RxPG News : Anxiety

Chronic anxiety may cause heart attack

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:50:30 PST

New York, Jan 10 - Chronic anxiety may trigger heart attack, says a new study, suggesting highly anxious individuals to stay careful.

New insights into the neural basis of anxiety

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 04:00:00 PST

People who suffer from anxiety tend to interpret ambiguous situations, situations that could potentially be dangerous but not necessarily so, as threatening. Researchers from the Mouse Biology Unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Italy have now uncovered the neural basis for such anxiety behaviour in mice. In the current issue of Nature Neuroscience they report that a receptor for the messenger serotonin and a neural circuit involving a brain region called the hippocampus play crucial roles in mediating fear responses in ambiguous situations.

Guanfacine in PTSD is no more effective than placebo

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 12:39:58 PST

Guanfacine, a medication commonly prescribed to alleviate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is no more effective than a placebo, according to a study led by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. “There was no benefit at all, and there were several adverse side effects,” says lead author Thomas Neylan, MD, medical director of the PTSD treatment program at SFVAMC. “People with symptoms of PTSD should probably stay away from this drug and others of its type.”

Men, women respond to trauma differently

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:24:09 PST

New York, Nov 21 (IANS) Men and women may respond to trauma differently with the latter more prone to stress and anxiety disorders, says a new study.

Panic attacks are linked to poor outcomes for diabetic patients

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:55:22 PST

There is a strong link between panic episodes and increased complications from diabetes, according to a study conducted at Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-based nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. The work appears in the November issue of General Hospital Psychiatry.

Anxiety sensitivity linked to future psychological disorders

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 14:18:00 PST

People who get scared when they experience a pounding heart, sweaty palms or dizziness -- even if the cause is something as mundane as stress, exercise or caffeine -- are more likely to develop a clinical case of anxiety or panic disorder, according to a Florida State University researcher in Tallahassee, Fla.

Anxiety Disorders and Physical Illness

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:42:00 PST

Anxiety disorders appear to be independently associated with several physical conditions, including thyroid disease, respiratory disease, arthritis and migraine headaches. This co-occurrence of disorders may significantly increase the risk of disability and negatively affect quality of life.

Men, women have similar rates of compulsive buying

Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:32:00 PST

Contrary to popular opinion, nearly as many men as women experience compulsive buying disorder, a condition marked by binge buying and subsequent financial hardship, according to new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Mental illnesses double up in Katrina survivors

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:19:00 PST

According to the most comprehensive survey yet completed of mental health among Hurricane Katrina survivors from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the proportion of people with a serious mental illness doubled in the months after the hurricane compared to a survey carried out several years before the hurricane.

Kids with OCD bullied more than others

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 02:43:00 PST

Children with obsessive-compulsive disorder are three times more likely to be bullied than other children, and the name-slinging could cause symptoms of OCD to worsen, University of Florida researchers have found.

Psychological debriefing after trauma does not reduce PTSD

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:44:00 PST

Individual psychological debriefing does not reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression after psychological trauma, a new study from The Netherlands has found. People who are highly aroused after a trauma may actually be made worse by single-session emotion-focused psychological debriefing.

Tsunami Survivors Face Increased Risk of Mental Disorders

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 14:52:00 PST

There has been increase in the rate of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder among children in the tsunami-affected areas of Southern Thailand

Substantial burden of PTSD among people after disasters

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:12:00 PST

In the year after a hurricane, tornado, terrorist attack or other natural or man-made disaster, 30 to 40 percent of adults who were directly affected may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a University of Michigan researcher.

OCD has multiple genetic associations

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 05:30:00 PST

A federally funded team of researchers including several from Johns Hopkins have identified six regions of the human genome that might play a role in susceptibility to obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. The study was published online June 6 in Molecular Psychiatry.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder could be behind cases of road rage and spousal abuse

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 03:16:00 PST

A seldom-studied mental illness called Intermittent Explosive Disorder, characterized by recurrent episodes of angry and potentially violent outbursts--seen in cases of road rage or spousal abuse--has been found to be much more common than previously thought. Depending upon how broadly it is defined, this disorder affects as many as 7.3 percent of adults, or 16 million Americans, in their lifetimes. In a year, Intermittent Explosive Disorder affects nearly 4 percent of Americans, or 8.6 million adults, reports Ronald Kessler, PhD, professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and colleagues. The study also found that Intermittent Explosive Disorder may predispose people to other mental illnesses and substance abuse. Intermittent Explosive Disorder attacks are out of proportion to the social stressors triggering them and are not due to another mental disorder or the effects of drugs or alcohol, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). People with this disorder overreact to situations with uncontrollable rage, feel a sense of relief during the angry outburst, and then feel remorseful about their actions.

Pregabalin Receives a Positive Opinion from CHMP for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:37:00 PST

Pfizer Inc said that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization of Lyrica® (pregabalin), a novel mechanism for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults.

Anxious fathers make caesarean ops more painful for mothers

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 23:45:00 PST

Fathers who are anxious during a caesarean operation may increase the pain experienced by the mother after the delivery of their baby, according to new research published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

Chronic work stress could lead to heart disease, diabetes

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 13:27:00 PST

Chronic work stress could lead to heart disease and diabetes, but lifestyle changes can help tackle the situation, says a study.

Panic disorder shown to be the single best predictor of a relapse to alcohol dependence

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 20:32:00 PST

Anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence co-occur at an alarming rate. A study in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research examines what effects a co-existing anxiety disorder may have on relapse following treatment for alcoholism. Results indicate that two of the most common anxiety disorders found among alcoholics social phobia and panic disorder are more strongly associated with alcohol relapse than other anxiety disorders.

Riluzole eases obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Sat, 30 Jul 2005 16:55:00 PST

A medication used to ease symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, also is helpful in treating people with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a pilot study at Yale School of Medicine.

Size of ventromedial prefrontal cortex could signal vulnerability to anxiety disorders

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 12:59:00 PST

The size of a particular structure in the brain may be associated with the ability to recover emotionally from traumatic events. A new study by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) finds that an area called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex is thicker in volunteers who appear better able to modify their anxious response to memories of discomfort. The report will appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and has received early online release on the PNAS website.

Life events generate more symptoms of PTSD than traumatic events

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 16:24:00 PST

Life events (e.g. divorce, unemployment) can generate more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than traumatic events (e.g. a road accident, war), according to a new study.

PTSD after Nairobi and Oklahoma terrorist bombings - Study

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 16:24:00 PST

There were many similarities in the psychological problems found among survivors in the two cultures, following the terrorist bombings in Nairobi and Oklahoma City. However, coping responses and treatment were quite different.

9/11 Babies Have Markers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Wed, 04 May 2005 18:38:00 PST

Pregnant women present during the September 11 World Trade Center collapse have passed on markers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to their unborn babies through transgenerational transmission. The findings strengthen the evidence for in utero or early life risk factors for the later development of adult mental or physical disorders. The study will be published online today in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, one of the four journals produced by The Endocrine Society.

Increased mortality risk in men for anxiety disorders

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 15:26:00 PST

For men, but not for women, there is an increased mortality risk for anxiety disorders, according to a study from the Netherlands published in the November issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

More men than women admitted to psychiatric hospitals for depression and anxiety

Tue, 05 Oct 2004 16:12:00 PST

A study in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry has found that, contrary to belief, and the findings of population morbidity surveys, psychiatric admissions are more common for men than for women, and for depression and anxiety than for psychosis.

Stress of caring affects immune system

Tue, 13 Jul 2004 23:13:00 PST

Two new studies have found that chronic stress in elderly caregivers is linked with impaired immunity to disease.
People who are informal caregivers report considerable psychological distress, which may have adverse effects on their immunity to disease. This distress may contribute to the development of new diseases, or hasten the progression of existing conditions.

Carers have high levels of stress and anxiety themselves

Wed, 14 Jan 2004 15:50:00 PST

Carers who are caring for people with mental health difficulties and dementia are more likely to say their own health is not very good or not at all good and have higher incidence of health and emotional problems, a survey released today by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in UK has found.