Dave Veith Health Insurance Blog

five (1 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

1 (1 votes)

Americans are feeling far more pressure than they did six months ago, according to a brand new national tension study. The survey of 1,000 men and ladies, ages 18 and older, revealed that 47 percent of respondents currently really feel more tension than they did six months ago. And no surprise, the #1 source of anxiety reported is individual finance concerns, the top response for almost half (49%) of those surveyed. Surprisingly, international unrest, the war along with the presidential election had been reported significantly lower as primary causes of stress, registering only two percent every.

The anxiety survey, conducted by Booth Analysis and sponsored by The Ester-C Company, focused primarily on American’s self-reported sources of stress and methods for coping with tension. Additionally, the study sheds light on the effects of pressure, and also the correlation between anxiety and physical health. 85 percent of respondents reported that they think tension weakens their body’s immune system. According to the survey, females are more likely than men to be conscious of the connection that anxiety can have on immune wellness.

“Recognition of exactly where anxiety originates and how it manifests, with regard to health, is an critical 1st step that individuals can take to develop strategies for coping,” says noted immune health expert Mark Moyad, M.D., University of Michigan. “Stress can take a serious toll on the human body if unmanaged, and can be a contributing factor to the cold and flu season, which takes place in the United States for the duration of the months exactly where extreme weather conditions provide an additional layer of pressure to manage.”

Young and Stressed, Older and Mellower

Young individuals report higher levels of stress than their older counterparts. Nearly six in ten respondents, inside the 35-44 years of age category, reported high or very high levels of anxiety (58%), while less than 1 quarter (23%) of respondents within the 55 plus age group reported experiencing the same upper levels of stress. The youngest age group surveyed, those 18-24 years of age, registered the highest response (64%) indicating they are much more stressed now than 6 months ago.

Anxiety Leads to Lack of Z-Z-Z-Z’s

The majority (55%) of survey respondents asked about pressure effects cited “ability to obtain a great night’s sleep” as the leading response. One more one-third reported that tension is impacting their physical wellness, and nearly as numerous reported that stress affects their personal relationships (32%).

Americans Adapt New Age Approaches for Handling Stress

When asked about stress coping strategies, more respondents cited “meditation and breathing techniques” (28%) than the much more traditional approach of “taking a vacation” (25%), which may possibly also point to economic factors — that can turn vacationing into as a lot a source of pressure as a tension reliever. On a healthy note, “exercise” tops the list of reported methods for tackling stress.

Survey Background

Booth Research conducted the online survey among 1,000 adults (ages 18 and older) inside the continental United States. The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions, and Booth Analysis obtained a nationally representative sample of on the internet panel respondents to complete this study.

The overall sample of 1,000 consumers yields a sample reliability of plus or minus 3.1%, which may be the maximum difference explainable by way of random chance in 95% of all samples of this size.

The original survey, detailed findings and charts are obtainable upon request.

Booth Research
http://www.boothresearch.com/index.htm

3 (1 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

5 (1 votes)

In spite of performing equally to their male peers inside the classroom along with the clinic, female medical students consistently report decreased self-confidence and increased anxiety, particularly over concerns related to their competency. A brand new study published in the September 2008 issue of Patient Education and Counseling located that female medical students also appeared less confident to patients.

“We observed third-year medical students interacting with individuals simulating patients and gave the students a battery of tests measuring non-verbal sensitivity. Female medical students self reported less self confidence than the male medical students and had been also observed by trained raters to be less confident. Regardless of objective test performance that is equal to or greater than their male classmates there was one thing concerning the way in which the female medical students had been observed and experienced their communication with patients that made them less confident” stated the study’s senior author Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D., professor of medicine in the Indiana University School of Medicine along with a Regenstrief Institute analysis scientist.

Observing the female medical students and finding that they actually appeared less confident in their interaction with patients than male counterparts answered the critical question of whether ladies were just much more willing than men to admit that they are feeling anxious, stressed or that they lack confidence in their abilities.

Women now comprise a lot more than half of the applicants to medical schools inside the United States but medical educators might not be conscious of gender differences in their student population, the study authors note.

“Our finding of decreased confidence among female medical students is essential because it makes it very clear that somewhere within the coaching of future physicians, the concern of confidence needs to be addressed. Accomplishing this could be as straightforward as growing faculty sensitivity and altering some easy learned behavior, but we will want a lot more analysis to fully understand this phenomenon and its implications for medical education,” stated Dr. Frankel, a medical sociologist who studies both medical education as well as the doctor-patient relationship.

A literature survey by the study authors, which accompanied their observational report and analysis, shows that while there’s no consistent gender difference in academic performance, female medical students tend to underestimate their abilities while males tend to overestimate theirs.

The literature survey also discovered that by the end of medical school, male students had achieved a greater level of identification with the role of doctor than female students using the same medical school knowledge. Interestingly, only female students reported thinking about confidence in their knowledge when asked to assess their identification using the role of physician.

In a future study the study team hopes to observe how doctors’confidence in their abilities alter over time from medical school by way of residency coaching to medical practice.

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Authors of the current study are Danielle C. Blanch and Judith A. Hall of Northeastern University, Debra L. Roter of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Well being. The study was funded by the Fetzer Institute of Kalamazoo, Mich.

Source: Cindy Fox Aisen
Indiana University

five (1 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

Music therapy can reduce psychological pressure among pregnant girls, according to research just published in a unique complementary and alternative therapy medicine concern of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Researchers from the College of Nursing at Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, randomly assigned 116 pregnant females to a music group and 120 to a manage group.

“The music group showed significant reductions in tension, anxiety and depression soon after just two weeks, using three established measurement scales” says Professor Chung-Hey Chen, who is now based at the National Cheng Kung University.

“In comparison, the control group showed a significantly smaller reduction in tension, while their anxiety and depression scores showed little or no improvement.

“Women inside the music group also expressed preferences for the type of music they listened to, with lullabies, nature and crystal sounds proving much more popular than classical music.”

The females who took part inside the study had an average age of 30 years, were among 18 to 34 weeks’ pregnant and expected to have uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. All but 5 of the 241 women, who were recruited from the antenatal clinic at a medical centre in southern Taiwan, completed the pre and post-test assessments.

The demographic profiles of the two groups had been very comparable when it came to factors like education, occupation, social class and happiness with their marriage.

Half of the females had been pregnant for the very first time and just over half of the pregnancies had been planned. The number of women in their second and third trimesters had been far more or less equal.

Four pre-recorded 30-minute music CDs were created for the study and each and every featured music that mimicked the human heart rate, with among 60 and 80 beats per minute.

The lullaby CD included songs like Brahms’ Lullaby and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and composers like Beethoven and Debussy had been included on the classic CD. The nature sounds included Tropical Mystery and Friendly Natives and also the crystals’ CD comprised Chinese children’s rhymes and songs, like Little Honey-Bee and Jasmine. Ladies taking component in the music group had been given copies of the CDs and asked to listen to them for 30 minutes a day for two weeks. They then completed a diary saying which CD they had listened to and what they had been doing at the time.

Most of them listened to the music while they were resting, at bedtime or performing
chores.

The manage group did not listen towards the CDs.

Participants in both groups were asked to complete three well-established scales, which are used to measure tension, anxiety and depression, before and soon after the music intervention.

The outcomes showed that:

- Before they took portion inside the study, women in the music group scored 17.44 on the Perceived Stress Scale, which ranges from zero to 30. After the intervention their anxiety levels had dropped by an average of two.15, which is statistically significant. Females within the manage group reported a significantly smaller fall of 0.92.

- Anxiety was measured by the State Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory,which ranges from 20 to 80. It fell by two.13 from 37.92 inside the music group and roseby 0.71 in the control group.

- Depression was measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale, which ranges from zero to 30. The music group reported an average level of 12.11 before the intervention along with a reduction of 1.84 in the end of the two-week period. The score was almost constant inside the manage group, falling by an insignificant 0.03.

“Pregnancy is really a unique and stressful period for a lot of expectant mothers and they suffer anxiety and depression as a result of the long time period involved” says Professor Chen. “In fact, anxiety and depression in the course of pregnancy is really a comparable well being issue to postnatal depression.

“Any intervention that reduces these issues is usually to be welcomed. Our study shows that listening to suitable music provides a easy, cost-effective and non-invasive way of reducing pressure, anxiety and depression throughout pregnancy.

“The value of music therapy is slowly getting realised by nurses in a number of clinical settings and we hope that our findings will encourage healthcare professionals to consider it when treating pregnant women.”

Complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) are increasingly becoming used, according to Dr Graeme D Smith, Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and editor of the special October concern.

“There are many potential health benefits that could be gained from close integration of CAM therapies into nursing practice and conventional wellness care” he says. “In the UK, for example, approximately 1 in five people have tried at least 1 form of CAM and 1 in 5 household doctors are actively involved in providing them. It’s also excellent to see that the National Well being Service is incorporating far more types of CAM as component of its delivery of integrated services.

“The beauty of the CAM technique described by Professor Chen is the fact that patients saw immediate and significant benefits merely by such as half an hours’ relaxing music into their daily routine. In a world of sophisticated medical advances, it’s excellent to see that some thing so easy and inexpensive may be so efficient.”

“Effects of music therapy on psychological well being of women throughout pregnancy.” Chang et al. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 17, pp 2580-2587 (October 2008).

Founded in 1992, Journal of Clinical Nursing is a highly regarded peer reviewed Journal that has a truly international readership. The Journal embraces experienced clinical nurses, student nurses and well being experts, who support, inform and investigate nursing practice. It enlightens, educates, explores, debates and challenges the foundations of clinical wellness care knowledge and practice worldwide. Edited by Professor Roger Watson, it really is published 10 times a year by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, part of the international Blackwell Publishing group. http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/jcn

About Wiley-Blackwell

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley’s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in each and every major academic and expert field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For much more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit http://www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://interscience.wiley.com.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

5 (two votes)

Healthcare Prof:

5 (1 votes)

Pregnant ladies who are stressed, particularly late in pregnancy, have an increased risk of their child going on to develop asthma. So finds a British study conducted on a cohort of over 5,800 families and presented in Berlin at the Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Very anxious pregnant women are 65% a lot more most likely to have a child who later develops asthma than mothers with a lower level of anxiety.

Asthma, the commonest chronic paediatric condition, affects approximately one child in ten. Although the causes of this respiratory condition are not but entirely clear, it’s known that attacks may be provoked inter alia by psychological or emotional factors.

Two studies have recently demonstrated a connection between anxiety in those close towards the child (such as the mother, or, in some instances, the child’s social worker) and early onset of wheezing. But both of those studies only examined the post-natal period.

Yet experiments with adult mammals exposed to in-utero pressure have shown that the subjects demonstrated changes each within the hypothalamo-hypophysary axis (which controls the hormones connected with major functions of the body) and within the immune system. These shifts produced them much more vulnerable to inflammation of the airways and bronchial hyperreactivity.

Over 5,800 families monitored for eight years

Noting that no comparable information existed for humans, Raquel Granell (Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, UK) and her team decided to conduct a major prospective study on the topic.

“Our very first hypothesis was that maternal tension in pregnancy was associated with paediatric asthma. The second was that this effect was not mediated by an allergic mechanism and would be stronger in non-atopic children than in their atopic counterparts”, Granell explained in Berlin.

The outcomes presented to the Congress offer a striking confirmation of the very first of the British team’s hypotheses.

In order to analyse the impact of antenatal psychological factors on asthma, the Bristol researchers studied subjects from ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children), a cohort of pregnant girls living inside the former county of Avon, who had been due to give birth in between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992.

ALSPAC, which has already led to a number of publications on various problems, sought primarily to identify the role of genetic and environmental factors on child development. It covered a total of a lot more than 14,000 families.

Granell analysed data from 5,810 mothers with children for whom the information needed for her study had been accessible.

Maternal anxiety was assessed by self-completion questionnaires that the mothers filled in at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. On the basis of the responses, the researchers had been in a position to divide the women into four groups with diverse levels of anxiety. Their children had been assessed for asthma in the age of approximately 7.five years, likewise by means of questionnaires completed by the mothers.

At the clinical level, bronchial hyperreactivity was also tested for when the children reached age eight, and skin prick tests had been used to see whether a subject’s asthma was of allergic origin and to which allergens the child reacted.

Almost 13% of the children were discovered to have asthma. As expected, the authors confirmed a strong connection between maternal anxiety at 18 and, particularly, 32 weeks of pregnancy, and asthma in children aged 7.five years.

The asthma risk was found to be 17% higher for children born to mothers who were stressed at 32 weeks, and 14% higher where the mother was stressed at 18 weeks, Granell told the Congress.

Severe anxiety multiplies the asthma threat by 1.65

The outcomes had been even more striking for ladies belonging towards the most anxious group: the additional risk of asthma within the child could reach 65% for those within the highest-stress group at 32 weeks and 53% for those severely stressed at 18 weeks.

These relative increases in the risk of asthma are slightly mitigated when all other relevant factors are eliminated, but, as the authors emphasised, they remain significant.

Granell and her team also pointed out that they had not identified any bias arising from the use of self-completion questionnaires (although anxious mothers are most likely to report much more symptoms). They also located evidence that families with whom get in touch with was lost had slightly higher anxiety levels, so the findings presented in the Congress may even represent an underestimate of the overall effect.

On the other hand, Granell concedes, the mothers’ anxiety was not directly measured by the medical team, and there is no way of knowing whether their state of anxiety was transient or chronic.

However, analysis of a small sample of the cohort by other researchers had identified a correlation between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and disrupted cortisol secretion in children aged ten. So, as the British team reported in Berlin, bronchial hyperreactivity and asthma in children whose mothers had been stressed during pregnancy seem a lot more likely to be connected with hormonal imbalances within the hypothalamo-hypophysary axis than with an allergic mechanism.

The work presented to the ERS Annual Congress is an essential milestone. This is the very first prospective study on humans to examine a link between child asthma and maternal prenatal anxiety, a relationship which appears to be dose-responsive, with the probability of asthma increasing in proportion to the level of anxiety within the mother.

European Respiratory Society

European Respiratory Society Annual Congress

5 (3 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

The declining state of the Nation’s economy is taking a physical and emotional toll on all people nationwide, but monetary tension is impacting girls and Hispanics in particular, according to information from the American Psychological Association’s newly released 2008 Pressure in America survey.

When asked about the recent economic crisis, almost half of all adults say that they are increasingly stressed about their ability to present for their family’s basic requirements. At the same time, eight out of 10 adults stated that the economy is a significant cause of anxiety, up from 66 percent in April(1). Compared to men, women are most likely to report unhealthy behaviors to manage pressure like eating poorly (56 versus 40 percent), shopping (25 versus 11 percent), or napping (43 versus 32 percent) along with to report physical symptoms of anxiety like fatigue (57 percent compared to 49 percent), irritability (65 percent compared to 55 percent), headaches (56 percent compared to 36 percent) and feeling depressed or sad (56 percent compared to 39 percent).

Hispanics are far more likely than Whites to say that the economy (70 percent Hispanics, 67 percent Whites), money (84 percent Hispanics, 68 percent Whites), housing costs (60 percent Hispanics, 41 percent Whites), and job stability (55 percent Hispanic, 36 percent Whites) are significant causes of tension.

Concern more than the well-being of the household is taking a particular toll on Hispanics. Overall, Hispanics are far more most likely to cite family responsibilities (67 percent Hispanics vs. 56 percent Whites), relationships (67 percent Hispanics vs. 58 percent Whites) and health troubles affecting their family members (65 percent Hispanics vs. 54 percent Whites) as significant sources of anxiety.

Monetary Downturn Taking a Toll on Older Ladies, but All Are Affected

Girls of the Boomer generation (aged 44 to 62) and Matures (aged 63+) are most most likely to report the economy as a significant stressor, while women in general rank economic worries above individual well being. Female Boomers report increases in anxiety related to their job stability and wellness issues affecting their families. Mature ladies are reporting dramatic increases in anxiety related to wellness difficulties affecting their families (up 17 points to 87 percent in between April and September), the economy (up 18 points to 92 percent) and money (up 15 points to 77 percent).

Generation Xers (ages 30 to 43) and Millennials (ages 18 to 29) are not immune from monetary worries. Generation Xers are the ladies most concerned about money (89 percent report money as a source of pressure) and Millennials are most concerned about housing costs (75 percent report housing costs as a source of anxiety).

Tension Affects Wellness and Coping Behaviors

In June 2008, more men and women reported physical and emotional symptoms because of stress than they did in 2007, and nearly half (47 percent) of adults reported that their stress has increased in the past year. Far more men and women report fatigue (53 percent compared to 51 percent in 2007), feelings of irritability or anger (60 percent compared to 50 percent in 2007) and lying awake at night (52 percent compared to 48 percent in 2007) as a result of stress, in addition to other symptoms which includes lack of interest or motivation, feeling depressed or sad, headaches and muscular tension.

Almost half of respondents (48 percent) reported overeating or eating unhealthy foods to manage stress, while 1 in 4 (39 percent) skipped a meal within the last month because of tension. Almost one-fifth of persons report drinking alcohol to manage their stress (18 percent), and 16 percent report smoking.

“With the deteriorating economy dominating the headlines, it is easy to worry more about your finances than your health, but pressure more than money and the economy is taking an emotional and physical toll on America,” says psychologist Katherine Nordal, PhD, APA’s executive director for specialist practice. “Many say they are handling their pressure nicely. But, folks report much more physical and emotional symptoms. If persons continue to experience these high levels of pressure for prolonged periods of time, they are at danger for developing serious illnesses.”

What Can People Do?

According to APA, the wellness consequences of extreme anxiety are most severe when people ignore symptoms and fail to manage their tension properly. Dr. Nordal advises men and women to be much more mindful of their anxiety levels along with the emotional and physical symptoms of tension. Symptoms include irritability, troubles sleeping, changes in appetite, headaches, stomach aches, intestinal difficulties, nervousness, excessive worry, and feeling sad and depressed.

“People’s emotional and physical health is a lot more vulnerable, given the high levels of pressure in our country right now,” says Dr. Nordal. “Pay attention to what’s happening around you, but refrain from getting caught up in doom-and-gloom hype. Take stock of your particular situation and what causes you stress. Reach out to family, buddies and trusted advisors. Research shows that receiving support from others is successful in managing tension. If you continue to really feel overwhelmed by anxiety, then consider seeking skilled assist.”

The Tension in America survey is component of APA’s Mind/Body Health public education campaign. For details on the survey or managing stress, pay a visit to http://www.apahelpcenter.org.

Methodology

The 2008 Tension in America study was conducted on the web inside the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Psychological Association between June 23, 2008 and August 13, 2008 among 1791 adults aged 18+ who reside inside the U.S.

The April information was collected on the internet within the United States in between April 7 and April 15, 2008, among 2,529 U.S. residents aged 18 or older. The September data was collected on the internet inside the United States among September 19 and September 23, 2008, among 2,507 U.S. residents 18 or older. Data for the April and September polls had been collected using an omnibus survey; the causes of anxiety question included a “not applicable” response. Information presented here were calculated excluding people who responded “not applicable.”

No estimates of theoretical sampling error could be calculated; a full methodology is obtainable.

The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, may be the largest scientific and skilled organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world’s largest association of psychologists. APA’s membership includes more than 148,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.

(1) These statistics refer to data collected in September. All other data referenced was collected June-August (see methodology).

American Psychological Association (APA)
http://www.apahelpcenter.org

5 (3 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

3.71 (7 votes)

Article Opinions:three posts
Data from a new study suggests that individuals who engage in compassion meditation may possibly benefit by reductions in inflammatory and behavioral responses to pressure that have been linked to depression as well as a number of medical illnesses. The study’s findings are published online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/ and within the medical journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

“While a lot attention has been paid to meditation practices that emphasize calming the mind, enhancing focused attention or developing mindfulness, less is identified about meditation practices designed to specifically foster compassion,” says Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, PhD, who designed and taught the meditation program used inside the study. Negi is senior lecturer within the Department of Religion, the co-director of Emory Collaborative for Contemplative Studies and president and spiritual director of Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc.

This study focused on the effect of compassion meditation on inflammatory, neuroendocrine and behavioral responses to psychosocial tension, and evaluated the degree to which engagement in meditation practice influenced stress reactivity.

“Our findings suggest that meditation practices designed to foster compassion might impact physiological pathways that are modulated by tension and are relevant to illness,” explains Charles L. Raison, MD, clinical director of the Mind-Body Program, Emory University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, along with a lead author on the study.

Sixty-one healthy college students among the ages of 17 and19 participated inside the study. Half the participants were randomized to receive six weeks of compassion meditation coaching and half were randomized to a health discussion manage group.

Although secular in presentation, the compassion meditation program was based on a thousand-year-old Tibetan Buddhist mind-training practice called “lojong” in Tibetan. Lojong practices utilize a cognitive, analytic method to challenge an individual’s unexamined thoughts and emotions toward other men and women, with the long-term goal of developing altruistic emotions and behavior towards all folks. Every meditation class session combined teaching, discussion and meditation practice.

The control group attended classes designed by study investigators on topics relevant towards the mental and physical well being of college students like tension management, drug abuse and eating disorders. In addition, a variety of student participation activities had been employed such as mock debates and role-playing.

Both groups were required to participate in 12 hours of classes across the study period. Meditators had been provided with a meditation compact disc for practice at home. Homework for the control group was a weekly self-improvement paper.

After the study interventions had been finished, the students participated in a laboratory tension test designed to investigate how the body’s inflammatory and neuroendocrine systems respond to psychosocial anxiety.

No differences had been seen among students randomized to compassion meditation as well as the control group, but inside the meditation group there was a strong relationship in between the time spent practicing meditation and reductions in inflammation and emotional distress in response towards the stressor.

Consistent with this, when the meditation group was divided into high and low practice groups, participants in the high practice group showed reductions in inflammation and distress in response towards the stressor when compared towards the low practice group along with the manage group.

“It will require conducting stress tests before and right after meditation training in order to conclusively show it was the practice of compassion meditation that resulted in reduced anxiety responses,” says study co-author Thaddeus W.W. Pace, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory.

“But these initial outcomes are quite exciting,” says Pace. “If practicing compassion meditation does reduce inflammatory responses to pressure it may well supply real promise as a means of preventing numerous conditions related to anxiety and with inflammation such as major depression, heart illness and diabetes.”

Raison concurs. “Based on the promising findings from this study we are planning to supply compassion meditation classes to patients at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, and have partnered with the Emory Predictive Well being Institute to study potential long term effects of compassion meditation on wellness and well-being,” says Raison.

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Dr. Raison is on the speaker’s bureau for Wyeth, Lilly and Schering Plough. He has served on advisory boards for Wyeth, Lilly, Schering Plough and Centocor and is really a consultant for eGen-Health.

Other contributors to the Emory study include Daniel D. Adame, PhD, Steven P. Cole, PhD; Teresa I. Sivili, AB; Timothy D. Brown, MPH; and Michael J. Issa, BS.

A portion of the funding for the study came from the Emory University Strategic Initiative for Religion along with the Human Spirit. Funding also was obtained from the Emory College Seed Fund; PHS grants from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program along with the General Clinical Investigation Center program, National Institutes of Wellness, National Center for Research Resources.

Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2008; doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen, 2008.08.011

Source: Kathi Baker
Emory University

Healthcare Prof:

Ute Lawrence can be a survivor of 1 of one of the most horrific car pile-ups in Canadian history, involving 87 vehicles and killing eight people. The trauma changed her life, bringing personal distress and also the end of her 22-years as a magazine publisher. She may be the CEO and founder of the Post Traumatic Pressure Disorder (PTSD) Association, the author of “The Power of Trauma” and 1 of the featured speakers at an upcoming specialist seminar titled “Brain, Mind and Body: Trauma, Neurobiology, as well as the Healing Relationship.

“PTSD is rampant in our society and yet it is one of probably the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorders,” says Lawrence. “Every time I go out to speak at least ten people come as much as me afterward and say ‘you described what I have’. These folks require professional aid.”

The two-day seminar will be the 1st bi-annual conference sponsored by the Harris-Woodman Chair in Psyche-Soma inside the Department of Psychiatry in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Ruth Lanius, who holds the analysis chair, says this conference will discuss mechanisms underlying the healing psychotherapeutic relationship from each a behavioural and neuroscientific perspective.

The conference features speakers who are globe leaders in understanding the mind-body relationship covering a wide range of topics which includes disassociation and attachment theories, self-reflection, dream interpretation and the parallels between neuroscience and Buddhism. The conference is aimed at psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, counselors, nurses and mental well being providers, and is approved for Continuing Medical Education credits.

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For much more details on the conference as well as the speakers go to http://www.traumarecoverycenter.com/ and click on the conference.

Source: Kathy Wallis
University of Western Ontario

two.75 (4 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

3.67 (6 votes)

Many females know the overwhelmed feeling caused by an excessive amount of to do and too little time. Better time management can help you do more. And it has wellness benefits, like less tension and a far better top quality of life.

The October issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource offers tips to enhance time management. The recommendation would be to try one strategy for two to 4 weeks to see if it helps. If it does, add another. If not, try a distinct one. Here’s a few to consider:

Plan each and every day. A schedule minimizes conflicts and last-minute rushes. Write a to-do list using the most critical tasks in the top. Even if you don’t get through the list, you’ll know time was spent constructively.

Say no to nonessential tasks. Let priorities determine your schedule rather than letting guilt have the final say.

Delegate. Consider what you can eliminate or delegate from your to-do list. Be willing to let others do tasks differently from how you do them.

Take time to do a top quality job. Doing something right the 1st time might take far more time up front, but errors caused by rushing may require longer to correct.

Practice the 10-minute rule. Perform on dreaded tasks for 10 minutes every day. Once a task is started, you may possibly be able to finish it.

Evaluate how you are spending your time. Maintain a diary for three days to track tasks. Appear for time that could be used far more wisely, freeing up time to spend exercising or with household and buddies.

Get plenty of exercise and sleep. Improved focus and concentration assist improve efficiency, so you can complete tasks in less time.

Take a time management course. Employers, community colleges and community education programs typically provide these classes.

Take a break when needed. An excessive amount of anxiety can derail attempts at getting organized. When you want a break, take 1. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches. Take time for a day of relaxation when you need it.

If you are too frazzled to manage your time better, and life feels out of manage, ask for help. Consider discussing your situation with a physician or mental wellness specialist.

Mayo Clinic
200 Very first St. SW
Rochester, MN 55902
United States
http:// www.mayoclinic.com

2.5 (two votes)

Healthcare Prof:

Rising unemployment rates, the worst Wall Street crises considering that the end of World War II, record home foreclosures. There’s plenty of stress to go about. What impact is tension having on our wellness and what can we do about it?

“Prolonged tension, both emotional and physical, impacts the overall cardiovascular status of our patients, particularly their blood pressure,” stated Keith Churchwell, M.D., executive medical director of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute.

American and global stock markets on a daily rollercoaster ride, anxiety more than the burden of the government’s bailout of Wall Street, and also the added pressure placed on all Americans by increased monetary instability could be taking its toll.

Stress can cause growing physical demands on the body, constriction of the coronary blood vessels and heightened electrical instability inside the heart.

Emotional pressure can result in decreased heart rate variability and elevated blood pressure, making the heart work harder by putting even higher tension on the whole cardiovascular system. The long-term elevation of blood pressure can have a harmful effect on the heart along with the entire vascular system. Tension hormones called catecholamines, including adrenaline, can have damaging effects on the heart muscle if exposed to elevated levels for a long time, Churchwell said.

A study of a lot more than 10,300 civil servants located that employees under 50 who suffered chronic tension had a 68 percent higher danger of heart illness than people who had been not stressed at perform. The findings were reported in the European Heart Journal in January by researchers from University College in London.

This study demonstrates that pressure at perform can lead to coronary heart illness by way of direct activation of neuroendocrine anxiety pathways and indirectly by means of well being behaviors, according towards the report.

“It’s almost always multifactorial,” Churchwell said. “It’s not just the pressure, but also how folks adapt to pressure.”

Many people react to stress by eating poorly, stopping exercise, smoking, drinking and missing medications.

If someone comes in towards the Emergency Department complaining of chest pain, doctors will ask about emotional associated stress, in addition to performing a medical evaluation to locate the cause of the chest pain.

“We will see a number of people come via the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Clinic for an evaluation of chest pain, elevated blood pressure, and shortness of breath that are outward manifestations of the emotional currents going on in their function lives,” Churchwell said. “They will either be dragged in by a family members member who is worried about them or by a co-worker.”

Churchwell added that he has not seen anyone whose heart troubles are caused by the recent stock market difficulties, but he wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility.

“We do see stress-related chest pain in people affiliated using the music business. They’ve been on the road doing 50 shows in 52 nights. They call from the road and ask if they might be seen this week, and they pull the tour bus up in front of the hospital.”

Churchwell offers these tips to avoid letting tension get the greater of you:

- If you have a positive routine in terms of tension relief, like exercise, stay on it.
- If you need to work 12-14 hours a day, take the time to eat healthy. Avoid junk food.
- Continue to take your medications as prescribed.
- Do not resort to smoking and drinking alcohol as “stress relievers.”
- If you experience chest pain, seek the care of a health care skilled.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

five (4 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

Despite anxiety and pressure becoming 1 of today’s most widespread disorders, it is regularly under diagnosed by medical professionals.

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There are safe and efficient ways to deal with daily anxiety:

— Take regular daily breaks to relax and clear your head.

— Meditate, even for just a few minutes at a time.

— Exercise daily.

— Spend time with pals and enjoy loved ones dinners as typically as possible.

— Consider use of non-toxic, non-habit-forming medications to ease nagging negative emotions.

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