According to an article on PsychCentral.com, bisexual men who don’t admit to their sexuality are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. The study, performed at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, evaluated 203 men who had female partners but did not disclose their same-sex behavior to them.
A study done in Australia has found that an MRI can detect young people at risk for bipolar disorder. Researchers studied the brain activity of young people (the article didn’t specify ages) and determined that those at risk for bipolar disorder had reduced brain responses when shown pictures of a variety of facial expressions.
Chalk up the next article to crafty cosmetic surgery advertising. A new study has found that Botox might help prevent depression because it prevents a person from frowning. The study evaluated 84 people who did not respond well to antidepressants. Some were given a Botox injection and the others a placebo. Of the Botox-receiving subjects, 27 percent reported not suffering from depression. PsychCentral notes, however, that the findings haven’t been reviewed for publication in a scientific journal.
Have a dog dealing with depression or seasonal affective disorder? The solution may be to get a light box. Apparently, Max Marvin is the founder of Pawsitive Lighting that offers the Sol Box, a 10,000 lux light box that caters specifically to dogs and cats. The light box will set you back $199.
And finally, a new study suggests that depression in the elderly may be an indication of dementia. I’m a little skeptical of this study considering that 9 percent of Americans already suffer from depression and 3.4 percent suffer from major depression, according to the CDC.
When researchers evaluated 2,000 elderly New Yorkers for depression and then followed them, they found that depression accompanied memory declines but did not necessarily come first.
depression introspection 