First Published Thursday, 2 April 2009

Following the devastating Australian bushfires of February 2009, occupational therapists and health professionals will be in a central position to contribute to the well-being of children and their families affected by their traumatic experience. An editorial in the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published by Wiley-Blackwell describes the important issues that health professionals have to consider when identifying and treating clients experiencing a range of post-traumatic difficulties.

“Children of all ages are particularly vulnerable as disasters like bushfires can have a profound effect on their developmental trajectories and their social relationships. The children affected by the Victorian bushfires have an even greater potential for adverse outcomes – as a result of their degree of exposure to the death of loved ones in traumatic circumstances, as well as the losses they’ve endured with regards to their schools and communities”, said Editor Dr. Elspeth Macdonald from the Australian Child and Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network (ACATLGN) and Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University.

The severity of the disaster directly relates to the likelihood of psychological distress felt by the victims. Although post-disaster morbidity may decline over time and onset of psychological problems may be delayed, the effects of the initial disaster exposure and losses are likely to persist for several years at least.

Occupational therapists and other health professionals can contribute to the well-being of these children not just by specialist services, but also through avenues such as school programs and supporting families to accept referrals for mental health interventions.

“Mental Health Needs Post-Disaster: Supporting Recovery of Children and Families”
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal (Vol. 56, Issue 2, pp. 79-80).

Source:   http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144543.php

First Published Thursday, 2 April 2009

ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2009) — Some of the symptoms of the autistic condition Asperger Syndrome, such as a need for routine and resistance to change, could be linked to levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research led by the University of Bath.

Normally, people have a surge of this hormone shortly after waking, with levels gradually decreasing throughout the day. It is thought this surge makes the brain alert, preparing the body for the day and helping the person to be aware of changes happening around them.

However, a study led by Dr Mark Brosnan and Dr Julie Turner-Cobb from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, and Dr David Jessop from the University of Bristol, has found that children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) do not experience this surge.

The researchers believe these findings may help to explain why individuals with this condition have difficulties with minor changes to their routine or changes in their environment.

Dr Brosnan explained: “Cortisol is one of a family of stress hormones that acts like a ‘red alert’ that is triggered by stressful situations allowing a person to react quickly to changes around them.

“In most people, there is a two-fold increase in levels of this hormone within 30 minutes of waking up, with levels gradually declining during the day as part of the internal body clock.

“Our study found that the children with AS didn’t have this peak although levels of the hormone still decreased during the day as normal.

“Although these are early days, we think this difference in stress hormone levels could be really significant in explaining why children with AS are less able to react and cope with unexpected change.”

Dr Julie Turner-Cobb, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Bath and co-author on the study, said: “These findings are important as they give us a clearer understanding about how some of the symptoms we see in AS are linked to how an individual adapts to change at a chemical level.”

Dr David Jessop analysed samples from the children for levels of hormone at the Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology at the University of Bristol.

He added: “This study suggests that children with AS may not adjust normally to the challenge of a new environment on waking.

“This may affect the way they subsequently engage with the world around them.”

The researchers hope that by understanding the symptoms of AS as a stress response rather than a behavioural problem it could help carers and teachers develop strategies for avoiding situations that might cause distress in children with the condition.

The next step in the research will be to look at whether children with other types of autism also lack a peak of cortisol after waking.

Journal reference:

1. 1.  Brosnan et al. Absence of a normal Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) in adolescent males with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2009; DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.011

First Published Thursday, 2 April 2009

First Published Thursday, 2 April 2009

China’s autism parents walk lonely road for help

Wed Apr 1, 2009 4:09am EDT

By Lucy Hornby

BEIJING (Reuters) – When Li Mingqiu was two, his parents noticed that he had lost the ability to speak, didn’t respond to his name, and was fixated by television commercials.

Even though the hospital gave him a clean bill of health, his mother was convinced there was something wrong. After exhaustive research on the Internet, she came up with the answer: autism.

For decades, autism went largely undiagnosed in China even as in the West awareness was growing of the condition. China only recognized autism as a disability in 2006.

“Autism is very unknown in China. If you ask people on the street, 90 percent of them have never heard of it,” said Tian Huiping, the founder of China’s pioneering school for autism, Stars and Rain, in the suburbs of Beijing.

Mingqiu is one of China’s luckier children because he was diagnosed early. By the time many autistic children arrive at the special schools springing up across China, they are too old for therapy that might give them some semblance of a normal life.

“The only way we know to improve the prognosis is early intervention. That’s what makes early diagnosis so important. The earlier, the better,” said Li-Ching Lee, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In the West, autism and related disorders strike between two and six of every 1,000 children, or one in every 166 children. With China’s enormous population, that means at least 2.6 million people might have autism, although there is no conclusive data.

“There are a lot of resources and expertise concentrated in Beijing, but it takes a lot for families to travel here, financially,” said Lee, who is developing screening tests for the disorder.

“The facilities for education are here but not in the provinces. Where I work in Shandong, there are no education and treatment facilities specifically for autism.”

A lack of proper diagnostic tools in Chinese and various cultural factors such as the inability of parents to compare development milestones against siblings due to the one-child policy are among the factors inhibiting diagnosis.

Autism is a developmental disorder which appears in the first few years of life and affects the brain’s development of social and communication skills. The exact causes of autism are unknown but there is extensive research underway.

Chinese parents, most of whom have only one child, have founded schools and associations to deal with autism because of the dearth of state support.

China’s rudimentary social services mean that parents often rely on children to take care of them in their old age. But parents of autistic children may instead find themselves trying to support their autistic child in their old age as there are no programs or facilities for teens or adults with the disorder.

“For a family where the child is disabled, the future is very, very dark,” said Tian, whose adult son is autistic.

GRASSROOTS COPING

China now has about 100 preschools for autistic children, many of them run by NGOs that send their teachers to Stars and Rain to learn from its model. Most teaching materials are sourced from overseas, then translated into Chinese.

“It takes a long time to train people,” Lee said. “A lot of people here work very hard to make this happen.”

Awareness is growing. In Guangzhou, NGOs mark World Autism Day on April 2 with events to share education tips with parents of autistic children.

Some provinces have also begun to set up state-backed schools, in a sign that autism, known in Chinese as “lonely syndrome,” is finally getting recognition.

Families come to Stars and Rain for an 11-week course on social skills for the children and coping skills for the parents.

With cartoons painted on walls and the shouts of children at play, the center is filled with the hubbub of any kindergarten.

In the playground, children in a relay race show no signs of trying to run fastest as they orbit a chair and drift back to their teams. But they have learned to take turns, to pass the baton, and to respond to verbal commands, and their cheering parents looked relieved.

“Now, the fifth week of class, is the best time, because the parents see their kids’ progress, and feel confident,” Tian said.

“Two or three weeks more, and they will worry again about the future, and what will happen when they are dead.”

In 1986, Tian left her infant son for a coveted opportunity to study abroad for two years in Germany. When she returned, he had developed the first signs of autism, a condition that only three doctors in China could diagnose at the time.

Frantic to help him, Tian quit her job as a professor to found Stars and Rain in 1993, when the boy was eight.

“I never believed that if I just made a lot of money I could get him the security and respect he needed. He will only be safe when all the children like him are secure and respected,” said Tian, a petite woman.

Many parents have no resources to draw on for help outside their family, and many are riven by the shame and the stress.

“When I started here in 2004, most of the parents wouldn’t tell anyone they had this problem,” said Wang Peipei, at the school’s development department.

“Now more and more are open about telling people, pressing for their kid’s rights and for more help, but society still isn’t very aware of autism.”

Seven-year old Shao Zhennan, a handsome boy with a big smile and bright eyes who couldn’t speak or distinguish colors when he first came to the school, plays peek-a-boo from across the room before mustering the courage to approach and say hello.

“He wants to communicate with you but he doesn’t know how,” said his mother, Sun Yanhong.

(Editing by Megan Goldin)

Source:   http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE53014I20090401?feedType=RSS&feedName=lifestyleMolt&sp=true

First Published Thursday, 2 April 2009

The free printed guide called ‘Airport Awareness’ uses airport images to show what to expect on your journey through the airport, starting from arriving to checking-in to going through security and returning home.

The guide is the initiative of airport employee, Katy Gough, who secured funding from the airport’s Customer First scheme, which invests in staff suggestions that improve the airport for passengers.

Launched to coincide with World Autism Awareness Day and the start of the busy Easter season, Ms Gough created the guide after several passengers requested photographs of the airport to allow them to plan their trip.

Katy, who works as a press officer at the airport, has personal experience of the disorder through a member of her immediate family and wanted to use her experience to help those passengers whose children have Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

The unfamiliar sights and sounds of the airport can cause a great deal of stress and worry both for the young passengers with ASD, but also their families.

Ms Gough explained: “I’ve worked with several autism charities such as Bolton Kidz2gether, The National Autistic Society and Autistic Society Greater Manchester Area to understand what makes travelling through airports difficult.

“The main problems are that the airport environment is an alien one and processes such as check-in and security require co-operation with strict guidelines.  However, by including chronological information in the guide about each stage of travelling through the airport and by illustrating the guide with photographs, parents are able to plan their journey with their child, helping them to understand what to expect.

“It’s our aim that by launching this guide on World Autism Awareness Day, many people affected by the disability will hear about the guide and use it as a way to experience foreign travel for the first time.”

Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society, said of the book: “I’m delighted by Manchester Airport’s useful and understanding initiative: an airport can be a very confusing place for anyone, and for someone on the autism spectrum it can be especially frightening and disorientating.”

Source:   http://www.lythamstannesexpress.co.uk/latest-north-west-news/Airport-launches-guide-for-autistic.5133542.jp

New airport awareness book published

Manchester Airport, with the help of The National Autistic Society (NAS), has produced an information guide to help adults travelling with children with autism. The free guide uses images to show what to expect on a journey from arriving to checking-in, to going through security and returning home.

The guide can be downloaded from Manchester Airport’s website (follow the link at the bottom of this page), or you can pick up a copy from information desks in the airport.

Airport press officer Katy Gough, who has personal experience of autism, created the guide after she received several requests from carers for airport pictures, to help them plan their trip. Katy said:

“The main problems are that the airport environment is an alien one and processes such as check-in and security require co-operation with strict guidelines.”

“However, by including chronological information in the guide about each stage of travelling through the airport and by illustrating the guide with photographs, parents are able to plan their journey with their child, helping them to understand what to expect.”

Jane Asher, President of the National Autistic Society, said of the book:

“I’m delighted by Manchester Airport’s useful and understanding initiative. An airport can be a very confusing place for anyone, and for someone on the autism spectrum it can be especially frightening and disorientating.”

Related resources

External links

• Manchester Airport’s information guide for children with autism

Source:  http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=253&a=19193

First Published Friday, 3 April 2009

Emma Ross

Preliminary research examining the difference in brain activity between soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and those without it moves scientists a step closer to the possibility of being able one day to use brain scans to help diagnose the condition.

The search for the footprints left in the brain by psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing area of research. Scientists hope it will lead to the identification of brain patterns that could be used to improve diagnosis and track the effectiveness of treatment. The latest study was presented at the World Psychiatric Association congress “Treatments in Psychiatry” by Dr Florin Dolcos, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

“As technology improves, imaging research is increasingly providing insights into the brains of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, pointing to potential biological markers distinguishing the PTSD-affected brain,” said Dolcos, a co-author of the study, performed at Duke University in Durham, USA. “The field is still in its infancy, but this raises the possibility that one day we may be able to see the disorder in the body as plainly as we now can see conditions such as heart disease and cancer.“

Several studies have examined the brain patterns of emotion processing in PTSD by provoking symptoms, but very few have investigated the significant cognitive processing problems associated with the condition.

PTSD is as an anxiety disorder triggered by exposure to traumatic events. Symptoms include intrusive memories of the trauma, avoidant behavior and hyper arousal, where those affected are more likely to perceive a threat in seemingly neutral situations or people. Impaired concentration is also characteristic. The disorder is currently diagnosed using an interview by a mental health professional.

The study involved 42 American soldiers (52% men) who had recently served in Iraq or Afghanistan. There were two groups with comparable levels of combat exposure. One group of 22 had developed PTSD and the other group of 20 had not. The scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging scans (fMRI) to examine the brain patterns of each soldier while they performed a three-part short-term memory task that included distractions. The test is indicative of the ability to stay focused, which is reduced in PTSD.

In the first stage, the soldiers were shown photographs of three similar faces. After a delay period to give their brains time to retain the information, they were shown a single photograph of a face and had to press a button indicating whether the face was one of those they had seen earlier or whether it was new.

About two seconds into the delay period, the soldiers were randomly shown photos irrelevant to the faces – either two photos depicting combat scenes from Iraq or Afghanistan, two photos of non-combat (neutral) scenes such as a man playing the trombone, or two digitally scrambled pictures depicting nothing. After a break to allow brain activity to return to normal, the test was repeated 40 times, with no repetition in the photos.

In an area of the brain involved in the ability to stay focused (the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex), the scientists observed that while the group without PTSD was far more distracted by the traumatic photos than by the neutral ones, the PTSD group was equally affected by the two types of photos. The findings were reflected in the results of the memory test, with the PTSD group performing more poorly in identifying whether the final faces were new or old regardless of whether the photos that distracted them were traumatic or neutral.

“This sensitivity to neutral information is consistent with the PTSD symptom of hypervigilance, where those afflicted are on high alert for threats and are more distracted by not only threatening situations that remind them of the trauma, but also by benign situations,” said the study’s leader, Dr RajenDr Morey, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Duke University and director of the neuroimaging lab at Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center. “This has not been seen at the brain level before. If further research confirms this preliminary finding, this pattern could be useful in distinguishing the PTSD brain.“

The researchers also found marked differences between the two groups in an area of the brain governing the sense of self. When the soldiers were shown the combat photos, this area, found in the medial prefrontal cortex, lit up remarkably in the PTSD group, but very little in the non-PTSD group.

“This is consistent with what we see behaviorally in PTSD, where people with the disorder are much more likely than others to connect traumatic triggers to events that have increased personal relevance, such as the combat situations in war veterans” Dolcos said. Previous findings by the same group indicate that activity in the medial prefrontal cortex also predicts the severity of PTSD symptoms. “Collectively, these findings raise the possibility of another brain pattern being potentially useful for distinguishing PTSD,” Dolcos said.

Consistent with previous studies, the researchers also found that the combat photos produced much greater activity in the brain region governing emotion processing (the amygdala) in the PTSD group than in the control group.

Morey said further research confirming the findings, as well as studies comparing brain patterns in PTSD with those in other psychiatric disorders such as depression, are necessary before brain scans can be used as an additional diagnostic tool for the disorder. Dolcos added it is also important to further investigate differences between individuals in the sensitivity to emotional challenge, to see whether brain scans can help flag increased susceptibility to conditions such as depression and anxiety-related disorders.

Dolcos F, Morey R, Cabeza R, McCarth G. Role of individual differences in the response to emotional challenge: evidence from brain imaging studies in healthy and clinical groups. Presentation NRS13.1, WPA Congress, 2009 Apr 3, Florence Italy.

Comment:
While accurate diagnostic fMRI scans may become available in the future their cost may limit widespread useage. Doctors already have cheap tools such as the Hamilton Anxiety () and Depression () Rating Scales which can reliably diagnose most mental illnesses, and even some tests which claim to assess future mental disorder risk such as predictD

First Published Friday, 3 April 2009

Br J Psychiatry. 2009;194:350-354

Migraine in recurrent depression: case-control study

Samaan Z, Farmer A, Craddock N, Jones L, Korszun A, Owen M, McGuffin P.

Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK; Department of Behavioural Neurosciences, Mood Disorders Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK; Division of Neuroscience, University of Birmingham, UK; Barts and The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK

Declaration of interest: M.O. and N.C. have acted as consultants to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and have received honoraria for academic talks from Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and GSK. A.K. has received research grants from GSK and Sanofi-Synthelabo and has received honoraria from Eli Lilly. A.F. has received honoraria for presentations and chairing meetings from Eli Lilly, GSK and Wyeth, and has acted as a consultant for GSK. P.M. has received honoraria from Eli Lilly and GSK, and has acted as a consultant in the recent past for GSK and AstraZeneca.

Funding: The study was funded by the [British] Medical Research Council.

Background: An association between depression and headache is well established, but the specificity to migraine is unclear.

Aims: To investigate the specificity of the association of depression and migraine.

Method: People with recurrent depression (n=1259) were compared with psychiatrically healthy controls (n=851) to investigate headache defined according to International Headache Society criteria in each group.

Results: All headache types were more prevalent in the case group than in the controls. However, the strongest association was between depression and migraine with aura (OR=5.6). Among participants with recurrent headaches, migraine with aura (but not other forms of headache) was highly significantly associated with depression.

Conclusions: The data suggest that not only is there a general relationship between headache and depression but also that among people with recurrent headache there is a specific association between depression and migraine with aura. The association is likely to be explained by overlapping aetiological risk factors.

Source…

First Published Friday, 3 April 2009

6 out of every 10 university students, regardless their field of study, present any symptom of anxiety when it comes to deal with Mathematics, according to a research work carried out at the University of Granada. In addition, there are significant differences between men and women in this sense, as men suffer less anxiety when it comes to deal with mathematical tasks (47% of men against 62% of women).

The research has been carried out by professors Patricia Pérez-Tyteca, Enrique Castro, Isidoro Segovia, Encarnación Castro and Francisco Fernández, of the department of Didactics of Mathematics of the UGR, and Francisco Cano, of the department of Evolutionary and Education Psychology. This study was carried out in a sample consisting of 885 first-year students from 23 different degrees given at the UGR which include the subject of Mathematics, both compulsory and core. The sample included four of the five university fields of study: Health Sciences, Experimental Sciences, Technical Education and Social Sciences.

The symptoms of mathematical anxiety

The researchers applied to the students the so-called Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales, a questionnaire validated by experts from all over the world which has been used since the 70s; the student underwent such questionnaire at the beginning of the second four-month period.

Mathematical anxiety appears through a series of symptoms “such as tension, nervousness, concern, worry, edginess, impatience, confusion, fear and mental block” when dealing with the subject of Mathematics, according to the researchers of the University of Granada.

This work has also revealed that there are significant differences in the students’ attitude towards Mathematics depending on their field of study. Thus, the students of degrees of the field of Health Sciences are those who fear Mathematics the most (this is, show more anxiety), unlike those of Technical Education, who are the less concerned.

According to the researchers, “an indirect effect of mathematical anxiety is that of avoiding studies related to Mathematics, which later conditions the type of degree they can choose”. In other words, many students choose degrees different to those they preferred and in which they would be really good in many cases in order to avoid studying subjects connected with Mathematics.

University of Granada
http://www.ugr.es

Source:   http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144703.php

First Published Friday, 3 April 2009

Article Date: 03 Apr 2009

The past 18 months have seen a spectacular reversal of economic fortunes in much of the developed world, particularly in the UK.

Current research into the psychological impact of the recession and how psychology could help revive the economy presented yesterday at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton.

Peter Cooper, chief executive of CRAM International, and Professor Stephen Lea of the University of Exeter will present their findings to date and introduce ongoing work. They will also suggest ways for psychology to help shape future policies and thinking to help get the economy out of recession.

Professor Lea will talk about the psychology of money. He says: “Money is a strong motivating force in society. Yet unlike other strong motivators such as food or sex, it has no apparent or direct biological basis. It can be seen not only as a useful tool for society, but also as a powerful drug. “Modern money is, in a sense, a mutual confidence trick. Money and financial instruments like stocks and shares only work because everyone believes that they will work.

“Confidence in the supposed instrumental support for some kinds of money, or money-related tools, has collapsed resulting in substantial disorder in behaviour. On the other hand, many people have suddenly been put in a situation where they are either in debt or are almost bound to go into debt.

“We need to consider whether there has been a mass psychology of both money and debt that has contributed to the credit crunch”.

Peter Cooper, who is also a Fellow of the Market Research Society, is currently researching how the economic crisis impacts on our mental health and well-being.

Mr Cooper said: “For many people the recession is creating profound fears about loss of home, love, self-respect, and above all loss of meaning in their lives.”

“Anxiety and depression are increasingly evident. Many blame the ‘greed’ of the past. Others see it as an opportunity for ‘cleansing’ and a ‘new beginning’. However, many people lack the psychological resources to cope.

“Psychological factors have played a part in the origins of the crisis, and are now critical in its resolution for individual and social well-being. Understanding psychological needs and working in partnership with organisations in fields like economics, ecology and politics can help forge the new world people are seeking.”

The British Psychological Society Annual Conference takes at the Holiday Inn on Brighton Seafront from 1 – 3 April 2009.

Source
British Psychological Society
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144844.php

First Published Friday, 3 April 2009

Article Date: 03 Apr 2009

A study presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton claims swearing and shouting at your computer, hitting the keyboard and smashing the mouse have become everyday expressions of anger and stress relief.

Dr John Charlton from the University of Bolton questioned 126 participants on how frequently they expressed anger at their computer and to provide a written description of one such incident. He found that the majority of people had become angry three or four times each month, and more than 10 per cent reported anger occurring ten times or more.

Overall, around 54 per cent of people had expressed this anger in verbal aggression towards their computing equipment. But 40 per cent of the participants had actually engaged in physical aggression towards the computer.

People reported that anger against computers was most often linked to two triggers: unsatisfactory work progress and time pressures.

Dr Charlton commented: “Although the study did not look at health factors, habitual, unrestrained expression of anger is known to be a significant cause of ill-health. However, moderate outbursts of anger, in the form of shouting at a computer might actually be beneficial.”

The British Psychological Society Annual Conference takes at the Holiday Inn on Brighton Seafront from 1 – 3 April 2009.

Source
British Psychological Society
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144850.php