Therapist Unlimited Blog

 

 

 

The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry (AAPDP) is a forum for physician psychoanalysts and psychodynamic psychiatrists to exchange ideas, find a voice within the American Psychoanalytic Association (APA) to advocate psycho dynamic understanding in the evaluation and treatment of patients, and take a leadership role in promoting the importance of psycho dynamic training in residency and medical education. Founded in 1956, the AAPDP is an affiliate organization of the APA.
The organisation publishes a Journal of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry.

 

Mission
 

 

The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry is an organization of psychiatrists interested in the application of psycho dynamic psychotherapy in clinical practice and in understanding emotional aspects of culture and art.
The aims of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry are:
•To provide a forum for the expression of ideas, concepts, and research in psycho dynamic psychiatry and psychoanalysis.
To constitute a forum for expression of and inquiry into the phenomena of individual motivation and social behavior.
•To encourage and support research in psycho dynamic psychiatry and psychoanalysis.
•To advance the development of psycho dynamic psychiatry and psychoanalysis in all other aspects.
•To develop communication among psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and their colleagues in other disciplines in science and in the humanities.
 

 

 

Learn more about the organization by visiting their website http://aapdp.org/.

 

 

 

Those persons who wish to avoid depression when they reach middle age better start eating healthy diet now.
A recent study from the United Kingdom has shown that eating healthy foods such as  high proportion of fruits, vegetables and fish, protects middle aged people against depression compared to a processed food diet containing a high proportion of high fat dairy
food, processed meat, fried food, refined grains and sugar-laden desserts.
The research was made possible through the effort of researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London (UCL), UK and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), and University of Montpellier, France.
Based on their study, the researchers revealed that much research on diet and depression tends to focus on individual nutrients so they thought they would look at links between overall dietary patterns and depression.
To get the data, the researchers looked at 3,486 participants of average age 57 years (nearly three quarters were men) who were part of the Whitehall II study.
The Whitehall II study was created by co-author and UCL Professor Sir Michael Marmot to investigate links between disease and social class, psychosocial factors and life style. It began by looking at the health of working people, and is now also looking to answer questions about how previous and current circumstances affect health and quality of life in an ageing group of participants.
The data allowed the researchers to identify two dietary patters: a whole food diet and a processed food diet. The whole food diet comprised mainly fresh fruits and vegetables and fish, while the processed diet comprised mainly sweetened desserts, fried foods, high fat
dairy foods, processed meat and refined grains.
To assess depression, the researchers used self-reported data that had been gathered five years after the dietary data using the CES-D scale. CES-D, short for Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, is a commonly used self-report questionnaire for assessing depression.
It asks a series of multiple choice questions about how the participant has been feeling over the past week, covering topics such as concentration, loss of appetite, worry, how well they have been able to shake off depressive moods, quality of sleep, feelings of
loneliness, self-worth, energy levels, and so on.

 

 

 

To avoid depression in middle age it is time to engage in a healthy diet now.

 

 

 

When they analysed the results and ruled out potential confounders such as age, gender, education, smoking, exercise, and chronic diseases, the researchers found that:
* Participants in the top 33 per cent (top tertile) of the whole food diet pattern, ie whose diet most closely matched the whole food diet, had a 26 per cent lower risk of receiving a CES-D depression assessment five years later (odds ratio 0.74, with 95 per cent probability of this being in the range 0.56 to 0.99) compared to the bottom 33 per cent (bottom tertile), ie whose diet least closely matched the whole food diet.
* In contrast, participants whose diet was high in processed foods had a 58 per cent higher risk of receiving a CES-D depression rating five years later.
The researchers concluded that:
"In middle-aged participants, a processed food dietary pattern is a risk factor for CES-D depression 5 years later, whereas a whole food pattern is protective."
According to BBC News, co-author Dr Archana Singh-Manoux, who works at UCL and INSERM, suggested there was a possibility that the finding could be explained by a lifestyle factor they had not accounted for.
In other words the study does not prove that a processed food diet causes depression: it could be that people destined to become depressed become inclined to eat more processed foods, that there is a yet undiscovered factor behind both.
However, when results as strong as these emerge, and a consistent pattern linking diet and depression is found by several studies, it would tend to suggest that a healthy diet does protect against mental ill health.
The Chief Executive of the UK-based Mental Health Foundation, Dr Andrew McCulloch told the BBC that:
"This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health."
He said major studies like this were crucial in helping us understand more about how diet contributes to mental illness. He said people in the UK were increasingly adopting unhealthy diets, and eating less nutritious and fresh food and more saturated fats and sugars.

 

Mothers who are using microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis are in for a nightmare.
A recent medical study has shown that  microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis or transmission of disease-causing bacteria.
With this finding, medical experts suggested that other interventions are needed to target child mortality.
It is said that 900 000 sepsis-associated neonatal deaths per year arise in developing countries, mainly in the first week of life.
Early-onset sepsis poses unique opportunities for prevention because of intrapartum, vertical transmission of bacteria to newborn babies. For example, widespread use of targeted prophylaxis with intrapartum antibiotics in the USA coincided with a 70% reduction in early-onset group B streptococcal disease. Logistical and resource limitations, however, prevent use of intrapartum antibiotics in developing countries.In this randomised controlled trial, the authors (led by Dr Clare L Cutland, Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) assessed the efficacy of intrapartum and neonatal chlorhexidine coated-wipes in reducing early-onset neonatal sepsis and vertical transmission of group B streptococcus.

 

 

 

Mothers seeking to protect their babies from neonatal sepsis could not find relief from microbicide-soaked vaginal and infant wipes.

 

 

The trial took place in Soweto, South Africa, and 8,011 women (aged 12-51 years) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to chlorhexidine vaginal wipes or external genitalia water wipes during active labour, and their 8,129 newborn babies were assigned to chlorhexidine full-body (intervention group) or foot (control group) washes with chlorhexidine at birth, respectively. In a subset of mothers (n=5144 lower vaginal swabs and neonatal skin swabs were gathered after delivery to assess colonisation with potentially pathogenic bacteria. Primary outcomes were neonatal sepsis in the first 3 days of life and vertical transmission of group B streptococcus.
The researchers found that rates of neonatal sepsis did not differ between the groups (chlorhexidine 3% vs 4%). Rates of colonisation with group B streptococcus in newborn babies born to mothers in the chlorhexidine (54%) and control groups (55%) did not differ.
The authors say: "Use of maternal and neonatal chlorhexidine wipes did not prevent the occurrence of early-onset sepsis. This absence of benefit was corroborated by the lack of effect on vertical transmission of the main sepsis-causing pathogens, and on serious maternal post-partum sepsis."
They conclude: "Although several trials have raised hopes that chlorhexidine vaginal and neonatal cleansing would be beneficial in saving the lives of newborn babies, the results from our trial suggest that use of chlorhexidine wipes is unlikely to reduce neonatal mortality from vertically acquired sepsis. Other neonatal interventions are needed to achieve the Millennium Developmental Goal of reduction in childhood mortality."

Cellular phones had more uses aside from communication.
A recent medical study has uncovered that cellular phones could be use to help chain smokers kick their unhealthy habit.
A team of experts lead by Robyn Whittaker, a public health physician at the University of Auckland,  recently conducted four studies: two of text-message only programs and two that used the Internet along with mobile phones to keep up a stream of stop-smoking support.
"It makes a lot of sense," Whittaker said. "Mobiles are well-integrated in daily lives. The programs are using what’s in daily life rather than making people come into a clinic. They’re more proactive, delivering directly to people wherever they are."
Studies included about 2,600 smokers of all ages. After pooling study data, reviewers found that participants in text-message programs were about twice as likely not to smoke after six weeks as smokers in control groups.
People in mixed-media programs cell phone plus Web were significantly more likely to hang in there for at least six months after their chosen quit date.
"Say people are out with friends and feeling really strong cravings. They can text the word ‘crave’ directly into the program and they can get a message with suggestions for techniques to get through the cravings or other things to do to distract them such as listen to music or take a walk around the block," Whittaker said.

 

 

 

Smokers seeking to quit their habit can find solace and help from their own cellular phone.
 

 

 

Studies measured quitting success by self-report and in some cases by testing saliva samples for signs of nicotine. However, not enough people provided saliva samples to make meaningful conclusions based on those.
Two studies conducted in Norway combined e-mail contacts, a Web page and text messages. In the other studies, which took place in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, participants received a barrage of up to six messages daily for a month after their quit date and less frequent messages for up to six months.
""The text messages obviously have to be very brief, to the point; they use a lot of abbreviation but not a lot of texting lingo," Whittaker said. "Motivational messages remind people why they want to quit. Positive reinforcement message tell them they’re doing really well, that they got themselves through the day or week without a cigarette, and to keep up the good work."
Messages can be "personalized and tailored to a certain extent to include information about issues of particular concern to that person, like putting on weight when quitting," Whittaker said.
"However, a lot of information is applicable to most people."
"The problem is that it is not individualized. These are generic messages to help people not use tobacco," said Rebecca Schane, M.D., an internist and pulmonologist with the Center for Tobacco Control Research at the University of California at San Francisco. "
"It is mobile contact but not actual human contact."
"This type of intervention can’t stand alone or substitute for physician visits in any way, shape or form," said Schane, has no affiliation with the review but is familiar with the findings.
"Quitting affects other aspects of people’s health. If they have high blood pressure and they quit, their blood pressure decreases. You need to incorporate that in their treatment," Schane said.
People need a personal touch, she said: "It helps when a physician is in your corner. When you know the physician believes this is a worthwhile step in your life, you’re more likely to do better in quitting."
"For a certain proportion of the population, that’s probably right," Whittaker said, "but a certain proportion prefer not to do face-to-face interventions. Particularly, a lot of young adults preferred something confidential and anonymous."
Both Whittaker and Schane say that quitting is extremely difficult and most people will make several efforts before finding success.
"I’m glad the reviewers are trying to identify new ways to help people quit," Schane said. "What’s out there is relatively stagnant. The protocol hasn’t changed in years. But smokers are changing and our care needs to change. We’re in a bit of a rut; if this study brings to the forefront the idea that there are other ways we can treat smokers, that’s great."

 

MEDICAL experts called on the people around the world to always use soap while doing some hand wash to get rid of bacteria and germs.
The experts said washing with the aid of soap will not at all help since it does not get rid of microbes.
They revealed to kills germs and bacteria the best thing to do is to rinse the hands after using soap.
According to their study, the experts also discovered that touching the sink faucet, which is one of the dirtiest things in a restroom people could be adding even more germs to their hands.
A poll conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of LifeBridge Health reveals that when in a public restroom without soap or towels, 74 percent of American adults who use public restrooms would rinse their hands with water and let them air dry.
"They might as well not even bother," says John Cmar, M.D., an internist at LifeBridge Health’s Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and expert on infectious diseases. "Washing with water alone does not get rid of microbes the action of working up a lather with soap, and then rinsing it off, is what washes them away. Plus, by touching the sink faucet one of the dirtiest things in a restroom these people could be adding even more germs to their hands."
The survey examined 2,257 U.S. adults aged 18+, of whom 2,208 use public restrooms.

 

 

 

To ensure germs and bacteria could not harm your body always use soap regularly.

 

 

The poll also revealed that only 12 percent of public restroom users would immediately go find another place to wash their hands in that situation, though that number increases to 17 percent among those aged 18 to 44 and 19 percent among females in that same age range.
Six percent of males aged 18 to 34 who use public restrooms said if there were no soap or paper towels in a public restroom then they would
give themselves a "free pass" and not wash their hands at all. This self-reported number is much lower than what past observational studies have revealed; an August 2007 study (1) conducted in four U.S. cities observed 34 percent of men (presumed to be aged 18+) neglecting to wash their hands at all in public restrooms, despite the availability of soap, towels and running water.
"To avoid getting sick, it is critical that people know how to wash their hands the right way," says Jackie Daley, director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sinai Hospital. "Many people think the water temperature kills the germs on their hands, but water from a faucet could never get hot enough to do that," she says. "The keys are the soap, the length of scrubbing time and drying your hands thoroughly with towels afterwards." Daley stresses that people need to scrub their hands with soap and water for at least 15 to 20 seconds about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" through twice. If soap and water are not available, then an alcohol-based hand rub will work to destroy germs.

 

 

Medical experts called on pregnant women around the world to do their best to get all their flu shots as soon as the vaccines become available this year to protect them against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 (swine) flu.
Eight organizations of medical practitioners namely American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, the Infectious Disease Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine today partnered has join hands to issue the message to protect pregnant women from the deadly H1N1 virus.
The group revealed the normal changes of pregnancy make pregnant women at increased risk of the harmful effects of flu infection.

 

 

Flu shots keep pregnant women safe from the deadly H1N1 virus.

 

 

The group then urge every pregnant woman to discuss influenza immunization with her health care provider because the risk of serious illness during pregnancy is substantial.
They explained it is important to note that the vaccine has been shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials.
Moreover, in addition to getting immunized before the flu season for both the seasonal and the H1N1 viruses, the groups also urge pregnant women to follow good hygiene habits, such as hand-washing and avoiding others who are sick, to prevent the virus from spreading.
The group said pregnant women who develop flu-like symptoms should also quickly contact their health care provider so that they can begin treatment immediately.
H1N1 flu is caused by a virus. In the spring of 2009, many people in Mexico became sick with H1N1 (swine) flu. It spread to several countries, including the United States. Now, the US is taking steps to deal with the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years.
Research published Sept. 11, 2009 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which surveyed pregnant women in two states, found that women who got a seasonal flu vaccine did so because their health care provider recommended it.

 

Medical experts around the world are calling on the public to avoid consuming too much sodium sulfate or salt since doing so could be disastrous to your health.
According to a recent medical study, those who love to partake salt usually suffer from high blood pressure, vascular and cardiac damage, stomach cancer, osteoporosis and other diseases.
The study also revealed that higher blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Based on the latest statistics, worldwide, approximately 1 billion adults have hypertension.
It is said that about 17 to 30 percent of these cases are caused by excessive sodium consumption.
Researchers discovered that almost 80 percent of sodium intake is from processed food in developed countries.
The experts revealed the most effective change will result from regulation of the food industry by government.
However, researcher said there is a need for immediate voluntary action.

 

 

 

Partaking too much salt is dangerous to health.

 

 

In Canada alone, the recommended intake is 1,000 mg/day sodium for people aged 1 to 3 years and 1,500 mg/day for those aged 9 to 50 years.
Dr. Kevin Willis, from the Canadian Stroke Network explained a population-wide reduction in sodium intake could prevent a large proportion of cardiovascular events in both
normotensive and hypertensive populations.
He added a population-wide decrease of 2 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure would be estimated to lower the prevalence of hypertension by 17%, coronary artery disease by 6% and the risk of stroke by 15%, with many of the benefits occurring among patients with normal blood pressure.
 

 

Moreover, the experts hoped that the national public health policy should focus on:
• Reformulating processed food
• Educating consumers
• Labeling food clearly
• Setting timelines to meet these targets

 

 

They said nongovernmental groups should also lobby the food industry to change practice.
They added these groups should work in partnership with governments to initiate public education campaigns.
The experts said health care professionals should give extra attention in guiding patients about healthy choices in reducing sodium consumption.
They said training in giving those directions should be included into curricula.

 

 

 

Medical researchers has recently discovered that walking is beneficial to breast cancer survivors since it reduces chances of the recurrence of the deadly disease by 40 percent.
Dr. Carolyn Kaelin, a Harvard surgeon, breast cancer survivor and author of The Breast Cancer Survivor’s Fitness Plan, explained brisk walking about 3.0 mph on a treadmill
for three to five hours per week, or about 30 minutes a day, can net big benefits for breast cancer survivors.
With the huge rewards it offers to breast cancer survivors Kaelin, in conjunction with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and CYBEX exercise equipment, is promoting brisk walking and the benefits of cardio exercise through CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this October.
Based on the study made by the the Nurses Health Study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) nearly 3,000 women up to 14 years after their breast cancer diagnosis and found that cardiovascular and aerobic physical activities
reduced the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence and increased the odds of living longer.
Kaelin revealed recurrence rates and deaths from breast cancer decreased by 40 percent among those who exercise at least 3-5 hours per week, compared with those who were sedentary.

 

 

 

To avoid chances of having breast cancer again, breast cancer survivors should do some walking in a regular basis.
 

 

 

She added it does not need to be running a marathon, or biking a century, but rather simply walking briskly most days on a treadmill, at a shopping mall or around a track, that further reduces breast cancer recurrence for those who have been treated for the condition.
She added to all women, in addition to physical activity helping to optimize body weight and reduce high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, scientific research is more strongly pointing to the positive effects of cardio-vascular exercise in reducing breast cancer risk and the risks of other forms of cancer, too.
 

 

Those people who have large thighs around the world better start rejoicing now.
A recent research has shown that individuals whose thighs are wider than 60cm have a lesser risk of premature death and heart disease.
Lead author, Professor Berit Heitmann, based at Copenhagen University Hospital, says the research may help GPs identify patients who are at an increased risk of early death and developing heart disease.
Heitmann revealed while several studies have already demonstrated that being either very overweight or underweight are related to premature death and disease, this is the first to investigate the implications of thigh size on health.
Almost 3000 individuals took part in the study in Denmark this included 1463 men and 1380 women.
Participants were examined in 1987/88 for height, weight, thigh, hip and waist circumference and body composition.
They were then followed up for 10 years for incidence of heart disease and 12.5 years for total number of deaths.
 

 

 

 

Those who have large thighs have lesser chance of suffering from heart disease and experiencing early death.
 

 

 

During the follow-up period 257 men and 155 women died, also 263 men and 140 women experienced cardiovascular disease and 103 men and 34 women suffered from heart disease.
When assessing the results, the authors found that the survivors had higher fat-free thigh circumference levels.
The relationship between thigh size and early death and disease was found after taking body fat and other high risk factors (such as smoking and high cholesterol) into account.
The researchers therefore suggest that the risk from narrow thighs could be associated with too little muscle mass in the region.
This is problematic because it may lead to low insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes and, in the long run, heart disease, they explain.
Moreover, the researchers conclude that the study "found that the risk of having small thighs was associated with development of cardiovascular morbidity and early mortality.
This increased risk was found independent of abdominal and general obesity, lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and lipids related to early cardio vascular morbidity and
mortality".
The researchers believe that doctors could use thigh size as an early marker for at risk patients and suggest that individuals increase lower body exercise in order to increase the size of the their thighs if necessary.
Further research would be needed, however, to assess whether this approach was worthwhile.

 

Contrary to what most people think hookah smoking is as deadly as cigarette puffing recent medical studies has shown.
Brian Primack, M.D., Ed.M., M.S., assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Pitt’s School of Medicine and lead author of the study. "What they don’t realize", revealed hookah smokers are are exposing themselves to many of the same toxic chemicals contained in cigarettes.
A hookah, or waterpipe, is used to inhale tobacco that usually is flavored or sweetened.
The opening of hundreds of hookah cafes in the U.S. over the past decade demonstrates the increasing popularity of hookah smoking.
Primacj said although the aesthetic appeal of the practise suggests that it is not harmful, studies show that hookah tobacco smoke is just as toxic as cigarette smoke and is associated with substantial harm and addictiveness.
For example, one average hookah smoking session exposes the user to 40 times the tar of a single cigarette.
Meanwhile according to a latest study made by the University of Pittsburgh, college students who participate in intramural or club sports are less likely to smoke cigarettes than non-athletes, but are more likely than non-athletes to smoke from a hookah.

 

 

Smoking hookah is as deadly as puffing cigarettes.
 

 

 

To get the data, researchers at Pitt examined survey data from 8,745 college-age individuals who participated in the National College Health Assessment administered by the American College Health Association in 2008, and found that 33 percent of the respondents reported participating in varsity, club and intramural sport in the preceding 12 months.
Overall, 29.5 percent of the total sample reported having smoked from a hookah.
Consistent with what has been reported in the past, all types of athletes were less likely than non-athletes to smoke cigarettes.
Similarly, varsity athletes were 22 percent less likely than non-athletes to have smoked tobacco from a hookah.
However, club and intramural participants were each 15 percent more likely than non-athletes to have smoked tobacco from a hookah.