Antidepressants are the cornerstone of treatment of depressive disorders in health care. Their efficacy in treating depression is undisputable, although it leaves room for improvement. However, recent reports also suggest that antidepressants might, in some rare cases, actually worsen suicidal tendencies instead of alleviating them. As a consequence, research has intensified to clarify this issue, (more…)

The latest Department of Health (DOH) data report on youth shows that an estimated
7,300 of Hawai’i’s public high school students are obese (15.6%). Additionally, an estimated 5,600
students reported attempting suicide within the past year, a statistic that shows Hawai’i’s youth are at
greater risk than the national average. However, the findings of the Youth Risk (more…)

Depression and heart disease are the two leading disorders with the strongest contributions to the global burden of disease. Depression and heart disease are also intertwined. In recent years, much attention has been given to depression following heart attack and its effects on prognosis. (more…)

A faint waft of men’s cologne in a shopping mall. The smell of a neighbor’s barbecue. A flash of a face on TV: small unexpected sensory cues can trigger extreme reactions in people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), about one quarter of all people who have lived through a traumatic event like rape, assault, war or terror attack.
New research by Israeli scientists from Ben (more…)

Barriers to managing asthma include access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies according to experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.
"Lack of access to high quality care contributes to disparities in asthma care, especially for vulnerable populations," (more…)