December 27, 2007
Holiday depression can be managed, experts say
J.M. BROWN
SENTINEL STAFF WRITER
Maybe it was seeing that holiday film featuring the "perfect family."
Maybe it was an argument with your brother over that old grudge. Or maybe it was the fact that you don't have anybody to gather with this season.
The holidays are a land mine of triggers for depression and stress as family, financial and social pressures mount during the last two weeks of the year. While local mental health experts note a measurable rise in depression over the holiday season -- especially among people who live alone or have no family -- the number of suicides or attempts do not seem to increase proportionately, they said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Plump babies may really be happier babies, Canadian and British researchers reported on Monday in a study that found people who had a low birth weight were more likely to have depression and anxiety later in life.
Jennifer Wider, M.D.
Society for Women’s Health Research
November 30, 2007
Although mood disorders and depression may occur at any age during a woman’s life, women seem to more vulnerable during times of hormonal fluctuations such as the menstrual period, pregnancy and perimenopause, according to a report released by the Society for Women’s Health Research in November.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2007) — Why do mental illness and drug addiction so often go together? New research reveals that this type of dual diagnosis may stem from a common cause: developmental changes in the amygdala, a walnut-shaped part of the brain linked to fear, anxiety and other emotions.