Psychiatry Blog and Resources
From a Trusted Licensed Psychiatrist
Resources
AACAP American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists: Families and Youth
ADAA Anxiety and Depression Association of America provides education, training, and research for anxiety, OCD, PTSD, depression, and related disorders
ADDitude Magazine offers many excellent, practical tips for managing ADD/ADHD for both children and adults
APA American Psychiatric Association: Healthy Minds Healthy Lives
APA American Psychological Association: Psychology Help Center
AnxietyCanada for understanding anxiety, with tools to help (video, audio, worksheets, smartphone app)
ASPEN Asperger Autism Syndrome Education Network in New Jersey
Autism Society Improving the lives of all affected by Autism
Caregiver Action Network for those who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age
CDC Child Development and Positive Parenting for children at every age and stage of growth
CHADD Adults with ADHD
CHADD Parents and Caregivers of Children with ADHD
DBSA Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of New Jersey provides education, support, outreach and advocacy for people living with mood disorders
IOCDF International OCD Foundation offers help for adults and children
NASW National Association of Social Workers: Health & Wellness, Kids & Families, Mind & Spirit, Seniors & Aging
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline if you (or a friend or family member) is struggling with suicidal thoughts
NEDA National Eating Disorders Association for individuals and families affected by eating disorders
NCADV National Council Against Domestic Violence: information and help
NCLD National Center for Learning Disabilities for both children and adults with learning disabilities
NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse: the science of drug abuse and addiction
NIMH National Institute of Mental Health Schizophrenia: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
NINDS National Institute of Health Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep
NJ Department of Education information about Special Education and Implementation of IDEA
SPAN Statewide Parent Advocacy Network: resource for NJ parents of children with special needs
WorryWiseKids information and guidance for helping children with anxiety disorders
There is an overwhelming amount of information (and misinformation) available online regarding mental health issues. As a general rule, information provided by educational institutions (.edu), professional organizations (.org) and government agencies (.gov) is backed up with credible research and therefore generally considered reliable. In addition there are specific media outlets which are highly regarded when covering health news.
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Stress under and coming out of Covid time? Practice acceptance of yourself and others, move around again with other and remember what Richard Carlson wrote in his still-terrific book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: “.... when we’re blowing things out of proportion, we are the ones doing the blowing."
Mediterranean Diet Improves Mental Health, Study Finds
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish has repeatedly been found to improve mental healthfruits, vegetables,
whole grains, nuts, and fish—and low in processed foods (known as the Mediterranean diet) has been repeatedly suggested to have a positive effect on physical health, mental health, and quality of life (QoL). Now, a new randomized controlled trial has demonstrated that effect yet again for people with depression. The researchers found that depression scores and quality of life were both improved in a group with this diet when compared to a group receiving only social supports.
According to the researchers, “Higher Mediterranean diet scores were significantly associated with lower depression, anxiety, negative affect and better coping and overall QoL.”
These findings are consistent with another study published this year, which found that the Mediterranean diet resulted in remission of depressive symptoms in about 33% of participants—compared to only 8% of the control group. Another study this year suggested that nutritional deficiencies could be related to psychotic experiences as well.
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One of the most common misconceptions is that one human year equals seven dog years in terms of aging. However, this equivalency is misleading and has been consistently dismissed by veterinarians. A recent study, published in the journal Cell Systems, lays out a new framework for comparing dog-to-human aging. In one such comparison, the researchers found the first eight weeks of a dog’s life is comparable to the first nine months of human infancy, but the ratio changes over time. The research used epigenetics, a process by which modifications occur in the genome, as a biological marker to study the aging process. By comparing when and what epigenetic changes mark certain developmental periods in humans and dogs, researchers hope to gain specific insight into human aging as well. Researchers performed a comprehensive analysis and quantitatively compared the progression of aging between two mammals, dogs and humans. Scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and collaborators at the University of California (UC) San Diego, UC Davis and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine carried out the research. All mammals experience the same overarching developmental timeline: birth, infancy, youth, puberty, adulthood and death. But researchers have long sought specific biological events that govern when such life stages take place. One means to study such a progression involves epigenetics — gene expression changes caused by factors other than the DNA sequence itself. Recent findings have shown that epigenetic changes are linked to specific stages of aging and that these are shared among species. Researchers focused on one type of epigenetic change called methylation, a process in which molecules called methyl groups are attached to particular DNA sequences, usually parts of a gene. Attaching to these DNA regions effectively turns the gene into the "off" position. So far, researchers have identified that in humans, methylation patterns change predictably over time. These patterns have allowed the creation of mathematical models that can accurately gauge the age of an individual — called "epigenetic clocks." But these epigenetic clocks have only been successful in predicting human age. They do not seem to be valid across species, such as in mice, dogs, and wolves. To see why the epigenetic clocks in these other species differed from the human version, researchers first studied the epigenetic changes over the lifetime of a domestic dog and compared the results obtained with humans. Dogs are a useful model for such comparisons because much of their environment, diet, chemical exposure, and physiological and developmental patterns are similar to humans. "Dogs experience the same biological hallmarks of aging as humans, but do so in a compressed period, around 10 to 15 years on average, versus over 70 years in humans. This makes dogs invaluable for studying the genetics of aging across mammals, including humans One of the most common misconceptions is that one human year equals seven dog years in terms of aging. However, this equivalency is misleading and has been consistently dismissed by veterinarians. A recent study, published in the journal Cell Systems, lays out a new framework for comparing dog-to-human aging. In one such comparison, the researchers found the first eight weeks of a dog’s life is comparable to the first nine months of human infancy, but the ratio changes over time. The research used epigenetics, a process by which modifications occur in the genome, as a biological marker to study the aging process. By comparing when and what epigenetic changes mark certain developmental periods in humans and dogs, researchers hope to gain specific insight into human aging as well. Researchers performed a comprehensive analysis and quantitatively compared the progression of aging between two mammals, dogs and humans. Scientists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and collaborators at the University of California (UC) San Diego, UC Davis and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine carried out the research. All mammals experience the same overarching developmental timeline: birth, infancy, youth, puberty, adulthood and death. But researchers have long sought specific biological events that govern when such life stages take place. One means to study such a progression involves epigenetics — gene expression changes caused by factors other than the DNA sequence itself. Recent findings have shown that epigenetic changes are linked to specific stages of aging and that these are shared among species. Researchers focused on one type of epigenetic change called methylation, a process in which molecules called methyl groups are attached to particular DNA sequences, usually parts of a gene. Attaching to these DNA regions effectively turns the gene into the "off" position. So far, researchers have identified that in humans, methylation patterns change predictably over time. These patterns have allowed the creation of mathematical models that can accurately gauge the age of an individual — called "epigenetic clocks." But these epigenetic clocks have only been successful in predicting human age. They do not seem to be valid across species, such as in mice, dogs, and wolves. To see why the epigenetic clocks in these other species differed from the human version, researchers first studied the epigenetic changes over the lifetime of a domestic dog and compared the results obtained with humans. Dogs are a useful model for such comparisons because much of their environment, diet, chemical exposure, and physiological and developmental patterns are similar to humans. Dogs experience the same biological hallmarks of aging as humans, but do so in a compressed period, around 10 to 15 years on average, versus over 70 years in humans. This makes dogs invaluable for studying the genetics of aging across mammals, including humans. |
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Dr. Marc Cantillon, MD is a seasoned expert with years of experience in providing psychiatry services. His practice also extends to offering expert witness evaluation and testimony as well as executive coaching for professionals. You can learn more about what he does by reading this blog or by reaching out via the provided contact details on this website.
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us."- Joseph Campbell
