1 In 5 Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Suffer From PTSD Or Major Depression

Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan -- 300, 000 in all -- report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slight more than half have sought treatment, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Students Go It Alone Under Stress, Australia

Some university students are drowning in psychological distress and many are not seeking specialist help as new research shows the student life is not as carefree as it might appear. More than half the 384 students who attended one university health service at a large Queensland urban university last October, reported mild to very high levels of psychological distress, including depression and anxiety.

Cocaine More Likely To Be Chosen Over Food By Subordinate Monkeys

Having a lower social standing increases the likelihood that a monkey faced with a stressful situation will choose cocaine over food, according to a study at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. More dominant monkeys undergoing the same stressful situation had fewer changes in brain activity in areas of the brain involved in stress and anxiety and were less likely to choose cocaine.

Study Shows A Little Anxiety Pays Sometimes

Anxiety gets a lot of bad press. Dwelling on the negative can lead to chronic stress and anxiety disorders and phobias, but evolutionarily speaking, anxiety holds some functional value. In humans, learning to avoid harm is necessary not only for surviving in the face of basic threats (such as predators or rotten food), but also for avoiding more complex social or economic threats (such as enemies or questionable investments).

Depression, Anxiety Are Linked To Obesity, Unhealthy Habits

People who suffer from depression or anxiety are much more likely to be obese and to smoke both major risk factors for chronic disease according to a large nationwide study."The relationship between obesity and depression is plausible for several reasons, " said lead author Tara Strine, of the Division of Adult and Community Health in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Worse Outcomes For A Substance-Abuse Disorder Likely When Accompanied By PTSD

* Up to one-half of those seeking help for substance-abuse disorders (SUDs) also have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). * New findings show that the frequency of a PTSD is greater among those dependent on drugs rather than alcohol, and that having a PTSD tends to predict a more severe course and worse outcome for an SUD.

Biochip Useful In The Screening And Diagnostic Assessment Of Stress

Assess stress levels with the Cytokine Array I biochip from Randox Laboratories. Goteberg University and the Nobel Prize-awarding Karolinska Institute in Sweden found the biochip to be useful in the screening and diagnostic assessment of stress.The Swedish study assessed 270 patients on long-term sick leave for stress-induced affective disorder (depression) and compared them to healthy individuals.

First Evidence That Acute Stress Impacts Brain-Cell Communication Involved With Memory Formation

Short-term stress lasting as little as a few hours can impair brain-cell communication in areas associated with learning and memory, University of California, Irvine researchers have found.It has been known that severe stress lasting weeks or months can impair cell communication in the brain's learning and memory region, but this study provides the first evidence that short-term stress has the same effect.

U.S. Soldiers Experience Increased Rates Of Depression, PTSD On Third, Fourth Tours In Iraq, Study Finds

About 15% to 20% of U.S. soldiers in Iraq have signs of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, and about 30% of soldiers on their third or fourth tours have experienced emotional illnesses, according to a study released on Thursday by the Army, USA Today reports (Zoroya, USA Today, 3/7).

Study On Antioxidants And Memory Concerns Underway At Rush University Medical Center

Rush University Medical Center is conducting a clinical trial to evaluate whether taking Cerefolin NAC reduces the inflammation and oxidative stress that is associated with memory decline in older persons. Cerefolin NAC is a commercially available food supplement available by prescription.