Posts Tagged ‘Boston Anxiety Treatment’

Study finds that treatment of depression can increase work productivity. Get help for depression.

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Check out this study showing that depression negatively impacts productivity at work and that treatment of depression can improve performance and productivity at work. Another important point is that for many people, feeling like you are doing a good job at work can be a source of satisfaction that can help maintain a more positive mood.

If you are feeling down or depressed, effective treatment for depression including counseling and psychopharmacological treatment is available.

Excerpts from Study:

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health CAMH (in Canada) has found that employees with depression who receive treatment while still working are significantly more likely to be highly productive than those who do not. This is the first study of its kind to look into a possible correlation between treatment and productivity.

People who experienced a depressive episode were significantly less likely to be highly productive, the study showed. “We expected this, as past research has found that depression has adverse effects on comprehension, social participation, and day-to-day-functioning,” said Dr. Carolyn Dewa, Head of CAMH’s Centre for Research on Employment and Workplace Health and lead author.

“What’s exciting is we found that treatment for depression improves work productivity. People who had experienced a moderate depressive episode and received treatment were 2.5 times more likely to be highly productive compared with those who had no treatment,” she says.  “Likewise, people who experienced severe depression were seven times more likely to be high-performing than those who had no treatment.”

via CAMH: Study finds that treatment of depression can increase work productivity.

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Laughter Produces Endorphins, Feel-good Brain Chemistry.

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Laughing with others makes us all feel better – we experience a momentary elevation in our mood and our sense of feeling relaxed. But, scientists have long wondered why that is so. A recent series of psychological studies has illuminated some of the reasons laughter is good for us. And, our brains are behind it all.

Check out this excerpt from the NY Times. Link to full article is below.

Laughter is regularly promoted as a source of health and well being, but it has been hard to pin down exactly why laughing until it hurts feels so good.

The answer, reports Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at Oxford, is not the intellectual pleasure of cerebral humor, but the physical act of laughing. The simple muscular exertions involved in producing the familiar ha, ha, ha, he said, trigger an increase in endorphins, the brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect.

His results build on a long history of scientific attempts to understand a deceptively simple and universal behavior. “Laughter is very weird stuff, actually,” Dr. Dunbar said. “That’s why we got interested in it.” And the findings fit well with a growing sense that laughter contributes to group bonding and may have been important in the evolution of highly social humans.

Social laughter, Dr. Dunbar suggests, relaxed and contagious, is “grooming at a distance,” an activity that fosters closeness in a group the way one-on-one grooming, patting and delousing promote and maintain bonds between individual primates of all sorts.

In five sets of studies in the laboratory and one field study at comedy performances, Dr. Dunbar and colleagues tested resistance to pain both before and after bouts of social laughter. The pain came from a freezing wine sleeve slipped over a forearm, an ever tightening blood pressure cuff or an excruciating ski exercise.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, eliminated the possibility that the pain resistance measured was the result of a general sense of well being rather than actual laughter. And, Dr. Dunbar said, they also provided a partial answer to the ageless conundrum of whether we laugh because we feel giddy or feel giddy because we laugh.

“The causal sequence is laughter triggers endorphin activation,” he said. What triggers laughter is a question that leads into a different labyrinth.

Robert R. Provine, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the author of “Laughter: A Scientific Investigation,” said he thought the study was “a significant contribution” to a field of study that dates back 2,000 years or so.

via Laughter Produces Endorphins, Study Finds – NYTimes.com.

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Why Summer Vacations and the Internet Make You More Productive.

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Enjoy this long Labor Day weekend – research shows that the time off will not only make you more productive at work but also improved mental health. Small breaks at work or long vacations – either way it’s good for you and good for business. Check out the interesting article below (while you are on vacation).

Excerpt:

Just as small breaks improve concentration, long breaks replenish job performance. Vacation deprivation increases mistakes and resentment at co-workers, Businessweek reported in 2007. “The impact that taking a vacation has on ones mental health is profound,” said Francine Lederer, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles specializing told ABC News. “Most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation, even if it is a 24-hour time-out.”

The bottom line is that breaks are better for our brains than overtime. Where you get your break — from an hour on blogs, a day in the park, or a week golfing at Marthas Vineyard — doesnt matter so much as that you get it. If you care about your own productivity, dont be afraid to goof off online. And if you care about decision-making at the national level, tune out the critics and root for your presidents golf game.

via Why Summer Vacations and the Internet Make You More Productive – Derek Thompson – Business – The Atlantic.

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Friendly Workplace Linked to Longer Life.

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Making friends at work and having a friendly, supportive workplace can help you live longer. Where you work and who you work with can have significant effects on your overall health and well-being, according to a recent study published in “Health Psychology.”  Check out the excerpt below to learn more. And, if you’re stressed out from an unfriendly workplace, stress management counseling might also be helpful.

Excerpts:

Researchers at Tel Aviv University found that people who felt that they had the support of their colleagues and generally positive social interactions at work were less likely to die over a 20-year period than those who reported a less friendly work environment. Over all, people who believed they had little or no emotional support in the workplace were 2.4 times as likely to die during the course of the study compared with the workers who developed stronger bonds with their peers in other cubicles.

[Between 1998 and 2008], 53 of the [820] workers taking part [in the study] had died; most of them had cast their work support networks in a negative light. Though correlation doesn’t equal causation and it is difficult to tie the causes of those deaths to specific factors in such a study, the researchers discovered some findings that surprised them.

One thing they noticed was that the risk was only affected by a person’s relationship with his or her peers, and not with that person’s supervisors. The way people viewed their relationships with their bosses had no impact on mortality.

In an age in which many people interact with colleagues only through electronic communication, Dr. Toker said she believed many companies could foster more socially supportive workplaces by encouraging face-to-face exchanges. Among the ways of doing that, she said, are holding regular social outings for employees, designating “coffee corners” where people can chat over breaks and creating peer-assistance programs that allow workers to discuss issues or problems in confidence.

To view the full article visit: Friendly Workplace Linked to Longer Life – NYTimes.com.

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Working Long Hours Bad for Heart. Change Your Lifestyle with Boston Health & Wellness Services

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) – People who regularly work long hours may be significantly increasing their risk of developing heart disease, the world’s biggest killer, British scientists said Monday.

Researchers said a long-term study showed that working more than 11 hours a day increased the risk of heart disease by 67 percent, compared with working a standard 7 to 8 hours a day.

They said the findings suggest that information on working hours — used alongside other factors like blood pressure, diabetes and smoking habits — could help doctors work out a patient’s risk of heart disease.

However, they also said it was not yet clear whether long working hours themselves contribute to heart disease risk, or whether they act as a “marker” of other factors that can harm heart health — like unhealthy eating habits, a lack of exercise or depression.

“This study might make us think twice about the old adage ‘hard work won’t kill you’,” said Stephen Holgate, chair of the population and systems medicine board at Britain’s Medical Research Council, which part-funded the study.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, followed nearly 7,100 British workers for 11 years.

“Working long days is associated with a remarkable increase in risk of heart disease,” said Mika Kivimaki of Britain’s University College London, who led the research. He said it may be a “wake-up call for people who overwork themselves.”

“Considering that including a measurement of working hours in a (doctor’s) interview is so simple and useful, our research presents a strong case that it should become standard practice,” he said.

Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes are the world’s largest killers, claiming around 17.1 million lives a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Billions of dollars are spent every year on medical devices and drugs to treat them.

The findings of this study support previous research showing a link between working hours and heart disease.

But the scientists said hard workers should not necessarily be alarmed about their heart health.

“Current evidence on (heart disease) prevention emphasizes the importance of focusing on the total risk, rather than single risk factors,” Kivimaki told Reuters Health in an email.

“People who work long hours should be particularly careful in following healthy diets, exercising sufficiently and keeping their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood (sugar) within healthy limits.”

The research used data from a study called Whitehall II which has followed the health and wellbeing of more than 10,000 civil service workers in Britain since 1985.

For this study, men and women who worked full time and had no heart disease were selected, giving 7,095 participants.

The researchers collected data on heart risk factors like age, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and diabetes and also asked participants how many hours they worked — including work during the day and work brought home — on an average weekday.

During the 11-year study, 192 participants had heart attacks. Those who worked 11 hours or more a day were 67 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those with fewer hours.

Psychologists can help people make behavioral changes that can lead to healthier lifestyles. Commonwealth Psychology Associates offers Health Psychology & Wellness services that teach people ways to improve overall health – both physical and mental. Call today to learn more about our services.

(Additional reporting by Amy Norton of Reuters Health in New York, editing by Susan Fenton)

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Sleep, Depression, and Stress Influence Weight Loss: Newton Health & Wellness Support Group Can Help.

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

April 5, 2011 — A new study suggests that sleep, depression, and stress are key components of an interventional weight loss program. The study was published online March 29 in the International Journal of Obesity.

The current US obesity epidemic is believed to have a number of contributing elements, including genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, such as disordered sleep patterns. Multiple studies have demonstrated an inverse association between sleep duration and weight gain.

To better understand the effects of sleep, screen time, depression, and stress on weight loss success, the researchers, led by Dr. Charles Elder of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland, Oregon, conducted a 2-phase randomized clinical trial. Phase 1 included a nonrandomized, 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention that included 472 adults with obesity body mass index, 30 – 50 kg/m2. Phase 2 incorporated weight loss maintenance. The current study focuses on phase 1 results.

The phase 1 intervention included 22 group sessions, led by a behavioral counselor, during the course of 26 weeks. Participants were given recommendations to reduce food consumption by 500 calories per day, adopt the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension pattern, and participate in at least 180 minutes of exercise per week.

Mean weight loss during phase 1 was 6.3 ± 7.1 kg, and 285 participants 60% who lost a minimum of 4.5 kg were randomly selected into phase 2. Participants attended an average of 73.1% ± 26.7% of sessions. They filled out 5.1 ± 1.9 daily food records per week and reported 195.1 ± 123.1 minutes of exercise per week.

Stress and sleep time were revealed to be important factors in qualifying for phase 2. A 1-point change in the Perceived Stress Scale had an associated odds ratio of 0.966 increased success associated with less weight loss, 95% confidence interval, 0.937 – 0.995; P = .024. Participants with a quadratic trend in sleep time had an odds ratio of 0.797 95% confidence interval, 0.649 – 0.978; P = .030. Participants who slept 6 to 7 hours or 7 to 8 hours were more likely to qualify for phase 2 than those with other sleep times.

At entry into the program, lower stress was associated with greater ensuing weight loss slope, 0.132; SE, 0.054; t = 2.42; P = .021.

Changes in baseline predictors during the program had significant impacts on success. Reduction in stress between entry and a post weight-loss follow-up visit as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale were associated with improved weight loss r = 0.159; P = .048. A similar trend was seen in depression as measured by the Personal Health Questionnaire—Depression Subscale r = 0.223; P = .035.

The researchers found no correlation between screen time and weight loss success. Session attendance correlated positively with weight loss success r = −0.621, as were exercise r = −0.361 and food records r = −0.501; all P < .001.

“[These] results suggest that clinicians and investigators might consider targeting sleep, depression and stress as part of a behavioral weight loss intervention,” the study authors conclude.

Commonwealth Psychology Associates is now offering a 13-week health & wellness support group in Newton, MA.

This work was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health. The study authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.Int J Obesity. Published online March 29, 2011. Abstract

via Sleep, Depression, and Stress Influence Weight Loss.

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Common Anxiety Disorders Make it Tougher to Quit Smoking Cigarettes. Anxiety and Panic Attack Treatments Available in Boston & Newton, MA

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Researchers may have pinpointed a reason many smokers struggle to quit. According to new research published in the journal Addiction, smokers with a history of anxiety disorders are less likely to quit smoking.

To read more about the study, visit Common anxiety disorders make it tougher to quit cigarettes (Oct. 25, 2010).

Anxiety disorders are common but they often also respond very well to non-medicaion treatments including psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. If you would like to learn more about getting treatment for anxiety, give us a call or complete our simple online intake form.

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