Latest news with #PsychiatryDepartment
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
War news flooding TVs? Don't shun kids, guide them: Experts
Nagpur: With tension rising at the border and continuous war updates dominating television screens, many parents are choosing to keep their children away from the news. However, psychiatrists, teachers, and media experts believe that instead of shielding kids entirely, this is the time to guide them with facts, awareness, and Manish Thakre, head of the Psychiatry Department at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), told TOI that children should not be discouraged from learning about the current situation. "Don't keep them completely unaware or push them away from the news. Explain it in simple, age-appropriate terms, and make it clear that this is not a war against any religion or country — it's a war against terrorism," he Thakre also added that while children below the age of 13 may not be deeply affected by news coverage, teenagers are more likely to overthink or internalise the situation. "So, we must keep them both aware and emotionally alert without creating panic," said Dr Sonakshi Jyrwa, associate professor of psychiatry at AIIMS Nagpur, pointed out that the situation is stressful not only for children but also for adults because this generation is experiencing the war-like situation for the first time. "Even the elderly should avoid overexposure to news. Limit TV time and avoid believing or forwarding unverified messages on WhatsApp. It's always better to follow only official govt sources for reliable updates," she Deshkar, a city-based school teacher, said the moment can be used to instil values of patriotism in children. "Tell them about the bravery of our soldiers, and the strategy with which the Army, Navy, and Air Force operate. Such stories of courage and sacrifice can inspire children to dream of joining the armed forces," he and mass communication expert Dr Moiz Mannan Haq, former head of the department at RTMNU, recalled how a campaign against fake news was launched during the Covid-19 pandemic. "A similar public awareness initiative is the need of the hour now. The flood of misinformation must be countered through verified facts and responsible communication," he agree that with a balanced approach — combining facts, emotional support, and inspiration — this moment can be turned into a valuable learning experience for young minds.
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Doctors issue warning over drug taken by 150m that causes people to put on 10lbs
Millions of Americans taking a common drug are twice as likely to become obese, a major study revealed. One in 10 Americans take antidepressants and rely on them to reduce anxiety, ease depression and improve overall mental health. However, the pills could come at the cost of another health crisis. Tracking over 3,000 adults, Spanish researchers found people who took antidepressants for six years on average gained up to twice more body weight than non-users. And even after accounting for diet, exercise and overall mental health, the drugs' effects compounded over time. Roughly one in four people in the study gained more than five percent of their body weight - an increase medically linked to a heightened risk of diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems. Participants who started taking antidepressants during the study gained an additional three percent of their total body weight, while long-term users (already on the drugs at the start of the study) gained two percent. Dr Gabriela Lugón, a researcher at the Hospital del Mar and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, said: 'We cannot simply prescribe antidepressants for their positive effects without also considering this side effect.' Depression affects roughly 21 million Americans and anxiety strikes 40 million, making them two of the most common mental health disorders in the country. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most common type of antidepressants, whose side effects include weight gain, are prescribed to treat both by increasing levels of mood-regulating hormone serotonin. While today's antidepressants work better and cause fewer side effects than older versions, all still come with downsides — both right away and over time. Common issues include sleep problems, dizziness, digestive troubles, sexual dysfunction, and— critically — weight gain. Unwanted pounds are a top reason people stop taking these medications, forcing doctors and patients to constantly weigh the pros and cons. Dr Víctor Pérez, head of the Psychiatry Department at Hospital del Mar, said that while the drugs are highly effective, 'their effect on weight is not universal, although certain medications, such as mirtazapine and paroxetine, can cause significant weight gain.' Researchers recruited 6,352 adults ages 35 to 79 from northeastern Spain in 2005 and followed them for six years. Participants were divided into four groups based on their antidepressant use: never used, new users starting during the study, quit users (stopped by the time of follow-up) and long-term users who were already on antidepressants when the study started and continued taking them through the six-year follow-up. Nurses recorded each person's weight and height at the start of the study, as well as their diet (using the Mediterranean diet as the standard), exercise habits, symptoms of depression, smoking history, diabetes status and blood pressure. The researchers wanted to focus specifically on the percent body weight gain and the number of new obesity cases characterized by a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Every study participant gained weight, whether they were taking antidepressants or not, but those who were taking antidepressants gained more. On average, never users gained 0.8 percent of their body weight. Those who discontinued use gained 2.2 percent and new users gained 2.5 percent. Long-term users gained 1.7 percent. This means antidepressant users gained at least twice the amount of weight as those who never took the drugs. Dr Camille Lassale, a researcher at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, said: 'All individuals taking antidepressants had a higher likelihood of gaining weight and developing obesity. This risk is even greater for those who use these medications continuously.' Experts do not know for sure why antidepressants cause weight gain, but serotonin is the link. Most antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, and Cymbalta, alter levels of serotonin in the brain to regulate mood and emotion. SSRIs block the reabsorption of serotonin so that more of this 'good mood' chemical stays in the brain, while serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors block the reabsorption of serotonin as well as norepinephrine, an energy-regulating chemical. The neurotransmitter that regulates mood and anxiety levels also acts like a traffic light for hunger. After first starting an SSRI, the brain experiences a boost in serotonin, which reduces impulsivity and increases satiety, leading the person taking the medicine to eat less. But after about a year on the medication, the brain begins to adapt by turning down receptors in the brain that serotonin clings to, creating what is known as serotonin resistance. This causes the body to crave a quick fix in the form of carbs or sweets, which temporarily boost serotonin levels while leading to weight gain over time. Dr Pérez said: 'Due to the risk of patients discontinuing treatment because of weight gain, we must consider alternative therapeutic strategies to complement pharmacological treatment.' But doctors caution against abruptly stopping an antidepressant regimen without the input of a doctor, who typically tapers the patient off the medicine gradually over several weeks to avoid withdrawal symptoms, some of which can be severe. They include flu-like aches, dizziness, mood swings, sleep problems, and 'brain zaps,' referring to feelings of electric shocks shooting through the head.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New TTUHSC psychiatry chair specializes in addiction
Feb. 21—New Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Professor and Chairman of the Psychiatry Department Dr. Rajendra Badgaiyan was drawn to the Permian Basin by the new behavioral health hospital being built between Odessa and Midland. "That's very exciting prospect here. That is what I'm interested in, growing the department and making that hospital work," he said. The Permian Basin Behavioral Health Hospital is expected to open in April 2026. Badgaiyan will also be teaching and conducting research. "In my career, I've published about 300 papers and (gotten) over $20 million research funding," Badgaiyan said. He has five on site and 10 providing telehealth. With the new hospital, Badgaiyan said, they will be hiring 20 to 25 psychiatrists and expanding their residency training program. Right now, they take four residents every year. This year they are going to increase that to six with a grant he received. If he receives a second grant, they could have eight residents. Next year, there will be 10 residents. They are also hiring experts in the field as adjunct professors and most of them are from Harvard. They have agreed to teach virtually and on-site. He is planning to invite one expert a month and someone who is an international expert in a particular area. He also wants to expand the fellowships in psychiatry. Right now there is a fellowship in child psychiatry. Badgaiyan wants to start one in forensic psychiatry, in addiction psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. "There is a need. Only about 10% of the people who need psychiatrists get to see psychiatrists," Badgaiyan said. The new hospital is what drew Badgaiyan to West Texas. "That's a big challenge, and it would be very good for the people living in this part of the state where there are not many medical facilities available between Dallas and El Paso. We are the only one in a lot of rural areas," Badgaiyan said. He added that there are more psychiatric issues in a rural area. "They don't see a psychiatrist because of the stigma. They don't want to disclose that they have psychiatric illness. That's a big challenge. We have to educate the people here, and that is what I plan to do ... There shouldn't be any stigma about psychiatric illness. It's like any other disease, we get psychiatric diseases. It's important to get an early treatment. It's easy to treat condition when you treat early in the disease process rather than late in the process," Badgaiyan said. "We are trying to spread that word and to begin to do very intense community outreach ... to educate people. We also have a podcast we do every week on different psychiatric issues for the general public," he added. The podcast is called Mental Munchies. He said they emphasize that people should get treatment as soon as possible. Badgaiyan said his specialty is addiction. "Addiction is a big problem, and addiction is a problem everywhere. It's not an exception. But the problem here is there is no treatment facility, or good treatment facility, for addiction here, so in the new hospital, that is what we're going to do. We're going to prioritize opening" an addiction treatment center, he added. Addiction is an issue across the board and it's an epidemic across the country. Last year, 120,000 people died of drug overdoses. "My heart goes out to them. Its' just a waste of life, and we are only talking about those who are officially recorded as overdose deaths. There are many unrecorded ones. They are all preventable deaths," Badgaiyan said. There are many people who have spoiled their lives, their family lives and their professional lives because of drugs. "Many of my patients ... have got a lot of those stories," Badgaiyan said. Badgaiyan has been practicing for 25 years. He spent his residency and more than 10 years as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. He has also been the Chair of Psychiatry at a Mt. Sinai affiliated hospital in New York City, Chief of Psychiatry at South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio and Chairman of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University before returning to Texas. His research focus is on addiction and dysregulation of dopamine neurotransmission in psychiatric and neurological conditions. He is known for developing a unique brain imaging technique to study chemical changes in the human brain. The Mayo Clinic website says dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that regulates movement and emotional responses. He has previously been awarded The Solomon Prize from Harvard University and B.K. Anand National Research Prize in India. There were a couple of reasons Badgaiyan chose psychiatry. He was initially interested in researching the mind and how the brain works. "Then I got interested in patients (that) have a problem with cognition. I did lot of research on cognitive processing and how the brain processes different mental functions. Then I got interested in knowing those patients, what those patients really feel. Then I got into the residency program. I got the residency position at Harvard so I finished my residency there. I was in their faculty and still doing a lot of research along with seeing patients," Badgaiyan said. He added that there are many psychiatric conditions for which there really aren't any treatments. "We suppress symptoms, we don't cure those diseases. That's another challenge to find a way to cure those diseases with research. I spend a lot of time doing research on those issues," Badgaiyan said. He's focused on addiction right now, because that is one condition that is curable. "There are very few things in psychiatry that you can cure; addiction is one of those. I'm focusing on addiction. I've come up with different models how to treat people with addiction, and some of those models have been very successful. ... We follow the patient after treatment for three years," Badgaiyan said. In three-year follow up, they had a 93% success rate, which is a "very good outcome, particularly with addiction. "That means 93% of patients, they were sober for three years after the treatment, which is a very good outcome, particularly with the addiction," he said. They are going to implement some of those treatments at the new hospital. "Very few people have access to psychiatrists, particularly the rural areas," Badgaiyan said. He added that he has been involved in opening new hospitals previously. Badgaiyan said he enjoys it because it helps the population. "That gives me a pleasure, actually, that I'm able to help people. That is my way of giving back to society. ... I want to use my experience to make sure that the facility that I'm opening serves more people and ... offers better treatment modularity and better patient access," Badgaiyan said.
