at a time when provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists in the United States is declining significantly. The reasons for this merit careful evaluation. To some extent this may reflect the cost-efficacy of treatments for some mental disorders with medications and brief supportive visits. However, this trend appears to be strongly related to financial incentives and other pressures to minimize costs. Is this what is really wanted for patients with disabling disorders that could respond to more intensive treatment?"
His point is well made.
The LA Times (30 September 2008) quotes the JAMA editor, Richard M. Glass, who comments upon the the report's positive findings: "It is ironic and disturbing that this occurs at a time when provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists in the United States is declining significantly. The reasons for this merit careful evaluation. To some extent this may reflect the cost-efficacy of treatments for some mental disorders with medications and brief supportive visits. However, this trend appears to be strongly related to financial incentives and other pressures to minimize costs. Is this what is really wanted for patients with disabling disorders that could respond to more intensive treatment?"
His point is well made.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
News: The therapist will ring you now - Los Angeles Times
This LA Times article (22 September 2008) refers to a study from Northwestern University which found that people with depression continued seeing their telephone counsellor for longer than those who consulted an office-based therapist.
The study's author, David Mohr, comments that only 20% of those people who say they want therapy actually turn up and 50% drop out of treatment: "One of the symptoms of depression is people lose motivation. It's hard for them to do the things they are supposed to do. Showing up for appointments is one of those things."
It's not clear from this article whether the study measures efficacy. The fact that people remained with treatment for longer via telephone does not necessarily equate with clinical effectiveness of course, although it's interesting to see how the therapy world is changing to accommodate client need.
The study's author, David Mohr, comments that only 20% of those people who say they want therapy actually turn up and 50% drop out of treatment: "One of the symptoms of depression is people lose motivation. It's hard for them to do the things they are supposed to do. Showing up for appointments is one of those things."
It's not clear from this article whether the study measures efficacy. The fact that people remained with treatment for longer via telephone does not necessarily equate with clinical effectiveness of course, although it's interesting to see how the therapy world is changing to accommodate client need.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
News: A quick fix for the soul - Guardian
Darian Leader writes an interesting piece for the The Guardian (9/9/08) about the UK government's concentration on cognitive behavioural therapy.
He writes: "Unlike CBT, traditional therapies do not aim to give access to a common, scientific reality but to take the patient's own reality seriously: to explore it, to define it, to elaborate it and to see where it will go. No outcome can be predicted in advance: the patient may go back to work but equally they may give up a well-paid job to pursue another path."
He writes: "Unlike CBT, traditional therapies do not aim to give access to a common, scientific reality but to take the patient's own reality seriously: to explore it, to define it, to elaborate it and to see where it will go. No outcome can be predicted in advance: the patient may go back to work but equally they may give up a well-paid job to pursue another path."
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
News: Older fathers linked with bipolar - BBC News
A Swedish study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Vol. 65, No. 9, September 2008) suggests a link between paternal age and bipolar disorder (BPD).
Older fathers are more likely to have children with BPD than younger fathers.
The study prompts a news item on the BBC News website (1 September 2008). BPD affects half a million people in the United Kingdom.
Older fathers are more likely to have children with BPD than younger fathers.
The study prompts a news item on the BBC News website (1 September 2008). BPD affects half a million people in the United Kingdom.
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