July 11, 2019
Mindfulness Meditation: Health Benefits and How to Start
By uclahealth 
Humans have a natural ability to live in the present. As children, we are curious and notice even small details (like the color of a bug or a pattern in the clouds). With aging, people tend to focus less on the present moment. Instead, they process things that happened in the past or anticipate something […]
Tags: adhd, Anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, MARC, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, mindfulness meditation, obsessive-compulsive disorder, physical health, UCLA Mindful
July 11, 2019
Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children
By uclahealth
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children need physical activity to promote healthy growth and development. Playing outdoors fosters higher levels of physical activity than indoor play, which is vital for kids since childhood obesity rates are on the rise. Unfortunately, the average child spends less than 30 minutes of unstructured […]
Tags: adhd, ADHD Clinic, Anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, behavioral health, depression, mental health, physical activity, stress levels, vitamin D
May 14, 2019
Defeat Depression With A Healthy Diet
By uclahealth
Research over the past ten years suggests that you can prevent depression with a healthy diet. Some studies suggest a healthy diet, like a Mediterranean-style eating plan, can even treat depression once it’s been diagnosed. Improving Brain Health Through Diet At the root of depression is an unhealthy brain. Improving your diet can increase brain […]
Tags: brain health, depression, healthy diet, healthy foods, mental health, mood, UCLA psychiatry
March 15, 2019
Precision health at UCLA: gene studies lead to personalized medicine
By uclahealth
Until now, medical treatments have been used in a one-size-fits-all fashion. But diseases can affect people differently. Each individual has a unique genetic makeup, lifestyle and environment. As a result, the same medical treatment may be more or less effective for different people with the same diagnosis. Precision medicine means health care personalized to you […]
Tags: autism, cancer, depression, electronic medical record, genetic risk factors, heart and vascular disease, neurodevelopmental disorders, obesity, precision health, precision health initiative, UCLA Institute for Precision Health
March 14, 2019
Placebo effect: sugar pills as medicine?
By uclahealth
The placebo effect occurs when people respond to treatments that have no medical reason to be effective. Although the placebo effect is generally accepted as being real, exactly why these treatments work remains a mystery. One common theory is that the mind acts on the body to bring on the physical response. New research suggests […]
Tags: Anxiety, back pain, caregiver, depression, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, placebo effect, schizophrenia
October 8, 2018
Depression Treatment in Older Adults
By uclahealth
Depression affects an estimated 25 percent of adults age 60 and older. But because the stigma of mental illness continues in this generation, depressive symptoms often go underreported and the condition remains untreated. Doctors link late-life depression to: Physical ailments or chronic pain Changing relationships or loss of a partner Financial stress Loss of independence […]
Tags: depression, depression in elderly, geriatric depression, OPTIMUM, psycho-social stresses, wellness research
September 28, 2018
Ask the Doctors – Am I a hoarder?
Dear Doctor: I’m a 77-year-old woman – and I’m a hoarder. Well, maybe I’m a hoarder. Maybe I’m just lazy or a procrastinator. Regardless, how can I get myself in gear? Hoarding behavior has only recently been recognized as a disorder. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, […]
Tags: Anxiety, Ask the Doctors, behavioral therapy, depression, Dr. Robert Ashley, hoarding behavior
September 25, 2018
Ask the Doctors – How risky are ‘magic mushrooms’?
Dear Doctors: I see that psilocybin mushrooms – what we used to call magic mushrooms – are being studied now as a possible treatment for PTSD and depression. I’ve struggled with severe depression my whole life. Would it be risky for me to give magic mushrooms a try? In a word – yes. Although emerging […]
Tags: Anxiety, Ask the Doctors, Controlled Substances Act, depression, Dr. Eve Glazier, Dr.Elizabeth Ko, magic mushrooms, psilocybin, PTSD, Schedule 1 substance
July 12, 2018
Ways to “be there” for someone with anxiety or depression
By Leigh Hopper 
When a family member or friend is feeling sad or anxious, it can be awkward when you don’t know what to say. You want to help — and you definitely don’t want to make matters worse – but how? Lekeisha Sumner and Emanuel Maidenberg, both psychologists and clinical professors of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at […]
Tags: Anxiety, depression, friendship, psychotherapy, reassurance
June 15, 2018
Ask the Doctors – Is it normal to be depressed after a heart attack?
It has been six weeks since my husband, who is 57, had a heart attack, and I’m afraid he’s depressed. His doctors say he’s doing really well but he’s getting more quiet and withdrawn. How can we help him? Unfortunately, depression following a heart attack is not uncommon. Up to one-third of people who have […]
Tags: Ask the Doctors, cardiac rehabilitation, depression, Dr. Eve Glazier, Dr.Elizabeth Ko, heart attack
