Mindfully Healing

People felt their pets could tell when they were in trouble. Pets can help people manage mental health conditions, particularly in times of crisis, new research finds. People’s emotional relationship with their animals can be intense and they can provide welcome support. The review of 17 different studies found that people living with mental illness reported a variety of different benefits to having pets: People reported finding pets calming and supportive. People felt their pets could tell when they were in trouble. Pets provided a distraction from upsetting symptoms of

The mental slowdown is even bigger when a person is hungry. Sugar causes people to perform worse on tests of memory and thinking skills, new research finds. Participants consuming either table sugar (glucose) or fruit sugars (fructose) were worse at math, had slower reactions and showed poorer attention than a control group who had a sweetener. The study suggests that what is sometimes called a ‘sugar coma’ — a slow down caused by sugary foods — could be a real effect. Being very hungry before consuming the sugar made the

The best balance of fatty acids for brain health. The right balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may help promote healthy cognitive aging, new research finds. While we are used to hearing about the benefits of the fatty acids in fish and fish oils, that is only half the story. Omega-6 fatty acids can come from nuts, seeds and other oils. Typically, Western diets have too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3. Together, a balance of these fatty acids may help to reduce age-related decline and maintain the integrity

Depression and anxiety risk much higher in some people using social media. Using over seven different social media platforms is linked to a tripling in depression risk, psychological research finds. The study asked about the 11 most popular social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and LinkedIn. Those who used between 7 and 11 of these, had 3.1 times the depression risk. They also had 3.3 times the risk of having high levels of anxiety symptoms. Professor Brian A. Primack, who led the

Surveys of over half a million teens in the US hint at worrying trend. More time in front of screens may be to blame for the increase in depression and suicidal behaviours among young people, study finds. Girls may be particularly prone to the possible negative effects of too much time spent on smartphones tablets and computers. The conclusions come from surveys of over half a million teens in the US. These have found that suicide rates for girls aged 13-18 have increased 65% between 2010 and 2015. The number

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is involved in planning, reasoning and decision-making. Improving general cognitive functioning could help to reduce anxiety, new research suggests. This area is highly involved in planning, reasoning and decision-making. Increasing brain activity in areas related to thinking and problem solving is linked to reduced anxiety, the study found. People at risk for anxiety were less likely to develop the disorder when they had more activity in brain areas related to complex mental operations. Memory and brain training, along with psychological therapies could all help to boost

Positive emotions are given the biggest boost by different foods as we age. The diets linked to mental health change over the lifetime, new research finds. The mood of young people — aged between 18 and 30 — benefits from neurotransmitter precursors provided by foods like meat. Meat — whether red or white — increases the build-up of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which both help to boost mood. However, for those over 30 a different pattern emerged. Mature adults were in a better mood if they ate foods

Certain types of anxiety can cause massive ups and downs in relationships. Partners who have attachment issues cause considerable instability in their relationship, research finds. One type, known as ‘attachment anxiety’ by psychologists, involves see-sawing feelings. It is the same reason that babies cry when they are taken from their mothers. Around one in five people have an anxious attachment style. A classic sign is wildly have varying feelings about the relationship from one day to the next. People experiencing attachment anxiety spend a lot of time thinking about what

Why depressed people cannot hold on to positive memories and emotions. Depressed people have 30% worse memory on certain tasks, research finds. Depressed mood stops people from holding information in their memory. This may be why depressed people can find it hard to hold on to positive memories and emotions. It can also help to explain how depression develops and persists over time. In depressed people, memory is easily ‘hijacked’ by depressing thoughts, to the exclusion of all else. Professor Bart Rypma, who led the study, said: “People with depression

Depressed people experienced feelings of unity, transcendence of space and time and a loss of boundaries. Psilocybin – the active part of magic mushrooms — can help reduce depression symptoms and reawaken the emotions, new research finds. The stronger the ‘mystical experience’, the more the hallucinogenic drug helped. People whose depression was most improved reported a more mystical experience, including feelings of unity and transcendence. Although antidepressants like Prozac can often help those who are depressed, they reduce both positive and negative emotions. Psilocybin therapy, though, may revive brain activity