Sound Medicine -- June 21, 2003

Hosts Barbara Lewis and Dr. Steve Bogdewic talk to physicians and researchers about:

Parental Depression

Active versus Fit

Hypnosis

Real Media | Windows Media

Parental Depression

Twenty percent of Americans will suffer from depression sometime in their lifetime. Of that twenty percent, those with children bear a greater burden to be good parents even as they battle with depression. For nearly twenty-five years, William Beardslee, M.D., has studied the effect of depression on families and counseled hundreds of families on how to survive and thrive amidst depression. He recently published a book on the topic called Out of the Darkened Room: When a Parent is Depressed, Protecting the Children and Strengthening the Family. Dr. Beardslee is chairman of the department of psychiatry at Boston Children's Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Beardslee focuses on family communication, as depression often paralyzes communication. By communicating, families can help children understand the circumstances and help them overcome their own risk for depression by building a resiliency. Furthermore, talking helps the parents master their depression. It is important to talk about the child's experiences and perceptions, as they might not understand the circumstances.

Parents should be upbeat. If the depressed parent is receiving treatment, he or she should tell the child this. Parents must clearly communicate that it is not the child's fault, and that he or she should keep on going with life as regularly as possible. Dr. Beardslee believes it is necessary to call the public's attention to depressed parents' negative effects on their children, because there are beneficial treatments available, and adverse effects if nothing is done.

Resources:

Read more about Out of the Darkened Room.

Information about clinical depression in women.

Frequently asked questions about depression.

Active versus Fit

Physical activity is crucial to health. In fact, being active is more important than being fit, according to James Skinner, Ph.D. A professor of kinesiology at the IU School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in Bloomington, Dr. Skinner is one of five principal investigators on the largest study for exercise and training ever supported by the National Institutes of Health. Indiana University and four other universities are in the 11th year of the study of nearly 750 people to determine the role of genetics on the response to training of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Fitness is partially determined by genetic structure, while a person's level of activity is largely voluntary and able to be controlled. Active people are stricken with chronic disease less often than their sedentary counterparts, and the diseases they do contract tend to be less severe. Being active is defined as doing some sort of physical activity on a regular basis three to four times per week. It is usually an aerobic type of activity, such as walking or swimming. As we get older, weight training is important for maintaining muscle mass.

The exercise and training study was conducted on sedentary families, and involved almost 800 test subjects. The subjects' physical health was tested before and after a training program. After the twenty weeks of training, some people had very little change in their physical condition, while others had as much as 50% improvement. Although genetics plays a role in fitness, lifestyle is more important. People cannot change their genetics, but they can change their lifestyle.

Resources:

Benefits and different varieties of exercise.

How to incorporate more physical activity into your daily life.

Resources for active seniors.

Hypnosis

Psychologist Carol Ginandes, Ph.D., wants to debunk the myths of hypnosis that include swinging pendulums and zombie-like subjects that can be coerced to do things against their will.

The most common myths surrounding hypnosis involve power relationships. Most people think hypnosis requires the surrendering of control, and therefore they believe it is harmful and dangerous. However, hypnosis is actually a biological state of consciousness, like sleep and alertness. Dr. Ginandes points out that just as a doctor has many tools to diagnose and treat patients, a clinical hypnotherapist does as well. Treatment can be specially tailored to people in private sessions, and therapists can recommend different treatments for different people.

She also hopes hypnosis will be used more to relieve physical pain and help patients heal faster. Her own research has shown promising results. Dr. Ginandes, who is a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and practices at McLean Hospital in Boston, recently published a study showing how hypnosis improved the healing process for patients who underwent breast surgery.

Dr. Ginandes' recent study involved three groups of women, all undergoing the same type of breast reduction surgery. One group received the usual medical care, and a second group received the same care and also supportive attention of doctors and health care professionals. A third group received the same medical care as the other two groups, but also undewent a hypnotic intervention. The patients who received the hypnotherapy recovered most quickly. The results of this study open the door to a line of research on the role of the mind in healing.

Resources:

More information about Ginandes' recent study.

Learn more about clinical hypnosis.

Is there a medical topic you'd like us to cover? Reach us by email: soundmed@iu.edu
or by phone:
(317) 274-4848.

About 50 million people in America have high blood pressure. Unfortunately, about a third of the people who have high blood pressure do not even know it. At what blood pressure level does the risk of heart disease begin?

A. Above 115 / 75
B. Above 120 / 80
C. Above 140 / 90

Find out!

About 85 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 20 have all four wisdom teeth and about 95 percent have at least one. But unfortunately these third molars cause more pain than wisdom. Where did wisdom teeth get their name and what is their function?

Find out!

When the kids come inside to cool off after playing outdoors, give them healthy, fruit drinks in place of sodas and sugary juices.

There are about two and half tablespoons of sugar in 8 ounces of soda, but none of the drinks below have any added sugar - only natural sugars from the fruit. And even better, kids can make their own - so a healthy drink also becomes a fun activity. All you need for most recipes is a blender and fruits!

Remember, it's important for kids and adults to stay hydrated while spending time outdoors.

Try some quick and refreshing summertime drinks!