Mindfully Healing

The parental behaviour that lowers children’s IQ. Children who were spanked in childhood have lower IQs, a study finds. The more children were spanked, the lower their IQ, the research also found. The probable reason is that spanking is highly stressful for children. It can leave them with post-traumatic stress disorder. An ongoing fear of terrible things happening — being easily startled — is linked to a lower IQ. Parents who continue to use corporal punishment into the teenage years may hamper their children’s brain development even more. Professor Murray

For 50 years scientists and the public alike have been completely wrong about the biological basis of depression. The scientific basis behind commonly used antidepressants is completely backwards, according to a new review of the research. For almost 50 years it has been believed by scientists and the public alike that depression is related to low levels of serotonin in the brain. The most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications — like Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft — are thought to work by keeping serotonin levels higher. So-called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or

3,961 people from 29 different studies were included in the analysis. Depression is more than a mental disorder, it affects the body’s ability to detoxify itself. It should be seen as a systematic disease that affects the whole body, argues a new study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Accepting that depression affects the whole body could help explain why people experiencing depression are more likely to suffer from cancer, cardiovascular disease and to die younger. All of these problems can be combated, however, by the usual treatments for depression:

Survey of 1,000 coffee drinkers reveals which type are “people-pleasers” and which are the most laid-back. Black coffee drinkers are old-school purists who are patient and efficient but can be a little quiet and moody, finds a survey. While latte drinkers were generous with their time but didn’t always take the best care of their health. These are amongst the findings from a recent survey of 1,000 coffee drinkers conducted by clinical psychologist Dr. Ramani Durvasula. The survey looked at different facets of personality along with the types of coffee

Small study sees improvements in those with ‘untreatable’ depression with no side-effects. Learning to control your own brain waves could be an effective treatment for severe depression, new research finds. The small pilot study found that a technique called neurofeedback helped severely depressed people whose depression had proved very hard to treat. Neurofeedback involves patients concentrating on a readout of their own brain waves. Over time, people can learn to control and change them. Professor Eun-Jin Cheon, the study’s first author, said: “Neurofeedback has been trialed with psychological conditions in

The risk of mental illness is up to 4 times higher in those with a high IQ. Why? Highly intelligent people are at increased risk of mental illness, according to new research. This is because the brains of intelligent people are hyperexcitable, the researchers think. A higher IQ leads to a greater awareness of their surroundings and what is going on. This causes the central nervous system to be more reactive, making intelligent people more ‘jumpy’. Dr Nicole Tetreault, study co-author, said: “A minor insult such as a clothing tag

64% of depression and anxiety patients saw reductions in their symptoms. Probiotics relieve the symptoms of depression, as well as helping with digestion problems, a new study finds. The research was carried out on people with irritable bowel syndrome who were also depressed. Twice as many reported improvements in depression symptoms if they took a specific probiotic. Dr Premysl Bercik, senior study author, said: “This study shows that consumption of a specific probiotic can improve both gut symptoms and psychological issues in IBS. This opens new avenues not only for

The surprising effect of these drugs on your heart, kidneys, lungs and liver. Taking antidepressants is linked to a 33% higher risk of death, new research finds. The risk of a cardiovascular ‘event’ (strokes and heart attacks) was also 14% higher for those taking antidepressants. This research used data from hundreds of thousands of people collected from many different studies. Dr Paul Andrews, who led the study, said: “We are very concerned by these results. They suggest that we shouldn’t be taking antidepressant drugs without understanding precisely how they interact

Study of 1.2 million people finds links between fitness and verbal comprehension and logical thinking skills. Young adults who are fitter have a higher IQ and are more likely to go on to higher education, research finds. Higher IQ is linked to a higher heart and lung capacity, not to muscular strength. Heart and lung capacity was most strongly linked to verbal comprehension and logical thinking skills. Professor Michael Nilsson, one of the study’s authors, said: “Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that

Two surveys hint at links between sleep position, personality and the strength of your relationship. People who are more creative tend to sleep on their left-hand-side, a survey finds. The survey also found that people who are more extraverted tend to sleep closer to their partners. In fact, being in closer contact with your partner during sleep was related to having a better relationship. 12% of couples spend the night less than 1 inch apart. Among these couples, 86% were happy with their relationship. On the other hand, 2% slept