Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Blog

Learn How to Master Your ADHD with Expert ADHD Coach Ms. Carol Gignoux

2010-02-07T14:14:21-08:00

Ms. Carol Gignoux, (please see bio below), is an expert ADHD coach and lecturer who will be giving a five-session seminar series entitled: The Secrets to Mastering One"s ADHD. Topics will include: the secrets to mastering one's ADHD at work, in one's intimate relationship, as a parent, in communications with others, and in organizing one's home environment. Cost is $199 for all five one hour seminars. Dates are: March 13th, 27th, April 17th, May 8th, and May 22. All seminars with be held on Saturdays from 10AM to 11AM in the offices of the New England ADHD Treatment Center c-directed by Dr. Jeffrey Speller and Dr. Tanya Korkosz. The address is: Six Courthouse Lane, Unit 12, Chelmsford, MA 01824. Enroll today by calling Carol Gignoux at 866 995 9444. The first twenty individuals to enroll will receive a free brief one-on-one ADHD coaching session from Carol.

Carol Gignoux's Bio

Carol Gignoux is well established as an expert within the ADHD coaching, consulting and training profession with over 35 years experience working with ADHD and over 16 years as a professional coach. Carol’s passion is providing services that transform the lives of people with ADHD. Carol specializes in coaching teens and adults who want to move beyond issues with ADHD and develop the skills and confidence to achieve better results in their academic, professional and personal lives.

Carol is also trained as an Executive Coach. She has worked with executives and managers to create high functioning, successful businesses locally as well as nationwide. She was an active board member of the International Coaching Federation New England (ICF) for 3 years and is a founding board member of the Institute for the Advancement of ADHD Coaching that is the responsible certifying body for ADHD Coaches worldwide. Carol is qualified at the Senior Certified ADHD Coach level.

Carol speaks and delivers tele classes and seminars locally and nationally on a variety of important and relevant topics to those with ADHD. She trains and supervises new ADHD coaches across the country.

Presently, Carol is writing a book about the work she has done with clients to help them powerfully overcome the barriers that have held them back so they can purposefully and confidently move forward to a better future.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

New England ADHD Treatment Center

Can Light Therapy Improve Your Sexual Performance?

2010-01-10T08:10:03-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between bright lights and sexual performance. An article published in Medical News Today June 15, 2009, “Can Light Therapy Improve Your Sexual Functioning? New Promising Data,” examines this issue. The findings of this research were published in the December 2008 issue of Child Development. The researchers studied, “….9 male patients with nonorganic sexual dysfunction. Subjects (age 39 - 60) were consecutively recruited in the outpatient clinic of the Urology Department of the University of Siena Medical Center on the basis of a diagnosis of primary (i.e. not due to another illness or to a medication or a drug of abuse) hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD, n = 2), sexual arousal disorder (SAD, n = 6), and orgasmic disorder (OD, n = 1) and the absence of a mood disorder, as assessed via the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Subjects were randomly assigned to active light treatment (ALT) or placebo light treatment (L-PBO) and assessed at baseline and after 2 weeks of ALT/L-PBO treatment via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-Sexual Disorders (SCID-S) and via a sexual satisfaction self-report, which asked them to rate on a scale from 1 to 10 their level of sexual satisfaction. The ALT consisted of daily exposure to a white fluorescent light box (Super-Lite 3S, fitted with an ultraviolet filter and rated at 10,000 lx at a distance of 1 m from screen to cornea) for 30 min as soon as possible after awakening, between 7.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m. The L-PBO was an identical light box fitted with a neutral density gel filter to reduce light exposure to 100 lx.” The results of this study were very interesting. “………After 2 weeks of treatment, 3 of the 5 patients randomized to ALT no longer met the SCID-S criteria for a sexual disorder whereas the sexual disorder was still present in all the 4 patients in the L-PBO group. A significant (p = 0.001) improvement in sexual satisfaction was observed in the ALT group, whereas no improvement was observed in the L-PBO group (p =0.39).” There are a number of important implications of this study. First, individuals who are experiencing sexual dysfunction should consult there health care provider to see if they are a candidate for light therapy. Second, mental health professionals who treat patients with sexual dysfunction should consider light therapy. Third, patients who are diagnosed with SADD should monitor their sexual functioning to determine if there has been any improvement. And, last of all, public health professionals should educate the public about the advantages of light therapy for the treatment of sexual dysfunction.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that individuals who have sexual dysfunction should light therapy as a possible treatment.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General, Depression

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Can You Reduce Your Risk of Death by Having a Higher Purpose in Life?

2010-01-10T08:06:59-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between life expectancy and having a higher purpose in life. An article published in Medical News Today June 16, 2009, “Having A Higher Purpose In Life Reduces Risk Of Death Among Older Adults,” examines this issue. The researchers studied, “…..studied 1,238 community-dwelling elderly participants from two ongoing research studies, the Rush Memory and Aging Project and the Minority Aging Research Study. None had dementia. Data from baseline evaluations of purpose in life and up to five years of follow-up were used to test the hypothesis that greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of mortality among community-dwelling older persons…Purpose in life reflects the tendency to derive meaning from life's experiences and be focused and intentional…” The results of this study were very interesting. “….After adjusting for age, sex, education and race, a higher purpose of life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality. Thus, a person with high purpose in life was about half as likely to die over the follow-up period compared to a person with low purpose. The association of purpose in life with mortality did not differ among men and women or whites and blacks, and the finding persisted even after controlling for depressive symptoms, disability, neuroticism, the number of medical conditions and income….Significant associations with mortality were found with three specific items on the purpose of life questionnaire to determine the study participants' agreement with the following statements: "I sometimes feel as if I've done all there is to do in life;" "I used to set goals for myself, but that now seems like a waste of time;" and "My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me." There are several important implications of this study. First, older individuals who are considering retirement should aim for retirement activities that give true meaning to one’s life. Second, mental health professionals who treat older patients should screen all of these patients for the quality of their lives. Third, public health professionals should educate the public about the importance of having a higher purpose to life. The researchers concluded, “….finding that purpose in life is related to longevity in older persons suggests that aspects of human flourishing particularly the tendency to derive meaning from life's experiences and possess a sense of intentionality and goal-directedness contribute to successful aging….having a sense of purpose in life is important across the lifespan, measurement of purpose in life in older persons in particular may reveal an enduring sense of meaningfulness and intentionality in life that somehow provides a buffer against negative health outcomes."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that older individuals should seek a higher purpose in life to decrease their mortality risk.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General, Depression

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Changing Residences Increase Risk Of Suicidal Behavior Among Children?

2010-01-10T08:03:01-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the impact of changing residences on children. An article published in Medical News Today June 5, 2009, “Changing Residences Associated With Increased Risk Of Suicidal Behavior Among Children,” examines this issue. The results of this study were published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. The researchers studied, “…..data from Danish national registries to identify all children born between 1978 and 1995. Between 11 and 17 years of age, 4,160 of these children attempted suicide based on hospital records, and 79 completed suicide. For each suicide attempt or completion, the researchers selected 30 control children who were the same sex and age.” And the results? “….Compared with the control children, those who attempted suicide were more likely to have changed residences frequently-55.2 percent of suicidal children and 32 percent of controls had moved more than three times, and 7.4 percent had moved more than 10 times (compared with 1.9 percent of controls). Frequent moves were also more common among children who completed suicide….A dose-response relationship was observed for both attempted and completed suicide, meaning that the more often a child changed addresses, the more likely he or she was to have attempted or completed suicide. The associations remained significant after the researchers controlled for other factors, such as birthplace and parents' mental health.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parents of adolescent children should greatly minimize the number of times that they change residences during the children’s adolescent years. Second, school professionals who have new children in their classroom who have reported frequent family moves, should be alert to the possibility of suicidal thinking. Third, mental health professionals who treat suicidal adolescents should investigate how many times these patients have changed residences. And, fourth, public health professionals should educate parents about the risks of frequent moves on their adolescent children’s mental health. The researchers conclude, “…..The breakdown of connections with peers, discontinuation of group activities, distress and worries related to the new environment are potentially psychologically distressing events for young children. Frequent exposures to these events can be stressful and confusing and may affect their psychosocial well-being, thus increasing their intention toward ending their life if they are unable to cope…In addition, moving is stressful for parents and may result in their inability to attend to their children's emotional needs….Children may feel ignored and have no one to communicate with. A suicide attempt may, to some extent, express the need for more attention from their parents."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that adolescents who change residences frequently may be at risk of suicidal behaviors.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General, Depression

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Shaming Children Have the Opposite Effect?

2010-01-10T07:59:47-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between shaming children and their subsequent behavior. An article published in Medical News Today December 28, 2008, “Shaming Some Kids Makes Them More Aggressive,” examines this issue. The findings of this research were published in the December 2008 issue of Child Development. The researchers studied, “…..163 children ages 10 to 13, from Michigan middle schools. Almost all were white, and slightly more than half (54 percent) were males…A few weeks before participating in the on-line experiments, the young people filled out a questionnaire designed to assess their levels of self-esteem and narcissism…….For the experiment, children were told they would be competing on an Internet reaction-time game called FastKid! against an opponent of the same sex and age from a school in Columbus, Ohio (where the Buckeyes live!). In reality, there was no opponent; the computer controlled all events. Those who were randomly selected for the "shame condition" were told that their opponent was one of the worst players in the supposed tournament, and they should easily win; when they lost, their last-place ranking was displayed on a website they believed that everyone could see. Children were told they could blast their opponent with a loud noise after winning a trial.” And the results of the study? “ … The narcissistic kids were more aggressive than others, but only after they had been shamed….Narcissists seem highly motivated to create and maintain a grandiose view of self…They tend to interpret social situations in terms of how they reflect on the self, and they engage in self-regulatory strategies to protect self-esteem when they need to. As shameful situations constitute a threat to grandiosity, narcissistic shame-induced aggression can likely be viewed as defensive effort to maintain self-worth…[the researchers] …found that high self-esteem increased narcissistic shame-induced aggression.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parents of children with high degrees of narcissism should not engage in shaming as a way to control their child’s behavior. Second, school professionals should also avoid shaming their students with high levels of narcissism. Third, mental health professionals who treat children and adolescents who exhibit aggressive behaviors should screen these patients any past events of shaming. And, last of all public health professionals should educate both parents and school professionals about the negative consequences of shaming.

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that shaming narcissistic adolescents may lead to aggressive behavior.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Smoking as an Adolescent Cause Adult Depression?

2010-01-10T07:56:33-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between adolescent smoking and adult depression. An article published in Medical News Today February 1, 2009, “Possible Link Between Teen Smoking And Adult Depression,” examines this issue. The findings of this research were published in 2009 online in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, The researchers “……injected adolescent rats twice daily with either nicotine or saline for 15 days. After the treatment period ended, they subjected the rats to several experiments designed to find out how they would react to stressful situations as well as how they would respond to the offering of rewards.” And the results? The researchers found, “…that behavioral changes symptomatic of depression can emerge after one week of nicotine cessation and -- most surprising -- that even a single day of nicotine exposure during adolescence can have long-lasting effects….the rats who were exposed to nicotine engaged in behaviors symptomatic of depression and anxiety, including repetitive grooming, decreased consumption of rewards offered in the form of sugary drinks and becoming immobile in stressful situations instead of engaging in typical escape-like behaviors. The researchers were able to alleviate the rats' symptoms with antidepressant drugs or, ironically, more nicotine.” The researchers conclude, “…..Scientists have long known there is a connection between smoking and mood disorders, but they have not been able to say for sure that one causes the other because there are so many factors influencing human behavior. This study provides support for the idea that smoking can induce symptoms of depression, and paradoxically, can also be a way of managing those same symptoms and enhancing the risk for addiction….The message to young people of course is don't smoke and don't even try it….If they do smoke, they need to be aware of the potentially long-term effects that recreational or even occasional cigarette smoking can have on their systems."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study suggest that adolescent smoking may lead to adult depression.

Reference: Original article

How to improve your understanding of depression. View this top rated video from Youtube:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General, Depression

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Are Children with Obsessive Tendencies are Risk for Developing OCD in Adulthood?

2010-01-10T07:45:37-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between obsessive tendencies in children and their mental health as adults. An article published in Medical News Today March 5, 2009, “Obsessive Symptoms In Childhood Can Multiply The Probabilities Of An Obsessive Compulsive Disorder In Adulthood,” examines this issue. The researchers studied, “…one thousand people…assessed the evolution of two variables in participants at ages 11, 26 and 32: the repeated presence of obsessive ideas (e.g. recurrent and undesired thoughts to harm others) and compulsive rituals (a need to wash their hands constantly, to check up on small everyday tasks to prevent harm or repeatedly carrying out activities that seem meaningless, etc.). The results of the study were interesting. “…Based on the analysis of these data…there is a correlation between obsessions and compulsions in childhood (when study members were age 11) and the probability of suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder as an adult (observed at ages 26 and 32 among participants). More specifically, the girls and boys in the study who showed symptoms of obsessive or compulsive behaviour at 11 - a total of 8% of the population studied - were six times as likely as others to suffer from an obsessive-compulsive disorder in adulthood.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parents of children who exhibit obsessive symptoms should consult a qualified mental health professional to determine their child’s current and future risk of OCD. Second, mental health professionals who treat adults patients diagnoses with OCD should routinely screen for a history of childhood obsessive symptoms. Third, educators and school personnel who observe obsessive tendencies in their pupils should consult with a guidance professional to determine if intervention is warranted. And, fourth, public health professionals should educate the public about the link between childhood obsessive symptoms and adult OCD. The researchers conclude, “….There is nevertheless no need to become alarmed with the cases of children who manifest these symptoms, since they are very common amongst children aged 8 to 10, while the percentage of adults with this disorder does not reach 2%. What should be done is focus on preventive measures for these children, since we've seen that the risk is much lower amongst the rest of the population."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that children with obsessive symptoms are at risk for developing adult OCD.

Reference: Original article

Great Youtube Videos on Childhood OCD

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: OCD, Youtube. Adolescents

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Can Believing In God Reduce Your Anxiety About Making Errors?

2010-01-10T07:42:03-08:00

Mental health professionals have long debated about the relationship between strong religious beliefs and mental health. An article published in Medical News Today March 5, 2009, “Believing In God Can Help Block Anxiety And Minimize Stress, According To New University Of Toronto Research,” examines this issue. The article reports on two studies conducted by researchers at the New University Of Toronto Research. The researchers studied, “…participants [who] performed a Stroop task - a well-known test of cognitive control - while hooked up to electrodes that measured their brain activity.” The results of the study were interesting. “…Compared to non-believers, the religious participants showed significantly less activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a portion of the brain that helps modify behavior by signaling when attention and control are needed, usually as a result of some anxiety-producing event like making a mistake. The stronger their religious zeal and the more they believed in God, the less their ACC fired in response to their own errors, and the fewer errors they made.” The researchers conclude, “…You could think of this part of the brain like a cortical alarm bell that rings when an individual has just made a mistake or experiences uncertainty….We found that religious people or even people who simply believe in the existence of God show significantly less brain activity in relation to their own errors. They're much less anxious and feel less stressed when they have made an error."

The Bottom Line: The results of these studies strongly suggest that believing in God can reduce your anxiety about making errors.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Marital Stress Harm Women’s Brains?

2010-01-10T07:35:42-08:00

Mental health professionals have long debated about the relationship between marital stress and the mental health of women. An article published in Medical News Today March 5, 2009, “Marital Strain Harms Women More Than Men,” examines this issue. The article reports on a study presented at the American Psychosomatic Society's 2009 annual meeting in Chicago. The researchers studied, “…276 couples who had been married for an average of 20 years and were aged between 40 and 70 years….The participants filled in several questionnaires…covering positive aspects of marriage quality (eg mutual support, emotional warmth, friendliness, confiding in each other), negative aspects of marriage quality (eg arguments, hostility, disagreements) and symptoms of depression (not necessarily full blown clinical depression)… The participants also underwent physical exams where blood pressure, waist measurement, good cholesterol, fasting glucose and blood fats were measured.” The results of the study were concerning. “….Women who reported more marital strain had more metabolic syndrome symptoms, and that association can be explained by the fact they also reported more depressive symptoms." There are several important implications of this study. First, adult married women who are experiencing significant marital stress should consult a qualified mental health professional to determine their current and future risk of medical disorders. Second, mental health professionals who treat adult married women who report marital stress should routinely screen for medical problems in these patients. Third, spouses of adult married women who are experiencing marital stress should educate themselves with the help of a qualified mental health professional to understand they can help their spouse reduce marital stress. Fourth, public health professionals should educate the public about the link between marital stress and medical disorders. The researchers conclude, “….improving aspects of intimate relationships might help [a woman’s] emotional and physical well-being".

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest marital stress can harm a woman’s health.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Are Adult Women Who Have Been Sexually Abused as Children at Greater Risk for Suicidal Thinking?

2010-01-10T07:29:38-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult mental health. An article published in Medical News Today June 9, 2009, “'Strong Link' Between Childhood Sexual Abuse And Suicide Attempts In Women,” examines this issue. The article reports on the results of a study presented at the Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Liverpool. The researchers studied, “…..data from the 2000 National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey.” The results of the study were concerning. “…sexual abuse was three times more common in women than men - some 1.6 per cent of men report sexual abuse, compared to 5.2 per cent of women….Women attempt to kill themselves more often than men (3.5 per cent of women compared to 5.1 per cent of women) and the number of suicide attempts attributable to sexual abuse was stronger in women than men….sexual abuse in childhood made women far more likely than men to attempt suicide…women react to trauma more strongly than men, perhaps accounting for the strong link between sexual abuse and suicide.” There are a number of important implications of this study. First, adult women with childhood sexual abuse histories should consult a qualified mental health professional to determine their current and future risk of suicidal thinking. Second, mental health professionals who treat adult women with childhood sexual abuse histories should routinely screen for suicidal thinking in these patients. Third, spouses of adult women with childhood abuse histories should educate themselves with the help of a qualified mental health professional to understand the current and future risk of suicide in these women. Fourth, public health professionals should educate the public about the link between childhood sexual abuse and the risk of suicide in adult women. The researchers state, “….[Women] who have been sexually abused have low self esteem, ironically blame themselves for the abuse, and all their levels of confidence about all sorts of things are reduced…Lowering your self esteem like that is associated with all sorts of mood symptoms and these are the bed out of which arises suicidal ideation. A proportion of those will then go on to attempt suicide and of those some will be successful." The researchers conclude, “…psychiatrists [must] deal with the issue of sexual abuse in a more forceful way…finding out whether a patient had been sexually abused opened up the possibility of treatment, as there were specific ways a psychiatrist could intervene and help….The patient may have post-traumatic stress disorder and you can treat that; they may have low self esteem and you can address that too and you might make life better for that person and they will be less inclined to think of suicide."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that childhood sexual abuse increases the risk of suicide in adult women.

Reference: Original article

Two Great Youtube Videos on Childhood Abuse and Neglect

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Can Parents Unwittingly Make Their Child’s Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Worse?

2010-01-10T07:17:37-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the impact of parental behavior on a child with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. An article published in Medical News Today June 18, 2009, “Wrong Type Of Help From Parents Could Worsen Child's OCD, 18 Jun 2009,” examines this issue. The article reports on study recently published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. The researchers studied, “….49 children between 6 and 18 with OCD and their families who came to UF for a type of treatment called cognitive-behavioral therapy. This form of therapy involves exposing children to their fears and teaching them better ways to respond and cope. During the sessions, therapists teach parents how they should deal with their child's OCD, too….Prior to the start of the 14-session therapy, the researchers gauged how severe each child's condition was and compared it to how many accommodating behaviors parents reported…. These accommodations can be anything that makes the symptoms of OCD less impairing, from reassuring a child that his hands are clean and his baby brother is OK to even doing his homework for him or buying objects that make the child feel safe.” The results of the study were very interesting. “After the treatment, researchers noticed a significant decrease in how often families were assisting children with OCD behaviors and rituals. Children whose families had the biggest decrease in these accommodations also had the biggest improvement in their OCD symptoms.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parents who behave with the best of intentions may not be serving the best interests of their OCD child. Second, mental health professionals who treat
OCD children must educate parents about appropriate behaviors in the home setting. Third, school professionals who have OCD children in the classroom must be trained in the best interventions for these children during the school day. And fourth, public health professionals must educate parents of OCD children about the needs their children. The researchers end by saying, “We see it with adults' spouses and partners, too. In trying to be helpful to the person with OCD, they end up making the problem worse."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that parents can unintentionally worsen their child’s OCD.

Reference: Original article

Great Youtube Videos on Childhood OCD

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: OCD, Youtube. Adolescents

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Do Men Who Become Fathers Take Their Own Mental Health More Seriously?

2010-01-10T07:10:53-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between fatherhood and mental health. An article published in Medical News Today June 19, 2009, “Fatherhood Influences Men In Mental Health Decisions,” examines this issue. The article reports on an “…national online survey conducted within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of The American Psychiatric Association between June 12-16, 2009 among 2,274 adults age 18+, 1040 of whom were male; 235 of those males were fathers or legal guardians.” The results were interesting. “…the survey indicated that fathers are more likely to take their mental health seriously for the sake of their children. Over 90 percent of men surveyed said their role as a father or legal guardian would have an impact on their decision to seek help if they were feeling depressed…Survey respondents were more likely to say they would encourage their fathers to seek help for depression if they are parents themselves. More than 90 percent of parents or guardians who still have contact with their fathers said they would be likely to encourage their own fathers to seek help for depression if they felt it was interfering with his work or relationships.”

The Bottom Line: The results of this survey suggest that men when they become father take their own mental health more seriously.

Reference: Original article

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Are Adolescents Who Are Helpful and Devoted to Their Families Less Depressed?

2010-01-10T07:09:01-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship family obligation and depression in adolescents. An article published in Medical News Today June 5, 2009, “Risk Of Teenage Depression Symptoms Lowered By Family Obligation In Chinese Homes,” examines this issue. The article reports on a new study published in the Journal of Family Psychology. The researchers studied, “….218 Chinese-American teenagers over a two-year period caring for siblings or helping elders.” The results of the study were interesting. The researchers found that “…..14-year-olds who reported a greater sense of family obligation reported fewer depressive symptoms by the time they reached 16…..As participants grew older, their actions to help and support their families decreased. However, their attitude and respect toward their families remained stable, indicating that immigrant adolescents continue to endorse their traditional cultural values even when their behaviors suggest they are becoming less traditional.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parent of adolescents should require that their children be involved and engaged in the care their family members. Second, school professionals should give adolescents opportunities to assist their younger schoolmates. Third, day care providers should attempt to hire adolescents for summer jobs caring for smaller children. Fourth, mental health professionals who are treating depressed adolescents should encourage them to become involved in the care of family members. And, fifth, public health professionals should educate the parents of adolescents about the benefits of their children being involved in the care of family members

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that adolescents who care for family members significantly reduce the risk of depression.

Reference: Original article

Additional Sources of Information:

Check out The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression authored by Dr. Jeff and Dr. Tanya and now available in a great informational website hosted by Squidoo.com. Below is a sneak preview of the website's Table of Contents:

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does the Lack of an Adequate Nap Time Increase the Risk of Hyperactivity, Depression And Anxiety In Young Children?

2010-01-10T07:03:32-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between napping and mental health in young children. An article published in Medical News Today June 11, 2009, “Discovery Of Relationship Between Napping, Hyperactivity, Depression And Anxiety In Young Children,” examines this issue. The article reports on a research abstract presented on Monday, June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The researchers studied, “….62 children between the ages of 4 and 5 who were classified as either napping (77 percent) or non-napping (23 percent) based on actigraphy data. Napping children napped an average of 3.4 days per week. Of the sample, 55 percent were white-non Hispanic and 53 percent were male. Caretakers reported their child's typical weekday and weekend bedtime/rise time, napping patterns, family demographics, and completed a behavioral assessment of the child. Actigraphy data for each child was collected continuously for seven to 14 days.” The results of this study were interesting. “..children between the ages of 4 and 5 who did not take daytime naps were reported by their parents to exhibit higher levels of hyperactivity, anxiety and depression than children who continued to nap at this age.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parents of young children show insure that their young children get adequate daily naps. Second, day care providers and preschool teachers should confer with parents of any child in their care that is showing signs hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression in order to insure that the child is getting adequate nap time. Third, mental health professionals who treat young children who are hyperactive, depressed, and anxious should screen for whether the child receivership adequate napping time during the day. Fourth, public health professionals should be more aggressive in educating parents of young children about the mental health risks of inadequate nap time. The researchers conclude that, “…there is a lot of individual variability in when children are ready to give up naps. I would encourage parents to include a quiet 'rest' time in their daily schedule that would allow children to nap if necessary."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that inadequate nap time in young children puts them at risk for hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety.

Reference: Original article

Additional Sources of Information:

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Can Nightmares Increase the Risk of Suicidal Thinking?

2010-01-10T07:00:30-08:00

Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between nightmares and mental health. An article published in Medical News Today June 11, 2009, “Nightmares Predict Elevated Suicidal Symptoms,” examines this issue. The article reports on a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The researchers studied, “…82 men and women between the ages of 18 and 66, who were in a community mental health hospital admissions unit awaiting an emergency psychiatric evaluation. Evaluations determined eligibility for crisis stabilization inpatient admittance. Patients' nightmares, insomnia, depression and suicidal tendencies were assessed through several questionnaires, including the Disturbing Dreams and Nightmare Severity Index, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS).” The results of the study were concerning. “Results indicate that severe nightmares were independently associated with elevated suicidal symptoms after accounting for the influence of depression, whereas symptoms of insomnia were not. These findings suggest that nightmares stand alone as a suicide risk factor.” There are several important implications of this study. First, individuals whoa are experiencing chronic and persistent nightmares who immediately consult with a mental health professional to determine their risk of developing suicidal thinking. Second, mental health professionals who treat patients who are experiencing suicidal thinking should screen for the presence of nightmares. Third, public health professionals should increase their efforts to educate that public about the relationship between nightmares and suicidal thinking. The researches conclude, “Sleep disturbances, especially nightmares, appear to be an acute warning sign and risk factor for suicide….Given that poor sleep is amenable to treatment, and less stigmatized than depression and suicide, our findings could impact standardized suicide risk assessment and prevention efforts."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that nightmares are a risk factor for suicidal thinking.

Reference: Original article

How to improve your understanding of depression. View this top rated video from Youtube:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General, Depression

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Sleep Deprivation Increase the Risk of Depression and Suicidal Thinking in Adolescents?

2010-01-10T06:53:51-08:00

Mental health professionals have long debated about the relationship between sleep deprivation and adolescent mental health. An article published in Medical News Today June 11, 2009, “Link Between Depression, Suicidal Thoughts and Later Parental-Mandated Bedtimes For Teens,” examines this issue. The article reports on a research abstract presented at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The researchers studied 15,659 adolescents. The results were very concerning. “A total of 1,143 teens (7.3 percent) suffered from depression and 2,038 (13 percent) had suicidal thoughts. Adolescents with parental-mandated bedtimes at midnight or later were 25 percent more likely to suffer from depression and 20 percent more likely to have suicidal ideation compared with adolescents who had parental-mandated bedtimes of 10 p.m. or earlier…..Adolescents with later parental-mandated bedtimes went to bed later, got less sleep, and were less likely to get enough sleep. Short sleep duration explained the relationship between parental-mandated bedtimes and depression, functioning as a risk factor for depression and suicidal ideation." There are several important implications of this study. First, bedtimes matter for adolescents. Parents of adolescents must mandate earlier bedtimes for their children or risk the development depression and suicidal thinking. Second, mental health professionals who treat adolescents who are depressed and suicidal must screen these patients for sleep deprivation. Third, school professionals should mandate a later start time for school for adolescents. Fourth, public health professionals should increase their efforts to educate parents of adolescents about the dangers of sleep deprivation. The authors conclude, “…It is a common perception and societal expectation that adolescents do not need as much sleep as preadolescents, yet studies suggests that adolescents may actually require more sleep…Studies have found that adolescents do not go to bed early enough to compensate for earlier school start times, and transitions to earlier school start times have been shown to be associated with significant sleep deprivation."

The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that sleep deprivation can cause depression and suicidal thinking in adolescents.

Reference: Original article

Additional Sources of Information:

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

What are the Common Mental Disorders Among American Youth?

2010-01-06T06:15:17-08:00

Only about half of American children and teenagers who have certain mental disorders receive professional services, according to a nationally representative survey funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The survey also provides a comprehensive look at the prevalence of common mental disorders.

The results are part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a collaboration between NIMH and the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey conducted from 2001 to 2004 had 3,042 participants. These most recent results include data from children and adolescents ages 8 to 15, and were published online ahead of print December 14, 2009, in the journal Pediatrics.

"Data on the prevalence of mental disorders among U.S. youth have been varied, making it difficult to truly understand how many children and teens are affected," said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. "These data from the NHANES survey can serve as an important baseline as we follow trends of mental disorders in children."

In the study, the young people were interviewed directly. Parents or caregivers also provided information about their children's mental health. The researchers tracked six mental disorders—generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia), depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder. The participants were also asked about what treatment, if any, they were receiving.

Overall, 13 percent of respondents met criteria for having at least one of the six mental disorders within the last year. About 1.8 percent of the respondents had more than one disorder, usually a combination of ADHD and conduct disorder. Among the specific disorders,

8.6 percent had ADHD, with males more likely than females to have the disorder;
3.7 percent had depression, with females more likely than males to have the disorder;
2.1 percent had conduct disorder;
0.7 percent had an anxiety disorder (GAD or panic disorder);
0.1 percent had an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia).

"With the exception of ADHD, the prevalence rates reported here are generally lower than those reported in other published findings of mental disorders in children, but they are comparable to other studies that employed similar methods and criteria," said lead author Kathleen Merikangas, Ph.D., of NIMH.

Those of a lower socioeconomic status were more likely to report any disorder, particularly ADHD, while those of a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to report having an anxiety disorder. Mexican-Americans had significantly higher rates of mood disorders than whites or African-Americans, but overall, few ethnic differences in rates of disorders emerged.

Merikangas and colleagues also found that overall, 55 percent of those with a disorder had consulted with a mental health professional, confirming the trend of an increase in service use for childhood mental disorders, especially ADHD. However, only 32 percent of youth with an anxiety disorder sought treatment, a finding consistent with other studies. Moreover, African-Americans and Mexican-Americans were significantly less likely to seek treatment than whites, reiterating the need to identify and remove barriers to treatment for minority youth, noted the researchers.

"Until now, there has been a dearth of reliable data on the magnitude, course and treatment patterns of mental disorders among U.S. youth," said Dr. Merikangas. "When combined with data from other nationally representative surveys, the data will provide a valuable basis for making decisions about health care for American youth," she concluded.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

Additional Sources of Information:

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Do Substance Abusing Depressed Teens Respond Poorly to Depression Treatment?

2010-01-06T06:12:18-08:00

Depressed teens who report low levels of impairment related to drug or alcohol use tended to respond better to depression treatment than depressed teens with higher levels substance-related impairment, according to an analysis of data from the NIMH-funded Treatment of SSRI-Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) study. However, it is unclear whether less substance-related impairment allowed for better response to depression treatment, or if better treatment response led to less substance-related impairment. The study was published in the December 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Background

Substance use is more common among teens with depression than among those without depression. Researchers have also found that depression can inhibit teens' response to treatment of substance abuse, and substance abuse is associated with a poorer response to treatment of depression. Still, few trials have examined how coexisting depression and substance use among teens may affect treatment outcomes for both.

In the TORDIA study, 334 teens who did not respond to a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) before the trial were randomly assigned to one of four treatments for 12 weeks:

Switch to another SSRI
Switch to venlafaxine (Effexor), a different type of antidepressant
Switch to another SSRI and add cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy
Switch to venlafaxine and add CBT

Results of the trial were previously reported in February 2008. They showed that teens who received combination therapy, with either type of antidepressant, were more likely to improve than those on medication alone.

In this new analysis, Benjamin Goldstein, M.D., of the University of Toronto, and colleagues examined TORDIA data to determine the relationship, if any, between substance use, major depression and response to depression treatment. Substance use was defined as using alcohol or drugs without meeting criteria for having a full-blown substance abuse disorder. Teens who were diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder were excluded from the TORDIA study.

Results of the Study

Substance use was fairly common among TORDIA participants. At baseline, about 28 percent reported experimenting with drugs or alcohol. Those who showed more substance -related impairment were older, felt more hopeless, had greater family conflict, developed depression at an earlier age, were more likely to have a history of physical or sexual abuse, and were more likely to have coexisting oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) or conduct disorder (CD). Substance-related impairment included certain attitudes and behaviors such as craving the substance, feeling hooked on it, accidentally hurting oneself or others while using it, and other similar effects.

Participants with low levels of substance use and substance-related impairment throughout the study tended to respond better to depression treatment than those who showed persistently high or increasing levels of substance-related impairment. There were no significant differences in rates of substance use and impairment among the treatment groups.

Significance

This study is one of the first to examine the association between substance use and depression treatment among depressed teens. The findings are consistent with other studies that found depression severity to be associated with a history of physical or sexual abuse, coexisting ODD or CD, and substance-related impairment. However, the direction of the association is uncertain. The data could not determine whether low substance-related impairment facilitates improvement in depression symptoms, or whether improvement in depressed mood leads to a decrease in substance-related impairment.

What's Next

The authors caution that the study does not provide definitive conclusions about depression treatment and substance use. However, they do suggest that clinicians treating teens for depression screen for signs of substance use and address those issues as well, even if the teen does not meet criteria for a full-blown substance abuse disorder.

Reference

Goldstein BI, Shamseddeen W, Spirito A, Emslie G, Clarke G, Wagner KD, Asarnow JR, Vitiello B, Ryan N, Birmaher B, Mayes T, Onorato M, Zelazny J, Brent D. Substance use and the treatment of resistant depression in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009 Dec. 48(12):1182-1192.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

Additional Sources of Information:

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Early Intervention for Autistic Toddlers Improves Their Chances?

2010-01-06T06:09:04-08:00

Children with autism who receive a high intensity developmental behavioral intervention starting by age 18-30 months show major improvements in IQ, language, adaptive behavior, and severity of their diagnosis, according to an NIMH-funded study.

Background

Current guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend screening children for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by age 18 months. However, no randomized clinical trials of intensive interventions for this age group had been conducted.

To address this gap, Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., who was at the University of Washington at the time of the study, and colleagues randomly assigned 48 children, ages 18-30 months, to one of two intervention groups:

Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a comprehensive, developmental behavioral intervention designed for toddlers with ASD as young as 12 months old. ESDM combines aspects of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) with developmental and relationship-based approaches.
Assess and Monitor (A/M), the comparison group intervention in which parents received recommendations on ASD interventions for their children, as well as referrals to local community providers of the interventions. A/M represents typical community-based care.

Children in the ESDM group were provided 20 hours per week of therapy from study clinicians, while their parents received related training to use ESDM strategies for at least five additional hours per week during their daily activities. Parents of all study participants were also free to receive other community services they thought appropriate.

All children in the study had been diagnosed with autism or a milder form of ASD called pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). They were assessed yearly for two years or until the child turned four years old, whichever was longer.

Results of the Study

By the first- year assessment, children in the ESDM group gained 15.4 IQ points on average, while children in the A/M group gained an average of 4.4 points.

Over the two-year study period, children in the ESDM group consistently improved on measures of communication skills. They also showed improvements in motor skills, daily living skills, and other adaptive behaviors.

While children in the ESDM group were significantly delayed in their adaptive behaviors compared to typically developing children, they showed similar rates of improvement. In contrast, children in the A/M group fell further and further behind over time.

By the end of the study, more children who had received ESDM received improved diagnoses than children in the A/M group—seven children initially diagnosed with autistic disorder had their diagnosis change to PDD-NOS after receiving ESDM (30 percent), compared to only one child in the A/M group (5 percent).

Significance

According to the researchers, this is the first randomized controlled trial to study a potentially useful intensive intervention for very young children with ASD.

The study's findings suggest that ESDM can help children with ASD achieve better outcomes in terms of IQ, language, and behavioral skills, and in severity of their ASD diagnosis, than if they receive community-based care. Compared to research on other, similar interventions, this study showed greater differences between groups, suggesting that ESDM, delivered at a very young age, may be more effective than other approaches. The researchers noted that parents' use of ESDM strategies at home may have been key to this intervention's effectiveness.

What's Next

The University of Washington research team has been funded through the NIH Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) program to follow this study's participants to determine whether the effects of ESDM can be sustained over time. In addition, Dr. Sally Rogers, Ph.D., a co-author on the study and co-developer with Dr. Dawson of the ESDM model, is leading a multi-site, randomized clinical trial of ESDM, also funded through the NIH ACE program. With a larger sample size, the investigators hope to better understand factors that predict level of response to the ESDM intervention.

Reference

Dawson G, Rogers S, Munson J, Smith M, Winter J, Greenson J, Donaldson A, Varley J. Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Intervention for Toddlers With Autism: The Early Start Denver Model. Pediatrics. 2009 Nov 30. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 19948568.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

Great Youtube Video on Autism

Thirteen Great Books on Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Nine Resource and Support Groups for Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Additional Resources:

For related articles on autism spectrum disorders on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog, go to “Psychiatric Disorders: Autism Spectrum Disorders” or type in the keyword “Autism Spectrum disorders” into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, click any hyperlinked keyword in the blog or type in the keyword, “autism spectrum disorders” into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Sources: See blogposts in: Psychiatric Disorders: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Youtube

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com

Does Long-term Depression Treatment Lead to Sustained Recovery for Depressed Teens?

2010-01-06T06:05:49-08:00

Long-term treatment of adolescents with major depression is associated with continuous and persistent improvement of depression symptoms in most cases, according to the most recent analysis of follow-up data from the NIMH-funded Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). The report, along with a commentary compiling the take-home messages of the study, was published in the October 2009 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Background

The TADS team randomly assigned 439 adolescents aged 12 to 17 to one of four treatment strategies for 36 weeks—the antidepressant fluoxetine (Prozac) only, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) only, the combination of the two, or placebo (inactive or "sugar" pill). After the first 12 weeks, the placebo group was discontinued, while the participants assigned to the active interventions continued treatment for another six months. Overall, the combination therapy was found to be the most effective in speeding up remission. Visit the NIMH website for more information about TADS results.

After the trial ended, the teens who had been assigned to the active treatments were assessed up to four times during the following year to determine if improvements were sustained over time. TADS treatments were no longer offered, but participants were encouraged to continue to seek treatment within their communities.

Participants who had been assigned to the placebo group received open treatment during the one-year follow-up period and were not included in this follow-up assessment. About 66 percent of TADS subjects (not including those who had been in the placebo group) participated in at least one assessment during the follow-up year.

Results of the Study

By the end of the 36-week trial, 82 percent of participants had improved and 59 percent had reached full remission. During the follow-up year, most participants maintained their improvements, and the remission rate climbed to 68 percent. However, about 30 percent of the participants who were in remission at week 36 became depressed again during the following year.

In addition, while 91 percent of participants showed no evidence of suicidal thinking or behavior at the end of the trial, 6 percent developed suicidal thinking during the follow-up year, with no statistically significant differences among the treatment groups.

Significance

The longer-term treatment of TADS, regardless of treatment strategy, was associated with lasting benefits for the majority of participants. However, a significant number of those who had recovered worsened during the follow-up period, indicating a need for continuous clinical monitoring and further improvement in long-term treatment of youth with major depression.

What's Next?

The final results of TADS suggest that for most teens with depression, long-term, evidence-based treatments are effective and sustainable. But future research should concentrate on improving treatment strategies to reduce the rate of depression relapse or deterioration. The authors suggest that a randomized maintenance therapy trial would help determine how long active treatment should last to ensure the effects of treatment will endure over time.

References

TADS Team. The Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS): Outcomes over one year of naturalistic follow-up. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2009 Oct. 166(10): 1141-1149.

March JS and Vitiello B. Take home messages from the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). American Journal of Psychiatry. 2009 Oct.166(10):1118-1123.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health

Additional Sources of Information:

Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Additional Resources:

For related articles on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog type in the keywords into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
For more books with related content, type in the keywords into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.

Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England