Brightsurf Science News and Current Science News Events
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Depression and anger can plague recent university graduates: Study

Depression and anger can plague recent university graduates: Study

May 14, 2008

Leaving home and becoming parents can be tumultuous events

The post-university years can start out tough. The good news: it gets better.




A new University of Alberta study of almost 600 of its graduates (ages 20-29 years old) tracked mental health symptoms in participants for seven years post-graduation and looked at how key events like leaving home and becoming a parent were related to depression and anger. Graduates showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms over the seven years. Expressed anger also declined over time after graduation, suggesting improved mental health.

The researchers also found that while home may be a haven for young people in the early years of adulthood, the longer they stay at home, or if they return home, the more likely they are to experience symptoms of depression. Previous research has found that more than half of students under 25 in four-year university programs lived with their parents.

In this study, it was shown that younger participants were more depressed at times when they lived on their own, while older participants were more depressed while they lived with their parents.

"Some key events, such as leaving home, may throw emerging adults a little off kilter, depending on the timing of the transition," said Nancy Galambos, University of Alberta psychology professor. "Leaving home too soon can be challenging in ways that have the potential to affect mental health."

It was revealed that women were more depressed and angry at the start of the study than men. Also, anger increased when participants became parents.

"Although we generally welcome parenthood as a positive experience, we found that people who became parents became angrier, and this was especially pronounced for mothers," said Harvey Krahn, University of Alberta chair of sociology. "The transition to parenthood produces a new set of demands on the couple that may be difficult to cope with as parents have to negotiate a whole new set of family responsibilities."

University of Alberta



Related Mental Health News Articles Mental Health News and Current Mental Health Events RSS Mental Health News and Current Mental Health Events RSS
Gene associated with pair-bonding in animals has similar effects in human males
Variation in the gene for one of the receptors for the hormone vasopressin appears to be associated with how human males bond with their partners, according to an international team of researchers.

Experts Establish Baseline for Civic Engagement Among Retirees
The rise of retired people seeking active participation in their communities has led researchers to define this new aspect of American life. As a result, civic engagement can now be considered a distinct retirement role.

PET scans help identify mechanism underlying seasonal mood changes
Brain scans taken at different times of year suggest that the actions of the serotonin transporter-involved in regulating the mood-altering neurotransmitter serotonin-vary by season, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Sex differences seen in response to common antidepressant
Women with depression may be much more likely than men to get relief from a commonly used, inexpensive antidepressant drug, a new national study finds. But many members of both sexes may find that it helps ease their depression symptoms.

Unusual ultrasonic vocalization patterns in mice may be useful for modeling autism
Scientists have found novel patterns of ultrasonic vocalizations in a genetic mouse model of autism, adding a unique element to the available mouse behaviors that capture components of the human disease, and representing a new step towards identifying causes and better treatments.

New approach needed to tackle child abuse and neglect
Leading child advocates have called for a new approach to tackling child abuse and neglect amid rising rates of abuse notifications and children being brought into State care.

Cocaine: How addiction develops
Permanent drug seeking and relapse after renewed drug administration are typical behavioral patterns of addiction. Molecular changes at the connection points in the brain's reward center are directly responsible for this.

Stroke and SIDS in Alaska topics of neuroscience conference
University of Alaska Fairbanks neuroscientists studying stroke and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome will present their research findings at the 7th Conference of the Specialized Neuroscience Research Programs in New York Aug. 19-22, 2008.

MU Researchers Study Facial Structures, Brain Abnormalities to Reveal Formula for Earlier Detection of Autism
Recently, Harvard researchers reported that children with autism have a wide range of genetic defects, making it nearly impossible to develop a simple genetic test to identify the disorder. Now, University of Missouri researchers are studying 3-D imaging to reveal correlations in the facial features and brain structures of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which will enable them to develop a formula for earlier detection of the disorder.

UNC trial: oral contraceptives may ease suffering of women with severe PMS
A new clinical trial at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill using a popular low-dose contraceptive could uncover a more effective treatment for the 5 to 10 percent of women who suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
More Mental Health News Articles


Change Your Brain, Change Your Life: The Breakthrough Program for Conquering Anxiety, Depression, Obsessiveness, Anger, and Impulsiveness
by Daniel G. Amen

In this age of do-it-yourself health care (heck, if the doctor only sees you for 10 minutes each visit, what other options are there?), Change Your Brain, Change Your Life fits in perfectly. Filled with "brain prescriptions" (among them cognitive exercises and nutritional advice) that are geared toward readers who've experienced anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, excessive anger or worry, and...



You Can Heal Your Life (Gift Edition)
by Louise Hay

If you haven't seen Hay House's Lifestyles series of gorgeous gift books, there is no better way to acquaint yourself than with publisher/author Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life. A bestseller for many years, You Can Heal Your Life has been republished with bright, beautiful illustrations in full, living color and exquisite typography--each and every page is a work of art by artist Joan Perrin...



Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated
by David D. Burns

The good news is that anxiety, guilt, pessimism, procrastination, low self–esteem, and other "black holes" of depression can be cured without drugs. In Feeling Good, eminent psychiatrist, David D. Burns, M.D., outlines the remarkable, scientifically proven techniques that will immediately lift your spirits and help you develop a positive outlook on life. Now, in this updated edition, Dr....



Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: A Clinical Approach, Fifth Edition (Foundations of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing)
by Elizabeth M. Varcarolis, Verna Benner Carson, Nancy Shoemaker

The new edition of this popular text offers a clear, straightforward way to understand the often intimidating subject of psychiatric nursing. Its practical, clinical perspective and user-friendly writing style engage the reader in a learning process that both informs and enlightens. Clinical chapters progress consistently and logically from theory to application. Specific psychobiological...



Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
by John J. Ratey

A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic...



Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior
by Ori Brafman, Rom Brafman

A fascinating journey into the hidden psychological influences that derail our decision-making, Sway will change the way you think about the way you think.Why is it so difficult to sell a plummeting stock or end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone “important”? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there’s danger involved? In...



Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength
by Bill Phillips, Michael D'Orso

By Bill Phillips and Michael D'Orso. 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. No. 1 New York Times Bestseller. Change your mind - Change you body - Change your life. Imagine, just 12 weeks from now, having the lean, healthy body you've always wanted and not having to turn your life upside down to get it. Imagine having the energy to be at your peak from dawn to dusk, having the confidence to do...



The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales
by Oliver Sacks

In his most extraordinary book, "one of the great clinical writers of the 20th century" (The New York Times) recounts the case histories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders. Oliver Sacks's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat tells the stories of individuals afflicted with fantastic perceptual and intellectual aberrations: patients who have...



Clinical Interviewing
by John Sommers-Flanagan, Rita Sommers-Flanagan

Includes case studies, chapter summaries, and new sections. Features an online instructor's manual. Integrates different theoretical models. ...



Heal Your Body
by Louise Hay

Heal Your Body is a fresh and easy step-by-step guide. Just look up your specific health challenge and you will find the probable cause for this health issue and the information you need to overcome it by creating a new thought...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com