The general view is that low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are linked with depression. However a number of studies have found, not surprisingly, that the relationship is more complex than that according to a recent review by Geddes in the New Scientist (July 2010). Increased levels of serotonin in some regions of the brain […]
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So many people love eating chocolate, and believe it is a mood-influencing food giving pleasure plus a lift in mood – a happyfood! Now research suggests that many depressed people really do eat more chocolate. These findings came from both men and women who scored high on a psychometric depression scale but who were not […]
Read moreWe’ve known for ages that far more females than males suffer from depression and anxiety disorders, but it is frequently hypothesised that this is not the true state of things. This is because, in Western industrialised cultures, it is more acceptable to admit vulnerability especially psychological vulnerability if one is female, not male. The macho […]
Read moreThree recent small studies (see here or here ) looked at the effects of various 12-16 week exercise programmes on sufferers from schizophrenia. The types of exercise varied from more physically strenuous ones, such as strength training and jogging, to less energetic yoga. There were small improvements in physical health but greater improvements were found in mental states. […]
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Short but sad and moving cartoon strips concerning a range of mental health issues by a guy who spent time working on a psychiatric ward… See links below: Cuts and delusions Mad or bad Darkness It could be you Dementia ward
Read moreSome interesting material online lately regarding Alistair Campbell’s battle with depression, especially discussion regarding the notion that the condition might be somehow ‘good for you’ . Speaking on BBC Breakfast , Mr Campbell said it was the best thing that happened to him as “he sorted himself out after it” but that “it is a horrible, intense experience”. I don’t want to overstate Campbell’s point – in […]
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