UBC Mental Health Awareness Club

No one likes dealing with test anxiety. It can leave you feeling flustered to the point that it impairs memory and decreases your academic performance.

However, clinical research has shown that exam stress can lead to physiological damage as well. Exam stress conditions were shown to correlate with oxidative damage of proteins and lipids. Such oxidative damage can lead to problems in regulation of cell signalling pathways, and indirectly lead to anxiety. The severity of damage increases as the intensity of psychological stress increases.

On a more positive note, researchers from the University of Chicago have proposed a simple and fast solution to reducing test anxiety. Researchers found that for students in a high-stakes test situation, writing about their exam-related worries for 10 minutes improved their test scores by one grade point. Researchers explain that the act of expressive writing reduces intrusive thoughts and worries and thus benefits students who are particularly anxious about tests on a regular basis. This may be because relieving the mind of these anxious thoughts allows the brain to focus on the actual test material, therefore increasing academic performance.

So to everyone suffering from the pre-midterm exam stress, try penciling down your thoughts beforehand; it’ll clear your mind and give your brain a much-deserved break.

References:

Nakhaee, A., Shahabizadeh, F., Erfani, M. (2013). Protien and lipid oxidative damage in healthy students during and after exam stress. Physiology & Behavior 118, 118-121. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.05.028

Ramirez, G., Beilock, S.L. (2011). Writing About Testing Boosts Exam Performance in the Classroom. Science 331, 221. doi: 10.1126/science.119927

Most of us have been ingrained with the idea that there’s a standard of sleep that we all have to live up to (or sleep up to), somewhere between seven and eight hours per night usually being the recommendation. Sleep, after all, can affect a variety of important cognitive functions, as well as your mood. However, I’ve recently noticed a bit of a discrepancy in the information and research on the proper amount of sleep one should be having. So how much sleep do you really need?

Evidence suggests that reducing one’s hours of sleep on a long-term basis may be bad news for a variety of health factors, including increased risks for various diseases, decline in cognitive functioning, and changes in immune response (Orzel-Gryglewska, 2010). This is in contrast to evidence suggesting that chronic sleep reduction does not actually impair cognitive functioning whatsoever, and any residue sleepiness resulting from the reduction can be overcome with time (Blagrove, Alexander, & Horne, 1995) However, the latter claim is subject to more research, but the idea that one can sleep six hours without consequence is a plus for those of us dreading the imminence of midterms.

I took a gander over to the Health Canada website, but strangely I couldn’t find any statement for sleep recommendations, except for infant care. Looking at the literature on sleep left me hesitant to make any solid conclusions. One particular review of the sleep research noted that some people are biologically geared to need less than seven hours of sleep per night; the article also cautioned researchers against stressing the importance of seven to eight hours of sleep per night due to the unnecessary anxiety this instills in people (Basner, 2011). One researcher says this, another says that. All in all, it seems that you’ve just got to find what works for you and stick with it.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is evidence that suggests sleep deprivation may be a suitable treatment for mood disorders, particularly depression (Benedetti & Colombo, 2009). Perhaps this is more evidence for the idea that sleep is best determined on an individual basis.

Like everything else, it seems that you kind of just have to figure out what works for you. A neat interactive site on sleeping with some fun facts and quizzes to further enlighten yourself is only a click away: http://www.bettersleep.ca/

References

Basner, M. (2011). Sleep duration and chronic sleep debt: Are 6 hours enough? Biological Psychology, 87(1), 15-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.02.015

Beneditti, F., & Colombo, C. (2011). Sleep deprivation in mood disorders. Neuropsychobiology, 64(3), 141-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000328947

Blagrove, M., Alexander, C., & Horne, J. A. (1995). The effects of chronic sleep reduction on the performance of cognitive tasks sensitive to sleep deprivation [Abstract]. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 9(1), 21-40.

Orzel-Gryglewska, J. (2010). Consequences of sleep deprivation. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 23(1), 95-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10001-010-0004-9

Health Conscious or Health Obsessed?
Delving Deeper into Vancouver’s Fitness Culture

Living in Vancouver, there is certainly a presence of gym goers, devoted yogis, joggers, and cyclists. Having such mild weather and beautiful scenery to gaze at makes outdoor activity much less daunting and enjoyable. On a darker note, I often wonder how the label of Vancouver as “health conscious” has provoked middle-aged women to alter their lifestyle to fit this mold and in doing so, created an obsession for routine exercise and strict food intake.
We are all attune to the high rates of eating disorders among girls and college aged women. Pencil thin models that grace our magazines and Barbie dolls that depict idealistic body images devour the female psyche. Women at a young age feel pressure to fit this unattainable image of beauty, while also being bombarded with so many choices of foods. It is a confusing picture. But what about middle aged women? They are not as easily fooled by media’s subliminal messages. They are far removed from high school’s insular world of conformity and competition. Or are they? Has our society placed too much pressure on middle-aged women to live an ultra healthy lifestyle and maintain a body devoid of cellulite and loose skin?

The statistics reveal that middle- aged women are suffering as well. A study in Australia found that regular episodes of binging occurred 18.5% among 35-44 year old women, 21.2% reported purging, and 17.1% reported restrictive dieting and fasting. Among women aged 45-54 years, the numbers were 17.4%, 28.6% and 21.4% respectively. I find these numbers concerning. Women are having families and holding important professions while feeling pressure to be thinner and more youthful. In a separate Australian study, women aged 35-65 years who placed higher importance on appearance showed higher rates of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Images of middle aged celebrities who have perfectly sculpted figures and sag-free skin would only alleviate a women’s body dissatisfaction. How can a woman compete with someone who has a personal trainer, a personal stylist and a live in nanny? They cannot and yet they feel pulled to obtain such ‘perfection.’

On a local perspective, middle -aged women in Vancouver are subjected not only to media’s unrealistic age-defying philosophy but as well they are observers to a population of toned bodies and conscious eaters. I think Vancouver’s high rate of fitness is a positive movement, however, I wonder how many middle aged women are engaging in obsessive routines of exercise and calorie counting. We as a society can choose to celebrate a woman’s strength, wisdom and diversity over the trivial achievements of losing cellulite.

References:

Hay, P.J., Mond, J., Buttner, P., & Darby, A. (2008). Eating disorder   behaviors are increasing: Findings from two sequential community surveys in South Australia. PLOS ONE, 3 (2), e1541. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001541

McLean, S., Paxton, S., & Wertheim, E. (2010). Factors associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in women in midlife. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 43(6), 527-536. DOI: 10.1002/eat.20737