Researchers from King’s College in London report (page 163) “Lavender could … be used as effective ‘on-the-spot’ anxiety reduction in dentists’ waiting rooms.” Continue reading Lavender scent lowers dental anxiety
Category Archives: Anxiety (Panic)/Depression
Treating aggression in preschool children
 It “could be an easy and inexpensive way to decrease aggression and abnormal behavior among preschool children,” according to researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. Continue reading Treating aggression in preschool children
B vitamins fail to prevent depression
Researchers from the University of Western Australia in Crawley examined whether vitamins B-12, B-6, and folate might reduce the severity of depressive symptoms and the incidence of clinically significant depression. Continue reading B vitamins fail to prevent depression
CAM to augment anti-depressant drug effects
A study published in the journal, eCAM, and summarized in an earlier post, reported a remission rate of 65% when Iyengar yoga was used to augment the effects of anti-depressant drugs in 20 adults with unipolar major depression in partial remission.
How do other forms of CAM compare when used to improve a less than complete response to pharmacologic treatment of depression? Continue reading CAM to augment anti-depressant drug effects
Are walking and yoga beneficial during menopause?
It’s controversial, but Dr. Steriani Elavsky, assistant professor of kinesiology at Penn State University, claims that a walking or yoga program can have a positive effect — including fewer hot flashes — in women in menopause.
Here is an article about the study and here is the abstract.
Continue reading Are walking and yoga beneficial during menopause?
Music helps cast broken bones in children
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio report that playing soft music in the cast room decreases anxiety in young children who require placement or removal of a cast on a broken bone. Continue reading Music helps cast broken bones in children
The role of zinc in treating dysgeusia
Loss of taste (dysgeusia) can decrease the pleasure of eating and lead to a loss of social contact, weight changes, and depression.
In an earlier post, zinc did not prevent dysgeusia in patients with head and neck cancer. Here is a study for the rest of us. These patients had dysgeusia not associated with any underlying disease.
CAM for perinatal depression
Further research is needed, but Dr. Marlene Freeman from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas brings us up to date. Continue reading CAM for perinatal depression
Rhodiola rosea treats depression
Standardized extract SHR-5 of Rhodiola rosea L. rhizomes (Sedum roseum; rose root) was studied in patients suffering from a current episode of mild/moderate depression. Continue reading Rhodiola rosea treats depression
CAM for psychiatric disorders in kids
Researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia have reviewed the evidence in children and adolescents.
The authors include data from adults, because if they limited the discussion to children and adolescents it would be a very short article.
That’s not a problem here. Continue reading CAM for psychiatric disorders in kids
Treating anxiety before surgery with passionflower
Also known as Maypop (Passiflora incarnata), the purple passionflower has antianxiety and sedative effects.
Most studies of Passiflora incarnata have been in animals. Here’s a study in humans. Continue reading Treating anxiety before surgery with passionflower
Pram walking to treat postpartum depression
A pram is a baby carriage and an abbreviation of “perambulator” — a person who tours on foot.
Anyway, pram walking is popular in Australia as a way for groups of women with postpartum depression to go out with their babies, get some exercise, talk, and hopefully make progress to resolve their depression. Continue reading Pram walking to treat postpartum depression
The value of CBT in children and adolescence
Prof. Craig Whittington from the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health in London has reviewed the value of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat children and adolescents with mental health problems. Continue reading The value of CBT in children and adolescence
The status of acupuncture to treat fibromyalgia
“At this time, the benefits of acupuncture for treating fibromyalgia remain unclear and require well designed controlled trials to identify its potential role,” concludes Dr. Daniel Rooks from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston in a review on Medscape.
Here’s a summary of his review.
Continue reading The status of acupuncture to treat fibromyalgia
Effect of breathing instruction on panic disorder and stress
Recommendations to modify breathing patterns are commonly given to people with ordinary stress and tension, as well as to patients with anxiety disorders.
This study by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California used physiological measures to document changes in respiration to examine the physiological and psychological effects of breathing instructions. Continue reading Effect of breathing instruction on panic disorder and stress
Attempting to profile depressed people most likely to respond to yoga
Yoga appears to be a promising intervention for depression, according to researchers from the US, Russia, and Italy in this study.
But can we predict which person is most likely to respond? Continue reading Attempting to profile depressed people most likely to respond to yoga
Is acupuncture beneficial in depression?
Researchers from Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in China searched the medical literature to find out. Continue reading Is acupuncture beneficial in depression?
Relaxation training for anxiety
It’s an increasingly common treatment for anxiety problems.
Researchers from San Giuseppe Hospital in Erbania, Italy have reviewed the evidence. Continue reading Relaxation training for anxiety
Inositol to treat anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder
Several nutritional supplements are purported to treat anxiety. However, only inositol has evidence of superiority vs placebo and comparability with the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) fluvoxamine (Luvox; not available in the US).
That’s the conclusion from Dr. Sy Atezaz Saeed and 2 coauthors from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Continue reading Inositol to treat anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder
Is there a role for reiki in medicine?
Professor Ernst finds that “The value of reiki remains unproven.” Continue reading Is there a role for reiki in medicine?