"Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Blog" - 5 new articles
Great News! Dr. Jeff and Dr. Tanya Now Offer Their Blogposts in a Podcast Format. Subscribe Today!Great News for the Readers of Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Blogposts! To get the blogposts as podcasts simply go to our Odiogo Page and click Subscribe so that you can listen to our blog post content on the go on your iPod or MP3 player. Or click here to go directly to our audio-enriched RSS feed. Or if you prefer listen to our blogposts in audio while you are logged onto our blog, simply go to Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Blog and and click on the Listen Now button at the top of each blogpost. There is absolutely no charge for this new service. We are sure that you will love this new option! Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
The Facts About Generalized Anxiety DisorderCheck out The Facts about Generalized Anxiety Disorder authored by Dr. Jeff and Dr. Tanya and now available in a great informational website hosted by Squidoo.com. Below is a sneak preview of the website's Table of Contents:
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Anxiety
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
Do Antidepressants Help Anxious Older Adults?Mental health professionals have long debated the usefulness of prescribing antidepressants in older anxious adults. A article published in Medical News Today January 21, 2009, “Anxious Older Adults May Benefit From Antidepressants,” examines this issue.The article reports on a study published in the Jan. 21, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers studied “…177 people over the age of 60. Average age was about 73. Half received the SSRI drug escitalopram, and the rest took an inactive placebo. Participants took one pill per day. If their symptoms didn't improve after four weeks, a second pill was added. In patients receiving the drug, taking two pills increased the dosage from 10 mg. to 20 mg. The higher dose more effectively reduced anxiety.” The results were interesting. “After 12 weeks of treatment, 68 percent of patients taking escitalopram had improved. About 51 percent of those taking the placebo showed improvement.” All the patients met the criteria for the diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), “a condition of chronic, difficult-to-control worry. Associated symptoms include insomnia, fatigue, muscle tension and irritability….A person with Generalized Anxiety Disorder spends, on average, about 40 hours a week worrying..They worry about very real things, but the inability to put those worries out of their minds makes the condition disabling." The researchers note that many of these older patients are prescribed by their Primary Care Physician a strong sedative like Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, or Ativan for their symptoms. Unfortunately, many of these medications have significant side effects in the elderly including confusion and imbalance making them at risk for falls and other mishaps. Clinical experience shows that long term use of these agents can cause significant cognitive impairment in the long run. The researchers also noted another interesting finding from the study. “…that escitalopram helped some patients lower blood pressure…if their blood pressure was normal, it stayed the same. If they had high blood pressure, it got better." An initial side effect of antidepressants in this population was fatigue and sleepiness but that resolved within a few weeks on the medication. One question that was not addressed by this study was the positive impact of targeted cognitive behavioral therapy for these symptoms either alone or in combination with medication. The answer to that question will have to await further study. The Bottom Line: The results of these studies suggests that antidepressants may be helpful in the treatment of anxiety in the elderly. Reference: Original Article Resources:
Great Youtube Video on Depression in Older Adults:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Aging
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
Can You Improve Your Mood and Serious Mental Illness With Physical Activity?Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship between mood and physical activity. An article published in Medical News Today January 15, 2009, "Improving Mood And Serious Mental Illness With Physical Activity,"examines this issue.The article reports on a study published in the November 2008 issue of the International Journal of Social Psychiatry. The study involved “…11 people from the U.S.and 12 people from Serbia.”The results were interesting. “…even meager levels of physical activity can improve the mood of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) such as bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.” The researchers found “ …a positive association between physical activity level and positive mood when low to moderate levels of physical activity are considered…Physical activity interventions that require lower levels of exertion might be more conducive to improving transitory mood, or the ups and downs people with SMI experience throughout the day." The study points to the conclusion that even modest physical activity show be part of the daily treatment plan for this patient population. Modest physical activity includes “…most forms of sustained movement, such as house cleaning, gardening, walking for transportation or formal exercise.” The Bottom Line: Even modest physical activity has a beneficial effect on mood in individuals with serious mental illness. Reference: Original Article Resources:
Great Youtube Video on Exercise and Depression:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
How Can Parents Best Help Their Depressed Adolescents?Mental health professionals have long wondered about the best parenting approach for depressed adolescents. A article published in Medical News Today January 11, 2009,"Preventing Teenage Depression By Recognizing Children's Successes In All Areas,"examines this issue. The article reports on a study titled, “"Low Academic Competence in First Grade as a Risk Factor for Depressive Cognitions and Symptoms in Middle School," recently published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The researchers studied “…the behaviors of 474 boys and girls in the first grade and re-examined the students when they entered middle school.” The results were interesting. “…students who struggled academically with core subjects, such as reading and math, in the first grade later showed risk factors for negative self-beliefs and depressive symptoms as they entered sixth and seventh grade.” The researchers noted that "One of the main ways children can get others to like them in school is by being good students. Children with poor academic skills may believe that they have one less method for influencing important social outcomes, which could lead to negative consequences later in life. Children's individual differences will always exist in basic academic skills, so it is necessary to explore and emphasize other assets in students, especially those with lower academic skill relative to their peers." The researchers suggest that parents celebrate their adolescent’s skills in other areas including, “…interpersonal skills, non-core academic areas, athletics and music." The Bottom Line: Parents of depressed adolescents who struggle in school can best support their children by celebrating their child’s skills in other areas including, interpersonal skills, non-core academic areas, athletics and music. Reference: Original Article Great Youtube Video on Adolescent Depression:
Resources: Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: Adolescent and Young Adult
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
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