depression

If a medication you're taking makes you feel worse, you may be tempted to stop. But you shouldn’t do so without talking to your doctor since quitting cold turkey can be harmful. Here’s what you need to know.

If you're like me, you consider hard science to be immutable; after all, that's why it is called hard. You have a well-designed experiment; the results show x, y and z; therefore x, y and z will always be true. And from there you can build on those results.

But a fascinating article in the New Yorker by Jonah Lehrer, turns the notion of hard science into something squishier, more malleable and a lot less permanent.

Lehrer documents the growing realization among some scientists and researchers that many scientific findings, when given a closer look, begin to fall apart, the effects the studies once documented steadily shrinks--sometimes to nothing. "It's as if our facts were losing their truth," Lehrer writes.

One example Lehrer cites is the effects of atypical or second-generation antipsychotics (sold under brand names such as Abilify, Seroquel and Zyprexa). At first, study findings showed the drugs to work really well. But the positive therapeutic results of later studies kept on shrinking - until they all but disappeared.

What is going on, asks Lehrer. Why is the truth fading? And how, then, can we trust any finding? To find out, he turned to researchers who are studying this mysterious phenomenon.

After a catchy new theory or a new way of thinking emerges, the publishing process is tilted towards positive results, and not results that show no effect. This usually wears off after a few years, when that new exciting idea becomes entrenched. It is then that studies showing no effect, or a much smaller effect, start getting published.

Another contributing factor is the "selective reporting" of results, or the data that scientists choose to document in the first place. This is not scientific fraud, says one of the researchers who has studied this, but instead "subtle omissions and unconscious misperceptions as researchers struggle to make sense of their results."

Sometimes this is caused by a cultural bias. The testing of acupuncture is a case in point. In Asian countries where acupuncture is widely accepted, many of the studies that this researcher looked at conclude that acupuncture is effective. In Western countries, acupuncture studies found acupuncture to be effective about half as often. "Our beliefs are a form of blindness," writes Lehrer.

Researchers also try to do studies with findings that will have statistical significance. Few studies with "null" results get published (You probably won't see this article in a journal: Bunions NOT associated with brain tumors or heart disease.)

And finally, there is the role that "sheer randomness" plays in this declining effect. Sheer randomness can sometimes be caused by scientist not controlling for certain variables (either because scientists can't control for them, or don't even think to control for them).

The consequences of these flawed studies are lost time and effort as researchers struggle and fail to replicate and build upon the findings. Sometimes bad medical practices result from them too (think hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women).

So next time you read about an exciting new finding, take it with a grain of salt. The hard science it is built upon may just turn to quicksand after a few years.

Beach Bummer: Gulf Residents Face Declining Emotional Health
If seeing sea turtles bellying up on Gulf coast beaches during the oil spill this summer made you a little sad, imagine what it did to residents. A new Gallup poll indicates that residents of Gulf coast counties have seen their overall emotional health decline since the start of the Gulf oil spill last spring. Self-reported cases of clinical depression are up, too, according to the poll.

Ben & Jerry's Dropping 'All-Natural' Label
What's in a name? For Ben & Jerry's ice cream lovers, names say a lot. Consider popular flavors like Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Dulce Delish, Chubby Hubby. The Vermont-based ice cream may still bear those signature names, but the colorful labels won't say "all natural" anymore. The company is dropping the term--which doesn't have much real meaning anyway--to avoid confusing its customers. There is no plan to change the ingredients.

Some Prostate Screening Guidance
It's one of the most difficult decisions in modern medicine: Should a man get a P.S.A. test and when? As Tara Parker-Pope writes in the New York Times , getting screened for early cancer detections seems simple enough. Except with a P.S.A, the blood test used to spot prostate cancer early, nothing is ever simple. Use of the test is widespread but it apparently saves few lives. But a new study may offer screening guidance to men 60 and older.

Taking care of aging parents can be a major source of stress. Here’s how to cope.

Dealing with a chronic illness like heart disease or type 2 diabetes can cause depression and stress. Here’s how to cope.

Does a full moon really boost births or cause mental disorders to act up? Weatherman Flip Spiceland separates truth from legend.

Which state is psychologically healthier: New York or California? Sounds like a strange question, but it turns out that your emotional well-being may be linked to where you live.

Using CDC survey data, researchers tallied the percentage of residents in every state who reported that their mental health--which included stress, depression and problems with emotions--had been "not good" for at least 14 of the past 30 days. Data were collected before the current recession.

The study, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that people living in Kentucky fared worst, with 14% of adults reporting frequent mental distress. West Virginia and Nevada weren't far behind.

The least stressed-out state? Hawaii, where fewer than 7% of residents reported poor mental health. Not too surprising, perhaps. But consider this: Washington, DC--not typically regarded as a bastion of happiness--also topped the list, as did South Dakota. To find out how your state ranked, see the full list.

For the most part, climate didn't appear to be a factor. New Yorkers were better off than Californians, and Hawaiians notwithstanding, people living in the relatively harsh climates of the upper Midwest tended to come out on top.

Still, as this video segment shows, weather can affect our mental well-being, but sometimes in unexpected ways. Another new study--this one published in BMC Psychiatry--found that suicides in Greenland were more common in the summertime, especially in northern regions with nearly constant daylight.

Too much sunny weather, it seems, may not be so good for your mental health. Unless you live in Hawaii.

Can a warm, sunny day really cheer you up? Weatherman Flip Spiceland shows you why your mood might depend on the weather.

After recovering from a heart attack, cardiologist Christopher Leet learned firsthand the connection between heart disease and depression.

Taking therapy off the couch and into the gym makes for a physical—and mental – workout.