Depression

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed.

Types of Depression
  • Major Depression.
  • Persistent Depressive Disorder.
  • Bipolar Disorder.
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
  • Psychotic Depression.
  • Peripartum (Postpartum) Depression.
  • Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
  • ‘Situational’ Depression.

Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Depression can occur at any age.

Kirtan Kriya

Discover The Benefits Of Kirtan Kriya For Stress Reduction

Discover The Benefits Of Kirtan Kriya For Stress Reduction Read More »

A growing number of medical studies confirm that Kirtan Kriya (KK) meditation is not only a stress management tool, but can also aid in the treatment of cognitive impairment, memory improvement and, as a result, it plays a role in Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention. KK has also been proven to improve sleep, reduce depression, reduce anxiety, activate immune system genes, and even increase telomerase. Therefore, it is obvious that we paid our attention to Kirtan Kriya benefits for a reason, since it has already passed a rigorous randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. So, its effectiveness has been confirmed experimentally. We will start by telling you more about the research carried out. Hopefully, after reading this, some of you will make this wonderful practice a part of your healthcare plan. This article was last reviewed by Svetlana Baloban, Healsens, on January 24, 2020. This article was last modified on 7 March 2021. Cognitive Function and Memory Improvement There are many studies proving that yoga practices are increasingly shown to be effective for the treatment of age-related cognitive issues. Let us start with a 2017 12-week study that tested the effects of kundalini yoga training on mild cognitive impairment (MCI). What makes this study interesting is that the results of yoga practice were compared with the results of training to improve memory MET. MET was developed by researchers within the UCLA Longevity Center. It is well studied and has become a gold standard intervention for cognitive training. At the same time, improvement in memory with MET training is observed in both healthy people and people with cognitive problems. Thus, MET provides a rigorous control for KY meditation. It also needs to be noted, that cognitive decline is a strong predictor of Alzheimer’s disease leading to dementia. Overall, the study provides evidence of the benefits of Kundalini yoga, including Kirtan Kriya, for improving cognitive function in individuals with MCI The Design Research The trial participants were gathered among the people ≥55 y.o. with a mild cognitive impairment. To assess the impact of training, 2 different groups were created. So, part of the people randomly got into a 12-week program on kundalini yoga (KK). All others were involved in the MET memory improvement training, which we wrote about above. IN THIS ARTICLE 1 Cognitive Function and Memory Improvement 2 Kirtan Kriya Helps to Improve Mood 3 Better Sleep 4 Influence at Telomere Length and Activity 5 As alternative Treatments for Depression 6 How to do Kirtan Kriya Practice RELATED ARTICLES In addition, all program participants were administered extensive tests assessing their cognitive abilities. Researchers assessed their verbal and visual memories, visual-spatial skills, individual executive, and executive functions. People were also tested for depression, present symptoms of apathy, and psychological resilience to stress. You can also take these tests by downloading👇 the app. The participants of the experiment passed such testing several times. The tests were passed at baseline (pre-intervention) and repeated at 12 and 24 week post-intervention. Let’s say a few more words about what exercises were performed in the yoga group. First, once a week the participants would hook up for a 60-minute kundalini lesson. In addition, all participants were required to do a 12-minute Kirtan Kriya meditation daily. Results As a result of the experiment, both groups had significant improvement in memory. However, the yoga team additionally showed a broader effect on executive functioning, with greater improving in their mood. In addition, such positive dynamics persisted after the end of the training. Impressive, isn’t it? A similar RCT was conducted in 2016. Here the results of the meditation group were compared with the machine learning program. The researchers came up with the same result. Kirtan Kriya meditation can help people with early memory loss. It is worth mentioning that the participants practiced the 12 minutes kirtan kriya meditation only. And this is only 12 minutes a day at home and at a convenient time. » Learn more about how blood tests can reveal the extent of cumulative stress on your body. Cerebral Blood Flow Changes Interestingly, Kirtan Kriya benefits also showed cerebral blood flow changes during the practice of KK. Thus, there was observed a significant increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) within the frontal lobe and right superior parietal lobe. Moreover, the posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG) is also activated. All this suggests that such activation of the brain with increased blood flow may have a beneficial effect or provide protection against neurodegeneration. However, a larger study is needed to confirm this conclusion. And finally, Luders’s study concluded that someone who practices meditation regularly, has a 7.5 years younger brain.The age was calculated as BrainAGE index. It was also found that with every passing year, meditators’ age reduced. Thus, the researchers concluded that Kirtan Kriya benefits help maintain the brain and its activity in good shape. Kirtan Kriya Helps to Improve Mood Various studies have shown that Kirtan Kriya markedly improves mood, reduces anxiety, tension, and fatigue. There was also a significant improvement in depressive symptoms and mental health. And this effect was observed both in healthy people, so in people with memory loss. It is worth mentioning that the latter participated in the 8-week Kirtan Kriya meditation program, which highlights Kirtan Kriya benefits. Studies have also shown that 8 weeks of KK helped in alleviating worry and soaring positive mood and energy. In addition, a majority of patients found the sessions relaxing, calming, peaceful, and uplifting, demonstrating the multiple Kirtan Kriya benefits. Better Sleep In the same way, sleep disruption has negative effects on health, performance, and quality of life. It is also known to impair cognitive function in healthy people, to accelerate cognitive decline, and to predict incident MCI and dementia. In addition, sleep disturbances can generate glucose intolerance, obesity, and hypertension. And finally, sleep impairment has likewise been linked to increased risk for type 2 diabetes and some other diseases. That being said, research shows that an 18-week 12-minute daily meditation program may be effective in reducing stress and improving sleep and mood. Influence at

тест на стресс

ONLINE DEPRESSION SCREENING

ONLINE DEPRESSION SCREENING Read More »

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. It is estimated that there are 350 million people worldwide who have some form of depression. In the United States, 16 million people had a depressive episode in the past year. Moreover, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. But how to understand that a person has depression? For this, various questionnaires are used to screen for depression and assess its severity (degree of depression). Such, for example, as PHQ-9. In general, screening and assessment tools for depression and anxiety include questions about mental health symptoms. Screening for Depression The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition, has defined depression as 5 or more of the following symptoms that are present for 2 or more weeks and cause significant emotional distress and/or impairment in functioning. Symptoms are: IN THIS ARTICLE 1 Screening for Depression 2 Online Depression Screening 3 Pros and Cons of Depression Screening RELATED ARTICLES Having noted 5 or more factors from the list above, especially if they have been persisting for a long time, you can suspect you have depression. In addition, below 👇 you can take a depression questionnaire and even determine its severity. Online Depression Screening By the link below 👇 you can assess your own level of depression and anxiety! It is important to remember that screening tools only detect symptoms of depression or anxiety. The diagnosis of depressive or anxiety disorder requires a deeper assessment. The PHQ-9 Depression and anxiety assessment tool Beck’s Depression Inventory The PHQ-9 Evidence Appraisal The PHQ-9 was initially developed by Kroenke et al (2001), as a subset of 9 questions from the full PHQ. It had previously been derived and studied in a cohort of 6,000 patients. PHQ-9 scores ≥10 were found to be 88% sensitive and also 88% specific for detecting MDD. Criterion validity was also assessed in a sample of 580 patients. self-administration takes 5–7 min. Beck’s Depression Inventory Online Test Evidence Appraisal The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is currently one of the most widely used measures for assessing depression. The questionnaire was developed from clinical observations of attitudes and symptoms occurring frequently in depressed psychiatric patients and infrequently in non-depressed psychiatric patients. The questionnaire is commonly self-administered although initially designed to be administered by trained interviewers. Self-administration takes 5–10 min. Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) SF-36 is a set of generic, coherent, and easily administered quality-of-life measures. These measures rely upon patient self-reporting and are now widely utilized by managed care organizations and by Medicare for routine monitoring and assessment of care outcomes in adult patients. Self-administration takes 8–14 min. Geriatric Depression Scale: Short Form The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) has been tested and used extensively with the older population. The GDS Long Form is a brief, 30-item questionnaire in which participants are asked to respond by answering yes or no in reference to how they felt over the past week. A Short Form GDS consisting of 15 questions was developed in 1986. Self-administration takes 4–7 min. GAD-7 (General Anxiety Disorder-7) SThe GAD-7, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess the severity of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms in individuals. It consists of seven questions that ask about common anxiety symptoms and their impact on daily life. The GAD-7 is often used as a screening tool in clinical and research settings to help identify individuals who may be experiencing significant levels of anxiety. Self-administration takes 3–5 min. Pros and Cons of Depression Screening Above all, еhere is not thought to be any significant harm associated with screening for depression and anxiety. However, some people worry that screening and assessment tools may lead to incorrect diagnoses. Therefore, it is important to remember that screening tools only detect symptoms of depression or anxiety. At the same time, screening tools can detect most, but not all, cases of possible depression and anxiety. We already talked about connection between our minds and our bodies. So, the main advantage of screening tools is that they are quick and easy. And it’s true for its use and interpreting. A limitation is that they simplify complex experiences and impose artificial symptom thresholds. It is important to remember that screening tools only detect symptoms of depression or anxiety. Diagnosis of depressive or anxiety disorder requires deeper assessments.

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