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Hormone related depressions in women a growing concern

Mental disorders are the cause of more than 37% of disabilities worldwide, with depression being the leading cause of disability among people aged 15 and older, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors (2006).  Compared to men, women have twice the rate of depression, with a specific risk at puberty, premenstrually, postpartum, and in the perimenopause.  A striking 21% (1 of 5) women and 12% of men will have at least one episode of major depressive disorder in their lifetimes. 

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Beating the Winter Blues

You might feel blue around the winter holidays, or get into a slump after the fun and festivities have ended. Some people have more serious mood changes year after year, lasting throughout the fall and winter when there’s less natural sunlight. What is it about the darkening days that can leave us down in the dumps? And what can we do about it?

NIH-funded researchers have been studying the “winter blues” and a more severe type of depression called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, for more than 3 decades.  Still, much remains unknown about these winter-related shifts in mood.

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The Pay Gap May Affect Women’s Health

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) recently published a report indicating that the pay gap, or the earning difference between men and women, is still an issue today, and often manifests in the very first paycheck a female college graduate receives.  The AAUW’s October 2012 report, Graduating to a Pay Gap, women are paid about 82 cents per dollar paid to their male counterparts one year after graduating college.  According to this report, after controlling for variables such as hours worked, type of occupation, college major, employment sector, and other factors associated wi

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Debunking the 21 Day Myth about bad habits

In the next few months, many will attempt New Years Resolutions, gyms will be packed and many will try new diets. How do we keep these new habits? How do we not end up with an unused gym membership and diet books stacking up, gathering dust?  Don’t just bank on getting past 21 days on your new habit and hope to have it stick.

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Designer Vaginas: Separating Fact from Fiction

A recent study published in the Obstetrics and Gynecology edition of the online journal BMJ Open has shown a disturbing amount of inaccurate and misleading information regarding the growing trend of “designer vaginas.” This term refers to female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS) procedures, such as altering the shape of the labia, for women who wish to change the way their genitals look. In this stu

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hair-dos

Many African-American women in a small survey said they avoided exercise at least sometimes because it could ruin their hairstyles, researchers reported.

Among 103 African-American women interviewed in a medical center waiting room, 39 said they had kept from exercising at some point because it would interfere with their hair-care practices, according to Amy J. McMichael, MD, of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and colleagues.

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Mobile app to help track weight loss

Using a mobile app that tracks eating and activity helped people lose an average of 15 pounds and keep it off for at least a year, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.  But the technology only aided weight loss when its users also attended regular classes about nutrition and exercise. The app alone didn’t help.

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Mental Health Access for Mothers

I ran across this very powerful article written by Liza Long for Gawker. Liza is a mother. A mother dealing with a child’s mental health issues, like many women in this country.

Although I have avoided most coverage of the tragedy in Connecticut, I have spent a great amount of time thinking about the present state of mental health care and access in the United States. This piece addresses both the importance of having access to health care needs, but also the numerous and painful difficulties of a mother dealing with a violent child.

I highly recommend reading not only the article, but some of the 900+ comments. The commentary speaks volumes about the issues mothers deal with and the impact mental health care (and lack thereof) can have on families.

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