mental health

The Takeaway: Anxiety Could Make You Age Faster

Posted on 07/13/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsAfraid of crowds? Heights? Spiders? If you suffer from one of these or other “phobic anxieties” — and about 6 to 10 percent of the American population does — it could mean you’ll age more rapidly than your non-phobic counterparts. In fact, a study published this week found that compared to a person with no phobic symptoms, seriously anxious individuals were aging about six years faster.

The Takeaway: 1 in 5 Older Adults Have Mental Health or Substance Abuse Issues

Posted on 07/11/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsA new report finds 20 percent of older adults suffer from mental health or substance abuse problems. With an aging boomer population and a serious shortage of doctors, nurses and other health workers trained in mental health care, “the burden of mental illness and substance abuse disorders in older adults in the United States borders on a crisis,” researchers say.

The Takeaway: Health-Care Costs Rise Faster Than U.S. Inflation Rate

Posted on 05/21/2012 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsHigher charges by doctors, hospitals and drug companies have resulted in healthcare costs that have risen even faster than the rate of inflation, according to a survey released today by the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit research organization in Washington DC. The study found that health care costs rose 3.3 percent in 2010 even though people actually used fewer services in many categories.  The average price of prescription drugs rose 3 percent; inpatient admissions cost 5.1 percent;  more and …

Hit and Run

Posted on 12/5/2011 by | Before I Forget | Comments

Personal HealthRecently, the New York Times ran another in their series of articles about concussions and football players. Written by George Vecsey, this piece focused on a college football player, Derek Owens, who has joined with other varsity players – three football players and one soccer goalie – in a class action suit that claims the NCAA has been negligent regarding awareness and treatment of brain injuries to athletes. The article begins with Derek’s mom, Teresa, reacting with a mother’s horror at …

The Takeaway: Super-Committee Countdown; 1 In 5 U.S. Adults On Psych Meds

Posted on 11/17/2011 by | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsYet the deficit reduction committee’s deadline fast approaching, it’s still uncertain whether panel members will be able to get over their current partisan deadlock and actually do what they set out to do—and if they fail, older Americans have a lot to lose. Plus, a new analysis finds 20 percent of all American adults are taking medication to treat some sort of mental or behavioral health problem.

It’s Not All In Your Head: Medical Problems Can Cause Mental Ones

Posted on 08/15/2011 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthDepression, anxiety, sudden mood changes — all these mental issues can actually be caused by medical problems. More than 100 medical disorders can be misdiagnosed as psychological conditions, causing months, even years, of frustration and ineffective treatment, Harvard psychiatrist Barbara Schildkrout tells the Wall Street Journal. Studies have suggested that medical conditions may cause mental health issues in as many as 25 percent of psychiatric patients and contribute to them in more than 75 percent. Schildkrout says even experienced therapists …

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