depression

The Marie Kondo Method: The Mental Health Benefits of Tidying Up

January 28, 2019 By Amanda Blankenship Leave a Comment

Netflix made a fantastic call when it debuted Tidying Up With Marie Kondo at the first of the year. Many people vow to declutter, lose weight, get more organized, and improve their lives at the beginning of each year. While each resolution has the potential to positively impact your life, there are a few significant mental health benefits of tidying up.

Mental Health in the U.S.

Serious mental illness costs the United States more than $1.93 billion in lost earnings each year. In fact, depression is the number one leading cause of disability worldwide. Mental health has a huge impact on the economy, not to mention the lives of millions of people. Check out the infographic below for more mental health statistics.

There’s no doubt that some of the numbers detailed above are unsettling. Doctors, researchers, and scientists are constantly looking for natural ways to better manage mental health. Could the Marie Kondo method of decluttering benefit your mental health?

What Are the Mental Health Benefits of Tidying Up?

Your living space heavily impacts your mental health. If you are constantly in a space that is cluttered or dirty, you are less likely to feel good. Not only that, but it has been proven that organization can have the following positive impacts on mental health.

Organization helps you think more clearly and you won’t get frustrated as easily. When you declutter your space, you declutter your mind as well. You’ll find yourself being more productive and able to think more clearly in your new clean space.
Decluttering and tidying up shows you care about yourself. Tidying up is another way to practice self-care. When you clean your living space, you show you care about yourself.
When you go to clean up, it isn’t as difficult because things are already tidy. This is one of the biggest perks of tidying up and decluttering. Any time you go to do your regular household chores it doesn’t take as long because there is no clutter to move around or go through.
You feel satisfied after you’ve cleaned up and organized. It feels great when you step back and look at your newly organized closet or desk.
Many people find themselves to be more efficient. When you organize your space, it can make things way more efficient. You’ll find yourself knowing where things are and your day-to-day activities moving faster.
Having an organized mind can lead to further positive change in other aspects of life. Once you tidy up, declutter, and get organized, you’ll probably find you are more organized and excelling in other areas of life as well. What is better for your mental health than to continue to improve?

With more than 44 million American adults suffering from some kind of mental health condition, it is important to find ways to improve your mindset on a day-to-day basis. Consider the mental health benefits of tidying up and how much it could save you.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Marie Kondo method, check out The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story. You can also watch Marie in action in Tidying Up With Marie Kondo on Netflix.

Readers, do you find tidying up improves your overall mental health?

44 Genes Linked to Depression: Revolutionary Discovery

April 29, 2018 By Amanda Blankenship Leave a Comment

A revolutionary study has uncovered 44 genes linked to depression — a condition that costs the U.S. at least $210 billion annually.

The study looked at the genomes of more than 135,000 patients with depression. More than 200 scientists in compared this data with the same data collected from 350,000 people without depression.

The findings — published in Nature Genetics by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium — included 30 previously undiscovered gene variants were linked to depression, in addition to an affirmation of 14 already known genetic variations.

Genes Linked to Depression

The study found no single gene variant to make anyone more or less likely to become depressed. All of the genes uncovered in the study contribute to the risk of depression equally.

Many of the genes linked to depression are also associated with other psychiatric conditions like bipolar disorder. There are also a number of health issues linked with the condition as well, such as insomnia.

Scientists found that some of the gene variants control dopamine and adrenaline levels in the brain — both of which are areas that currently available medications can treat.

How Will This Change Depression Treatment?

However, some of the 30 newly discovered gene variants affect parts of the brain that aren’t yet treatable with antidepressants.

“Each of the newly identified gene variants is essentially a target that could be addressed with a drug therapy,” said Dr. Patrick Sullivan, co-lead study author.

The study authors hope that their findings might pave the way toward finding new treatments for this condition that affects around 15 percent of adults globally.

Scientists involved in the study are asking for volunteers with depression to take part in further genetic studies. If you are interested in staying up-to-date about the launch of the study, email darr@kcl.ac.uk.

Readers, how has learning about this research changed your attitude toward depression and the people you know who suffer from it?

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Can the DASH Diet Cut the Risk of Depression?

March 5, 2018 By James Hendrickson Leave a Comment

DASH diet for depression

It’s possible that a diet originally intended to help lower blood pressure without medication might address depression as well. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, also known as the DASH diet, originally came about as a means of treating high blood pressure without medication.

Originally developed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, DASH also became a method for losing weight. Now it appears to have appeal for the 3.3 million American adults that are affected by depression.

Americans spend an estimated $201 billion annually on mental health care, including depression, making it among the costliest health category to take care of long term, according to Health Affairs. The costs include prescription medications, psychotherapy, and hospital visits.

The DASH Diet Study

Lower incidence of depression was found among adults who adhered closest to the DASH diet over a 6.5-year span of a study by the American Academy of Neurology.

The study looked at 964 adults, with an average age of 81, who followed one of three diets:

Western diet – This diet is high in saturated fats and low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Mediterranean diet – This is primarily plant-based, focusing on foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.
DASH diet – It focuses on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, but avoids items high in sugars and saturated fats.

Those who adhered to DASH most closely were 11% less likely to have depression over the span of 6.5 years than individuals who didn’t adhere to the diet as strictly.

Further Research Needed

Currently, researchers are only able to note an association between the DASH diet and a lower risk of depression, not a causal effect. Therefore, more research is needed, said Dr. Laurel Cherian, co-author of the study.

Nonetheless, Cherian and her colleagues plan to present the findings of this study next month at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting. They believe their findings warrant further research on whether finding the right diet could impact depression.

Readers, have you tried modifying your diet to achieve health benefits other than weight loss — and if so, which diet? What effects did you see?

Sunny Weather Could be Connected to Suicide Rates

September 14, 2014 By Alec MCeachern 1 Comment

Sunny weather could be associated with suicide rates

After working through a study incorporating the analysis of the correlation between suicide rates and sunshine spanning 40 years, Austrian researchers found two distinct correlations. If the sunshine spanned over two weeks, the number of suicide rates dropped, but if it was any shorter it increased. These findings were reported on September 10 in JAMA Psychiatry, but the findings aren’t to be taken literally. The findings only hint at the link between suicide and sunny weather. Those responsible for the study state that its “impossible” to attribute the suicide rate changes directly to the weather.

In theory, the mood-regulating chemical serotonin could hold a role for the suicide rates. Previously there have been studies based on seasonal patterns, attempting to link them to suicide rates, but they contained counter-intuitive patterns. Even if winter is commonly associated with depressions and increased suicide rates, suicides peak in spring.

Because of this, the research team sought to find if sunlight could be related to suicide rates. By looking at 69,462 confirmed suicide records in Australia, between 1970 and 2010, they used meteorological stations to study daily sun hours during the 40-year period.

After conducting this study, two patterns came forth. The author states that in 10 days or less increased suicide rates were linked with a higher frequency of sunshine. But after two weeks to two months, they became linked with lower suicide rates. Furthermore, the team discovered that by analyzing what they found more, this short-term suicide risk increase was primarily found among women. Coincidentally, the long-term decrease of suicide rates was among men.

According to Dr. John Mann, a professor of translational neuroscience at Columbia University Medical Center in NY, the results should be interpreted cautiously. What factors into suicide is incredibly complicated, and so finding a fraction of the reasons adding to the resulting suicide is very difficult, according to Mann, uninvolved with the study.

One more researcher stated that the findings, “…add to growing evidence of the importance of light in brain health.” Exposure to bright light and sunlight have long been associated with increased levels of serotonin in humans and animals, said Dr. Phyllis Zee. Zee works at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology at North-western University in Chicago.

According to Zee, making use of these factors is one way that might improve symptoms of depression. “Light therapy is a treatment for people with seasonal affective disorder – depression that strikes in the dark days of winter.”

As to why the suicide rates would fluctuate so much, the Austrian researchers speculate that serotonin transmissions in the brain are one part of the whole. The substance is involved with a lot of psychological behavior, including impulsive and depressive behavior. At first it could boost people’s motivation for getting out of suicidal thought patterns, but the same substance could lead to severe depressions for a short time span.

It’s important to note that the correlations that were found were vague due to the small effect it appears to have had on the suicide rates. Mann stated that, “The effect would be very small, if it’s there at all. I don’t think people should avoid the sun because of this study.”

(Photo courtesy of Dawn Ellner)

The High (Monetary) Cost of Untreated Depression

December 13, 2007 By Jennifer Derrick 4 Comments

We all know that depression is a terrible disease that can have an enormous psychological cost, both for the sufferer and their family and friends. But there is also a monetary cost to depression that goes beyond the medical and therapy bills. I’m not a doctor and I’m in no position to offer treatment advice or discuss symptoms. However, as this is the time of year when depression often gets worse or becomes more obvious with the shorter days and holiday stress, I want to point out some of the monetary costs of untreated depression.

Why is this important? First, some people are motivated more by money than other reasons. They may not seek treatment for medical reasons, but perhaps seeing the monetary costs of depression may inspire them to seek help. Untreated depression can be especially costly, as the sufferer often has no idea why they are incurring these costs or how to stop. This leads to a cycle of frustration that may worsen the depression as the costs mount. This is the second reason why this article is important. If you think you or someone you know is suffering from depression, it may help to understand what’s happening financially so that the cycle can be broken or at least slowed until treatment can bring relief.

Some costs associated with depression are incurred as people seek to self-medicate their depression. We may jokingly refer to “retail therapy,” but for some depressed people it’s no joke. They feel sad and miserable so they seek to buy newer, nicer things in the hope that the things will make them feel better and improve their lives. Relief, if any, is short lived because the problem can’t be solved with things. But the depressed person may continue to buy, hoping for just a tiny bit of relief; some glimmer or hope that things can be better. It can become an endless cycle. In extreme cases, depressed people can burn through their family’s funds, incur huge amounts of debt, and wreck their financial future buying things to make themselves feel better.

Depression can affect the sufferer’s earning power, as well. Depressed people may perform poorly at work, losing out on bonuses or performance raises. They may not be promoted because they are not seen as “go-getters” or “team players.” Their lack of interest in daily life may be taken as lack of interest in the job itself, leading to demotion or dismissal. Those who are self-employed may lose business due to poor performance. They may fail to attract new clients because they don’t have the energy or interest required to drum up new business. Their business may even go under, bringing on a whole new set of financial troubles.

There is also an opportunity cost to depression. Those who’ve always wanted to start their own business or turn a hobby into a money making venture may see those dreams crushed by depression. Starting a business requires a lot of energy; energy that depressed people just don’t have. Many depressed people give up on their dreams because it all seems too difficult. Those dreams fall by the wayside and, even if they are picked up again after treatment, the years of potential income are lost.

There are medical costs to depression that go beyond therapy and medication. Some depressed people have unexplained pain or illnesses. They go to the doctor seeking relief from the symptoms but the problem, the depression, remains untreated. The doctor treats the pain or the illness, but it will return or there will be a new pain or illness in the future until the depression is treated. Until then, the doctor’s visits continue to add up. Depressed people often stop exercising, caring for themselves, and seeking preventative care. This lack of preventative care can lead to many medical problems and their attendant expenses, particularly if the depression is left untreated for a prolonged period of time.

Finally, depressed people may not be able to properly manage their finances. They may lose interest in record keeping, resulting in missed payments, dropped insurance policies, late fees, and other charges. They may not have the energy to pay their bills, argue with customer service when they are charged incorrectly, or seek the best deals on services. These minor hassles can quickly add up and lead to ruined credit, higher rates, or cut off utilities. In a family where the main financial manager becomes depressed, the rest of the family will suffer unless someone else is willing and able to step in and take on that responsibility.

The psychological costs of untreated depression alone are terrible enough. Factor in the monetary costs as well, and this disease becomes even more crippling. Untreated depression can ruin a family’s finances, just as it ruins other aspects of life. If you or someone you know might be suffering from depression, I urge you to see a doctor for a treatment solution so that psychological and financial healing can begin.

Image courtesy of Felipe Morin