Latest news with #AmericanJournalofPsychiatry
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Your sister's postpartum mental health could affect yours—here's what new research reveals
When I had my second baby, I invited my sister, who at the time was living nearby—to attend the birth. My first labor and delivery had been such a shock, that I felt it was important to share the birth experience with her, so she'd be less in the dark if she one day had kids. She remains grateful for that precious experience we shared. Turns out, sisters share a lot. If you're pregnant or thinking about having a baby, you've probably heard of postpartum depression (PPD). But there's another, rarer postpartum mental health condition that deserves more attention: postpartum psychosis. And according to a new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, your sibling's experience with it could be more relevant to your own mental health than you might expect. Researchers at Mount Sinai examined over 1.6 million women using Swedish national health records and uncovered a startling statistic: If your sister had postpartum psychosis, your own risk increases tenfold. That number rises to 14 times higher if she also has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. You can read the study here: American Journal of Psychiatry and coverage from Neuroscience News. Let's pause here. That relative risk sounds terrifying—but what does it really mean? While a tenfold increase sounds massive, it's important to understand that the absolute risk of postpartum psychosis remains low: about 1.6%. That nuance matters. This is not about panic. it's about being prepared. 'Every woman of childbearing age and their physicians need to know about the existence of, severity, symptoms, and familial risk for postpartum psychosis so it can be promptly diagnosed and, hopefully, prevented,' said Dr. Veerle Bergink, Director of the Women's Mental Health Center at Mount Sinai and co-senior author of the study. Here's why this research matters for moms—and for sisters. Related: I recovered from postpartum psychosis: Here are 5 things I learned This isn't the baby blues, and it's not the same as PPD. Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychiatric emergency. It often appears within days to weeks after childbirth and can include: Hallucinations Delusions Paranoia Insomnia Rapid mood swings Disorganized thinking Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming the baby These symptoms can be terrifying—and potentially life-threatening—if left untreated. If your sister experienced postpartum psychosis, talk to your provider as early as possible in your pregnancy, or even before you conceive. You might benefit from closer monitoring, earlier mental health screenings, and a tailored postpartum support plan. Preventive steps could include: Building a mental health care team before delivery Arranging postpartum support (think night doulas, therapist check-ins, or medication plans if appropriate) Involving partners, family, or close friends in awareness of early symptoms Avoiding sleep deprivation, a common trigger, through shared caregiving Knowledge is power—but only if we act on it. Too often, maternal mental health risks fly under the radar, especially rare ones like postpartum psychosis. And when risks aren't well known, moms suffer in silence. This study offers an opportunity to change that by building systems of support and awareness before a crisis hits. As Dr. Bergink put it: 'Too many women at higher risk don't know it—and are left on their own with a new baby and no support.' And that's a systemic failure—not a personal one. It's the result of a healthcare culture that still doesn't treat maternal mental health as central to maternal health. We deserve better. So if you're pregnant or postpartum, or supporting someone who is, and you know there's a family history, bring it up. Advocate for a plan. Make space for mental health in your birth and parenting journey. Because when moms are supported, everyone wins. Related: 75% of women go untreated for postpartum mental health conditions If you or someone you love is experiencing distress during or after pregnancy, you are not alone. Maternal mental health challenges are real, but treatable—and compassionate help is available. Postpartum Support International (PSI) provides free, confidential support. Call or text the HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773 (4PPD). You can also text in English (send 'HELP' to 800-944-4773) or Spanish (send 'AYUDA' to 971-203-7773). Find local providers, peer support groups, and more at National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) is available 24/7. Call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) to speak with counselors trained in maternal mental health. This service is free, confidential, and available in English and Spanish. Learn more at Moms Mental Health Initiative, a mom-founded nonprofit, offers peer-driven support, resource navigation, and advocacy for those struggling with perinatal mental health conditions. Visit to find tools, stories, and support tailored for mothers. In an emergency or immediate crisis—such as suicidal thoughts or feeling unsafe—call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit You'll be connected with trained counselors who are there to listen and help you stay safe. Let's keep breaking the silence around maternal mental health—because when we speak up, we help others find their way to healing too.
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Gen Z More Likely Than Boomers to Say People in Therapy Are 'Mentally Weak'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Despite often being seen as more progressive, Gen Z is surprisingly more anti-therapy than many of their elders. A new report from BetterHelp reveals a generational divide exists when it comes to the stigma of therapy, and perhaps not in the way you'd expect. Why It Matters Demand for mental health therapy has been skyrocketing in recent years. The number of U.S. adults who received psychotherapy went up from 6.5 percent in 2018 to 8.5 percent in 2021, according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry this year. And while overall acceptance of therapy has been increasing in many social circles, Gen Z's view of the practice as "weak" may indicate the younger generation is becoming more skeptical when it comes to therapy. What To Know While national rates of therapy are increasing, Gen Z may be more critical of seeking help for mental health than previously believed. The age cohort, which consists of those born between 1997 and 2012, had a higher percentage, 37 percent, who said seeking counseling was "mentally weak" than the 27 percent of millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers combined. This is despite the fact that globally and in the United States, Gen Zers are more than twice as likely as boomers to experience mild to moderate anxiety and almost four times as likely to experience severe anxiety, according to BetterHelp. Even among the Gen Zers who do go to therapy, not all are satisfied. Roughly 37 percent said their therapist doesn't understand them, and 33 percent said they fully don't trust their therapist. For those who do not go to therapy, 40 percent said cost is the main reason, and 29 percent said they do not think it will help or don't have the time. Students taking notes for a Fluence Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy certificate training program in Portland, Oregon, on May 9, 2023. Students taking notes for a Fluence Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy certificate training program in Portland, Oregon, on May 9, 2023. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying HR consultant Bryan Driscoll, who specializes in generational dynamics, told Newsweek: "I don't want to pigeonhole or get too political, but I do think this stat tracks with broader themes. Gen Z is more progressive, broadly speaking, than their parents, sure, but not more than closer generations. A big chunk of Gen Z has been pulled into the conservative ideology running rampant online and in certain podcasts. It's no secret that conservatives have always treated mental health like a personal failure, not a legitimate issue. "When you combine that with toxic masculinity, bootstrap nonsense, and anti-science rhetoric, it's no wonder a growing number of young people now see therapy as weak." Jaime Bronstein, a licensed clinical social worker, licensed relationship therapist and author of MAN*ifesting, told Newsweek: "Gen Z has grown up with social media as their 'therapist,' so they feel they can get help from the digital world and 'therapize' themselves. They view therapy as a long, uncomfortable process, so they would rather learn from a YouTube video or one of their favorite influencers. In addition, some Gen Zers look at the cost of therapy and would rather spend their money elsewhere if they feel they can get help from less expensive sources." Alexandra Cromer, a licensed professional counselor with Thriveworks, told Newsweek: "Gen Z is the first generation to have grown up with the internet and access to many different opinions from around the world. While this is not inherently bad, the more opinions you are exposed to, your brain tends to categorize and lump into one, so if you're exposing yourself over and over again to one point of view, or one point of view seems to be relevant in your social media feeds and for you pages, this can influence mindsets. So if a lot of Gen Zers are getting the message 'seeking therapy makes you mentally weak,' their [For You Page] might start feeding them more of that content." What Happens Next Driscoll said that Gen Z grew up "watching society collapse," and instead of help, they were inundated with grind culture, gig work and influencers telling them to toughen up. "So now we've got a generation that desperately needs mental health care being told it's weak, unmanly, or fake. If this trend keeps up, we'll see more burnout, more isolation, and a workforce too ashamed to ask for help until it's too late. And businesses will pay the price in turnover, absenteeism, and disengagement," Driscoll said. Bronstein said there are long-term consequences to not going to therapy. "Suppose you don't process your emotions, and you're feeling depressed or anxious. In that case, you might retreat and become disconnected from society, which could lead to isolation, which is highly detrimental to one's mental health. Gen Z might feel like social media is helping. However, it usually acts as a band-aid, but doesn't uncover the deeper issues that need healing," Bronstein said.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Hospital visits for Marijuana use linked to 72% higher dementia risk, major study warns
Marijuana's potential medicinal benefits have shifted public perception of the psychoactive drug derived from the Cannabis plant, contributing to its growing popularity. Countries like Canada, Uruguay, Mexico and Thailand, and 22 states in the US have legalized recreational marijuana, while 50 countries have approved it for medicinal purposes. However, one cannot ignore that its regular use has been associated with a heightened risk of a range of life-threatening conditions like strokes, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and myocarditis. 4/20 day, celebrated every year on April 20, by weed lovers, brought the drug into the spotlight, sparking discussions on its growing popularity as well as risks. A new study published in the journal JAMA Neurology that links an increased risk of dementia to cannabis use is especially crucial in this regard. The terms cannabis and marijuana are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same. While cannabis refers to the plant Cannabis sativa, marijuana is one of the products derived from this plant that has a high concentration of THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid. Dementia and Marijuana connection The connection between long-term cannabis and dementia isn't new and has been demonstrated in the previous studies. An American Journal of Psychiatry study discusses how cannabis use over a long period of time is linked to hippocampal atrophy and poorer cognitive function in midlife, which are known risk factors for dementia. The new study delves into the five-year cognitive impact of cannabis-related medical emergencies, revealing a significant association between such events and an elevated risk of developing dementia. 'Someone who has an emergency room visit or hospitalization due to cannabis has a 23% increased risk of dementia within five years compared to someone who was at the hospital for another reason. They have a 72% greater risk compared to the general population,' says study coauthor Dr Daniel Myran, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Ottawa in Canada. 'Those numbers have already factored out other reasons for dementia, such as age, sex, mental health or substance use, and whether or not you have chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease,' Myran added. Earlier research shows marijuana users are nearly 25% more likely to need emergency care and hospitalization than nonusers. 'However, this is not a study that anyone should look at and say, 'Jury's in, and cannabis use causes dementia,'' Myran said. 'This is a study that brings up a concerning association that fits within a growing body of research.' While medical marijuana is considered to be safe in limited doses under expert supervision, it is more complicated than that. Many people with cannabis use disorder are not able to stop using it and that's where the real problem lies. US federal law doesn't allow the use of marijuana. However, many states allow medical use to treat pain, nausea and other symptoms. The THC in marijuana affects the brain, mood, behavior and thoughts, the reason why it is called psychoactive. Medicinal marijuana can be advised for conditions like Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Epilepsy, and serious nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment. However, are its side effects worth it? Let's understand. What's cannabis use disorder? Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), a medically recognized condition is marked by a problematic and often compulsive pattern of marijuana use. Its severity can vary from mild habits that interfere with daily life to full-blown addiction. Marijuana is part of cannabis, but not all cannabis is marijuana. Cannabis use disorder mainly involves THC-containing substances such as marijuana. Addiction to marijuana could happen when the brain's reward system takes over and amplifies compulsive marijuana-seeking. People with cannabis use disorder are unable to stop using even though they encounter health or social problems from use, Dr. Robert Page II, a professor of clinical pharmacy and physical medicine at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Aurora told CNN. 'When they stop using it, they either have withdrawal symptoms or have very bad mental health symptoms,' he added. 'They might have quite severe depression, or they might have anxiety, all of which can send them to the hospital.' According to the CDC, around 30% of people can get addicted to marijuana. This can pose risk of attention, memory and learning problems, as per CDC. What you need to know about marijuana's safety 'The other takeaway from this study is that many people believe marijuana to be natural and therefore safe,' Page said. 'It is a psychotropic medication, so it's going to have psychotropic effects. If you have underlying psychiatric issues, realize that you need to be transparent with your provider and let them know if you're using this medically or recreationally.' According to mayoclinic, the other side effects of medical marijuana include increased heart rate, dizziness, problems with thinking and memory, slower reaction times, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, panic attacks, and hallucinations, among others. Rastafari community of Antigua gain sacramental rights to marijuana
CBC
28-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
How targeting teenage drug use before it starts seems to be paying off
Social Sharing This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here. A drug prevention program that began in Montreal has been found to reduce the risk of substance use disorders in teens by offering them tools and strategies to cope with personality traits like impulsivity and anxiety. "If a young person is reporting very high levels of these traits, they're more likely to use substances as a way to manage those traits," said Patricia Conrod, founder of the PreVenture program, who is also a psychiatry professor at the Université de Montréal and a scientist at Sainte-Justine hospital in Montreal. A recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry looked at the impact of PreVenture in 31 Montreal-area high schools over a five-year period. Conrod told CBC News that the odds of developing a substance use disorder increase as students get older. The study found the program helped reduce the growth in the odds of substance use disorder by 35 per cent year over year, compared with a control group. The program focuses on such traits as impulsivity, sensation seeking, anxiety sensitivity and hopelessness — all of which may lead teens to turn to substance use to cope. During two 90-minute workshops given in Grade 7, students gain insight into their own personalities and tools to manage them. The program uses cognitive behavioural therapy, interactive exercises and group discussions to find personality-specific coping strategies. 'I can deal with them, so I feel better' Fara Thifault, 13, a Grade 7 student at Collège de Montréal, participated in a workshop last fall. "I didn't realize I had negative thoughts, and when I did that [workshop], I realized, 'Yeah I get them a lot and this is how I can deal with them, so I feel better,'" she said. Grade 10 student Romane Roussel, 16, said the workshops helped her, too. "I'm less impulsive now because I use some techniques, I take a breather," she said. Conrod said while a growing body of evidence supports the PreVenture program and others like it, schools across the country need sustained funding, including from federal and provincial governments, to deliver them more widely. "Some substance use disorders are preventable, and we should be making sure that young people have access to the programs and the resources they need," she said. The program is currently available in schools in five Canadian provinces, including Quebec, Ontario and British Colombia, as well as in several U.S. states. Christine Schwartz, an adjunct professor at the Children's Health Policy Centre at Vancouver's Simon Fraser University, said policy-makers tend to prioritize treatment over prevention when it comes to substance use. "It's a little bit harder for policy-makers to put the money towards prevention knowing they may not see the benefits — and there will be benefits in many of these cases, but they're not going to see them for several years," she said in an interview. Schwartz was part of a team that examined school-based prevention programs around the world, including PreVenture. "There's been a long history of using programs that haven't necessarily been effective," she said. "What's happening now is that policy-makers are increasingly turning to the research evidence." What's missing, Schwartz said, is funding to maintain programs and put them in place more widely. WATCH | Parent hires private investigator to track down daughter's drug dealer: Tracking down a man selling drugs to B.C. teens 2 months ago Duration 2:25 Prevention before treatment Justin Phillips's son Aaron died of a heroin overdose in 2013, when he was 20, in Indianapolis. She described him as an "impulsive, sensation-seeking kid." He once skateboarded off the roof of her house, Phillips recalled, but said he was also very sensitive and sometimes anxious. These are all traits, she said, that young people and their families don't always have the tools to recognize and manage. "Had we had these tools, I absolutely believe things would have been different," she said in an interview. The year after her son's death, Phillips founded an organization called Overdose Lifeline to supportother families dealing with addiction and to promote prevention. She is also involved with PreVenture, training people to deliver the workshops and working to bring the program to more communities in the United States. "Prevention has never been something that we've put ahead of treatment," she said. "I remain hopeful, but I don't think we're moving as fast as me and all the countless other parents wish that we could."
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Subtle differences identified in brains of people with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia might be among the most intensely studied mental illnesses. However, its causes—and the way those causes manifest in the brain—remain frustratingly elusive. A new study published February 26 in the American Journal of Psychiatry examines physical differences between the brains of people who experience schizophrenia and those who do not. Wolfgang Omlor, a study co-author and psychiatrist from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, tells Popular Science that 'while schizophrenia may have its own mechanisms shaping brain structure and function, these processes remain far from fully understood.' To identify trends in physical features common to the brains of people with schizophrenia, Omlor and his team combed through data from the global Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics Through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) database covering 6,037 people. They saw two potential features: an increased uniformity of folding patterns in a part of the brain called the right caudal anterior cingulate region, and an increased variability in the thickness of the cerebral cortex. An immediate question is whether these features could contribute to causing schizophrenia, or whether they're caused by the condition. Similarly, it's not clear whether these features are innate, or develop over the course of a person's life. Omlor explains that because this study is 'comparing individuals already diagnosed with schizophrenia to controls,' it can't address the question of causation. As far as whether these features are something with which a person is born, or whether they develop over the course of life, he says, 'It's likely a combination of both. Some features may be present from early development, while others can emerge later, influenced by factors like medication or chronic stress that reshape the brain through neuroplasticity.' According to Omlor, cortical folding appears to fall into the category of features present from early development and is mostly established before birth and into early childhood. However, schizophrenia itself tends to manifest in late adolescence/early adulthood. This raises the possibility that these folding patterns represent some sort of predisposition to schizophrenia; whether or not this results in the onset of the actual condition, however, will depend on any number of other factors. The folding of cerebral tissue is one of the brain's most distinctive features. In general, 'folding increases the brain's surface area in limited space and is thought to influence how neurons connect,' Omlor says. Subtle differences in the nature of the way that brain tissue is folded are also a feature of other conditions, although it's difficult to identify what exact effect such differences have. 'Some neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism) also show altered cortical folding,' he says. 'The implications of such differences aren't fully understood, but the more uniform folding in schizophrenia's anterior cingulate could point to a more constrained developmental process in that region.' Exactly how these folding patterns might interact with the development and nature of the condition remains an open question, but Omlor theorizes that 'the uniform folding patterns may reflect a less flexible interplay between genes and environment at these earlier stages [of development].' It certainly seems notable that the folds manifest in the right caudal anterior cingulate region, a part of the brain that integrates cognitive and emotional processes. However, a single role should not be given part of the brain. 'Brain regions generally work together in complex while we do see more uniform folding [in the right caudal anterior cingulate region] in schizophrenia, it's best not to think of [that region] as solely 'responsible' for any single task,' he says.'Rather, it's part of a broader circuit linking thought and emotion.' The study's second finding is a 'greater variability in cortical thickness' in individuals with schizophrenia. As an example of how nothing related to the brain is ever simple, this isn't merely a question of people with schizophrenia having 'bigger' or 'smaller' cerebral cortices. Instead, one person's cortex might be thinner in some parts and thicker in others, while another might be just the opposite—so even though those two people's cortices might have the same overall volume, their internal make-up might be quite different. In people with schizophrenia, there is a broader spread of such variation in thickness. The subtleties involved here reflect the fact that the brain's dizzying complexity means it's rarely possible to draw simple conclusions. Even in this case, where a basic interpretation might be that schizophrenia is linked to the volume of the cerebral cortex, the answer is not that straightforward. 'Greater variability of cortical thickness in schizophrenia reflects a broader range beyond a 'more' or 'less' pattern, underscoring the disorder's complexity,' says Omlor. However, it does appear possible to correlate these differences with the myriad ways in which schizophrenia presents. 'We also found that variations in specific brain regions correlate with schizophrenia symptom domains, suggesting these structural differences mirror the diverse presentations of the condition,' Omlor says. Ultimately, one key takeaway from this study is that the way in which schizophrenia presents in a person is as unique as that person themselves. Similarly, it appears that there's no single way in which schizophrenia can be reflected in a person's brain. If anything, there's perhaps a set of regions in which the condition manifests, but the ways in which it can do so appear to be many and varied. Approaching schizophrenia in this individualistic manner isn't merely an abstract consideration. Instead, a better understanding of how and why the condition varies from person to person could 'guide more individualized precision-medicine efforts… by recognizing these differences early on, clinicians and researchers can work toward treatments better suited to each person's unique profile,' according to Omlor.
