*Depression Can Make Pain Worse* <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=117074#>
Depression Tips Slideshow <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=117074#> Myths About Depression Quiz <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=117074#> Depressed? Feel Better: 8 Important Steps <http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=117074#> Latest Depression News ! <https://pref.health.webmd.com/mnet/Newslettersignup.asp> THURSDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- Being depressed can make real physical pain feel worse, British researchers have found. Noting that pain and depression<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24710>often occur at the same time, the current observation blends two competing schools of thought, in which some believe that pain is "all in the head" while others contend that pain is "all in the body." To see how pain and depression might intersect, the research team -- led by the University of Oxford's Dr. Chantal Berna -- used brain imaging to conduct pain tests on healthy participants who were induced to feel sad. A depressed mood appeared to affect brain nerve circuitry responsible for emotion, resulting in a stronger perception of pain, according to the report published in the June 1 issue of *Biological Psychiatry*. "When the healthy people were made sad by negative thoughts and depressing music, we found that their brains processed pain more emotionally, which lead to them finding the pain more unpleasant," Berna said in a news release from the journal's publisher. Berna's team theorized that one's ability to control the negative emotions linked to pain are short-circuited by depression, leading to a bigger punch when pain hits. In other words, depression may not only be a consequence of being in pain. It might actually exacerbate pain, making it worse than it would be for those in a positive frame of mind. "Our research suggests depressed mood leads to maladaptive changes in brain function associated with pain, and that depressed mood itself could be a target for treatment by medicines or psychotherapy<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=42208>in this context," Berna explained in the news release. Following this line of research, the next step would be to study patients with chronic pain<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=62991>, because they often also suffer from depression, the researchers noted. The goal would be to find ways to more effectively treat the millions of people worldwide who experience chronic pain and depression, the authors explained. -- Alan Mozes *Teen Boys Who Attempt Suicide More Likely to Abuse as Adults* MONDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Men who attempted suicide<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=24418>before age 18 are much more likely to abuse their girlfriends or wives, according to a study from the Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene. The U.S. study included 153 males from relatively high-crime neighborhoods who were assessed annually from ages 10 to 32. The men's romantic partners were added to the study when the men were aged 18 to 25. Researchers found that 58% of males who tried to kill themselves before age 18 went on to injure a girlfriend or wife, compared with 23% of males who didn't attempt suicide when they were youths. The association between attempted suicide and later aggression toward partners remained even after the researchers controlled for a number of other factors, including aggression, depression<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=342>, substance abuse and a family history of abuse. The study documented partner abuse through several types of data, including domestic violence<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=82970>arrest records, women's and men's accounts of injuries and live observations of couples. The findings, published online in the journal *Psychological Medicine*, offer evidence of the need for intervention programs for suicidal teens<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2001>, said study co-author David Kerr, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University (OSU). "It was fascinating that this link just refused to be explained away," Kerr said in an OSU press release. "The study began when these men were kids, before anyone knew who was going to be violent," Kerr continued. That is quite different from research that starts with violent men, or women from a domestic violence shelter, and tries to look back in time for explanations." The study offers new insight into the causes of men's violence toward women. "Conventional wisdom portrays men's violence to women as more cold, controlled and calculated," study co-author Deborah Capaldi, a senior scientist at the Oregon Social Learning Center, said in the news release. "The findings of this study indicate that for some men violence is related to a history of impulsive aggression that includes self-harm as well as aggression to others." -- Robert Preidt -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BETTER PERSONALITY GROUP" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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