Stress Archive

Research we're watching

Are men or women smarter? A recent analysis, published online July 18 by American Psychologist, shows that a majority of Americans (86%) polled in 2018 think men and women are equally intelligent. But among those who see a difference, 9% gave the edge to women, compared with only 5% who think men are smarter.

The results are a far cry from public opinion polls conducted in the 1940s, when a majority of Americans thought that men were the smarter sex, and only 36% thought that men and women were equals when it came to brains. These figures were compiled using 16 different, nationally representative, public opinion polls conducted from 1946 to 2018.

Research we're watching

Could a traumatic experience raise the risk of ovarian cancer? Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Moffitt Cancer Center found that women who remembered experiencing six or more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had double the risk of later developing ovarian cancer, compared with women who had not reported PTSD symptoms. They were also more likely to develop a more aggressive form of the cancer. The researchers looked at data from more than 50,000 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study II. Early in the study, women were asked to identify their most stressful life experience and any PTSD symptoms they had experienced following that event. Researchers then looked to see which of the women went on to develop ovarian cancer. The study, published Sept. 5 in Cancer Research, found higher cancer risk persisted even if a woman's PTSD symptoms had occurred decades in the past. Past animal research suggests that stress hormones may spur tumor growth.

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People who identify as bisexual represent a substantial part of the population, yet research focusing on their health lags. Which health problems are more likely to occur in people who are bisexual and what might help to counter them?

Millions of Americans report having an anxiety disorder. Evidence shows engaging in any sort of physical activity is one of the best ways to ease symptoms of anxiety. Regular activity is best, but even a single bout can help.

Trauma from experiencing a natural disaster can have long-term effects on the mental and physical health of children. Supportive parents, teachers, and other adults can help children build resilience.

Plenty of research associates optimism with a reduced risk of certain diseases and conditions. Now, a study suggests that optimistic people are also more likely to live longer.

There are many medications that can be used to treat mood disorders. But finding the right one can be a lengthy process, and the choice can be more complicated than you might imagine. Just because a particular drug worked for a friend doesn't mean it will work for you. Psychiatrists and doctors who prescribe antidepressants choose a particular drug and dosage based on many factors, including the following:

• Diagnosis. Certain drugs are a better choice for specific symptoms and types of depression. For example, an antidepressant that makes you sleepy may be better when insomnia is an issue. The severity of your illness or the presence of anxiety, obsessions, or compulsions may also dictate the choice of one drug over another.
• Side effects. You may first want to choose a drug based on which side effect you most want to avoid. Medications vary in the likelihood they will cause such problems as sexual effects, weight gain, or sedation.
• Age. As you age, your body tends to break down drugs more slowly. Thus, older people may need a lower dose. For children, only a few medications have been studied carefully.
• Health. If you have certain health problems, it's best to avoid certain drugs. For example, your doctor will want to consider factors such as heart disease or neurological illnesses when recommending a drug. For this reason, it's important to discuss medical problems with a primary care doctor or psychiatrist before starting an antidepressant.
• Medications, supplements, and diet. When combined with certain drugs or substances, antidepressants may not work as well, or they may have worrisome or dangerous side effects. For example, combining an SSRI or another antidepressant with the herbal remedy St. John's wort can boost serotonin to dangerous and, in rare cases, fatal levels. Mixing St. John's wort with other drugs—including certain drugs to control HIV infection, cancer medications, and birth control pills—might lower their effectiveness. Women receiving tamoxifen for breast cancer should take an antidepressant that does not interfere with tamoxifen's effectiveness. Eating certain foods, such as aged cheeses and cured meats, while taking an MAOI can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure.
• Alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and other substances can cause depression and make antidepressants less effective. Doctors often treat alcohol or drug addiction first if they believe either is causing the depression. In many instances, simultaneous treatment for addiction and depression is warranted.
• Personal and family mental health and medication history. If you or a member of your family has had a good response to a medication in the past, that information may guide your choice. Depending on the nature and course of your depression (for example, if your depression is long-lasting or difficult to treat), you may need a higher dose or a combination of drugs. This may also be true if an antidepressant has stopped working for you, which may occur after you've used it for some time or after you've stopped and restarted treatment with it.
• Cost. Since all antidepressants are roughly equivalent in their effectiveness, you won't lose anything by trying a generic version first.
• Your preference. Once you have learned as much as you can about the treatment options, your doctor will want to know what approach makes most sense given your lifestyle, your interests, and your judgment.

To learn more strategies for battling depression, check out Understanding Depression, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. 

Heart attacks may leave people more vulnerable to thinking and memory problems as they age.

Growing older often means slowing down, both physically and mentally. Just as people can't move quite as fast as when they were younger, their thinking and memory abilities — known as cognitive function — may also slowly wane.

Now, new research suggests that people who have a heart attack or angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart) may face a faster drop in thinking skills than people who don't experience those heart-related problems.

Many older adults enjoy "brain games" like crosswords, chess, and computer games. But can they help improve memory?

If you are like many adults, you enjoy a good crossword, a weekly card game, or even the latest addictive phone app game. You probably even relish the mental boost they provide.

But do these types of brain games help with brain health, especially for protecting against memory loss? Well, it's complicated.

But some experts say limitations of the study raise questions about the results.

Could one of your regular pills raise your risk of dementia? A study published online June 24 by JAMA Internal Medicine found that people over age 55 who took a daily dose of certain common drugs for approximately three years had a 50% higher risk of developing dementia.

The medicines in question are in a category known as anticholinergics, which are used to treat conditions as diverse as depression, urinary incontinence, allergies, and Parkinson's disease. The study's authors say the findings should prompt doctors to use caution or potentially even avoid prescribing certain medications to people over age 45 on a long-term basis if there are other options available.