Sep 17, 2013 | Integrative Medicine, Music Therapy
Guest post by Abigail Strubel, MA, LCSW
The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.
– English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham (1879 – 1961)
One of the most groundbreaking programs at Beth Israel Medical Center is the Louis and Lucille Armstrong Music Therapy Program. For the past 20 years, it has provided music therapy to an extremely diverse cross-section of patients ranging from premature babies in the neonatal ICU, to geriatric patients in palliative care, to musicians at The Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine, where Stephan Quentzel, MD, and Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, and their team treat performing artists from Broadway to the subway. Care is provided on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, with individuals, groups and families. (more…)
Nov 18, 2012 | Community Outreach, Diet and Nutrition, Holistic Health
Low vitamin D levels are associated with depressive symptoms. That is the main conclusion by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute in Dallas in a cross-sectional study of 12,564 participants. Given this finding, is vitamin D the new wonder pill for depression?
Why the focus on vitamin D?
For the past five years, prominent studies disclosed the risks associated with vitamin D deficiency. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found that the evidence supported the importance of vitamin D along with calcium in promoting bone health, but not for other health outcomes. In contrast, the studies of Pearce (2010) and Holick (2007) associated vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for various medical conditions, including autoimmune diseases, vascular disease, infectious diseases, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
What does the latest study on vitamin D for depression suggest?
Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), higher vitamin D levels were associated with a significantly decreased risk for depression. The Dallas study reported that participants with higher vitamin D levels were 0.92 times less likely to have depression compared to participants with lower vitamin D levels. Note that the study found stronger association particularly for those who had previous history of depression.
What can we learn from the study?
Based on findings from different studies, it is important for patients to be screened on vitamin D levels to determine the risks and threats to bone health, and mental health as well. It is clear that vitamin D is a critical supplement for bone health, and its role in preventing depression has been emerging in recent studies.
How much vitamin D supplement do I need?
On these aspects, it is helpful to start with the IOM recommendations for bone health. At all age levels, except for those over 70 years old, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is 600 International Units (IU) daily. For persons older than 70, the RDA is 800 IUs. (The IUs are boldly printed on the labels of over-the-counter vitamin D.) For the upper limits, the IOM concluded that intakes more than 4,000 IUs of vitamin D per day increase the risk for harm. Please note that the Dallas study does not indicate the recommended intake levels for vitamin D with reference to depression.
How should I consult with my health care provider?
In the next visit to your health care provider, it would not hurt to ask for vitamin D levels in your blood draws. It is also certainly helpful to tell your provider what other supplements you take regularly. This is important because, by doing so, you can help prevent adverse drug reactions and unfavorable interactions among the medications and supplements you take.
Above all, it is not only ourselves that we need to consider for the vitamin D screening and subsequent supplementation; we need to suggest screening to our loved ones as well. In light of the Dallas study, it is highly recommended for those with history of depression to have vitamin D level screenings. That suggestion could spell the difference in taking away depression during the holidays and beyond.
Oct 7, 2012 | Pediatrics
In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week, we are sharing this blog post that was originally featured on The Child and Family Institute Notes.
For some young people — one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents to be exact — sad is how they feel all the time. When sadness persists and interferes with a child’s or adolescent’s ability to function, the person is considered depressed. Young people under stress, who experience loss, or who have attention, learning, conduct or anxiety disorders are at a higher risk for becoming depressed. Once a young person has experienced a major depression, he or she is at risk of becoming depressed again within the next five years.
The behavior of depressed children and teenagers may differ from the behavior of depressed adults. Also, when asked directly, many children will say that they are unhappy and sad, but may not use the word depressed. Here are some other warning signs:
* A kid who used to be outgoing now shows little interest in socializing.
* Things that once brought joy don’t anymore.
* The person talks of suicide.
* The person abuses drugs or alcohol.
* He or she experiences changes in sleeping and eating habits.
Research shows that treatment of major depression is as effective for children and teens as it is for adults. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential. Comprehensive treatment often includes individual and family therapy, and in some cases antidepressant medication.
Call 212-523-7990 to register for a free, confidential, depression screening at Roosevelt Hospital on Thursday, October 11, 2012.
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Uncategorized
This blog post originally appeared on The Child and Family Institute Notes.
The Young Associates Committee for Mental Health and Addiction Awareness (YAC) is a newly formed group of young professionals who are interested in working together to destigmatize mental illness and addiction. We organize events and activities to support the much-needed mental health and addiction treatment services provided by The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals.
The reason I am a YAC member is simple – this is my passion. Working towards ending the stigma surrounding mental illness has been my mission since I was in high school. Not only have I dealt with my own struggles with major depression and anxiety for more than a decade, but I have also seen the devastation that untreated mental illness can lead to. Think of how many lives could be saved every year if society were more accepting and willing to help people affected by these disorders.
Mental illnesses are invisible diseases that affect the brain, so to the average person on the street you may appear fine because you don’t look physically sick. Some people even function and go to work every day, but fight a silent, dark battle because it is unacceptable to be out in the open with their disease. It’s the stigma that surrounds these illnesses that often prevents people from seeking treatment. I know it came into play for me. I was young and physically healthy – I should have been able to control my brain and just make myself feel better. If I couldn’t, then just imagine how weak I must have been. This is just one of the stereotypes that are out there.
Along with other YAC members, I want to help make mental health a priority for everyone. With increased awareness, education and understanding, we can all make the world a better place for those who deal with these diseases. I want to live in a place where, if you tell someone you have bipolar disorder, the first word that pops into their head is not “crazy!” I want to live in a place where these illnesses are not a joke to people. And, I want to live in a place where everyone has a chance to live a healthy life because they aren’t afraid to get the help they need. I think that place is something all YAC members are striving for and, with more of us out there, it may come true in our lifetime.
To find out more about YAC, please “like” our Facebook page and consider joining our efforts. We are a group of young people who like to have fun and support a very serious and meaningful cause while we’re at it.
This blog was written by YAC member Katie Gerenski Gallo.
