All posts tagged: depression

Roaring ’20s Or Great Depression 2.0?

Roaring ’20s Or Great Depression 2.0?

Published by skeptic

Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog, The binary ahead is the result of a simple law of Nature: adapt or die. Will we revel in a New Roaring 20s of exhilarating expansion, or will we suffer a Great Depression 2.0? Gordon Long and I explore this binary in our latest podcast. Why is the next decade a binary of extremes rather than another period of “muddle through”? The short answer: Cycles. Take your pick: the Fourth Turning, the Kondratieff credit cycle, Peter Turchin’s 50-year cycle, the Debt Supercycle, and a host of others–they’re all hitting their inflection points now. If you dismiss all the cycles, fine. Just look at the political, social and economic state of the world, and you reach the same conclusion: a major historical inflection point in in play.  While President Trump’s policies are drawing all the media attention, Gordon and I break it all down to three defining systemic dynamics: 1. America’s great wealth-income divides, i.e. the winners and losers of financialization and globalization: rural / urban, Main Street / Wall Street and the generational …

Emotional clarity modulates the link between inflammation and depression, study finds

Emotional clarity modulates the link between inflammation and depression, study finds

Published by José

A study of adolescents found that individuals with low levels of emotional clarity who also exhibited higher levels of the inflammatory markers interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein were more likely to experience severe symptoms of depression five months later. The paper was published in Brain Behavior and Immunity. Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities. These symptoms interfere with daily life, relationships, and productivity and, in severe cases, may lead to thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Depression can also affect physical health, causing changes in appetite, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. While it is one of the most common mental health disorders, treatment efficacy remains limited, with a large proportion of cases being categorized as treatment-resistant depression. Some researchers have observed that the behaviors of individuals with depression resemble those of people who are physically ill. These behaviors, referred to as “sickness behaviors,” include fatigue, concentration difficulties, slower motor function, and reduced interest in daily and social activities. When a …

Virtual reality cognitive training shows potential for depression

Virtual reality cognitive training shows potential for depression

Published by José

A study examining the effects of virtual reality cognitive training on Chinese adolescents with mild to moderate depression found that participants’ cognitive performance improved after treatment, and depressive symptoms decreased as well. The research was published in Psychiatry Research. Individuals with depression often experience cognitive impairments in addition to other symptoms of the condition, which further exacerbates their disease burden. Cognitive impairment in adolescents with depression often affects areas such as attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed, interfering with academic performance and daily activities. Depressed adolescents may struggle with concentration, leading to difficulties in completing tasks or retaining information. These impairments are thought to stem from disruptions in brain regions like the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, as well as imbalances in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. Cognitive deficits in depression can persist even during periods of remission, potentially impacting long-term development and quality of life. Study author Sihui Lyu and her colleagues conducted research to explore the effectiveness of virtual reality cognitive training in improving the cognitive functioning of adolescents with mild to …

Psychology Reveals 8 Odd Behaviors Often Linked To Hidden Depression

Psychology Reveals 8 Odd Behaviors Often Linked To Hidden Depression

Published by skeptic

When you have a cold or flu, the symptoms are obvious: Coughing, sneezing, congestion, and a general hatred of the universe. Symptoms and signs of hidden depression, on the other hand, aren’t as clear as rom-coms and made-for-TV movies make them out to be. Intense sadness and hopelessness are only some of the behaviors — not only can depressive symptoms range from mild to severe, but they can also disguise themselves as everyday habits and emotions you wouldn’t necessarily equate with being depressed. Here are odd behaviors often linked to hidden depression: 1. You keep yourself excessively busy Yuri A / Shutterstock Sure, we all have hectic schedules, but someone with depression might use being perma-busy as a way to steer clear of their feelings. One study found that workaholism frequently co-occurs with psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. “Keeping busy might be a way for them to ignore or avoid the painful issues that may be contributing to or triggering their depression,” says SooMi Lee-Samuel, M.D., medical director at Timberline Knolls, a residential treatment center …

Is Inflammation the Missing Link to Depression?

Is Inflammation the Missing Link to Depression?

Published by skeptic

Neuroinflammation Source: peterschreiber/iStock When we think of depression, we often hear about chemical imbalances in the brain involving molecules like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. But there’s a growing body of research suggesting that inflammation, which is the body’s natural immune response to stress, infection, or injury, could play a key role in the development of depression. This novel idea is called the neuroinflammation model of depression, and it may explain why depression can feel so physically exhausting and mentally debilitating. What Is Neuroinflammation? Inflammation is your body’s natural defense mechanism. When you have an injury, suffer a trauma, or develop an infection, your immune system releases chemicals called cytokines to fight off the problem. However, inflammation doesn’t always stay where it belongs. In neuroinflammation, these inflammatory chemicals cross into the brain and cause trouble, leading to symptoms like low mood, fatigue, and brain fog, which are classic symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). Traditionally, depression has been linked to deficiencies in brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters, but scientists are now finding that chronic inflammation might …

A Simple, Down-to-Earth Christmas Card from the Great Depression (1933)

A Simple, Down-to-Earth Christmas Card from the Great Depression (1933)

Published by José

The Smith­son­ian sets the scene for this Christ­mas card sent in 1933, a few years into the Great Depres­sion. They write: Despite the glum eco­nom­ic sit­u­a­tion, the Pinero fam­i­ly used a brown paper bag to fash­ion an inex­pen­sive hol­i­day greet­ing card. They penned a clever rhyme and added some charm­ing line draw­ings of Mom, Dad, and the kids with the mes­sage: “Oh, well—in spite of it all—here’s a Mer­ry Christ­mas from the Pineros.” On Decem­ber 19, 1933, they mailed it from Chica­go to friends in Mass­a­chu­setts, using a one-and-a-half-cent stamp. For a min­i­mal out­lay of cash, they were able to keep in touch with friends and com­ment on their reduced cir­cum­stances with wit and humor. This hand-let­tered poem is a delight­ful exam­ple of light verse, a whim­si­cal form of poet­ry intend­ed to enter­tain or amuse, even if treat­ing a seri­ous sub­ject in a humor­ous man­ner. In the poem, the Pineros sug­gest that they had strug­gled eco­nom­i­cal­ly for some time, but now, due to the con­tin­u­ing Depres­sion, oth­ers shared their finan­cial plight, which enabled them to …

Does psilocybin really provide long-term relief from depression, as new study suggests?

Does psilocybin really provide long-term relief from depression, as new study suggests?

Published by José

Psilocybin, the psychedelic substance found in magic mushrooms, is a promising new treatment for psychiatric disorders, especially depression. The beneficial effects on mood and anxiety of psilocybin are rapid and pronounced after just a single treatment. A small study even suggested that these benefits remain after a year. But what is really needed is a comparison of the long-term effect of psilocybin with another treatment (an antidepressant) or a placebo. Ideally, neither participants nor staff should be aware of who was given what – this is known as “double blind” and is used to remove bias in studies. Recently, a first such attempt was summarised in a published report. It is a six-month follow-up of a short psilocybin trial published in 2021. The original study ran for six weeks and included a group of 59 depressed patients, who were randomly allocated to receive either two doses of psilocybin or daily escitalopram, a commonly prescribed antidepressant. After six weeks, both groups showed reduced depression symptoms, without a difference between the groups. Now, outcomes at six months …

Residential greenness linked to lower risk of depression and anxiety

Residential greenness linked to lower risk of depression and anxiety

Published by José

Long-term exposure to residential greenness is associated with a reduced risk of depression and anxiety, as published in Nature Mental Health. Mental health conditions, particularly depression and anxiety, have been increasingly recognized as significant public health issues worldwide. Despite a broad range of genetic and environmental factors known to contribute to mental disorders, emerging research is exploring the potential mental health benefits of environmental exposures, including access to residential green spaces. Jianing Wang and colleagues pursued this line of investigation to determine whether long-term exposure to neighborhood greenness might reduce the risk of developing depression and anxiety. Previous studies examining the relationship between greenness and mental health have shown inconsistent findings, with some suggesting protective effects against mental health issues and others finding no such association. Many prior studies were cross-sectional, limiting their capacity to establish causation. The study conducted by Wang and colleagues addresses these limitations by employing a longitudinal approach, utilizing over 400,000 participants, and exploring possible mediating factors such as air pollution. The researchers utilized data from the UK Biobank, a large-scale …

Gen-X Women Are At A Crisis Point

Gen-X Women Are At A Crisis Point

Published by skeptic

Gen X women are at a crisis point. After years of child-rearing and making the house a home for her husband and family, working hard and trying to save for retirement while caring for older parents and relatives, she has reached her breaking point. She has been trying to be all things to everyone for far too long with little to no help, and she is now at the end of her rope.  She is underwhelmed by life fulfillment and doesn’t know how to be happy. A mid-life crisis is upon her. It is not just something men in this age group are facing. Gen X women born from 1965–1980, now in their 40s and 50s, feel lost.  They started to feel that they were losing their own identity as a person. After all of their hard years of work caregiving and in the workforce, Gen X women are no longer sure what they have to show for it. For this generation of women, their kids are growing up, and they don’t need their mom …

Large-scale study links ketamine to lower risk of suicidal ideation in depression patients

Large-scale study links ketamine to lower risk of suicidal ideation in depression patients

Published by José

A recent study published in Translational Psychiatry found that ketamine, a medication typically used as an anesthetic, may significantly reduce suicidal thoughts in individuals with recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) compared to those prescribed more common antidepressants. The research shows that those prescribed ketamine had a lower risk of developing suicidal ideation over the short and long term, up to 270 days following treatment, compared to patients taking other antidepressants. Major depressive disorder is a widespread condition that often recurs, meaning individuals who experience one episode of depression are highly likely to have future episodes. Recurrent MDD can be particularly challenging to treat, and many patients do not respond to traditional antidepressants. Suicidal ideation, or thoughts of suicide, is common among those with MDD and poses a major public health concern, as suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In recent years, ketamine has emerged as a promising treatment option for people with treatment-resistant depression. Research suggests that it can provide rapid relief from depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation. …