Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol 2 Issue 87 i The Art of Healing

Well, how has your life been over the last 3 months? I find its sometimes good to just stop and reflect for a bit. I have come into this year with the knowledge I need to refocus, reimagine, and reinvent, and this is already manifesting, albeit slowly, but it is lovely watching the year reveal itself. I have found the trick is to not push yourself when you are wanting change. In my mind, I liken it to treading water (something we use to do in the swimming pool when we were kids). As you would all know, keeping a print magazine going these days isn’t easy, with so many people now preferring to do everything online, and perhaps making the choice to receive information via audio or video rather…

Scientists point to social media as the potential force driving this mental health crisis. In particular, online exposure to idealised body imagery and language can trigger negative self-comparisons, especially for young social media users whose identities and self-worth are still forming. Now, new research analyses show how social media group dynamics amplify behaviour harmful to mental health. A team of researchers at USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) found that online social platforms create a feedback loop of eating disorder content, trapping vulnerable individuals within pro-anorexia echo chambers. “The social dynamic is perhaps the most harmful force on social media,” Kristina Lerman, study lead author and Principal Scientist at ISI, said. "The friends you make online can actually make your mental health worse.” To trace this “vicious cycle” of behaviour,…

Dr Alison Pighills, a JCU Adjunct Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow with Mackay Hospital and Health Service, will lead the study which involves looking at environmental hazards within homes along with personal risk factors such as how mobility aids are being used, functional independence, age, gender and ethnicity. The study will trial the adoption of an Environmental Assessment and Modification (EAM) framework for Occupational Therapists (OTs) to use with clients at high risk of falls over the age of 65. “The focus of this study is about changing practice and implementation for OTs, however it will also look at the tasks a person engages in within the home. So for example, risk levels in terms of alcohol intake, choice of clothing and footwear, and other things that might present…

Probiotics may even improve immune function: One study found that when subjects contracted the common cold, consuming a probiotic drink significantly reduced cases of upper respiratory infection and flu-like symptoms compared to those who didn’t take probiotics. Probiotics can be found in certain foods and drinks, as well as in supplement form. While eating foods with probiotics can help with overall gut health and general nutrition, if you are looking to ease digestive symptoms, you can also try taking a probiotic supplement. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN) or certified nutrition specialist (CNS) can help you determine if you’re getting enough probiotics in your diet or if you might benefit from taking a probiotic supplement. In the meantime, you can add more probiotics to your diet with the following…

Researchers Dr. Hannah Gould and Dr. David Marco from the University of Melbourne, along with Dr. Anna Halafof of Deakin University and Deb Rawlings of Flinders University, sought answers about how Buddhist ideas and practices have found their way into the decisions of Australians around dying. “Buddhist-inspired practices, including mindfulness and compassion training, are part of Australia’s flourishing wellness industry and, for many Australians, Buddhists and Buddhism have come to play a role in not just living well but dying well,” Dr. Gould and Dr. Halafof wrote. “As yet there are no comprehensive statistics on the scale of Buddhist influence within Australia’s end-of-life care system, or individual people’s dying journey. This is why we set out to study this emerging phenomenon in the dying. In part, the project identified more…

“When I began thinking about retiring, I knew I would not want to stop doing something I loved,” Ellis says, “so I began volunteering and teaching memoir-writing classes at the Harlem Vet Center” in New York City. She figured that writing would be therapeutic for the veterans in her class. Ellis’ awareness of what gives her a sense of direction and the steps she’s taking to seek out ways to maintain it (even through life changes) are among the traits that mental health experts use to define purpose. A sense of purpose, and the ability to adapt it throughout different phases of your life, has a positive effect on health and wellbeing, including your physical health and how you respond to stress. Studies suggest it may even help people live…

It’s a bit like sorting out photos and videos on your phone. Storing images requires a lot of memory, so when your phone starts to get full, you have to edit them. Removing dud videos and photos leaves space for new ones. Even compared to a modern computer, your brain can store an extraordinary amount of data; a recent estimate puts its storage capacity at around 1000 terabytes, which is a billion megabytes. A computer with that capacity could store around 2 billion books or 500,000 films. Yet while you have an awesome capacity to remember things, you don’t want to store more junk up top than necessary. So during the night, the memories that are considered important are shifted from the hippocampus (the short-term storage area of the brain)…

Research commissioned by Dementia Australia and undertaken by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that dementia rates will increase by 93 per cent by 2054. In 2024, there were more than 421,000 people living with all forms of dementia in Australia. By 2054, without a medical breakthrough, this will grow to 812,500 people. Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe AM said with the prevalence of dementia growing every year, there will be increased demand for support services for people living with dementia, their families and carers. “Dementia is the second leading cause of death of all Australians and the leading cause of death for women. Provisional data is showing that dementia will likely soon be the leading cause of death of all Australians,” Ms McCabe said. “It is one…

Researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and RMIT investigated programmed cell death caused by a specific cannabis extract (cannabinoid PHEC-66) from the cannabis sativa plant. The study found that the extract binds to receptor sites on particular melanoma cells, then controls the growth and damage to the cells. “The damage to the melanoma cell prevents it from dividing into new cells, and instead begins a programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis,” co-author Dr Nazim Nassar said. “This is a growing area of important research because we need to understand cannabis extracts as much as possible, especially their potential to function as anti-cancer agents. “If we know how they react to cancer cells, particularly in the cause of cell death, we can refine treatment techniques to be more specific, responsive…

Furthermore, the use of opioid pain medicines in aged care facilities was found to be 30 times higher in Australia. Opioid use is common among adults aged 65 and older as medicines like morphine and oxycodone are frequently prescribed for chronic pain related to arthritis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), circulatory problems and other health issues. However longterm use of opioids remains controversial and poses risks of drug dependence and severe side effects. Side effects of opioid use experienced by older people can include: • Nausea and constipation • Urine retention • Central nervous system effects (sedation, mild cognitive impairment, respiratory depression) • Increased sensitivity to pain • Cardiovascular and endocrine system effects The new study led by Monash University’s Centre for Medicine Use and Safety (CMUS) in collaboration with Japan’s…

WHAT IS COGNITIVE REFRAMING? Cognitive reframing operates on the basis that everyone’s perceptions and feelings are unique. Your perceptions of an event, for instance, may be very different from those of a friend or co-worker. “Our emotional responses to a situation are heavily influenced by the way we view the situation,” explains Calvin Fitch, PhD, a staff psychologist with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, who also works in private practice. “The way we view a situation may not always be accurate or helpful, and may exacerbate distress.” “Cognitive reframing is a way of changing the way we view situations.” While cognitive reframing is a method commonly used in psychotherapy (aka “talk therapy”), it can be a helpful tool for anyone to use to ease stress and…

If one of your goals is to drink more water, you’re on your way to a healthier body. “Every cell in our body requires water. Water is critical for the function of your digestion, heart, lungs, and brain,” says sarah Krieger, a registered dietitian nutritionist in St. Petersburg, Florida. There are many guidelines about how much to drink, and it also depends on your activity level. Water intake recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest men drink at least 13 (8 oz) cups of fluids per day and that women aim for 9 (8 oz) cups of fluids or more. If you’re in the heat, or if you’re pregnant, nursing, or ill, these are all factors that require you to increase hydration. Regardless of your hydration…

“Your dad declined the surgery to repair his hip fracture,” the anaesthesiologist blurted out incredulously over the phone. “Okay. I guess there’s no surgery then,” I responded. “Well here, talk to the orthopaedic surgeon,” he protested. I shrugged and said, “Okay” to no one as the anaesthesiologist handed the phone to the orthopaedic surgeon. The surgeon came on: “Your dad declined the surgery!” he exclaimed. “I heard,” I said. “I mean, your father said ‘No!’” I could visualise the surgeon’s wide eyes. My dad was 85 years old with advanced congestive heart failure and severe lung disease. He had fallen two days before and sustained a neck of femur (NOF) fracture, also known as a hip fracture. I had been very involved in my dad’s healthcare for several years. His…

In Creative First Aid, a book about the science + joy of creativity for mental health, there are many stories about the power creativity can have on improving, supporting and protecting our mental health. But as a reader you might be asking, “Sure, sure, but where’s the science? Show us the proof.” A great question say the authors Caitlin Marshall and Lizzie Rose. In their book they show how practising creativity in intentional ways makes a profound difference to our mood, self-worth, sense of belonging, energy, purpose and social connectedness. They explore the compelling results from many small yet valuable research studies from around the globe, and spell out how creativity is being delivered in health settings with incredibly positive outcomes. Finally, they examine the current way mental health is…

Senior author Prof Bruce Hood said: “It’s like going to the gym – we can’t expect to do one class and be fit forever. Just as with physical health, we have to continuously work on our mental health, otherwise the improvements are temporary.” Launched in 2018, the University of Bristol’s Science of Happiness course is the first of its kind in the U.K. It involves no exams or coursework, and teaches students what the latest peer-reviewed studies in psychology and neuroscience say really makes us happy. Students who took the course reported a 10-15% improvement in wellbeing, but only those who continued implementing the course learnings maintained that improved wellbeing when they were surveyed again two years later. Published in the journal Higher Education, the study is the first to…

Daniel Belsky, PhD, Associate Professor of Epidemiology from the Columbia Aging Center, tested the hypothesis that a healthy diet protects against dementia by slowing down the body’s overall pace of biological ageing. The researchers used data from the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study, the Offspring Cohort. Originating in 1971, participants in the latter were 60 years of age or older, were free of dementia, and also had available dietary, epigenetic, and follow-up data. The cohort was followed up in nine examinations every 4-7 years. At each follow-up visit, data collection included a physical examination, lifestylerelated questionnaires, blood sampling, and starting in 1991, neurocognitive testing. Of 1,644 participants included in the analyses, 140 of the participants developed dementia. To measure the pace of ageing, the researchers used an epigenetic…

Now, a pilot study led by Stanford Medicine researchers, has found that a ketogenic diet not only restores metabolic health in these patients as they continue their medications, but it further improves their psychiatric conditions. The results, published March 27 in Psychiatry Research, suggest that a dietary intervention can be a powerful aid in treating mental illness. “It’s very promising and very encouraging that you can take back control of your illness in some way, aside from the usual standard of care,” said Shebani Sethi, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences. Making The Connection Sethi, who is board certified in obesity and psychiatry, remembers when she first noticed the connection. As a medical student working in an obesity clinic, she saw a patient with treatment-resistant schizophrenia whose auditory…

And they’re in our bodies, with recent research finding microplastics in our arteries. “The rate of increase in microplastics in the environment is exponential and we have every reason to believe that the concentrations in our bodies will continue to increase in the coming years and decades,” says Matthew Campen, PhD, a professor at the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy in Albuquerque, who has researched microplastics. While there’s a growing body of evidence linking microplastics to a wide range of health issues, there’s not much definitive proof, that these particles directly cause specific medical issues, Dr. Campen notes. “What scientists worry about is several trends in disease prevalence that have been unexplained, for example Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, colorectal cancer in people under fifty, inflammatory bowel disease, and…

Much of the research available reveals that employees engaging in wellbeing programs have lower stress levels, a heightened job satisfaction, and increased engagement in their roles. This positive shift can significantly elevate workplace dynamics, and foster a culture of motivation, collaboration, and innovation. Studies have also shown that the ripple effects of wellbeing programs extend to organisational outcomes, with well-designed programs and initiatives correlating with lower turnover rates and heightened organisational performance. Most organisations understand that wellbeing is something employees value, however many are still trying to work out how to best support their employee’s wellbeing needs. So it’s not that these wellbeing programs are ineffective or a waste of time, they simply don’t address the real issues in the workplace that cause employees harm. In addition, workplace wellbeing programs…

A significant portion of the population remains unaware of the alternative choices available with end-of-life matters, including sustainable and cost-effective options that may not have been explored or even heard about. So what are the alternative choices? When I do presentations, the one I get most feedback and interaction from is entitled Feed Me To The Roses: Environmentally-Friendly Ways to Dispose of Your Body. The three options I discuss are: • alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation) • natural organic reduction (human composting) • natural burial While natural burial is currently the only nationwide option in Australia, it’s exciting to note that alkaline hydrolysis has now become available in Tasmania, and human composting will soon be available. Environmental Impacts of Body Disposal People often ask me what my choice will be when…