Thank You - Grand Rounds 6.20

Thank you Edwin Leap at edwinleap.com for hosting Grand Rounds 6.20 this week and including a post from Teen Health 411 about depression and excessive Internet use in teens.

This week was interesting, as always, but also a great reminder about how lucky we all are to share our particular reality. I appreciate getting to know each person who hosts Grand Rounds and today I learned that I love your perspective and tribute to "normality, mundane, joyous normality." Blessings to all!

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Antidepressant Use Rises

I guess I actually knew this intuitively, as the number of people I know who mention "trying antidepressants" rises, but the Archives of General Psychiatry article by Drs. Olfson and Marcus (August, 2009, 66(8), pp, 848-856) has confirmed my sense that antidepressant use has risen.

In fact, in the United States between 1966 and 2005 the annual rate of antidepressant use for people rose from 5.84 percent to 10.12 percent - translating into 27 million people over the age of six who were taking antidepressants. FYI, that makes antidepressants the most widely prescribed class of medication in office-based and hospital outpatient-based medical practices.

There are some differences across demographic groups - with the lowest rates of use found among ethnic/racial minority groups, in particular the Latino and Black communities. Another finding was that people using antidepressants were less likely in 2005 to be using psychotherapy (20 percent) in conjunction with the antidepressants than in 1996 (32 percent).

The good news is that antidepressant use has apparently gained acceptance and people who need them are more likely to receive them. On the other hand, the trend toward relying on the medication rather than psychological aspects of care suggests we need to review how therapy is paid for by insurance companies and whether medication is used more than therapy for economic reasons.

Photo credit: Amanda M Hatfield

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Depression and Excessive Internet Use

University of Leeds psychologists are about to publish an article in the journal Psychopathology reporting that people who spend a lot of time browsing the net are more likely to show depressive symptoms than people who spend less time surfing the web.

Most of us use the web for shopping, banking and email, but people addicted to the Internet find it hard to control how much time they spend online -- to the point that their computer use interferes with their daily activities.

The online survey was completed by 1,319 people and included questions about depressive symptoms and type and amount of Internet use. The highest Internet users were more likely to be young, male, and visited sexual, gaming and chat rooms the most frequently.

The results of this study support the construct of Internet addiction and suggest that excessive use of the Internet is associated with depression. However, I am left with the question - what is excessive Internet use?

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National Wear Red Day is February 5, 2010

Please wear red tomorrow to support National Wear Red Day. You may not know this, but the number one killer of women is heart disease. And every year more than 460,000 women die from this largely preventable disease.

National Wear Red Day is a day to recognize the women who have died from this disease, to build awareness of the statistics, and to encourage all women to make a choice to beat heart disease.

For more information visit Go Red For Women or take an online heart check-up

Photo Credit: The Heart Truth

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Alcohol, Energy Drinks and Youth: A Bad Combo

What is it about our culture that encourages newer and riskier ways to challenge our health? Public health folks have become very concerned about the latest challenge - alcoholic energy drinks. These are prepackaged beverage with alcohol and caffeine, as well as other stimulants, that look like other energy drinks but carry a much more powerful, and dangerous, punch!

There were 500 new energy drink products introduced worldwide in 2006 with average sales topping $3.2 billion. These products are targeting youth by creating brand confusion with nonalcoholic versions; providing a cheap alternative to mixing energy drinks with alcohol; and using youth-friendly grassroots and viral marketing. The names of these products say it all - Rockstar, Sparks, and Tilt.

Although there is some debate regarding the risks and benefits of energy drinks and "moderate" caffeine intake, we know that high doses of caffeine can have serious health consequences. The combination is dangerous because the caffeine covers up the feeling of intoxication from the alcohol, leading to what some people call a "wide awake" drunk, who feels fine and is even more likely than the average drinker to feel like s/he is "fine," leading to more risk taking.

As always, talk to your kids and encourage them to avoid alcohol in any package!

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