The Penn State Beaver Office of Continuing Education will offer "Counseling and Teaching Youth at Risk," a three-credit graduate class for teachers and counselors, 5-8:30 p.m., Thursdays, March 1 through May 3 at Lincoln Junior-Senior High School, Ellwood City, Pa. (more)
Children who go through puberty at a faster rate are more likely to act out and to suffer from anxiety and depression, according to a study by researchers at Penn State, Duke University and the University of California, Davis. The results suggest that primary care providers, teachers and parents should look not only at the timing of puberty in relation to kids' behavior problems, but also at the tempo of puberty -- how fast or slow kids go through puberty. (more)
For many, the topic of teen body image conjures thoughts of overweight adolescents battling the scale, peer separation and depression, but a recent study conducted by Michelle Frisco and Jason Houle of Penn State's Department of Sociology reveals that more and more teens are dealing with self-image anxiety. To view a video about the study, visit http://www.youtube.com/pennstate#p/a/u/0/FsN7HsGv31M online. (more)
Paternal postpartum depression is well known to mental health researchers, said Douglas Teti, professor of human development, psychology and pediatrics. Although awareness is low in the general public and the medical community, we shouldn't be surprised that dads can get the baby blues. "The transition to parenthood is stressful for men as well as for women," he said. (more)
New research shows that a unique strain of laboratory mice characterized at Penn State has behavioral, hormonal and neurochemical characteristics that are similar to those of human patients with drug-resistant forms of depression. The mice, which have a defect in a gene, are expected to be useful as a new model organism in the effort to develop more effective medications for specific forms of depression. The research, led by Bernhard Luscher, professor of biology at Penn State, will be published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. (more)
Depression raises stress hormone levels in adolescent boys and girls but may lead to obesity only in girls, according to researchers. Early treatment of depression could help reduce stress and control obesity -- a major health issue. "This is the first time cortisol reactivity has been identified as a mediator between depressed mood and obesity in girls," said Elizabeth J. Susman, the Jean Phillips Shibley professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State. (more)
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is type a depression that reoccurs at the same time every year beginning in the fall and early winter, explains Frederick Brown, director of the Human Performance Rhythms Laboratory. To lessen the effects of SAD, Brown recommends cutting down on sweets and getting more exposure to natural light. (more)
Sunlight and seasonal changes have a great impact on human behavior. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression -- sometimes called the winter blues -- that follows a seasonal pattern and occurs at the same time every year without any significant related stressors. Affected people are symptom free during spring and summer and have recurrence of depression during the following fall and winter. January and February seem to be the most difficult months for these people. Onset is typically seen from September to November with complaints of excessive tiredness and fatigue, increased sleepiness and often a desire to sleep for long periods, increased appetite and craving for carbohydrates, especially cookies and bread. These symptoms are often associated with the decrease in the amount of sunlight, according to The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (more)
Anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of feeling anxious, may put people who are already above-average worriers at risk for depression, according to Penn State researchers. Understanding how sensitivity to anxiety is a risk factor for depression may make anxiety sensitivity a potential target for treating depression in the future. (more)
For any student, going away to college and encountering new academic and social pressures can be a challenging experience. For some, those challenges, as well as pre-existing conditions, can result in issues that need the attention of qualified mental health experts. Dennis Heitzmann, director of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Penn State's University Park campus and an expert in college student mental health issues, said that the preponderance of students his center sees are dealing with anxiety and depression, but that each client is dealing with a unique situation. (more)
