Depression Alliance Scotland Email Newsletter
August 2006
News From DAS
Online Chat - Ask the Expert
Dr Chris Williams will be visiting our website to answer any questions you may have about emotional health problems in our first ever online “Ask the Expert” session. He will be live at our website to answer your questions on September 7th 2006 . The chat will take place from 8 - 8.45pm at: http://www.dascot.org/chat/daschat.html and you are welcome to join in.
Chris Williams is Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Glasgow . His main clinical and research interest is in the area of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). He has developed several written and computer-based self-help treatments for anxiety, depression and bulimia, including Living Life to the Full www.livinglifetothefull.com
Mother Father... Posters
Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey about our Mother, Father posters and for your useful comments. You can still comment on our posters by visiting http://www.dascot.org/pubs_quest.htm.
The posters have been designed to raise awareness of depression and that it can happen to anyone. If you would like a poster, you can order a single copy using our online form http://www.dascot.org/pubsorder.htm. If you would like more than one copy, there is a small charge. Download a Microsoft Word order form at http://www.dascot.org/multipubsform_0106.doc or call us on 0131 467 3050.
Website
Visit our website www.dascot.org for information about depression, and our services. The site also contains some downloadable publications, a publications order form for the rest of our publications and useful links. Your feedback on our website is always welcome. Email trishc@dascot.org.
Groups
We have spaces in all of our self-help support groups. Our groups provide a safe place for people affected by depression to meet others in a similar situation for mutual support. All groups are led by a trained volunteer facilitator. Visit www.dascot.org/groupslist.html for more information.
Volunteers wanted
We are seeking 2 volunteers for our Edinburgh office to help us in general administrative tasks for 2-3 hours per week. these will include photocopying, making up information packs and inputting on the database. Training and support will be provided for all tasks and travelling expenses will be reimbursed. For more information and an application pack contact Ruth Lang on 0131 467 3050 or email info@dascot.org
Events
International Suicide Prevention Awareness Week 4th - 10th September 2006
Around two people die from suicide in Scotland every day and it is the biggest killer of young Scottish men, yet suicide is still one of society's remaining taboos. International Suicide Prevention Awareness Week (ISPAW), running from 4th Sept - 10th Sept, aims to tackle this.
Choose Life will be using the week to raise awareness of the issue and what is being done across Scotland to tackle this hidden killer in society, but most importantly what the Scottish public can do to help, urging that: 'talking about suicide can save lives'.
In helping to raise awareness of these issues, Choose Life hopes to reduce the stigma associated with suicide and demonstrate that talking about your problems is not a weakness, but a necessity and that it is the responsibility of all in society to tackle this problem, and not brush it under the carpet.
Please click on the following link to find out more about ISPAW and how you can get involved with events in your area.
http://www.chooselife.net/web/site/ISPAW/ISPAW.asp
Website
Have Your Say On Stigma
Have you experienced stigma or discrimination as a result of mental ill health? Has stigma affected you as someone who has supported or cared for an individual with mental health problems? If so, then now's the chance to have your say. The national anti-stigma campaign, 'see me', wants to hear from you so that they can make sure they really are helping to stamp out stigma. You can complete the questionnaire online at www.seemescotland.org/survey If you would prefer you can get a paper copy of the survey by phoning 0131 624 8945.
Depression in the News Around the World
Childhood Depression
Depression can occur much earlier in life then many of us may have realised. Children as young as 11 have suffered from depression and there are things you can watch out for.
Clinical Psychologist, Dr Claire Roberts believes a good sign that things are not right is "when there is some sort of change in the child's behaviour or their mood. Children who become depressed are often more moody, irritable and stop doing things that they have enjoyed in the past. They may develop a lack of concentration, find it hard to go to sleep and regularly wake up in the middle of the night. Physical symptoms such as stomach pains and headaches may occur as well."
ABC News (Australia) 28/07/06
Man Utd legend Charlton to kick male depression into touch
Sir Bobby Charlton, England and Manchester United former footballer, has launched a new project to fight depression through football. It is a 12-week project targeted at men aged 16-34 who are affected by depression. “It’s A Goal” is to be based at Old Trafford football stadium however as men are more likely to feel able to go to a football ground than have to walk into a mental health unit, it is a project which could be based at any football stadium.
24dash.com 01/08/06
Lennon's Demons
Neil Lennon, captain of Celtic has revealed he has been battling depression on and off for nearly seven years. In his memoirs Neil Lennon: Man and Bhoy, the former captain of Northern Ireland reveals that he has affected by a recurrant depression since he played for Leicester City in the year 2000.
Lennon said he had revealed the truth about his depression in order to persuade people suffering from the illness to seek treatment. He also wants a public debate to destigmatise mental illness in general.
"I felt I had no choice but to explain to people about this terrible illness which afflicts so many," he said. He hopes that the reaction will be positive and that people will look at the issues surrounding mental health. He went on to say that "... depression is a serious problem for sports people as well as ordinary citizens - anyone can get it, even if they think they are mentally strong, as my case proves."
Scotland On Sunday 20/08/06
Brain Activity Predicts Treatment Results for Depression
Factors such as patient beliefs and expectations, treatment history and doctor-patient relationships may influence the success of drug therapy a study suggests. The lead author, Aimee M Hunter a research associate at the University of California LA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour said “more research is needed to identify the impact of other non-drug factors that affect brain activity and clinical improvements in patients receiving antidepressant treatment”.
Brain activity measured by EEG (electroencephalogram) showed changes during one week placebo lead in phase. The study of 51 people found decreases in cordance in the prefrontal region of the brain producing lower depression scores after 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment.
It is sometimes difficult to decide what the conclusions of such research mean. It sounds that this shows the obvious value of a positive relationship between individuals and their doctors and that information empowers people to understand their illness and treatment plans better and recover more easily.
Forbes.com (USA) 01/08/06
Antidepressants May Protect Brain from Damage
Dr Yvette I Sheline, of the Washington University of Medicine in St Louis has recently conducted a study showing that antidepressants may also protect the brain in individuals who have repeated bouts of major depression. Previously investigators reported that the size of a part of the brain, the hippocampus involved with learning and memory is small in people with depression. This may be linked to the fact that people with depression have trouble concentrating.
MRI scans have indicated that antidepressants may not only help depression but found in those who took antidepressants, the hippocampus had not shrunk as much as in those with depression not on antidepressants. This was only a small study in 38 women, however further research might be quite important, especially for people with multiple bouts of depression and on long term antidepressant medications.
PakTribune (Pakistan) 03/08/06
Depression and Childbirth
Coronation Street's new mum Claire Peacock's erratic behaviour will touch a nerve with one in six mums hit by postnatal depression (PND). It is a common condition that can happen to anyone. Now, new research from the University of Rochester in America has found was that not everyone affected by PND feels bad in the first six weeks after childbirth but they can become depressed later in the first year.
Dorry McKenzie's son Sean was one when PND struck her. Dorry, a member of Depression Alliance Scotland's Board of Directors, says in an interview in the Sun newspaper: "the depression had crept up on me. I could find no pleasure in anything..." She saw her GP and was prescribed anti-depressants and signed off work for three months. It took a year to recover but she says: "..as I came through the blackest year of my life, I found the 'old me' again".
Signs of PND may include
- Feeling restless or irritable
- Feeling sad, hopeless and overwhelmed
- Crying a lot
- Having no energy or motivation
Women can also get depression during pregnancy – two-thirds of pregnant women with depression aren’t getting treatment for it. A new University of Michigan Depression centre study has found that even those actually receiving treatment may not be getting enough.
This was a study of 1,837 pregnant women using a standard questionnaire that detects signs of depression. Dr Heather Flynn, the psychologist leading the study called the results ‘very troubling’. 276 women met the criteria for depression yet only 33% were receiving any treatment for it despite 17% of these having a serious depression and another 23% having a history of major depression. She also said that “A lot of women I see don’t really appreciate that the way they’ve been feeling isn’t normal, particularly during pregnancy. They attribute their fatigue, sleep and other problems to pregnancy…..Many women are never screened for depression or treated to prevent a recurrence of past depression.”
If you are concerned you may be affected by depression during pregnancy or postnatally speak to your health visitor or GP; you are far from being alone and there is a range of help available to aid your recovery. Visit http://www.dascot.org/pnd.html for more information.
13WHAM.com (USA) 07/08/06
Medical News Today 21/08/06
The Sun 23/08/06
Dads too affected by postnatal depression.
In a study of more than 5,000 US couples that had recently had a baby, 14% of mums and 10% of dads were found to have significant levels of depression. The study was published on Monday 7 th August in the Journal of Paediatric scientists and was led by Dr James F Paulson, an assistant professor of paediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. The 10% ratio is more than twice the rate seen among the general US population of men who develop depression.
Forbes.com (USA) 07/08/06
Signs of depression often clearer in hindsight
When does sadness become depression? Doctors say it is not always clear. Sometimes it is easier to see in hindsight as some signs can be hidden or quite subtle. Signs to look out for include:-
- Persistent sadness or anxiety
- Feelings of helplessness
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed
- Decreased energy and fatigue
- Difficulty in concentrating and making decisions
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Loss of appetite or weight, or overeating and weight gain
- Sometimes suicidal thoughts
- Restlessness and irritability
Depression is largely treatable with the right help and support, which is why early intervention is best. Remember, this can and does happen to anyone and is not a weakness of character.
Charlotte Observer (USA) 06/08/06
Drug 'treats depression in hours'
An anaesthetic can treat depression within hours, US research suggests. The study involving 17 patients found ketamine - used as an anaesthetic but also taken as a recreational drug - relieved symptoms of depression. Most existing treatments for depression take weeks or even months to relieve people's symptoms, but by the end of day one, 71% of the patients had responded to ketamine and 29% of these patients were nearly symptom free.
The drug works so quickly because rather than rather than slowly building up brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, like traditional anti-depressants, ketamine has a faster effect because it is targeting a different brain-protein, called the NMDA receptor, which is thought to play a critical role in learning and memory.
However the team, writing in Archives of General Psychiatry, said ketamine would need to be altered so it lost its existing hallucinatory side-effects.
BBC News 07/08/06
Help For Refractory Depression - Study
A study of 489 patients diagnosed with depression over a 2 year period in Los Angeles , by Mark Hyman Rapaport of Cedars-Sinai Hospital there suggests that people whose depression does not respond to standard treatments may benefit from treatment with an anti-psychotic drug such as Risperidone.These results were most relevant to people with severe depression.
United Press International (USA) 07/08/06
Exercise Depression Away
A recent study has indicated further proof of exercise being an increasingly important component in the treatment of even serious depression.
Dr Lev G Fedyniak cites a study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine comparing exercise against the antidepressant Zoloft (Sertraline/Lustral in the UK). After 16 weeks both groups of subjects showed decreased levels of depression with virtually no difference between them. Other studies suggest exercise is even more effective in fighting depression than typically prescribed anti-depressant medications. However to be effective exercise must be moderate.
It is considered that exercise introduces a stabilizing mechanism that maintains neurotransmitter levels. Exercise can also increase self-confidence and self-esteem as well as improve sleep.
The key is not so much the type of exercise, says Fedyniak, but its consistent application to achieve a positive and lasting effect. But it needs to be an enjoyable activity that will not be a chore. It’s important to set simple realistic goals at the outset of an exercise programme. A variable routine can also be helpful such as jogging one day and cycling another for 3 times a week at least 20-30 minutes.
IslamOnline.net 08/08/06
Volunteering prescribed for people with depression in Edinburgh
GPs are set to prescribe work for patients under new plans to treat people who are isolated or suffering from depression. GPs will refer patients to volunteer services in Edinburgh in a bid to help them meet people and get involved in the community
The tactic is to be used to treat people with depression or patients who have been isolated or house-bound following a long period of physical illness. Surgeries in south Edinburgh are to be the first to pilot the GP scheme next year, which will be rolled out across the city if it is successful.
In a recent survey carried out by Volunteer Scotland, 48 per cent of volunteers with existing health issues said they had experienced longer periods of robust health since they started volunteering. In England, the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, which is carrying out research into how volunteering affects people affected by various mental health conditions published preliminary findings today that suggest a "strong link" between volunteering and recovery.
Guardian Online 09/08/06
Evening News 10/08/06
A walk in the woods prescribed instead of pills in Glasgow
People with high blood pressure, obesity, stress, anxiety or mild depression could be given a prescription to join established healthy walking groups. Two projects have started in Drumchapel and Easterhouse and a third is planned for people in Castlemilk to use nearby Cathkin Braes.
The move to prescribe walks comes after similar schemes in the city saw doctors hand out prescriptions for gym classes and self-help books.
Evening Times 23/08/06
Marriage touted as helping cure depression
A new study by Ohio University says that contrary to popular perception getting married is not at all depressing. In fact marriage enhances mental health particularly if a person is already feeling depressed. Dr Adrianne Frech, a co-author of the study who is a doctorial student in sociology at the University said that “Marriage may give depressed people a greater sense that they matter to someone.”
Earthtimes.org 14/08/06
Champion cyclist gets film festival off to Flying start
The Flying Scotsman, a film telling Scottish cycling champion Graeme Obree's story of success and tragedy was shown on the opening night the 60th Edinburgh International Film Festival. The cyclist's battle against depression is a large part of the story. The film got a rousing reception.
The Scotsman 15/08/06
Well Being Nurses for Mental Health Services
The Westminster government have announced plans to boost the physical health of people with mental health problems who tend to suffer higher rates of heart disease and diabetes as well as other health problems. England and Wales primary care trusts will receive funding to appoint specialist nurses.
StaffNurse.com 18/08/06
Edinburgh Crisis Centre
The Edinburgh Crisis Centre opened on 23rd August. The Centre will provide a 24-hour telephone help line all year round to people aged 18 years and over who use or have used mental health services and their carers. Staff will offer emotional support and information using the Centre’s resources to help in developing plans to resolve the crisis.
Access to the Centre should be arranged in advance with Centre staff via the free phone line: 0808 801 0414. The website will be: www.edinburghcrisiscentre.org.uk but this has not been launched at the time of writing.
Correction from previous e-newsletter
Software better than drugs for moderate depression, says NICE - June 2006
The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy software mentioned in this article designed to help people beat panic attacks and phobias is called Fear Fighter. Our newsletter said it was called Fire Fighter. We apologise for this mistake.
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