Mind & Mood Archive

Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease in children, and it can make life more difficult and less enjoyable for both children and their parents. The good news is that asthma is very treatable; here's what families need to know.

A 2022 study found that people who have depression after a heart attack are nearly 50% more likely to suffer a stroke compared with heart attack survivors who don't develop depression.

Hiccups are sometimes triggered by emotional stress such as surprise, fright, or nervousness. People can try to stop hiccups by holding their breath for five to 10 seconds, breathing into a paper bag, or sipping ice water. Occasionally, hiccups signal other conditions.

A 2022 study suggests that men who follow active surveillance for low-grade prostate cancer can manage stress and anxiety about their condition by following a high-intensity interval training program.

A review of studies published online April 13, 2022, by JAMA Psychiatry found that people who did 75 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, had an 18% lower risk for depression, compared with people who didn't exercise.

Brain damage can cause the language disorder aphasia. It affects a person's ability to understand or produce speech. Coping with aphasia requires treatment for the underlying cause and speech therapy to learn how to communicate despite language deficits. If the cause of the aphasia improves, so may the aphasia. But many people will continue to live with some level of aphasia, especially if the cause of brain damage is a progressive disease, such as Alzheimer's.

Emotionally stressful events that affect large numbers of people have been linked to an increase in heart attack rates. A 2022 study found the same correlation with a contentious political election.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is less common in summer, but a seasonal pattern of depressive symptoms can occur despite exposure to many hours of daylight. Many summertime SAD symptoms resemble overall depression markers, but eating and sleeping patterns can deviate. People can combat summertime SAD by sticking with antidepressants and psychotherapy, maintaining routines, exercising, and taking a break from social media.

As discussion and debate continues on mass shootings there is increasing evidence that growing up amidst this violence and other extreme stressors affect developing brains and bodies in ways that can be permanent.