Anyone who's contemplating suicide needs help. They need someone to help them realize that whatever difficulties they're facing, they aren't trapped. They can get through their problems with someone by their side. Most teens who have attempted suicide state that they didn't really want to die, they were just trying to escape from a situation that seemed unresolvable at the time.

But if someone turns to the Internet for help, researchers from the UK's University Bristol, Oxford and Manchester have discovered that they're likely to get the wrong kind of help. The researchers entered a dozen suicide-related search terms into four Internet search engines to see what results they would get. They used the first 10 sites from each search for a total of 480 web sites. Out of those sites, only 13% were geared toward suicide prevention. Only 59 sites strongly discouraged suicide. The remaining sites offered information on suicide methods -- not the type of information that someone who is contemplating suicide needs to read.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please seek help immediately. See a counselor, talk to a trusted adult, visit your religious leader, or call a suicide crisis line (1-800-442-HOPE) or your local emergency number (911).

Source

Scientists are about to begin clinical trails to test whether Omega-3 works toward treating depression. The two fatty acids being tested are EPA and DHA which are naturally-occurring in certain foods like flaxseed and walnuts. Some other very rich omega-3 eatables include salmon, soybeans and tofu.

Helping curb depression has previously been considered a benefit of eating these types of food, but as this article suggests, this study will be the first to pit the two acids against each other (and a placebo). After recruiting 300 individuals to test, they should have a more conclusive idea on its effects. However, previous tests have claimed there is not a connection to depression and omega-3 (and contradictory studies to rebut those tests too).

At this point, there's a bit of conflicting literature on the topic. Who can say for sure if these results will be significantly different than the other studies? One thing is for sure though: as a society so heavily medicated for this brain condition, it would be nice to have a more natural, scientifically proven treatment for depression.

Source

Depression, unfortunately, is no stranger in our society these days. It can take many forms, from a brief period of passing sadness to an unshakable chronic state of the blues. In the worst of cases suicide becomes a real threat, and recognizing the symptoms can mean the difference between saving somebody's life or letting them die from a treatable illness.

The symptoms of suicide, courtesy of WebMD:

• Talking about suicide/killing oneself
• Frequently talking or thinking about death in general
• Making self-depreciating and negative comments about being worthless, helpless, or hopeless
• Making statements like "it would be better if i wasn't here " or "I want out"
• Losing interest in things they used to care about

Source

As the mercury in the thermometer drops and the last few leaves fall off the trees, many of us will be feeling a bit blue. But are we suffering from a standard case of the blues, or is it a sign of something bigger like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? According to AOL Body, here are the signs that it might be SAD:

• You crave comfort foods, especially carbs, and may even gain weight as a result
• You mood is distinctly worse during the winter -- but you perk up as soon as summer shows up again
• You're depressed throughout the day -- no just as certain times like mid-afternoon.
  
• You're depressed despite the absence of any sort of traumatic recent event that would cause it.
  
• You feel drowsy all day long, and can't seem to get enough sleep.

If you think you might have SAD, talk to your doctor. There are natural ways to treat the condition.

Source

A new report out this week stated that teenagers who smoke cigarettes may become more susceptible to depression and alcohol/drug abuse. The actual figures stand at nine times more likely to abuse alcohol and 13 times more likely to abuse drugs. All from smoking cigarettes.

So, although smoking, for some reason, is still seen as "cool" or "hip" for many teens, the effects pile up towards a bigger predisposition to substance abuse in their futures. Yeah, smoking is neat-o.

Although the report was published and funded by the anti-tobacco group Citizen's Commission to Protect the Truth, there is no agenda besides trying to get teens off cigarettes (or prevent them from trying).

Source

Think about it for a minute...what job or job fields do you think are the most depressing? The answer is one I think will either surprise you or it won't, depending on your personal experiences.

Source

Which kind of workers have the highest level of job-related depression? According to a new survey, those occupations would include child care workers, home health care aides and other people who provide personal services.

Where are the general corporate workers, stockbrokers and attorneys at? They're not to be found at the top of having one or more depression episode last year.

Money indeed creates some sense of satisfaction for many, as home health care workers and child care advocates generally have low wages -- along with the human factor weighing heavily on the daily agenda of people in this career field. Notice I didn't say 'workers,' but 'people.' I'm not sure the term "worker" is the best description here.

On the flip side, the least-depressing careers from the same study included those in the architecture, engineering, sciences and maintenance/repair fields.

Source

For many people, thoughts of retirement begin as soon as they join the workforce after college. But new studies are showing that people who spend to much time thinking about their retirement may actually be depressed. In fact, the findings also showed that those who were depressed were more likely to retire early.

I think these findings make a lot of sense -- I'd venture a guess that those who enjoy their jobs and feel fulfilled and challenged by them are less likely to think about retiring, and less likely to be depressed. But for those people, there's another kind of risk -- trying to tear them away from the job when it really is time to retire.

What do you think?

Source

Considering retirement? We all dream of the day we can kick our feet up and start having fun instead of being a slave to the timeclock. But new research suggests that many men and women make the decision to retire for the wrong reason: because they're depressed.

Of course I'm sure it's rarely a conscious influence, but experts say that 1 in 10 working adults will experience depression in any given year and that adults who have symptoms of depression are more likely to retire earlier. The study included 3,000 adults from Finland, where (in theory) depression should have a lesser effect than here in the States due to a better post-retirement "safety net" provided by the Finnish government. I guess it makes sense that unhappy people are less motivated to continue working, but it's sad that a negative state of mind can influence such a major decision in somebody's life.

So if so many people suffer from depression, if it's such a common occurrence, what are we doing wrong? What can be done to avoid it?

Source

Source

You may know that your mental health can affect your children's state of mind, but did you know that it might also impact their physical health, too? According to a new study in Pediatrics, the rates of both emergency room visits and sick visits to primary care departments were higher for children who were exposed to at least one parent with depression.

Researchers aren't sure yet whether these kids actually get sick more often, if their parents just have a tougher time diagnosing and treating them on their own, or if there's poor parenting by the depressed parents. Regardless of reason, researchers suggest that improved treatment of depressed parents may have beneficial effects on the physical and mental health of their children. They also recommend efforts aimed at early detection of psychiatric and medical problems in offspring.

Source

A new study shows that the best treatment for depression patients that aren't responding to medication is exercise. It's been previously shown that physically active people are less likely to suffer from symptoms of depression, and also that exercise can be used as an effective part of an overall depression treatment program, but this is the first time exercise has been looked at in regards to helping people whose symptoms are resistant to medications.

This strengthens the evidence that although exercise should always be part of an effective depression treatment regimen, it should be especially focused on in difficult cases.

Source

When I'm feeling low, I reach for the macaroni and cheese, the pasta, the bread, the tapioca pudding. Those are my comfort foods, what I irrationally use to feel better, though I tend to feel worse afterwards. But a new study shows that we don't always binge on comfort foods when we're feeling down -- we do it when we're feeling happy too.

The reason is simple -- comfort foods are things that are usually full of carbs or sugar so they help maintain a good mood. Also, they're foods we love, and when we're feeling good we like to reward ourselves. I believe it -- when I worked a regular work week, I always felt the need to reward myself on Friday, as if it was some sort of special occasion, a reward for getting through yet another grueling week. I also rewarded myself on Saturday because, hooray, I have a day off. And Sunday I had an extra helping of dessert because boo-hoo, I had to go back to work tomorrow. You get the gist.

What can we do? I wish I could change my idea of comfort food from Mac n'Cheese to carrots or low-fat cottage cheese, but alas, I don't see that happening any time soon. How about a different sort of rewards system that doesn't involve food? Like, say, a pedicure for a job well done? How do you resist the allure of comfort food?

Source

It seems that all too often these days treating depression is a one-stop-shop for medications. Even the most well-meaning of psychiatrists and general physicians can lose sight of the real issues and think of mood problems as simply a brain chemistry problem and not a whole mind-body-spirit problem. Medications can certainly help, but they're one of many tools that should be used together for successful and lasting treatment. This article on WebMD has some interesting ideas on the components that go into treating depression and anxiety disorders using a combination of Eastern and Western ideas. What's your philosophy?

Source

Some of the most depressing jobs on this planet are the ones where people are isolated for long periods, such as in Australian mining towns or on Antarctic stations. But in the future we're no longer going to be dealing with just "on this planet" anymore, a new job opportunity is fast approaching that will carry with it similar mental health challenges: working on the moon.

Researchers are now looking further into the link between isolation and mental health than they ever have before in preparation for the impending need for workers on the moon. Understanding how people will be affected by the environment and distance from home (and Earth!) will go a long way to minimizing negative effects and keeping everybody happy.

Source

Feeling great and being in a good mood is a very complicated process made up of numerous pieces and processes. If you're having trouble with your exercise and fitness goals you should consider carefully why that might be. Although there are any number of reasons you may be lacking motivation, like whether or not you're doing something you love for exercise (don't try to make yourself jog every day if you hate running!), it's worth considering other sneakier causes. The science of feeling great is a complicated one!

One aspect of making sure you're "in the mood" to exercise is making sure you give your brain what it needs to be positive and happy. Brain chemistry is a delicate balance of many things, including your metabolism (no, it's not just about energy and calorie burning, but mood too!) and neurotransmitters like seratonin -- which is responsible for feelings of happiness, calm, relaxation, confidence, concentration, and personal well-being. A lack of seratonin can lead to depression, as it does all too frequently for many people in this country.

Source