Mindfully Healing

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

The teenagers described a wide variety of sources of stress. Few young people use the word ‘depressed’ to describe what often looks like depression, new research reveals. Instead they refer to being ‘stressed’ or ‘down’. Dr Daniela DeFrino, study co-author, said: “Much of what a teen is feeling and experiencing is easy to attribute to the ups and downs of teen angst. But, sometimes, there is so much more under the surface that can lead to depression,” Three common depression symptoms the teenagers in the study reported were: Trouble falling

A simple technique to help narcissists develop more fellow-feeling. Narcissists aren’t much interested in other people’s suffering, or, for that matter, any of other people’s feelings. Erica Hepper, the author of a new study on the subject, explains that narcissists are: “A bit full of themselves, self-centered, and don’t seem too concerned about the effects they have on other people.” New research by Hepper and colleagues shows, though, that narcissists can be made to feel empathy, if given a nudge in the right direction (Hepper et al., 2014). In the

The drink activates the ‘feel-good’ dopamine receptors in the brain. A component found in beer, quite apart from alcohol, also stimulates the brain’s reward centre, new research finds. Hordenine, which is found in beer and malted barley, stimulates the brain’s dopamine receptors in the same way as dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that gives us that feel-good effect. It makes us want to carry on consuming a food or beverage long after we are satiated. The conclusions come from research that went through a database of 13,000 chemicals to find

The type of sleep linked to feeling more positive emotions. More sleep isn’t always better for your mood. In fact, more sleep that’s disrupted reduces positive moods more than less sleep that’s uninterrupted, a new study finds. Uninterrupted sleep is particularly beneficial for the positive emotions of friendliness and sympathy for others. Dr Patrick Finan, who led the study, said: “When your sleep is disrupted throughout the night, you don’t have the opportunity to progress through the sleep stages to get the amount of slow-wave sleep that is key to

• Next article in this series: This Way of Socialising Cuts Depression Risk In Half• Previous article: Depression Caused By How People See The Future, New Study FindsThis small change to your diet could be enough to reduce the risk of depression. A Mediterranean diet including fruits, vegetables and legumes can prevent depression, a large new study finds. People only had to make relatively small changes to see the benefits. The scientist think that depression could be partly down to a lack of essential nutrients. The study included 15,093 people

Show popular with teenagers linked to increased internet searches for how to commit suicide. A Netflix drama called ’13 Reasons Why’ has been linked to internet searches for suicide, new research finds. The series, which is popular with teenagers, is about the suffering and eventual suicide of a teenage girl. The girl’s journey is experienced by her friend listening to a series of audio-cassette journals she has left behind. (If this sounds like just the sort of thing you don’t need on a Monday night after a long day at

People are least happy and at the highest risk of suicide during these years. Middle-aged people are at the highest risk of suicide, research shows. The risk is particularly high among middle-aged women. Middle-aged people — those in their 40s and 50s — are at twice the risk of suicide as those in their 30s or 60s. The results tie in with surveys of happiness which find that people are at their lowest point, on average, as they approach their 50s. Professor Andrew Oswald, the study’s first author, said: “Suicide