Good News Notes: “Meows, barks and bleats have been common at yoga sessions in recent years, as animal therapy became a trend to soothe participants as they work out. Recently, a downtown business added clucks into the mix with the launch of chicken yoga. Yes, chickens. But not your average Rhode Island reds. These were…
Tag: depression
IU School of Medicine researchers develop blood test for depression, bipolar disorder
Good News Notes: “Worldwide, 1 in 4 people will suffer from a depressive episode in their lifetime. While current diagnosis and treatment approaches are largely trial and error, a breakthrough study by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers sheds new light on the biological basis of mood disorders, and offers a promising blood test aimed…
Personalized Brain Stimulation Alleviates Severe Depression Symptoms
Good News Notes: “Targeted neuromodulation tailored to individual patients’ distinctive symptoms is an increasingly common way of correcting misfiring brain circuits in people with epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease. Now, scientists at UC San Francisco’s Dolby Family Center for Mood Disorders and Weill Institute for Neurosciences have demonstrated a novel personalized neuromodulation approach that – at least in one patient…
A blood test could diagnose depression and bipolar disorder
Good News Notes: “In adults, a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes the growth and survival of nerve cells and is known to play a vital role in learning, memory, and maintaining brain flexibility, or ‘plasticity.’ Psychological stress reduces blood levels of one form of the protein, called mature BDNF (mBDNF), and low levels are…
Best Life: Giving hope through letters to battle depression
Good News Notes: “The uncertainty of the pandemic, job loss, isolation — all of these are contributing to the increase of people feeling depressed, lonely and mentally unstable. But for thousands of people around the world, a simple act of kindness is helping them pull through. Robert Mason writes letter after letter after letter to…
The VA Is Now Offering Transition Services Specially Tailored for Female Veterans
Good News Notes: “The Department of Veterans Affairs is teaming up with the Department of Defense to offer Women’s Health Transition Training (WHTT) for female service members who are transitioning to civilian life. The voluntary training program is in addition to the normal Transition Assistance Program (TAP) that all separating military members are required to attend, and is not…
Man runs 53 miles around Bainbridge Island to shed light on addiction and mental health
Good News Notes: “Greg Nance takes his sobriety one step at a time. The ultra-marathon runner is raising awareness about addiction and mental illness through grueling long-distant treks. The Bainbridge Island native just completed a full loop of his hometown — about 53 miles — in one day. By lunch, Nance had already done the…
Tame Your Anxiety With a Simple Breathing Exercise
Good News Notes: “People who are anxious and people who have asthma traditionally will be mouth breathers and will traditionally be breathing way too much. And by breathing way too much, you’re increasing your heart rate. You’re causing inflammation. You’re putting yourself in a in a really stressful state, which is not good. It just…
Salt Lake City School District offers students free telehealth services
Good News Notes: “Concerned by student mental health issues exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, Salt Lake City School District is partnering with a Utah support group to provide free telehealth services to students. ‘We know that right now many of our students are dealing with depression, anxiety, peer struggles and other mental health issues,” said…
Gwyneth Paltrow invests in an accessible therapy startup
Good News Notes: “A global pandemic isn’t typically the ideal backdrop for the launch of a company. But for founder Ariela Safira and therapy startup Real, the COVID-19 crisis has made the need for new and different mental-health solutions all the more apparent. And it seems that investors—and a certain famous wellness guru—feel the same…