UBC Mental Health Awareness Club

New research shows that loneliness is associated with dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that it may have a negative effect on overall health.

Specifically, researchers found that people who described themselves as lonely showed signs of elevated herpes simplex virus reactivation and produced more inflammatory proteins in response to acute stress. Continuous inflammation may have problematic consequences, as it has been linked to coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and premature death.

It was shown that lonelier participants had stronger reactions to antibodies against the cytomegalovirus, a type of herpes simplex virus, and this was related to increased levels of pain, depression and fatigue symptoms. This indicates that the stress associated with loneliness is strongly reactivating the virus.

Study participants who described themselves as lonelier also had higher levels of pro-inflammatory types of cytokine proteins in response to a stressful task.

Continued research in assessing the impact of loneliness on overall health is important to heighten understanding of this relationship and perhaps intervene the negative effects.

The U.K. saw a drastic rise in suicide rates in 2011, reaching an all time high since 2004, according to the Office for National Statistics. This increase is thought to correlate with times of financial hardship faced by many U.K. citizens.

There were 6,045 suicides in 2011, a rise of 437 from the previous year. In particular, the number of male suicides increased significantly to a rate of 18.2 per 100,000 (a maximum in 10 years).

The suicide rate was highest among men in their late 30s and early 40s. Suicide is currently the second biggest killer among young men globally.

The U.K. government has announced an increase in spending on suicide prevention strategies to provide higher levels of support to families prone to mental health problems. Specifically, the goal is to provide better support for those most at risk and provide information for those affected by a loved one’s suicide.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/255234.php

Numerous research has proven in the past that a mother’s wellness and mental health during labor can have direct consequences on the health of the child. However, new research is showing that the mental health of an expectant father may also play a role.

In this study, the fathers underwent an interview when the mothers were 4-5 months pregnant, and were asked about their mental well-being. As well, the mental health of the mothers was provided, as well as the development of the children at three years of age, watching for signs of mood swings and anxiety.

It was found that the children who had the most emotional issues at age three were the one’s with highly distressed fathers, but no direct cause-and-effect association was found.

Several possible reasonings may explain these findings. First, the father may be passing on genetic risk for mood disorders. Second, the mental health of the mother could also be affected by the father’s behaviour as a result of his distress, affecting her hormone secretion, sleep, and mood.

These results show that the father’s health may represent a risk factor for childhood development, whereas traditionally, this risk was thought to largely be represented by the mother. Therefore, the father’s mental health should be addressed, too.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254641.php