2008 Woodie Awards
A Stone Age cure?
Briana Byrd - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 11/27/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
The differences between a modern man and a caveman are huge. But a professor from the University of Kansas has found a difference between the two that he hopes will halt the increase in depression cases nationwide.
Stephen Ilardi, an associate professor at the University of Kansas, developed a program promoting six practices commonly found in the Stone Age. The elements identified include exercise, omega-3 consumption, exposure to light, sleep, social connectivity, and anti-ruminative behavior, all which are shown to be mood-boosters.
Ilardi, who wrote a study that recently received national media attention, found that the lifestyle of people in the Stone Age made them less likely to be depressed. They also consumed more omega-3 fatty acids in their diets, received more light from outdoor activity, and spent less time worrying about daily problems.
An estimated one in four Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
In countries with established market economies - such as the United States - mental illnesses, including suicidal tendencies, account for 15 percent of disease, according to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University.
"Ilardi's advice to augment standard psychotherapeutic approaches with therapeutic lifestyle changes will work well for some, and, for others, it may have little impact if used alone," said Laurie McCormick, a UI associate in psychiatry.
Out of 31 patients treated in Ilardi's program, 86 percent fully recovered from their depression or showed significant reductions in symptoms. Although his results seemed promising, one UI physician said that treatment for major depression should always first be directed by a qualified clinician.
"Major depression, however, is a potentially serious medical condition that can have a dramatic impact on a person's life and function," psychiatry associate Jess Fiedorowicz said. "Major depression is also strongly associated with suicide. It is therefore critical that persons suffering from depression seek evaluation for treatment."
While sleep, diet, and other factors are important, she said, sometimes medical treatment is necessary.
McCormick said there is a genetic vulnerability component, and "some forms of depression are more influenced by environment stressors and early childhood trauma than are others."
"You can take a group of people and expose them to the same environmental factors and early life trauma. Some will be devastated and develop depression, while others are much more resilient and will be just fine," she said. "Whether a person is trying to prevent depression from recurring or happening in the first place, it is good advice to encourage people to be good to themselves, reduce stress whenever possible, and try to enjoy life to the fullest."
E-mail DI reporter Briana Byrd at:
briana-byrd@uiowa.edu
Stephen Ilardi, an associate professor at the University of Kansas, developed a program promoting six practices commonly found in the Stone Age. The elements identified include exercise, omega-3 consumption, exposure to light, sleep, social connectivity, and anti-ruminative behavior, all which are shown to be mood-boosters.
Ilardi, who wrote a study that recently received national media attention, found that the lifestyle of people in the Stone Age made them less likely to be depressed. They also consumed more omega-3 fatty acids in their diets, received more light from outdoor activity, and spent less time worrying about daily problems.
An estimated one in four Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
In countries with established market economies - such as the United States - mental illnesses, including suicidal tendencies, account for 15 percent of disease, according to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University.
"Ilardi's advice to augment standard psychotherapeutic approaches with therapeutic lifestyle changes will work well for some, and, for others, it may have little impact if used alone," said Laurie McCormick, a UI associate in psychiatry.
Out of 31 patients treated in Ilardi's program, 86 percent fully recovered from their depression or showed significant reductions in symptoms. Although his results seemed promising, one UI physician said that treatment for major depression should always first be directed by a qualified clinician.
"Major depression, however, is a potentially serious medical condition that can have a dramatic impact on a person's life and function," psychiatry associate Jess Fiedorowicz said. "Major depression is also strongly associated with suicide. It is therefore critical that persons suffering from depression seek evaluation for treatment."
While sleep, diet, and other factors are important, she said, sometimes medical treatment is necessary.
McCormick said there is a genetic vulnerability component, and "some forms of depression are more influenced by environment stressors and early childhood trauma than are others."
"You can take a group of people and expose them to the same environmental factors and early life trauma. Some will be devastated and develop depression, while others are much more resilient and will be just fine," she said. "Whether a person is trying to prevent depression from recurring or happening in the first place, it is good advice to encourage people to be good to themselves, reduce stress whenever possible, and try to enjoy life to the fullest."
E-mail DI reporter Briana Byrd at:
briana-byrd@uiowa.edu
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