In situations involving social discomfort, individuals with anxiety tend to activate a less appropriate section of the frontal region of the brain when making behavioral choices compared to those without anxiety. This phenomenon is evident through brain imaging analyses conducted by Bob Bramson and Sjoerd Meijer at the Donders Institute of Radboud University.&nbsp;This marks the first instance where brain scans demonstrate the distinct neural functioning of the prefrontal region among anxious and non-anxious individuals when it comes to emotional behavior regulation. The researchers speculate that these findings could potentially pave the way for novel treatments catering to individuals with anxiety.

<h2>Navigating emotional responses</h2>

Consider an anxious person and a non-anxious person both encountering someone they have strong romantic feelings for. Both experience tension in this encounter and both desire to ask the person out on a date.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/with-massive-compensation-for-flyers-saudi-arabia-brings-new-aviation-rules-to-combat-flight-disruptions-629394">With massive compensation for flyers, Saudi Arabia brings new aviation rules to combat flight disruptions</a>

The question arises: Should they approach the person or avoid them to circumvent potential embarrassment?

While the non-anxious individual can effectively manage their emotions and opt for a course of action that involves approaching the potential partner, an anxious person finds this considerably more challenging.

Bramson explained, “Anxious people use a less suitable section of the forebrain for this control. It’s more difficult for them to choose alternative behaviour, so they avoid social situations more often.”

<h2>Balancing threat and&nbsp;reward</h2>

Decisions like these demand a balance between perceived threats and potential rewards, a cognitive process carried out in the prefrontal cortex by non-anxious individuals.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-aircraft-reportedly-linked-to-prigozhin-not-linked-to-wagner-629402">Second aircraft linked to Prigozhin had no connection to Wagner: Report</a>

“Our trial subjects were shown happy and angry faces and had to first move a joystick towards the happy face and away from the angry face. At a certain point they had to do the reverse: move towards an angry face and away from a happy face. This demands control over our automatic tendency to avoid negative situations,"&nbsp;Bramson said.&nbsp;

Interestingly, anxious participants performed similarly to their non-anxious counterparts in this straightforward task.

However, the brain scans unveiled distinct patterns of activation.

Bramson explained, “In non-anxious people we often see that, during emotional control, a signal is sent from the foremost section of the prefrontal cortex to the motor cortex, the section of the brain that directs your body to act. In anxious people, a less efficient section of that foremost section is used.”

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Additional scans indicate that this divergence is likely due to the 'appropriate' brain region becoming excessively stimulated in anxious individuals.

“This could explain why anxious people find it difficult to choose alternative behaviour and thus avoid social situations. The disadvantage of this is that they never learn that social situations aren’t as negative as they think.”

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In situations involving social discomfort, individuals with anxiety tend to activate a less appropriate section of the frontal region of the brain when making behavioral choices compared to those without anxiety.

In situations involving social discomfort, individuals with anxiety tend to activate a less appropriate section of the frontal region of the brain when making behavioral choices compared to those without anxiety. This phenomenon is evident through brain imaging analyses conducted by Bob Bramson and Sjoerd Meijer at the Donders Institute of Radboud University. This marks the first instance where brain scans demonstrate the distinct neural functioning of the prefrontal region among anxious and non-anxious individuals when it comes to emotional behavior regulation. The researchers speculate that these findings could potentially pave the way for novel treatments catering to individuals with anxiety. Navigating emotional responses Consider an anxious person and a non-anxious person both encountering someone they have strong romantic feelings for. Both experience tension in this encounter and both desire to ask the person out on a date. Also Read | With massive compensation for flyers, Saudi Arabia brings new aviation rules to combat flight disruptions The question arises: Should they approach the person or avoid them to circumvent potential embarrassment? While the non-anxious individual can effectively manage their emotions and opt for a course of action that involves approaching the potential partner, an anxious person finds this considerably more challenging. Bramson explained, “Anxious people use a less suitable section of the forebrain for this control. It’s more difficult for them to choose alternative behaviour, so they avoid social situations more often.” Balancing threat and reward Decisions like these demand a balance between perceived threats and potential rewards, a cognitive process carried out in the prefrontal cortex by non-anxious individuals. Also Read | Second aircraft linked to Prigozhin had no connection to Wagner: Report “Our trial subjects were shown happy and angry faces and had to first move a joystick towards the happy face and away from the angry face. At a certain point they had to do the reverse: move towards an angry face and away from a happy face. This demands control over our automatic tendency to avoid negative situations," Bramson said. Interestingly, anxious participants performed similarly to their non-anxious counterparts in this straightforward task. However, the brain scans unveiled distinct patterns of activation. Bramson explained, “In non-anxious people we often see that, during emotional control, a signal is sent from the foremost section of the prefrontal cortex to the motor cortex, the section of the brain that directs your body to act. In anxious people, a less efficient section of that foremost section is used.” Watch | Ex-French president faces corruption charges × Additional scans indicate that this divergence is likely due to the 'appropriate' brain region becoming excessively stimulated in anxious individuals. “This could explain why anxious people find it difficult to choose alternative behaviour and thus avoid social situations. The disadvantage of this is that they never learn that social situations aren’t as negative as they think.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Anxious brains navigate social challenges differently. Here's how

Sperm&nbsp;is a unique cell crucial for reproduction. They undergo a complex process known as spermatogenesis,&nbsp;by which haploid spermatozoa develop from germ cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Ensuring good sperm quality and quantity is vital for successful fertilisation. However, any disruptions to these control mechanisms can significantly affect sperm health.&nbsp;

<h2>Factors affecting sperm quality</h2>

Sperm quality is a critical determinant of successful fertilisation and healthy pregnancy. Several factors influence the quality of sperm, impacting its ability to fertilise an egg and develop into a healthy embryo.&nbsp;

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Age: Advancing age, especially after 40, is associated with a decline in sperm quality and quantity.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Occupational Hazards: Exposure to heat and solvents in certain occupational environments can negatively affect sperm quality. It is suggested that high heat exposure may perturb the regulation of intrascrotal temperature and increase intratesticular temperature, both of which have drastic effects on semen quality

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lifestyle Choices: Habits like smoking and alcohol consumption can significantly impact sperm quality. Inhalation of a large number of toxins from tobacco smoking can affect spermatogenesis and semen quality, including motility. Studies have shown that abstinence from alcohol consumption can reverse the adverse effect of alcohol on motility&nbsp;

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Stress and Anxiety: While challenging to quantify precisely, stress and anxiety have been observed to influence sperm quality, varying from individual to individual.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Medications: Some medications used to treat conditions like diabetes&nbsp;and high blood pressure, Chemotherapeutic drugs, medications used for psychiatric disorders, and anti-epileptic drugs may affect sperm quality and quantity.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sunlight Exposure and Diet: Lack of vitamin D due to insufficient sunlight exposure, coupled with an imbalanced diet lacking essential nutrients, can play a role in sperm quality.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Body Mass Index (BMI): Both low weight and obesity can influence sperm quality.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Environmental Contaminants: Environmental contaminants, especially those with endocrine-disrupting function, are suspected to interfere with normal spermatogenesis and decrease semen quality and human fertility.

●&nbsp; &nbsp; STDs: Sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens can significantly decrease semen quality and can be a contributing factor to male infertility.

&nbsp;Uncontrollable Factors:

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Varicocele:&nbsp;Varicocele is a common chronic pathology in men, caused by abnormal dilatation of veins in the scrotum that leads to impairment of regular semen parameters. A systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that varicocele is strongly correlated with a poor semen profile

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Testicular Cancer: Individuals affected by testicular cancer and undergoing therapy may experience impaired sperm quality.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Genetic Conditions: Certain genetic disorders can also have an impact on sperm quality.

<h2>Assessing sperm quality: Understanding the impact of DNA damage</h2>

Measuring sperm quality is typically conducted in specialised labs and fertility centres. These facilities can assess the extent of DNA damage present in the sperm, which directly correlates with the likelihood of pregnancy. Higher DNA damage reduces the chances of conception and increases the risk of miscarriage.

Various medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, psychiatric disorders, and cancers, are linked to lower sperm count and diminished quality. Accurate evaluation of sperm health is crucial for understanding fertility potential and addressing any potential challenges in conception.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-national-bone-and-joint-day-2023-recognising-signs-of-bone-density-loss-in-women-622363">National Bone and Joint Day 2023: Recognising signs of bone density loss in women</a>

<h2>Stress and sperm quality: Is there a connection?&nbsp;</h2>

According to a study, approximately 2 to 5 per cent&nbsp;of individuals experience the effects of stress, which can significantly impact both the quantity and quality of sperm. Sperm count may decrease, and existing sperm numbers may dwindle under stress. Some studies suggest that higher stress levels correlate with poor sperm health.

Various stressors, such as work-related pressures, tight deadlines, and night shifts, can negatively affect sperm production and quality. Altered sleep patterns due to night shifts can disrupt the circadian rhythm and hormone production. In addition, irregular eating habits&nbsp;and lack of physical exercise can further compromise sperm quality.

Additionally, stress stemming from familial or marital discord and family pressure can also interfere with an individual's lifestyle, potentially impacting sperm quality. Understanding the intricate connections between stress and sperm health is essential to address fertility concerns and promote overall well-being.

<h2>Navigating low sperm count - Tips and suggestions&nbsp;</h2>

Often, low sperm count manifests without apparent symptoms, making it challenging to detect. Azoospermia, a condition with no sperm count, may exist without any noticeable abnormalities.&nbsp;

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Early Diagnosis and Treatment: If trying to conceive for more than a year, get a sperm analysis done to identify underlying issues. Early diagnosis is crucial, especially for men approaching 39-40 years of age.&nbsp;

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Quit Smoking: Smoking can significantly impact sperm motility and quality. Quitting smoking can help improve fertility potential.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Physical Exercise: Engage in regular exercise for at least 20-30 minutes a day, tailored to your lifestyle. Exercise promotes overall health, including fertility.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lifestyle Modifications: Maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow a nutritious diet. Consume sufficient antioxidants and vitamin D in your diet. Avoid prolonged cellphone and laptop usage.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Adequate Sleep: Proper sleep helps regulate hormonal balance. Reduced stress and anxiety contribute to enhanced sperm quality and quantity.

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Treatment of infections

●&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Avoid exposure to high-temperature environments

(Inputs by&nbsp;Dr Priyanka Rani, Consultant, Garbhagudi IVF Centre)

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Sperm is a unique cell crucial for reproduction. They undergo a complex process known as spermatogenesis, by which haploid spermatozoa develop from germ cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testis.

Sperm is a unique cell crucial for reproduction. They undergo a complex process known as spermatogenesis, by which haploid spermatozoa develop from germ cells in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Ensuring good sperm quality and quantity is vital for successful fertilisation. However, any disruptions to these control mechanisms can significantly affect sperm health. Factors affecting sperm quality Sperm quality is a critical determinant of successful fertilisation and healthy pregnancy. Several factors influence the quality of sperm, impacting its ability to fertilise an egg and develop into a healthy embryo. ● Age: Advancing age, especially after 40, is associated with a decline in sperm quality and quantity. ● Occupational Hazards: Exposure to heat and solvents in certain occupational environments can negatively affect sperm quality. It is suggested that high heat exposure may perturb the regulation of intrascrotal temperature and increase intratesticular temperature, both of which have drastic effects on semen quality ● Lifestyle Choices: Habits like smoking and alcohol consumption can significantly impact sperm quality. Inhalation of a large number of toxins from tobacco smoking can affect spermatogenesis and semen quality, including motility. Studies have shown that abstinence from alcohol consumption can reverse the adverse effect of alcohol on motility ● Stress and Anxiety: While challenging to quantify precisely, stress and anxiety have been observed to influence sperm quality, varying from individual to individual. ● Medications: Some medications used to treat conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, Chemotherapeutic drugs, medications used for psychiatric disorders, and anti-epileptic drugs may affect sperm quality and quantity. ● Sunlight Exposure and Diet: Lack of vitamin D due to insufficient sunlight exposure, coupled with an imbalanced diet lacking essential nutrients, can play a role in sperm quality. ● Body Mass Index (BMI): Both low weight and obesity can influence sperm quality. ● Environmental Contaminants: Environmental contaminants, especially those with endocrine-disrupting function, are suspected to interfere with normal spermatogenesis and decrease semen quality and human fertility. ● STDs: Sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens can significantly decrease semen quality and can be a contributing factor to male infertility. Uncontrollable Factors: ● Varicocele: Varicocele is a common chronic pathology in men, caused by abnormal dilatation of veins in the scrotum that leads to impairment of regular semen parameters. A systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that varicocele is strongly correlated with a poor semen profile ● Testicular Cancer: Individuals affected by testicular cancer and undergoing therapy may experience impaired sperm quality. ● Genetic Conditions: Certain genetic disorders can also have an impact on sperm quality. Assessing sperm quality: Understanding the impact of DNA damage Measuring sperm quality is typically conducted in specialised labs and fertility centres. These facilities can assess the extent of DNA damage present in the sperm, which directly correlates with the likelihood of pregnancy. Higher DNA damage reduces the chances of conception and increases the risk of miscarriage. Various medical conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, psychiatric disorders, and cancers, are linked to lower sperm count and diminished quality. Accurate evaluation of sperm health is crucial for understanding fertility potential and addressing any potential challenges in conception. Also read: National Bone and Joint Day 2023: Recognising signs of bone density loss in women Stress and sperm quality: Is there a connection? According to a study, approximately 2 to 5 per cent of individuals experience the effects of stress, which can significantly impact both the quantity and quality of sperm. Sperm count may decrease, and existing sperm numbers may dwindle under stress. Some studies suggest that higher stress levels correlate with poor sperm health. Various stressors, such as work-related pressures, tight deadlines, and night shifts, can negatively affect sperm production and quality. Altered sleep patterns due to night shifts can disrupt the circadian rhythm and hormone production. In addition, irregular eating habits and lack of physical exercise can further compromise sperm quality. Additionally, stress stemming from familial or marital discord and family pressure can also interfere with an individual's lifestyle, potentially impacting sperm quality. Understanding the intricate connections between stress and sperm health is essential to address fertility concerns and promote overall well-being. Navigating low sperm count - Tips and suggestions Often, low sperm count manifests without apparent symptoms, making it challenging to detect. Azoospermia, a condition with no sperm count, may exist without any noticeable abnormalities. ● Early Diagnosis and Treatment: If trying to conceive for more than a year, get a sperm analysis done to identify underlying issues. Early diagnosis is crucial, especially for men approaching 39-40 years of age. ● Quit Smoking: Smoking can significantly impact sperm motility and quality. Quitting smoking can help improve fertility potential. ● Physical Exercise: Engage in regular exercise for at least 20-30 minutes a day, tailored to your lifestyle. Exercise promotes overall health, including fertility. ● Lifestyle Modifications: Maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow a nutritious diet. Consume sufficient antioxidants and vitamin D in your diet. Avoid prolonged cellphone and laptop usage. ● Adequate Sleep: Proper sleep helps regulate hormonal balance. Reduced stress and anxiety contribute to enhanced sperm quality and quantity. ● Treatment of infections ● Avoid exposure to high-temperature environments (Inputs by Dr Priyanka Rani, Consultant, Garbhagudi IVF Centre) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Do stress and anxiety play a role in sperm quality? Here's the answer

Doomscrolling is the habit of regularly scrolling through social media for long duration. And consuming negative news and posts. Initially it was meant to stay updated during the pandemic situation. But today it can quickly turn into a harmful obsession. Doomscrolling reinforces negative thoughts and feelings, and can cause anxiety and depression.

Do you doomscroll at night? Beware! It is damaging your brain

-by&nbsp;Richa Jaggi

In recent years, the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis has gained significant attention, particularly in the realm of mental health. According to a Lancet Psychiatry study, in 2017, a significant number of Indians were affected by mental health issues. The study reported that out of the total population, approximately 197 million individuals, accounting for 14.3 per cent, experienced mental disorders. Among them, an estimated 46 million individuals were diagnosed with depression, while 45 million individuals were diagnosed with anxiety disorders. While medical cannabis is still a subject of ongoing research, preliminary studies suggest that certain components of it may hold promise for alleviating symptoms associated with various mental health conditions.

Uses of Medical Cannabis in Mental Health

Anxiety and Stress Reduction: Medical cannabis has shown promise in reducing symptoms of anxiety disorders and stress-related conditions. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, has demonstrated anxiolytic properties and is believed to provide a calming effect.

Depression and Mood Disorders: Medical cannabis has been found to have antidepressant effects, which makes it an effective treatment option for people with depression. THC and CBD work by regulating the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and social behaviour.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): National Library of Medicine (NLM), 2018 studies, have shown that medical cannabis may have the potential in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It revealed that cannabis can reduce activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with fear responses, which could help alleviate anxiety and fear in individuals with PTSD. These findings offer hope for those suffering from PTSD, although further research is necessary to fully understand the mechanisms and determine optimal dosages for therapeutic use.

However, determining the appropriate dosage of medical cannabis for mental health conditions requires careful consideration. Factors such as individual tolerance, condition severity, and desired effects play a crucial role. It is advisable to consult with a knowledgeable healthcare professional or medical cannabis specialist to ensure safe and effective use.

Dosage of Medical Cannabis

Dosage requirements vary for each individual, taking into account factors such as age, weight, specific ailment, and the severity of the ailment. It is important to note that there is no universal dosage that applies to everyone. However, as a general guideline, it is advisable to begin with a conservative dose of 2 drops placed under the tongue, gradually increasing the dosage as needed. It is recommended not to exceed a maximum of 8 drops per day.

Side effects

While medical cannabis holds promise, it is essential to acknowledge potential side effects. These can vary depending on the individual, strain, dosage, and method of consumption. Common side effects may include:

• THC-rich cannabis strains can cause temporary cognitive changes. It is important to avoid activities that require alertness and concentration while under the influence. Such as driving or operating heavy machinery.

• High doses of THC may induce psychoactive effects, including euphoria, paranoia, or heightened anxiety. Careful dosage monitoring can help mitigate these effects.

• Smoking cannabis can potentially harm lung health. Alternative methods to consuming medical cannabis, such as vaporisation or oral ingestion, may be preferred to minimise respiratory risks and are cleaner formats.

In conclusion, the evolving research surrounding medical cannabis and its impact on mental health holds tremendous promise. Although further exploration and personalized approaches are ongoing, there is no denying the potential benefits it brings. It is imperative for individuals contemplating medical cannabis to engage in open conversations with healthcare professionals who can offer tailored advice based on their unique circumstances. By carefully considering dosage, selecting appropriate strength, and remaining aware of potential side effects, medical cannabis has the potential to serve as a valuable complement in the treatment of mental health disorders.

*The author is&nbsp;the co-founder and CMO of Awshad, a medical cannabis wellness startup. Views are personal.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

-by Richa Jaggi In recent years, the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis has gained significant attention, particularly in the realm of mental health. According to a Lancet Psychiatry study, in 2017, a significant number of Indians were affected by mental health issues.

-by Richa Jaggi In recent years, the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis has gained significant attention, particularly in the realm of mental health. According to a Lancet Psychiatry study, in 2017, a significant number of Indians were affected by mental health issues. The study reported that out of the total population, approximately 197 million individuals, accounting for 14.3 per cent, experienced mental disorders. Among them, an estimated 46 million individuals were diagnosed with depression, while 45 million individuals were diagnosed with anxiety disorders. While medical cannabis is still a subject of ongoing research, preliminary studies suggest that certain components of it may hold promise for alleviating symptoms associated with various mental health conditions. Uses of Medical Cannabis in Mental Health Anxiety and Stress Reduction: Medical cannabis has shown promise in reducing symptoms of anxiety disorders and stress-related conditions. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, has demonstrated anxiolytic properties and is believed to provide a calming effect. Depression and Mood Disorders: Medical cannabis has been found to have antidepressant effects, which makes it an effective treatment option for people with depression. THC and CBD work by regulating the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and social behaviour. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): National Library of Medicine (NLM), 2018 studies, have shown that medical cannabis may have the potential in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It revealed that cannabis can reduce activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with fear responses, which could help alleviate anxiety and fear in individuals with PTSD. These findings offer hope for those suffering from PTSD, although further research is necessary to fully understand the mechanisms and determine optimal dosages for therapeutic use. However, determining the appropriate dosage of medical cannabis for mental health conditions requires careful consideration. Factors such as individual tolerance, condition severity, and desired effects play a crucial role. It is advisable to consult with a knowledgeable healthcare professional or medical cannabis specialist to ensure safe and effective use. Dosage of Medical Cannabis Dosage requirements vary for each individual, taking into account factors such as age, weight, specific ailment, and the severity of the ailment. It is important to note that there is no universal dosage that applies to everyone. However, as a general guideline, it is advisable to begin with a conservative dose of 2 drops placed under the tongue, gradually increasing the dosage as needed. It is recommended not to exceed a maximum of 8 drops per day. Side effects While medical cannabis holds promise, it is essential to acknowledge potential side effects. These can vary depending on the individual, strain, dosage, and method of consumption. Common side effects may include: • THC-rich cannabis strains can cause temporary cognitive changes. It is important to avoid activities that require alertness and concentration while under the influence. Such as driving or operating heavy machinery. • High doses of THC may induce psychoactive effects, including euphoria, paranoia, or heightened anxiety. Careful dosage monitoring can help mitigate these effects. • Smoking cannabis can potentially harm lung health. Alternative methods to consuming medical cannabis, such as vaporisation or oral ingestion, may be preferred to minimise respiratory risks and are cleaner formats. In conclusion, the evolving research surrounding medical cannabis and its impact on mental health holds tremendous promise. Although further exploration and personalized approaches are ongoing, there is no denying the potential benefits it brings. It is imperative for individuals contemplating medical cannabis to engage in open conversations with healthcare professionals who can offer tailored advice based on their unique circumstances. By carefully considering dosage, selecting appropriate strength, and remaining aware of potential side effects, medical cannabis has the potential to serve as a valuable complement in the treatment of mental health disorders. *The author is the co-founder and CMO of Awshad, a medical cannabis wellness startup. Views are personal.

Can medical cannabis improve mental health? Details on uses, dosage and side effects

It is essential to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of AI as its integration into various aspects of society continues to evolve. Proactive measures are necessary to maximise the benefits of AI while mitigating potential drawbacks. A research study conducted by the American Psychological Association reveals that employees who frequently engage with artificial intelligence (AI) systems are more likely to experience loneliness, leading to insomnia and increased after-work drinking, reported scitechdaily. The study was carried out across various countries, including the United States, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with consistent findings across different cultures.

<h2>The dangers of isolation</h2>

Lead researcher Pok Man Tang, PhD, who previously worked in an investment bank&nbsp;and is&nbsp; assistant professor of management at the University of Georgia, said, “The rapid advancement in AI systems is sparking a new industrial revolution that is reshaping the workplace with many benefits but also some uncharted dangers, including potentially damaging mental and physical impacts for employees."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-outages-in-early-june-due-to-cyberattacks-605731">Microsoft outages in early June due to cyberattacks</a>

“Humans are social animals, and isolating work with AI systems may have damaging spillover effects into employees’ personal lives," he added.&nbsp;

<h2>The benefits and drawbacks of working with AI systems</h2>

Interestingly, the study found that employees who frequently interacted with AI systems were more likely to provide assistance to their colleagues.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-schoolgirls-poisoning-state-sanctioned-committee-tries-to-downplay-poisoning-attacks-says-report-605671">Iran schoolgirls poisoning: State-sanctioned committee tries to downplay poisoning attacks, says report</a>

However, this response might be driven by their own loneliness and desire for social interaction. Additionally, the research revealed that participants with higher levels of attachment anxiety, characterised by insecurity and worry about social connections, showed stronger reactions to working with AI systems.&nbsp;

These reactions included both positive behaviours, such as helping others, and negative outcomes, such as loneliness and insomnia.

<h2>Research findings</h2>

In one experiment, engineers from a Taiwanese biomedical company who worked with AI systems were surveyed over three weeks. The results showed that increased interaction with AI systems correlated with higher levels of loneliness, insomnia, and after-work alcohol consumption.&nbsp;

However, these employees also exhibited some helping behaviours towards their coworkers.

A similar experiment involved real estate consultants in an Indonesian property management company. Half of the consultants were instructed to refrain from using AI systems for three consecutive days, while the other half were encouraged to work with AI systems as much as possible.&nbsp;

Watch | Russia's latest space agency mission: Raising a militia for the war in Ukraine?

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The findings were same as that of the previous experiment, except here there was no association was found between the frequency of AI use and after-work alcohol consumption.

The research also included online experiments with full-time working adults in the US and employees at a Malaysian tech company, which yielded similar results.

<h2>Correlation and recommendations</h2>

It's important to note that the research findings demonstrate a correlation between work with AI systems and loneliness, insomnia, and other responses, but they do not establish a causal relationship. It is just that there is a relation between AI and how it can impact employees.&nbsp;

Tang suggests that developers of AI technology should consider incorporating social features, such as a human-like voice, into AI systems to simulate human interactions.&nbsp;

Employers could also limit the frequency of AI system usage and provide opportunities for employees to socialise. Tasks requiring social connections, like team decision-making, could be assigned to humans, while AI systems focus on repetitive and monotonous tasks.

Furthermore, Tang proposes that mindfulness programs and other positive interventions may help alleviate loneliness among employees. It is crucial to take action now to mitigate the potential negative effects of working with AI systems, as AI continues to expand, he said.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

It is essential to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of AI as its integration into various aspects of society continues to evolve. Proactive measures are necessary to maximise the benefits of AI while mitigating potential drawbacks.

It is essential to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of AI as its integration into various aspects of society continues to evolve. Proactive measures are necessary to maximise the benefits of AI while mitigating potential drawbacks. A research study conducted by the American Psychological Association reveals that employees who frequently engage with artificial intelligence (AI) systems are more likely to experience loneliness, leading to insomnia and increased after-work drinking, reported scitechdaily. The study was carried out across various countries, including the United States, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, with consistent findings across different cultures. The dangers of isolation Lead researcher Pok Man Tang, PhD, who previously worked in an investment bank and is assistant professor of management at the University of Georgia, said, “The rapid advancement in AI systems is sparking a new industrial revolution that is reshaping the workplace with many benefits but also some uncharted dangers, including potentially damaging mental and physical impacts for employees." Also Read | Microsoft outages in early June due to cyberattacks “Humans are social animals, and isolating work with AI systems may have damaging spillover effects into employees’ personal lives," he added. The benefits and drawbacks of working with AI systems Interestingly, the study found that employees who frequently interacted with AI systems were more likely to provide assistance to their colleagues. Also Read | Iran schoolgirls poisoning: State-sanctioned committee tries to downplay poisoning attacks, says report However, this response might be driven by their own loneliness and desire for social interaction. Additionally, the research revealed that participants with higher levels of attachment anxiety, characterised by insecurity and worry about social connections, showed stronger reactions to working with AI systems. These reactions included both positive behaviours, such as helping others, and negative outcomes, such as loneliness and insomnia. Research findings In one experiment, engineers from a Taiwanese biomedical company who worked with AI systems were surveyed over three weeks. The results showed that increased interaction with AI systems correlated with higher levels of loneliness, insomnia, and after-work alcohol consumption. However, these employees also exhibited some helping behaviours towards their coworkers. A similar experiment involved real estate consultants in an Indonesian property management company. Half of the consultants were instructed to refrain from using AI systems for three consecutive days, while the other half were encouraged to work with AI systems as much as possible. Watch | Russia's latest space agency mission: Raising a militia for the war in Ukraine? × The findings were same as that of the previous experiment, except here there was no association was found between the frequency of AI use and after-work alcohol consumption. The research also included online experiments with full-time working adults in the US and employees at a Malaysian tech company, which yielded similar results. Correlation and recommendations It's important to note that the research findings demonstrate a correlation between work with AI systems and loneliness, insomnia, and other responses, but they do not establish a causal relationship. It is just that there is a relation between AI and how it can impact employees. Tang suggests that developers of AI technology should consider incorporating social features, such as a human-like voice, into AI systems to simulate human interactions. Employers could also limit the frequency of AI system usage and provide opportunities for employees to socialise. Tasks requiring social connections, like team decision-making, could be assigned to humans, while AI systems focus on repetitive and monotonous tasks. Furthermore, Tang proposes that mindfulness programs and other positive interventions may help alleviate loneliness among employees. It is crucial to take action now to mitigate the potential negative effects of working with AI systems, as AI continues to expand, he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Working with AI systems is casting impact on employees, affecting health, social behaviour

Dr Shweta Sharma talks about paranoia, anxiety and depression triggered by uncertainty over coronavirus pandemic. She also lists ways to deal with mental health issues.

Video Opinion: Uncertainty over coronavirus has taken a toll on mental health

Imagine living an almost pain-free life with no feeling of anxiousness or fear. One would be mistaken to think the description is that of Superman, but scientists were astounded when they found such a human in flesh - 75-year-old Jo Cameron, a Scottish national who cannot feel any pain.

Imagine living an almost pain-free life with no feeling of anxiousness or fear. One would be mistaken to think the description is that of Superman, but scientists were astounded when they found such a human in flesh - 75-year-old Jo Cameron, a Scottish national who cannot feel any pain. Four years ago, Cameron made headlines after it was revealed she is one of the two people on the planet that possessed such an ability. While the discovery was a eureka moment for scientists, it came with its own set of challenges as they needed to decipher the cause behind it. Fast forward now and researchers at the University College London (UCL) have figured out why the septuagenarian is unable to feel any pain. After forensically studying Cameron's superpower, they found that mutations in the FAAH-OUT gene, working at the molecular level, enabled the grandmother to escape the experience of feeling pain. The team found that FAAH-OUT mutation "turned down" the expression of the FAAH gene - associated with pain, mood and memory. It is the same mechanism that scientists associate with the ability of wounds to heal faster. WATCH | Study reveals the science behind why we find certain people attractive | Trending on WION × A discovery that could have far-reaching impact The findings were published in the journal "Brain" with scientists saying it was barely scratching the surface. The researchers are also of the view that their discovery might lead to the development of better painkillers. “The FAAH-OUT gene is just one small corner of a vast continent, which this study has begun to map," said Dr Andrei Okorokov of UCL medicine and a senior author of the study. "I think these findings will have important implications for areas of research such as wound healing, depression and more," added Okorokov. "By understanding precisely what is happening at a molecular level, we can start to understand the biology involved and that opens up possibilities for drug discovery that could one day have far-reaching positive impacts for patients," said Professor James Cox, another lead author of the study. ALSO READ | 101-year-old WWII vet 'finally' walks at graduation 80 years after missing ceremony amid war Cameron realised her ability late Cameron first realised her unique set of abilities aged 65 while seeking treatment for an issue with her hip. "I didn't know anything strange was going on until I was 65. It's called the happy gene or forgetful gene. I have been annoying people by being happy and forgetful all my life — I've got an excuse now.' While Cameroon did not feel any pain, the doctors, after conducting an X-ray, found that her hip had 'almost disintegrated'. They diagnosed that she had severe osteoarthritis, which lists stiff, painful joints as the symptoms. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Meet this Scottish 'Superman-esque' grandmother who feels no pain, fear and anxiety

French fries, the comfort food for many generations, is barely considered healthy. But did you know it may have a negative impact on mental health as well?

Research in China found that frequent consumption of fried food items, especially fried potatoes, is linked with a high risk of depression and even a higher risk of anxiety.&nbsp;

People frequently consuming fried food items such as French fries were 12 per cent more likely to develop anxiety-related issues than the ones who do not consume such food items. As for depression, the researchers found 7 per cent higher risk of depression than in people who did not eat fried foods.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/artificial-intelligence-helps-solve-the-mystery-match-medicine-to-patient-aid-in-treatment-of-depression-583377">Artificial Intelligence helps 'solve the mystery,' match medicine to patient, aid in treatment of depression</a>

The findings of the research were published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

The link was more pronounced among young men and younger consumers of fried food products.

<h2>Fried foods linked with depression: What does it mean?</h2>

The results "open an avenue in the significance of reducing fried food consumption for mental health," according to the research.&nbsp;

But there remains a crucial caveat in the findings.&nbsp;

Experts cited in the media say that since the results of the research are preliminary, it is yet to be made clear whether fried foods drive mental health issues or people with mental health issues turn to fried food items. That is, the Catch-22 situation can be understood as: Are you driven to fried food items because you are anxious or depressed, or do the fried food items drive anxiety or depression in the first place?

This is because people with underlying symptoms of anxiety and depression often turn to comfort foods.

The study evaluated 140,728 people over a period of more than 11.3 years.&nbsp;

After excluding participants diagnosed with depression within the first two years, a total of 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression were found in those that consumed fried food.

The study had also found that the participants consuming more than one serving of fried food regularly were more likely to be youngsters, specifically the young men.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;WION Climate Tracker: Exposure to air pollution causes depression, anxiety; linked to mental health

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Earlier, a study, titled: 'Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing'&nbsp;had&nbsp;found that poor nutrition can progress a mental health condition by lowering one's mood. The latest study adds to a growing evidence of unhealthy food's links to mental health conditions.

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French fries, the comfort food for many generations, is barely considered healthy. But did you know it may have a negative impact on mental health as well? Research in China found that frequent consumption of fried food items, especially fried potatoes, is linked with a high risk of depression and even a higher risk of anxiety.

French fries, the comfort food for many generations, is barely considered healthy. But did you know it may have a negative impact on mental health as well? Research in China found that frequent consumption of fried food items, especially fried potatoes, is linked with a high risk of depression and even a higher risk of anxiety. People frequently consuming fried food items such as French fries were 12 per cent more likely to develop anxiety-related issues than the ones who do not consume such food items. As for depression, the researchers found 7 per cent higher risk of depression than in people who did not eat fried foods. ALSO READ | Artificial Intelligence helps 'solve the mystery,' match medicine to patient, aid in treatment of depression The findings of the research were published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America). The link was more pronounced among young men and younger consumers of fried food products. Fried foods linked with depression: What does it mean? The results "open an avenue in the significance of reducing fried food consumption for mental health," according to the research. But there remains a crucial caveat in the findings. Experts cited in the media say that since the results of the research are preliminary, it is yet to be made clear whether fried foods drive mental health issues or people with mental health issues turn to fried food items. That is, the Catch-22 situation can be understood as: Are you driven to fried food items because you are anxious or depressed, or do the fried food items drive anxiety or depression in the first place? This is because people with underlying symptoms of anxiety and depression often turn to comfort foods. The study evaluated 140,728 people over a period of more than 11.3 years. After excluding participants diagnosed with depression within the first two years, a total of 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression were found in those that consumed fried food. The study had also found that the participants consuming more than one serving of fried food regularly were more likely to be youngsters, specifically the young men. ALSO WATCH | WION Climate Tracker: Exposure to air pollution causes depression, anxiety; linked to mental health × Earlier, a study, titled: 'Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing' had found that poor nutrition can progress a mental health condition by lowering one's mood. The latest study adds to a growing evidence of unhealthy food's links to mental health conditions. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

French fries may drive anxiety, depression, new research suggests

What works for one may not for another. This is especially true when it comes to mental health problems like depression and antidepressants. These drugs that can make a person's life significantly better often come with serious side effects. To avoid this and ensure that medications work effectively, an Israeli health-tech company is using Artificial Intelligence to match antidepressants to patients.

According to World Health Organization, globally, more than 280 million people suffer from depression. However, as per estimates for two-thirds of them, the initial prescriptions for depression or anxiety may not work properly.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/research-reveals-how-artificial-intelligence-can-help-look-for-alien-lifeforms-on-mars-and-other-planets-582992">Research reveals how Artificial Intelligence can help look for alien lifeforms on Mars and other planets</a>

The groundbreaking AI-based technology uses brain cells generated from patients' blood samples which are then tested for biomarkers when exposed to various antidepressants.&nbsp;

Genetika+, the company then analyses the patient's medical history and genetic data to determine the best drug and correct dosage for a doctor to prescribe.

As per a BBC report, the AI-based technology is still in development and is set to be launched commercially in 2024.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/heres-how-ai-can-help-modern-day-goldilocks-get-a-good-nights-sleep-578610">Here's how Artificial Intelligence can help modern-day Goldilocks get a good night's sleep</a>

The company has secured funding from the European Union's European Research Council and European Innovation Council. It is also working with pharmaceutical companies to develop precision drugs.

"We are in the right time to be able to marry the latest computer technology and biological technology advances," says neuroscientist Dr Cohen Solal, who is the co-founder and chief executive of Genetika+. Solal says that AI can help "solve the mystery" of which drugs work.

Dr Heba Sailem, senior lecturer of biomedical AI and data science at King's College London says that the potential for AI to transform the global pharmaceutical industry is huge.

(With inputs from agencies)

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What works for one may not for another. This is especially true when it comes to mental health problems like depression and antidepressants. These drugs that can make a person's life significantly better often come with serious side effects.

What works for one may not for another. This is especially true when it comes to mental health problems like depression and antidepressants. These drugs that can make a person's life significantly better often come with serious side effects. To avoid this and ensure that medications work effectively, an Israeli health-tech company is using Artificial Intelligence to match antidepressants to patients. According to World Health Organization, globally, more than 280 million people suffer from depression. However, as per estimates for two-thirds of them, the initial prescriptions for depression or anxiety may not work properly. Also read | Research reveals how Artificial Intelligence can help look for alien lifeforms on Mars and other planets The groundbreaking AI-based technology uses brain cells generated from patients' blood samples which are then tested for biomarkers when exposed to various antidepressants. Genetika+, the company then analyses the patient's medical history and genetic data to determine the best drug and correct dosage for a doctor to prescribe. As per a BBC report, the AI-based technology is still in development and is set to be launched commercially in 2024. Also read | Here's how Artificial Intelligence can help modern-day Goldilocks get a good night's sleep The company has secured funding from the European Union's European Research Council and European Innovation Council. It is also working with pharmaceutical companies to develop precision drugs. "We are in the right time to be able to marry the latest computer technology and biological technology advances," says neuroscientist Dr Cohen Solal, who is the co-founder and chief executive of Genetika+. Solal says that AI can help "solve the mystery" of which drugs work. Dr Heba Sailem, senior lecturer of biomedical AI and data science at King's College London says that the potential for AI to transform the global pharmaceutical industry is huge. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Artificial Intelligence helps 'solve the mystery,' match medicine to patient, aid in treatment of depression

Got social anxiety? Well, according to some Swedish researchers, smelling other people's body odour could be an effective anxiety therapy for you. Scientists have been using armpit sweat in their experiments and they have reportedly found that social anxiety can be reduced with the help of human "chemo-signals". The study was done by researchers from Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

The study says that exposure to human stink reduces social anxiety by nearly 40 per cent when clubbed with mindfulness therapy.&nbsp;According to a BBC report, they are presenting some of their early findings at a medical conference in Paris this week.

The researchers believe that smell activates brain pathways linked to emotions, which eventually offers&nbsp;a calming effect. But the study is in its initial stage and it is far too soon to say if they are right or wrong.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-lady-gaga-spotted-kissing-female-bystander-while-shooting-joker-folie-a-deux-in-nyc--viral-video-576069">Lady Gaga spotted kissing female bystander while shooting Joker: Folie a Deux in NYC | Viral video</a>

For the study, the researchers asked volunteers to donate their&nbsp;armpit sweat while watching either a scary or a happy movie. Then they looked for&nbsp;48 women who had social anxiety and asked them to sniff some of these samples, alongside receiving a more conventional therapy called mindfulness, which encourages people to focus on the present moment than replaying negative thoughts.

Some of the women were given genuine body odour to sniff, while others were given clean air instead. Scientists say that those who were exposed to sweat appeared to do better with mindfulness therapy.

Lead researcher of the study, Elisa Vigna, says, "Sweat produced while someone was happy had the same effect as someone who had been scared by a movie clip. So there may be something about human chemo-signals in sweat generally which affects the response to treatment."

Vigna added, "It may be that simply being exposed to the presence of someone else has this effect, but we need to confirm this. In fact, that is what we are testing now in a follow-up study with a similar design, but where we are also including sweat from individuals watching emotionally neutral documentaries."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-jonathan-majors-lawyer-says-actor-is-completely-innocent-and-the-real-victim-in-assault-case-576048">Jonathan Majors' lawyer says actor is 'completely innocent and the real victim' in assault case</a>

Smell helps humans sense danger. It also makes meals tastier and evokes strong memories too. Aromas, detected by receptors in the upper part of the nose,&nbsp;are relayed directly to the limbic system, a brain region that is associated with memory and emotions. And while most of the skin's sweat is odourless, sweat glands in the armpit and groin produce certain compounds that cause body odour.

Duncan Boak from the charity Fifth Sense says, "We know there's a strong link between our sense of smell and our emotional well-being. Losing the ability to smell other people, such as your partner and children can cause depression and feelings of isolation."

Boak&nbsp;added, "Whilst this is a preliminary study and further work is of course needed, it's very encouraging to see further research around the importance of our sense of smell to good mental health."

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Got social anxiety? Well, according to some Swedish researchers, smelling other people's body odour could be an effective anxiety therapy for you. Scientists have been using armpit sweat in their experiments and they have reportedly found that social anxiety can be reduced with the help of human "chemo-signals".

Got social anxiety? Well, according to some Swedish researchers, smelling other people's body odour could be an effective anxiety therapy for you. Scientists have been using armpit sweat in their experiments and they have reportedly found that social anxiety can be reduced with the help of human "chemo-signals". The study was done by researchers from Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The study says that exposure to human stink reduces social anxiety by nearly 40 per cent when clubbed with mindfulness therapy. According to a BBC report, they are presenting some of their early findings at a medical conference in Paris this week. The researchers believe that smell activates brain pathways linked to emotions, which eventually offers a calming effect. But the study is in its initial stage and it is far too soon to say if they are right or wrong. Also read: Lady Gaga spotted kissing female bystander while shooting Joker: Folie a Deux in NYC | Viral video For the study, the researchers asked volunteers to donate their armpit sweat while watching either a scary or a happy movie. Then they looked for 48 women who had social anxiety and asked them to sniff some of these samples, alongside receiving a more conventional therapy called mindfulness, which encourages people to focus on the present moment than replaying negative thoughts. Some of the women were given genuine body odour to sniff, while others were given clean air instead. Scientists say that those who were exposed to sweat appeared to do better with mindfulness therapy. Lead researcher of the study, Elisa Vigna, says, "Sweat produced while someone was happy had the same effect as someone who had been scared by a movie clip. So there may be something about human chemo-signals in sweat generally which affects the response to treatment." Vigna added, "It may be that simply being exposed to the presence of someone else has this effect, but we need to confirm this. In fact, that is what we are testing now in a follow-up study with a similar design, but where we are also including sweat from individuals watching emotionally neutral documentaries." Also read: Jonathan Majors' lawyer says actor is 'completely innocent and the real victim' in assault case Smell helps humans sense danger. It also makes meals tastier and evokes strong memories too. Aromas, detected by receptors in the upper part of the nose, are relayed directly to the limbic system, a brain region that is associated with memory and emotions. And while most of the skin's sweat is odourless, sweat glands in the armpit and groin produce certain compounds that cause body odour. Duncan Boak from the charity Fifth Sense says, "We know there's a strong link between our sense of smell and our emotional well-being. Losing the ability to smell other people, such as your partner and children can cause depression and feelings of isolation." Boak added, "Whilst this is a preliminary study and further work is of course needed, it's very encouraging to see further research around the importance of our sense of smell to good mental health." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Smelling stinky armpits may reduce social anxiety: Study

Air pollution has long been associated with lung diseases and breathing problems and with growing levels of pollution in air and the airborne diseases have become a recurring feature in daily life.

WION Climate Tracker: Exposure to air pollution causes depression, anxiety; linked to mental health

Holiday anxiety is a sense of panic or worry, which usually trickles in around the holiday season. People feel undue pressure to choose the perfect gifts for their family every year. Is it worth it to sacrifice your peace of mind for superficial gestures? Priyanka Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Holiday anxiety peaks in December

A study published on Wednesday shows that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) worked just as well as a standard drug prescribed for treating anxiety in people. The results were based on the daily use of a popular mindfulness programme by the participants while others were given a generic drug sold under the brand name Lexapro commonly used for treating anxiety and depression.&nbsp;

Anxiety disorders are quite common as well as highly distressing and can disrupt a person’s day-to-day life, the various types of disorders include social and generalised anxiety and panic attacks. On the other hand, mindfulness refers to a type of meditation which asks a person to focus only on the present moment and dismiss any and all intrusive thoughts. &nbsp;

The mindfulness programme included two and a half hours of classes every week and daily practising at home for at least 45 minutes, said the study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/listening-to-birds-can-reduce-stress-and-anxiety-in-humans-study-525624">Listening to birdsongs can help alleviate stress and anxiety in humans: Study</a>

According to Elizabeth Hoge, lead author and director of Georgetown University’s anxiety disorders research programme, practising mindfulness over time, “changes the relationship people have with their own thoughts when not meditating.”&nbsp;

The lead also spoke about how this study is the first of its kind, as previous studies have proven that mindfulness helps people deal with anxiety, depression and other mental woes better than no treatment at all. But this research uses mindfulness against a psychiatric drug to draw a direct comparison, said Hoge, to the Associated Press.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-panel-recommends-screening-all-american-adults-for-anxiety-518527">Gravitas: U.S. panel recommends screening all American adults for anxiety</a>

Researchers also used a seven-point psychiatric scale with one being a sign of severe anxiety and seven being the lowest on the scale, to measure the severity of the participant’s anxiety. The average score, prior to the treatment was 4.5 which started to decline to nearly a three on the scale after only two months into the study. Notably, the two groups, one on medication and the other practising mindfulness were assigned at random.&nbsp;

The results were based on approximately 200 adults who suffered from anxiety with varying degrees of severity and took place over six months at three medical centres in Washington, Boston and New York. In the span of two months, the severity of people’s anxiety was reduced by nearly 30 per cent in the subjects from both groups and witnessed a steady decline thereafter.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/report-fires-heat-waves-cause-climate-anxiety-in-youth-488683">Report: Fires, heat waves cause 'climate anxiety' in youth</a>

However, ten participants dropped out over the course of the study when they faced side effects which could be related to the anxiety drug and experienced symptoms like insomnia, nausea and fatigue. Meanwhile, at least 13 participants in the MBSR group reported an increase in their symptoms related to anxiety.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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A study published on Wednesday shows that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) worked just as well as a standard drug prescribed for treating anxiety in people.

A study published on Wednesday shows that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) worked just as well as a standard drug prescribed for treating anxiety in people. The results were based on the daily use of a popular mindfulness programme by the participants while others were given a generic drug sold under the brand name Lexapro commonly used for treating anxiety and depression. Anxiety disorders are quite common as well as highly distressing and can disrupt a person’s day-to-day life, the various types of disorders include social and generalised anxiety and panic attacks. On the other hand, mindfulness refers to a type of meditation which asks a person to focus only on the present moment and dismiss any and all intrusive thoughts. The mindfulness programme included two and a half hours of classes every week and daily practising at home for at least 45 minutes, said the study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. ALSO READ: Listening to birdsongs can help alleviate stress and anxiety in humans: Study According to Elizabeth Hoge, lead author and director of Georgetown University’s anxiety disorders research programme, practising mindfulness over time, “changes the relationship people have with their own thoughts when not meditating.” The lead also spoke about how this study is the first of its kind, as previous studies have proven that mindfulness helps people deal with anxiety, depression and other mental woes better than no treatment at all. But this research uses mindfulness against a psychiatric drug to draw a direct comparison, said Hoge, to the Associated Press. ALSO WATCH: Gravitas: U.S. panel recommends screening all American adults for anxiety Researchers also used a seven-point psychiatric scale with one being a sign of severe anxiety and seven being the lowest on the scale, to measure the severity of the participant’s anxiety. The average score, prior to the treatment was 4.5 which started to decline to nearly a three on the scale after only two months into the study. Notably, the two groups, one on medication and the other practising mindfulness were assigned at random. The results were based on approximately 200 adults who suffered from anxiety with varying degrees of severity and took place over six months at three medical centres in Washington, Boston and New York. In the span of two months, the severity of people’s anxiety was reduced by nearly 30 per cent in the subjects from both groups and witnessed a steady decline thereafter. ALSO READ: Report: Fires, heat waves cause 'climate anxiety' in youth However, ten participants dropped out over the course of the study when they faced side effects which could be related to the anxiety drug and experienced symptoms like insomnia, nausea and fatigue. Meanwhile, at least 13 participants in the MBSR group reported an increase in their symptoms related to anxiety. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Study shows practising mindfulness worked as well as medication prescribed for anxiety

Ever since the world got hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, all of us have faced a number of challenges that we weren't expecting to tackle in the pre-COVID era. The challenging times tested us in ways more than one. Many lost their jobs, got relocated, and lost a fortune due to the pandemic's impact. To sum it up, we can say that it was a stressful time for all of us. Now, in one of the largest studies on women’s well-being, it has been found that levels of stress, anxiety, worry, sadness and anger among women worldwide were at a 10-year high in 2021 post-pandemic.

According to Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, which conducts an annual survey to provide timely, globally comprehensive data from women's perspectives on their health and wellbeing, worry, stress and anger levels among women rose by 3%, while sadness rose by 6% in 2021 as compared to 2020. The stats are all record highs since the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index began tracking emotional health almost a decade ago.

The survey that was conducted among 66,000 women from 122 countries also reported that 43% of respondents said they experienced some form of worry in 2021, 41% reported feeling stressed, 32% reported feeling sad, and 26% reported feeling angry.

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“The lack of progress and, in some cases, backward momentum justify an even louder wake-up call for world leaders to do more for women, whose well-being underpins the health of families, communities, societies and economies,” said Hologic president and CEO Steve MacMillan.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-toxic-beauty-standards-and-how-to-overcome-them-518970" hreflang="en">Toxic beauty standards and how to overcome them</a>

The gender gap in emotional health between men and women has also widened within a year, as 39% of men report feeling worried, 39% stressed, 26% sad, and 21% angry.

“A lot of that has to do with traditional roles in terms of caregiving and responsibility for making sure that children are fed and tending to illnesses – even in high-resourced countries,” said Dr Elizabeth Fitelson, director of the women’s program at Columbia University’s psychiatry department. “Many of these burdens still disproportionately fall on women in addition to needing to work and having multiple roles.” 
&nbsp;

Ever since the world got hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, all of us have faced a number of challenges that we weren't expecting to tackle in the pre-COVID era. The challenging times tested us in ways more than one.

Ever since the world got hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, all of us have faced a number of challenges that we weren't expecting to tackle in the pre-COVID era. The challenging times tested us in ways more than one. Many lost their jobs, got relocated, and lost a fortune due to the pandemic's impact. To sum it up, we can say that it was a stressful time for all of us. Now, in one of the largest studies on women’s well-being, it has been found that levels of stress, anxiety, worry, sadness and anger among women worldwide were at a 10-year high in 2021 post-pandemic. According to Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, which conducts an annual survey to provide timely, globally comprehensive data from women's perspectives on their health and wellbeing, worry, stress and anger levels among women rose by 3%, while sadness rose by 6% in 2021 as compared to 2020. The stats are all record highs since the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index began tracking emotional health almost a decade ago. The survey that was conducted among 66,000 women from 122 countries also reported that 43% of respondents said they experienced some form of worry in 2021, 41% reported feeling stressed, 32% reported feeling sad, and 26% reported feeling angry. “The lack of progress and, in some cases, backward momentum justify an even louder wake-up call for world leaders to do more for women, whose well-being underpins the health of families, communities, societies and economies,” said Hologic president and CEO Steve MacMillan. Also read: Toxic beauty standards and how to overcome them The gender gap in emotional health between men and women has also widened within a year, as 39% of men report feeling worried, 39% stressed, 26% sad, and 21% angry. “A lot of that has to do with traditional roles in terms of caregiving and responsibility for making sure that children are fed and tending to illnesses – even in high-resourced countries,” said Dr Elizabeth Fitelson, director of the women’s program at Columbia University’s psychiatry department. “Many of these burdens still disproportionately fall on women in addition to needing to work and having multiple roles.”

Study reveals stress levels in women at a 10-year high post-COVID

America may soon be screening all adults for anxiety disorders, at least that's what a government-backed panel has recommended. The number of Americans displaying symptoms of anxiety has gone up drastically. What gives? Listen in to Priyanka Sharma.

Gravitas: U.S. panel recommends screening all American adults for anxiety

Shedding light on the importance of mental health, a US-government-backed medical expert panel has recommended that adults under the age of 65 in the US get routinely screened for anxiety disorders.

Shedding light on the importance of mental health, a US-government-backed medical expert panel has recommended that adults under the age of 65 in the US get routinely screened for anxiety disorders. The recommendation has been given by an influential advisory group called US Preventive Services Task Force which has added that all adults should be checked for prevailing mental ailments such as depression. Reportedly, the guidance, currently in draft form will be finalised in the coming months after receiving comments from the public. Lori Pbert, a member of the panel and professor at the University of Massachusetts stated that the study could not have come at a more critical time. "When you go to your primary care provider, you get screened for many, many preventive conditions, blood pressure, heart rate, all kinds of things. Mental health conditions are just important as other physical conditions, and we really need to be treating mental health conditions with the same urgency that we do other conditions." Read more: Women's mental health deteriorated more in Covid pandemic: Study It is pertinent to note that the findings of the panel are from the pre-pandemic period. After the pandemic, mental health ailments have increased staggeringly across the planet. However, the study cited a report saying that the percentage of adults having symptoms of anxiety or depressive order had increased to 41.4 per cent from 36.4 per cent between August 20 to February 2021. “Covid has taken a tremendous toll on the mental health of Americans. This is a topic prioritised for its public health importance, but clearly, there’s an increased focus on mental health in this country over the past few years,” added Pbert. Earlier, the panel had recommended anxiety screening for children and teenagers aged between eight and 18. While the recommendations of the panel are not binding or mandatory, the influence it wields can certainly change the way doctors practice medicine in the US. Asn reported by WION, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a report earlier this year said that cases of anxiety and depression have surged by over 25 per cent globally. Moreover, there was a 27.6 per cent increase in cases of major depressive disorder in the year 2020. Read more: Anxiety and depression cases surged by over 25% due to Covid: WHO "In terms of scale, this is a very large increase. It shows that Covid-19 has had a large impact on people's mental health and wellbeing." said an official at WHO's mental health and substance use department. While the screening recommendation is laudable, the reality is that there is a huge dearth of workforce to put emphasis on mental health well-being. Experts believe that until the number of mental health professionals is not increased, there will not be a major change on the ground. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Adults under 65 should get routinely screened for anxiety, recommends a US study panel

The problems related to mental health are gaining prominence all over the world. Amidst this, a government-backed expert panel have now suggested that adults in United States under the age of 65 must be screened for anxiety.

Suicide among leading cause of deaths in United States, 40 mn adults affected by anxiety every year

In the Belgian capital of Brussels, psychiatrists are taking a novel approach to treat people suffering from depression, stress or anxiety.

For the past five months, one of the city’s largest hospitals has been offering “museum prescriptions” as a method to cure depression.&nbsp;

This cure entails a free visit with a few friends or family to discover one or more of Brussels’ cultural institutions, reports the Guardian.

Brussels deputy mayor in charge of culture, Delphine Houba, claims that the project is the first of its kind in Europe.&nbsp;

Speaking to the Observer, she said that the first aim of this pilot project is to reinforce access to culture after the pressured days of lockdown.&nbsp;

“I want everybody back in our cultural institutions… but we know that, even before Covid, for some people it [was] not easy to open the door of a museum, they don’t feel at ease, they don’t think that it’s for them. And I really want to show that cultural venues are for everybody.”

While the second objective is to provide doctors “a new tool in the healing process”, she said.

When asked how she first got the idea of such a unique approach to tackle depression, the young socialist politician cited a similar project in Canada, where doctors have been issuing prescriptions to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts since 2018.

This pilot project involves touring five museums that are directly under the control of city authorities. These include the city’s history museum, a centre for contemporary art, and the fashion and lace museum.

“Anything could have therapeutic value if it helps people get a good feeling and get in touch with themselves,” said Dr Johan Newell, a psychiatrist at Brugmann University Hospital, which is taking part in the pilot scheme.

He believes that the concept of museum prescriptions would find takers from people suffering undergoing depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, psychosis and bipolar disorder.&nbsp;

“I think almost anyone could benefit from it. It would probably be more adapted for people who are already a little bit further on in the recovery process”, he said. 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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In the Belgian capital of Brussels, psychiatrists are taking a novel approach to treat people suffering from depression, stress or anxiety. For the past five months, one of the city’s largest hospitals has been offering “museum prescriptions” as a method to cure depression.

In the Belgian capital of Brussels, psychiatrists are taking a novel approach to treat people suffering from depression, stress or anxiety. For the past five months, one of the city’s largest hospitals has been offering “museum prescriptions” as a method to cure depression. This cure entails a free visit with a few friends or family to discover one or more of Brussels’ cultural institutions, reports the Guardian. Brussels deputy mayor in charge of culture, Delphine Houba, claims that the project is the first of its kind in Europe. Speaking to the Observer, she said that the first aim of this pilot project is to reinforce access to culture after the pressured days of lockdown. “I want everybody back in our cultural institutions… but we know that, even before Covid, for some people it [was] not easy to open the door of a museum, they don’t feel at ease, they don’t think that it’s for them. And I really want to show that cultural venues are for everybody.” While the second objective is to provide doctors “a new tool in the healing process”, she said. When asked how she first got the idea of such a unique approach to tackle depression, the young socialist politician cited a similar project in Canada, where doctors have been issuing prescriptions to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts since 2018. This pilot project involves touring five museums that are directly under the control of city authorities. These include the city’s history museum, a centre for contemporary art, and the fashion and lace museum. “Anything could have therapeutic value if it helps people get a good feeling and get in touch with themselves,” said Dr Johan Newell, a psychiatrist at Brugmann University Hospital, which is taking part in the pilot scheme. He believes that the concept of museum prescriptions would find takers from people suffering undergoing depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, psychosis and bipolar disorder. “I think almost anyone could benefit from it. It would probably be more adapted for people who are already a little bit further on in the recovery process”, he said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

In Brussels, people with anxiety, depression being given 'museum prescriptions'

Amid the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, a group of performers from Ukraine's theatre and circus academy have found a new platform and new means to earn a living in the US. But their lives have been riddled with anxiety, constant worry and guilt of having to leave their family members back in Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian dancers find comfort in US, fight anxiety with dance routines

A study conducted by the &nbsp;University of Toronto has stated that adults exposed to chronic parental domestic violence have more chances of suffering from anxiety, depression and substance abuse disorder 
.&nbsp; 
These adults also have a lower level of social support than their peers who do not experience such adversity in childhood.&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;The findings of the study were published in the 'Journal of Family Violence'.The study found that one-fifth (22.5 per cent) of adults who were exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood developed a major depressive disorder at some point in their life.&nbsp; 
 
This was much higher than the 9.1 per cent of those without a history of parental domestic violence. 
 
"Our findings underline the risk of long-term negative outcomes of chronic domestic violence for children, even when the children themselves are not abused," said author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of University of Toronto`s Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto and Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW). 
 
"Social workers and health professionals must work vigilantly to prevent domestic violence and to support both survivors of this abuse and their children," added Fuller-Thomson. 
 
The study says Parental domestic violence (PDV) often occurs in the context of other adversities, including childhood physical and sexual abuse, making it challenging to examine the mental health outcomes associated solely with parental domestic violence in the absence of childhood abuse. 
 
To address this problem, the authors excluded anyone in their study who had experienced childhood physical or sexual abuse. 
 
The study's nationally representative sample ultimately included 17,739 respondents from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health, of whom 326 reported having witnessed PDV more than 10 times before age 16, which was defined as `chronic PDV`. 
 
One in six adults (15.2 per cent) who had experienced chronic PDV reported that they later developed an anxiety disorder.&nbsp; 
 
Only 7.1 per cent of those who had not been exposed to parental violence also reported experiencing an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. 
 
"Many children who are exposed to their parent`s domestic violence remain constantly vigilant and perpetually anxious, fearful that any conflict may escalate into assault. Therefore, it is not surprising that decades later, when they are adults, those with a history of PDV have an elevated prevalence of anxiety disorders," said co-author Deirdre Ryan-Morissette. 
 
More than one-quarter of adults (26.8 per cent) who were exposed to chronic PDV in childhood developed substance use disorders, compared to 19.2 per cent of those without exposure to this early adversity.&nbsp; 
 
The findings were not all negative, though. More than three in five adult survivors of chronic PDV were in excellent mental health, free from any mental illness, substance dependence or suicidal thoughts in the preceding year; we were happy and/or satisfied with their life and reported high levels of social and psychological well-being, despite their exposure to such harrowing experiences in childhood.

(With agency inputs) 
&nbsp;

A study conducted by the University of Toronto has stated that adults exposed to chronic parental domestic violence have more chances of suffering from anxiety, depression and substance abuse disorder .

A study conducted by the University of Toronto has stated that adults exposed to chronic parental domestic violence have more chances of suffering from anxiety, depression and substance abuse disorder . These adults also have a lower level of social support than their peers who do not experience such adversity in childhood. The findings of the study were published in the 'Journal of Family Violence'.The study found that one-fifth (22.5 per cent) of adults who were exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood developed a major depressive disorder at some point in their life. This was much higher than the 9.1 per cent of those without a history of parental domestic violence. "Our findings underline the risk of long-term negative outcomes of chronic domestic violence for children, even when the children themselves are not abused," said author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of University of Toronto`s Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto and Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW). "Social workers and health professionals must work vigilantly to prevent domestic violence and to support both survivors of this abuse and their children," added Fuller-Thomson. The study says Parental domestic violence (PDV) often occurs in the context of other adversities, including childhood physical and sexual abuse, making it challenging to examine the mental health outcomes associated solely with parental domestic violence in the absence of childhood abuse. To address this problem, the authors excluded anyone in their study who had experienced childhood physical or sexual abuse. The study's nationally representative sample ultimately included 17,739 respondents from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health, of whom 326 reported having witnessed PDV more than 10 times before age 16, which was defined as `chronic PDV`. One in six adults (15.2 per cent) who had experienced chronic PDV reported that they later developed an anxiety disorder. Only 7.1 per cent of those who had not been exposed to parental violence also reported experiencing an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. "Many children who are exposed to their parent`s domestic violence remain constantly vigilant and perpetually anxious, fearful that any conflict may escalate into assault. Therefore, it is not surprising that decades later, when they are adults, those with a history of PDV have an elevated prevalence of anxiety disorders," said co-author Deirdre Ryan-Morissette. More than one-quarter of adults (26.8 per cent) who were exposed to chronic PDV in childhood developed substance use disorders, compared to 19.2 per cent of those without exposure to this early adversity. The findings were not all negative, though. More than three in five adult survivors of chronic PDV were in excellent mental health, free from any mental illness, substance dependence or suicidal thoughts in the preceding year; we were happy and/or satisfied with their life and reported high levels of social and psychological well-being, despite their exposure to such harrowing experiences in childhood. (With agency inputs)

New study finds parental domestic violence in childhood linked to mental illness in adulthood

A man from Kentucky, US, was awarded $450,000 in compensation after he complained against his former company for throwing a surprise birthday party for him.

Kevin Berling, who was working as a lab technician at Gravity Diagnostics in Covington, claimed in his petition that the unwanted birthday party in 2019 gave him anxiety and panic attacks, BBC reported.

The 29-year-old accused the company of bais as he had urged the office manager not to throw a birthday party for him when he first joined in 2018.

Despite Berling's request, the company, which conducts COVID-19 tests, threw him a surprise party in August, triggering a panic attack. He then quickly left the party, practised breathing exercises and finished his lunch in his car.

The following day, Berling was “confronted and criticised” at a meeting and was accused of “stealing his co-workers joy” and “being a little girl”, the lawsuit claimed.

The meeting again triggered a second panic attack, after which the firm sent the lab technician home. Berling even apologised for having a panic attack.

However, a few days later, he claimed to have received an email from the company “informing him that he was being terminated because of the events of the previous week”.&nbsp;

The sacked worker then subsequently filed a lawsuit in Kenton County, seeking damages and compensation for lost income.

After the trial at the end of March, the jury awarded Berling $450,000, including $300,000 for emotional distress and $150,000 in lost wages.

In a statement, Kenton circuit court judge Patricia Summe said that Berling was able to perform the essential functions of his job with or without reasonable accommodations but suffered an adverse employment action because of that disability, The Guardian reported.

The company, however, has denied any wrongdoing.

Gravity Diagnostics’s chief operating officer Julie Brazil told local news outlet Link NKY that the firm stands by its decision to terminate Berling, who she said violated a “workplace violence policy”.

Brazil, in fact, claimed that her employees were the real victims in this case, adding that the firm is mulling to file an appeal against the verdict.

(With inputs from agencies)

A man from Kentucky, US, was awarded $450,000 in compensation after he complained against his former company for throwing a surprise birthday party for him. Kevin Berling, who was working as a lab technician at Gravity Diagnostics in Covington, claimed in his petition that the unwanted birthday party in 2019 gave him anxiety and panic attacks, BBC reported.

A man from Kentucky, US, was awarded $450,000 in compensation after he complained against his former company for throwing a surprise birthday party for him. Kevin Berling, who was working as a lab technician at Gravity Diagnostics in Covington, claimed in his petition that the unwanted birthday party in 2019 gave him anxiety and panic attacks, BBC reported. The 29-year-old accused the company of bais as he had urged the office manager not to throw a birthday party for him when he first joined in 2018. Despite Berling's request, the company, which conducts COVID-19 tests, threw him a surprise party in August, triggering a panic attack. He then quickly left the party, practised breathing exercises and finished his lunch in his car. The following day, Berling was “confronted and criticised” at a meeting and was accused of “stealing his co-workers joy” and “being a little girl”, the lawsuit claimed. The meeting again triggered a second panic attack, after which the firm sent the lab technician home. Berling even apologised for having a panic attack. However, a few days later, he claimed to have received an email from the company “informing him that he was being terminated because of the events of the previous week”. The sacked worker then subsequently filed a lawsuit in Kenton County, seeking damages and compensation for lost income. After the trial at the end of March, the jury awarded Berling $450,000, including $300,000 for emotional distress and $150,000 in lost wages. In a statement, Kenton circuit court judge Patricia Summe said that Berling was able to perform the essential functions of his job with or without reasonable accommodations but suffered an adverse employment action because of that disability, The Guardian reported. The company, however, has denied any wrongdoing. Gravity Diagnostics’s chief operating officer Julie Brazil told local news outlet Link NKY that the firm stands by its decision to terminate Berling, who she said violated a “workplace violence policy”. Brazil, in fact, claimed that her employees were the real victims in this case, adding that the firm is mulling to file an appeal against the verdict. (With inputs from agencies)

US man sues company for surprise birthday party, wins $450,000 compensation

Endless scrolling can have a bad impact on mental health and there is a need to step back from it. WION speaks to Sharon Blady, Former Health Minister of Manitoba and Dr Shabbir Tejani, GP Partner of GR Medical Centre for more perspective

Doomscrolling - Endless scrolling leading to anxiety, impact on mental health

It is known that a human’s emotion can very much be influenced by his social bindings. Stress, anxiety, and nervousness is largely attributed to their social behaviour.

And the same can be said about elephants also, as a new study has claimed that tuskers suffer stress and anxiety when alone rather than being in a group.

The research has revealed that loneliness increased male elephants’ levels of stress, while females were less stressed when they had babies.

The <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en/news/press-release/aspects-of-asian-elephants-social-life-are-related-to-their-amount-of-stress">study</a>, conducted by the University of Turku, came to the conclusion after analysing the faeces of Asian elephants in Myanmar to compare the levels of stress hormones.

The team studied 95 Asian elephants in Myanmar who were working in the timber industry.

The researchers think that compared to male elephants, lone females might still be able to interact with other individuals without forming strong social bonds and so the lack of those bonds may not be perceived as stress.

“We found that male elephants show higher levels of stress when they have no friends and when they are in social groups with more males than females,” says Martin Seltmann and professor Virpi Lummaa, co-author of the study.“Female elephants show lower levels of stress when babies are present in the social group. The size of the social group is not related to levels of stress hormones in males or females,” he added.&nbsp;

The team hopes the findings could be used to develop methods to improve the welfare of captive social animals in the future.

"These elephants work in the timber industry, where they pull and push logs out of the forest. However, spending much of their time free in their natural habitat allows the timber elephants to express many of their natural behaviours, which is often not the case in fully captive systems, such as zoos,"&nbsp;says Dr Martin Seltmann from the Department of Biology at the University of Turku, the lead author of the study.

"This is a unique research environment and population that allows us to study many elephants living in their natural environment, but at the same time have detailed information about their social lives," he added.

It is known that a human’s emotion can very much be influenced by his social bindings. Stress, anxiety, and nervousness is largely attributed to their social behaviour.

It is known that a human’s emotion can very much be influenced by his social bindings. Stress, anxiety, and nervousness is largely attributed to their social behaviour. And the same can be said about elephants also, as a new study has claimed that tuskers suffer stress and anxiety when alone rather than being in a group. The research has revealed that loneliness increased male elephants’ levels of stress, while females were less stressed when they had babies. The study, conducted by the University of Turku, came to the conclusion after analysing the faeces of Asian elephants in Myanmar to compare the levels of stress hormones. The team studied 95 Asian elephants in Myanmar who were working in the timber industry. The researchers think that compared to male elephants, lone females might still be able to interact with other individuals without forming strong social bonds and so the lack of those bonds may not be perceived as stress. “We found that male elephants show higher levels of stress when they have no friends and when they are in social groups with more males than females,” says Martin Seltmann and professor Virpi Lummaa, co-author of the study.“Female elephants show lower levels of stress when babies are present in the social group. The size of the social group is not related to levels of stress hormones in males or females,” he added. The team hopes the findings could be used to develop methods to improve the welfare of captive social animals in the future. "These elephants work in the timber industry, where they pull and push logs out of the forest. However, spending much of their time free in their natural habitat allows the timber elephants to express many of their natural behaviours, which is often not the case in fully captive systems, such as zoos," says Dr Martin Seltmann from the Department of Biology at the University of Turku, the lead author of the study. "This is a unique research environment and population that allows us to study many elephants living in their natural environment, but at the same time have detailed information about their social lives," he added.

Just like humans, elephants also experience stress while being alone, says study

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said that cases of anxiety and depression have surged by over 25 per cent globally as Covid has taken a severe toll on the mental health of people. During a scientific brief, the organisation revealed that there was a 25.6 per cent hike in cases of anxiety disorders all across the globe.&nbsp;

Also, there was a 27.6 per cent increase in cases of major depressive disorder in the year 2020.&nbsp;

Brandon Gray of WHO's mental health and substance use department said, "In terms of scale, this is a very large increase." He told AFP that the briefing "shows that Covid-19 has had a large impact on people's mental health and wellbeing."&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/womens-mental-health-deteriorated-more-in-covid-pandemic-study-419561">Also read |&nbsp;Women's mental health deteriorated more in Covid pandemic: Study</a>

A massive surge was seen in places that were heavily affected by Covid, in terms of high daily infection rates. Also, women and girls were more affected than males.&nbsp;

Earlier in October, a report stated that women have been the worst affected population in the pandemic. A Lancet study reported that cases of depression and anxiety have increased by more than a quarter in just the initial year of the coronavirus pandemic.

There have been 374 million cases of anxiety disorders around the world in 2020. Out of these, nearly 76 million were new cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said that cases of anxiety and depression have surged by over 25 per cent globally as Covid has taken a severe toll on the mental health of people.

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday said that cases of anxiety and depression have surged by over 25 per cent globally as Covid has taken a severe toll on the mental health of people. During a scientific brief, the organisation revealed that there was a 25.6 per cent hike in cases of anxiety disorders all across the globe. Also, there was a 27.6 per cent increase in cases of major depressive disorder in the year 2020. Brandon Gray of WHO's mental health and substance use department said, "In terms of scale, this is a very large increase." He told AFP that the briefing "shows that Covid-19 has had a large impact on people's mental health and wellbeing." Also read | Women's mental health deteriorated more in Covid pandemic: Study A massive surge was seen in places that were heavily affected by Covid, in terms of high daily infection rates. Also, women and girls were more affected than males. Earlier in October, a report stated that women have been the worst affected population in the pandemic. A Lancet study reported that cases of depression and anxiety have increased by more than a quarter in just the initial year of the coronavirus pandemic. There have been 374 million cases of anxiety disorders around the world in 2020. Out of these, nearly 76 million were new cases caused by the coronavirus pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

Anxiety and depression cases surged by over 25% due to Covid: WHO

Although Oliver Twist wished for more, university professors believe the Charles Dickens classic is too much for some students.

A 'trigger warning' has prompted fears that the novel's portrayals of poverty and crime-ridden London will induce 'worry' or 'distress' have prompted a 'trigger warning.'&nbsp;

The University of London's Royal Holloway has issued a content advisory for the novel, warning readers about themes of 'child abuse,' 'domestic violence,' and 'racist discrimination.'

The workhouse scene, in which the orphan Oliver delivers the classic line, 'Please, sir, I want some more' – only to be whacked with a ladle by the master, Mr Bumble – may be unpleasant for some.

A Freedom of Information request by The Mail on Sunday revealed the details of the warning on the Victorian Literature, Art and Culture MA course.&nbsp;

Charles Dickens' second novel, Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress, was serialised from 1837 to 1839 and then released as a three-volume book in 1838.

Oliver Twist, an orphan born in a workhouse, is sold into an undertaker's apprenticeship.

Oliver journeys to London after escaping, where he encounters the "Artful Dodger," a member of a band of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal Fagin.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Although Oliver Twist wished for more, university professors believe the Charles Dickens classic is too much for some students. A 'trigger warning' has prompted fears that the novel's portrayals of poverty and crime-ridden London will induce 'worry' or 'distress' have prompted a 'trigger warning.

Although Oliver Twist wished for more, university professors believe the Charles Dickens classic is too much for some students. A 'trigger warning' has prompted fears that the novel's portrayals of poverty and crime-ridden London will induce 'worry' or 'distress' have prompted a 'trigger warning.' The University of London's Royal Holloway has issued a content advisory for the novel, warning readers about themes of 'child abuse,' 'domestic violence,' and 'racist discrimination.' The workhouse scene, in which the orphan Oliver delivers the classic line, 'Please, sir, I want some more' – only to be whacked with a ladle by the master, Mr Bumble – may be unpleasant for some. A Freedom of Information request by The Mail on Sunday revealed the details of the warning on the Victorian Literature, Art and Culture MA course. Charles Dickens' second novel, Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy's Progress, was serialised from 1837 to 1839 and then released as a three-volume book in 1838. Oliver Twist, an orphan born in a workhouse, is sold into an undertaker's apprenticeship. Oliver journeys to London after escaping, where he encounters the "Artful Dodger," a member of a band of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal Fagin. (With inputs from agencies)

Charles Dickens classic 'Oliver Twist' could cause anxiety and distress, students warned

Scientists have identified a biomarker in human platelets that tracks the extent of depression in a new study.

The research called "A Novel Peripheral Biomarker for Depression and Antidepressant Response," has been published in Molecular Psychiatry.

The study aims at developing a blood test that provides a simple biochemical hallmark for depression and the efficacy of drug therapy in individual patients.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-resulted-in-alarming-increase-in-depression-and-anxiety-cases-study-419355">Also read |&nbsp;Covid resulted in alarming increase in depression and anxiety cases: Study</a>

A spike in suicide rates worldwide has cast fresh light on the need for more effective treatments for major depression, with researchers saying it is a tricky development area that has largely been abandoned by big pharmaceutical companies.

The new research builds off of previous studies by several investigators that have shown that depression is consistent with decreased adenylyl cyclase in humans and animal models.

Adenylyl cyclase is a small molecule inside the cell that is made in response to neurotransmitters such as serotonin and epinephrine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/greater-risk-of-postpartum-depression-in-women-exposed-to-harmful-chemicals-in-plastic-study-377008">Also read |&nbsp;Greater risk of postpartum depression in women exposed to harmful chemicals in plastic: Study</a>

According to the study's lead author Mark Rasenick from the University of Illinois Chicago, "When you are depressed, adenylyl cyclase is low. The reason adenylyl cyclase is attenuated is that the intermediary protein that allows the neurotransmitter to make the adenylyl cyclase, Gs alpha, is stuck in a cholesterol-rich matrix of the membrane, a lipid raft, where they don't work very well."

"What we have developed is a test that can not only indicate the presence of depression but it can also indicate therapeutic response with a single biomarker, and that is something that has not existed to date," said Rasenick, who is also a research career scientist at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.

More than 4 percent of the world’s population lives with depression, and women, youth and the elderly are the most prone to its disabling effects as per the World Health Organization (WHO).

Global economic losses exceed $1 trillion a year, it said, referring to lost productivity due to apathy or lack of energy that lead to an inability to function at work or cope with daily life.

Rasenick explains that "Because platelets turn over in one week, you would see a change in people who were going to get better. You'd be able to see the biomarker that should presage successful treatment."

"About 30 per cent of people don't get better, their depression doesn't resolve. Perhaps, failure begets failure and both doctors and patients make the assumption that nothing is going to work," Rasenick said.&nbsp;

"Most depression is diagnosed in primary care doctor's offices where they don't have sophisticated screening. With this test, a doctor could say, 'Gee, they look like they are depressed, but their blood doesn't tell us they are. So, maybe we need to re-examine this.'"

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have identified a biomarker in human platelets that tracks the extent of depression in a new study. The research called "A Novel Peripheral Biomarker for Depression and Antidepressant Response," has been published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Scientists have identified a biomarker in human platelets that tracks the extent of depression in a new study. The research called "A Novel Peripheral Biomarker for Depression and Antidepressant Response," has been published in Molecular Psychiatry. The study aims at developing a blood test that provides a simple biochemical hallmark for depression and the efficacy of drug therapy in individual patients. Also read | Covid resulted in alarming increase in depression and anxiety cases: Study A spike in suicide rates worldwide has cast fresh light on the need for more effective treatments for major depression, with researchers saying it is a tricky development area that has largely been abandoned by big pharmaceutical companies. The new research builds off of previous studies by several investigators that have shown that depression is consistent with decreased adenylyl cyclase in humans and animal models. Adenylyl cyclase is a small molecule inside the cell that is made in response to neurotransmitters such as serotonin and epinephrine. Also read | Greater risk of postpartum depression in women exposed to harmful chemicals in plastic: Study According to the study's lead author Mark Rasenick from the University of Illinois Chicago, "When you are depressed, adenylyl cyclase is low. The reason adenylyl cyclase is attenuated is that the intermediary protein that allows the neurotransmitter to make the adenylyl cyclase, Gs alpha, is stuck in a cholesterol-rich matrix of the membrane, a lipid raft, where they don't work very well." "What we have developed is a test that can not only indicate the presence of depression but it can also indicate therapeutic response with a single biomarker, and that is something that has not existed to date," said Rasenick, who is also a research career scientist at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. More than 4 percent of the world’s population lives with depression, and women, youth and the elderly are the most prone to its disabling effects as per the World Health Organization (WHO). Global economic losses exceed $1 trillion a year, it said, referring to lost productivity due to apathy or lack of energy that lead to an inability to function at work or cope with daily life. Rasenick explains that "Because platelets turn over in one week, you would see a change in people who were going to get better. You'd be able to see the biomarker that should presage successful treatment." "About 30 per cent of people don't get better, their depression doesn't resolve. Perhaps, failure begets failure and both doctors and patients make the assumption that nothing is going to work," Rasenick said. "Most depression is diagnosed in primary care doctor's offices where they don't have sophisticated screening. With this test, a doctor could say, 'Gee, they look like they are depressed, but their blood doesn't tell us they are. So, maybe we need to re-examine this.'" (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists identify biomarker in human platelets that tracks the extent of depression

Hugging is fast becoming a forgotten concept in the UK due to the fear of coronavirus, a survey has revealed recently. <o:p></o:p>

As per a survey conducted by YouGov and PA news agency, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, nearly 70 per cent people are to shy away from shaking hands with someone who does not live in the same house as them.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/delmicron-new-variant-behind-surge-in-covid-19-cases-in-us-europe-439469">'Delmicron': New variant behind surge in COVID-19 cases in US, Europe?</a></o:p>

It has been revealed that nearly two-thirds of people&nbsp;do not want to shake hands with anyone who do not live with them as they fear that the deadly coronavirus may spread this way.<o:p></o:p>

In another independent study it was observed that more than a third of adults are now experiencing high levels of anxiety amid the rising fear of Omicron variant’s spread. As per the data collected by Office for National Statistics (ONS), at least 38 per cent adults are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety.<o:p></o:p>

This figure has seen an increase from the last one, which was collected in January 2021. As per the experts, the levels have been increasing since the end of November, the time period when the new variant, Omicron, was identified in African nations and started spreading all around the world.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-cases-rise-in-united-kingdom-authorities-ramp-up-measures-to-curb-growing-outbreak-439496">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/omicron-cases-rise-in-united-kingdom-authorities-ramp-up-measures-to-curb-growing-outbreak-439496/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In addition to this, people have also admitted to increased use of hand sanitizer. Some people also claimed that they make it a point to wipe down trolleys or baskets in supermarket amid fears of community spread of the deadly coronavirus.<o:p></o:p>

More than a third of interviewed people also reported that they prefer meeting people outdoors now, as experts have claimed that the possibility of catching the virus is more in indoor spaces.<o:p></o:p>

Also, out of 1,652 people in the UK, a third of people said they fear that coronavirus pandemic will never be effectively over in the country, whereas four per cent said it is already over and rest believe that it will eradicate within a year or two.

<o:p>(Inputs from agencies)</o:p>

Hugging is fast becoming a forgotten concept in the UK due to the fear of coronavirus, a survey has revealed recently. As per a survey conducted by YouGov and PA news agency, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, nearly 70 per cent people are to shy away from shaking hands with someone who does not live in the same house as them.

Hugging is fast becoming a forgotten concept in the UK due to the fear of coronavirus, a survey has revealed recently. As per a survey conducted by YouGov and PA news agency, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, nearly 70 per cent people are to shy away from shaking hands with someone who does not live in the same house as them. Also read | 'Delmicron': New variant behind surge in COVID-19 cases in US, Europe? It has been revealed that nearly two-thirds of people do not want to shake hands with anyone who do not live with them as they fear that the deadly coronavirus may spread this way. In another independent study it was observed that more than a third of adults are now experiencing high levels of anxiety amid the rising fear of Omicron variant’s spread. As per the data collected by Office for National Statistics (ONS), at least 38 per cent adults are experiencing heightened levels of anxiety. This figure has seen an increase from the last one, which was collected in January 2021. As per the experts, the levels have been increasing since the end of November, the time period when the new variant, Omicron, was identified in African nations and started spreading all around the world. WATCH | In addition to this, people have also admitted to increased use of hand sanitizer. Some people also claimed that they make it a point to wipe down trolleys or baskets in supermarket amid fears of community spread of the deadly coronavirus. More than a third of interviewed people also reported that they prefer meeting people outdoors now, as experts have claimed that the possibility of catching the virus is more in indoor spaces. Also, out of 1,652 people in the UK, a third of people said they fear that coronavirus pandemic will never be effectively over in the country, whereas four per cent said it is already over and rest believe that it will eradicate within a year or two. (Inputs from agencies)

Amid Omicron spread, hugging has decreased and anxiety has increased: Survey

Do you remember the password to all your internet platforms? If not, do you feel anxious about it? Palki Sharma tells why password anxiety is real and how you can deal with it.

Gravitas: Do you have password anxiety?

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says. “Or vice versa.”

His bewilderment as France suffers its fifth wave of the pandemic, with cases of the delta variant rising sharply along with omicron anxiety, captured a mood of exhaustion and simmering anger across the world two years after the deadly virus began to spread in China.

Uncertainty bedevils plans. Panic spreads in an instant even if, as with the omicron variant, the extent of the threat is not yet known. Vaccines look like deliverance until they seem a little less than that. National responses diverge with no discernible logic. Anxiety and depression spread. So do loneliness and screen fatigue. The feeling grows that the COVID era will go on for years, like plagues of old.

Even in China, with no reported COVID deaths since January, some confess weariness with the measures that have kept them safe when so many others perished.

“I’m so tired of all these routines,” Chen Jun, 29, a tech company worker in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said the other day. He was forced to take three COVID-19 tests in June following an outbreak in the city, and then had to quarantine for 14 days. Thumbtacks he used to pin on a world map to trace his travels have stopped multiplying. “I’m starting to think we’ll never see an end to the pandemic.”

This sense of endlessness, accompanied by growing psychological distress leading to depression, was a recurrent theme in two dozen interviews conducted in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After two years of zigzagging policy and roller-coaster emotions, terrible loss and tantalizing false dawns, closing borders and intermittently shuttered schools, people’s resilience has dwindled.

That is sure to pose new challenges for leaders trying to protect their people and their economies. Will the weary obey new restrictions, or risk seeing family and friends after months of forced separation? The question of just how draconian leaders can be when people’s mental health has become so fragile appears to be a core quandary as the pandemic enters its third year.

“I know it will only get worse, it won’t stop, the pandemic will only turn more life-consuming,” said Natalia Shishkova, a teacher in Moscow. “It is all chaos, like a fantasy film. You watch all these apocalypse films and realize their writers were real prophets.”

Real progress in fighting the virus has been made. A year ago, vaccine rollouts were in their infancy. Today, about 47% of the world’s population is inoculated. If case numbers remain high, death rates have plunged. Yet life seems out of control.

The pandemic not only makes this month’s vacation or holiday celebrations seem uncertain, but also sometimes overwhelms understanding. How to assess the avalanche of statistics, opinions, warnings, closures, reopenings? What to make of the big business COVID-19 has become, with its vested interests? What to do about the glaring inequality in vaccine distribution? How to avert one’s gaze from the discarded masks that still dot streets, the pandemic’s perennial detritus?

Once linear, life now seems circular. Schools open. They close again. Travel becomes easier, only for new obstacles to arise. Sickness from COVID-19 subsides, to be replaced by long COVID and now indications that even those who have recovered from the virus might get reinfected with omicron. At the Paris laboratory of Maria Melchior, a French public health researcher who specializes in mental illness, in-person meetings had just been reinstated when, this week, she was told they would cease, with a return to Zoom gatherings.

“We no longer know when we will get back to normal,” Melchior said. And what is normal now? She paused. “Well, at least a life without masks.”

In Kenya, with infections declining in October, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a long-standing curfew. Bars filled. Musicians lined up concert dates, as they have in many parts of the world, where theaters and opera houses have reopened. Spirits rose.

Then, the omicron variant hit. Even before any cases were reported there, Kenya’s leaders announced plans to bar unvaccinated people from offices and warned of new holiday-season restrictions.

Corrie Mwende, a communications specialist in Nairobi, said she had felt like “freedom was coming back” after a long period when “you could say it was like the end of the world.”

Today she is unsure her hope will be fulfilled.

Such hesitation is pervasive. The pandemic began with evasiveness from the great powers of the 21st century, first President Xi Jinping’s China and then President Donald Trump’s America. Trust was dented, time lost. Ever since, a cohesive global response has appeared elusive.

China has pursued a zero COVID policy, virtually shutting its borders and deploying mass-testing, snap lockdowns and high-tech contact tracing. At the other extreme, Russia, despite a high rate of deaths, has done little to restrict movement.

The 27-nation European Union is split over whether to make vaccines obligatory, and policies vary widely: soccer stadiums are empty again in Germany, where infection rates have surged, but full in France, where they have, too, but a presidential election looms in four months.

Britain, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has veered between herd immunity temptations and the kind of periodic restrictions now in force again to combat the omicron variant.

In Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, has persistently minimized the pandemic’s threat, the death toll has plunged to fewer than 300 a day from 3,000 in April. Samba concerts are back in the streets. Fireworks, after some back-and-forth, will light the sky over Copacabana beach to mark the New Year — unless some new disaster strikes.

Maybe that will be omicron; maybe not. Some other variants have come and gone without driving the pandemic to terrifying new heights.

For now, every plan is a provisional plan.

Conspiracy theories abound, in part because the pandemic has enriched the wealthy as markets have soared, and punished those without investments.

Yakov Kochetkov, head of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Moscow, said, “In Russia there has been a strong increase in mistrust of vaccines, even the term ‘pandemic’ itself. This greatly affects the psyche.”

Just this month, a 45-year-old man reported to view the pandemic as a conspiracy opened fire at a Russian government office and killed two people after being told to put on a mask.

Anna Shepel, a Russian therapist, has observed her patients’ “obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, fear of getting infected, fear of touching anything in public places.”

Nevertheless, in a country with a deep vein of fatalism and stoicism, President Vladimir Putin has faced little criticism for his relatively lax response to the coronavirus.

In Italy, hit to devastating effect early in the pandemic, access to everything from movie theaters to offices has been strictly curtailed for anyone who does not have the “green pass” of the vaccinated. The government is promising a “semi-normal” Christmas without the need to resort to lockdowns. Still, the mood of the country is somber.

Massimiliano Valerii, the director general of CENSIS, a Rome-based research group, observed that the pandemic had exacerbated anxieties about the future. “The social ladder has been blocked, the mechanism for being able to improve one’s position in life,” he said.

David Lazzari, the president of Italy’s psychologists’ guild, said recent studies in Italy showed the incidence of anxiety and depression had doubled since the pandemic began. For those under 18, levels had reached 25%. “One in four,” he noted. “That’s very high.”

Among adolescents and young adults — stuck on their screens, often unable to date over the past two years, inundated with online friends but short of actual contact — anorexia and bulimia have spread, said Melchior, the French public health researcher who focuses on mental illness.

In France, she added, depression and anxiety are at about twice normal levels, in line with the Italian findings and a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The surgeon general in the United States warned recently that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the pandemic and other challenges experienced by their generation.

Chanel Contos, 23, an Australian student in London who is uncertain whether she will be able to fly home this month, expressed acute frustration at having been told that “once we had adequate vaccines in the country you’re in, things would be OK.”

She asked a question frequently heard among her generation: “How much of our lives can we give up for this?”

Governments are acutely aware of this frustration. Nicolas Franck, a French psychiatrist, said, “We fell short initially, now we are in the phase of excess precaution.”

“People are so exhausted their greatest fear is not so much a new variant, but a new curfew,” he added.

China, through its extreme measures, has been determined to move on. But a sense of normalcy remains elusive, and the second anniversary of the day the first reported patient experienced symptoms in Wuhan did not pass without comment.

Hundreds of people posted messages on the social media account of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who many consider a martyr for the official threats he received over his online attempts to warn friends — and by extension the world — of a strange new disease ravaging his hospital.

“I can’t believe that we have been wearing masks now for two years,” one commenter wrote. Another message reads: “Dr. Li, it’s been two years and the pandemic is not only still here but it’s getting more intense.”

Li’s account has become known as China’s “Wailing Wall” — a place where people grieve and seek solace for all that has been lost in a remote world.

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says.

A recent cartoon in the French daily Le Monde featured a bedraggled man arriving at a doctor’s office for a COVID-19 vaccine. “I am here for the fifth shot because of the third wave,” he says. “Or vice versa.” His bewilderment as France suffers its fifth wave of the pandemic, with cases of the delta variant rising sharply along with omicron anxiety, captured a mood of exhaustion and simmering anger across the world two years after the deadly virus began to spread in China. Uncertainty bedevils plans. Panic spreads in an instant even if, as with the omicron variant, the extent of the threat is not yet known. Vaccines look like deliverance until they seem a little less than that. National responses diverge with no discernible logic. Anxiety and depression spread. So do loneliness and screen fatigue. The feeling grows that the COVID era will go on for years, like plagues of old. Even in China, with no reported COVID deaths since January, some confess weariness with the measures that have kept them safe when so many others perished. “I’m so tired of all these routines,” Chen Jun, 29, a tech company worker in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said the other day. He was forced to take three COVID-19 tests in June following an outbreak in the city, and then had to quarantine for 14 days. Thumbtacks he used to pin on a world map to trace his travels have stopped multiplying. “I’m starting to think we’ll never see an end to the pandemic.” This sense of endlessness, accompanied by growing psychological distress leading to depression, was a recurrent theme in two dozen interviews conducted in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. After two years of zigzagging policy and roller-coaster emotions, terrible loss and tantalizing false dawns, closing borders and intermittently shuttered schools, people’s resilience has dwindled. That is sure to pose new challenges for leaders trying to protect their people and their economies. Will the weary obey new restrictions, or risk seeing family and friends after months of forced separation? The question of just how draconian leaders can be when people’s mental health has become so fragile appears to be a core quandary as the pandemic enters its third year. “I know it will only get worse, it won’t stop, the pandemic will only turn more life-consuming,” said Natalia Shishkova, a teacher in Moscow. “It is all chaos, like a fantasy film. You watch all these apocalypse films and realize their writers were real prophets.” Real progress in fighting the virus has been made. A year ago, vaccine rollouts were in their infancy. Today, about 47% of the world’s population is inoculated. If case numbers remain high, death rates have plunged. Yet life seems out of control. The pandemic not only makes this month’s vacation or holiday celebrations seem uncertain, but also sometimes overwhelms understanding. How to assess the avalanche of statistics, opinions, warnings, closures, reopenings? What to make of the big business COVID-19 has become, with its vested interests? What to do about the glaring inequality in vaccine distribution? How to avert one’s gaze from the discarded masks that still dot streets, the pandemic’s perennial detritus? Once linear, life now seems circular. Schools open. They close again. Travel becomes easier, only for new obstacles to arise. Sickness from COVID-19 subsides, to be replaced by long COVID and now indications that even those who have recovered from the virus might get reinfected with omicron. At the Paris laboratory of Maria Melchior, a French public health researcher who specializes in mental illness, in-person meetings had just been reinstated when, this week, she was told they would cease, with a return to Zoom gatherings. “We no longer know when we will get back to normal,” Melchior said. And what is normal now? She paused. “Well, at least a life without masks.” In Kenya, with infections declining in October, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a long-standing curfew. Bars filled. Musicians lined up concert dates, as they have in many parts of the world, where theaters and opera houses have reopened. Spirits rose. Then, the omicron variant hit. Even before any cases were reported there, Kenya’s leaders announced plans to bar unvaccinated people from offices and warned of new holiday-season restrictions. Corrie Mwende, a communications specialist in Nairobi, said she had felt like “freedom was coming back” after a long period when “you could say it was like the end of the world.” Today she is unsure her hope will be fulfilled. Such hesitation is pervasive. The pandemic began with evasiveness from the great powers of the 21st century, first President Xi Jinping’s China and then President Donald Trump’s America. Trust was dented, time lost. Ever since, a cohesive global response has appeared elusive. China has pursued a zero COVID policy, virtually shutting its borders and deploying mass-testing, snap lockdowns and high-tech contact tracing. At the other extreme, Russia, despite a high rate of deaths, has done little to restrict movement. The 27-nation European Union is split over whether to make vaccines obligatory, and policies vary widely: soccer stadiums are empty again in Germany, where infection rates have surged, but full in France, where they have, too, but a presidential election looms in four months. Britain, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has veered between herd immunity temptations and the kind of periodic restrictions now in force again to combat the omicron variant. In Brazil, whose president, Jair Bolsonaro, has persistently minimized the pandemic’s threat, the death toll has plunged to fewer than 300 a day from 3,000 in April. Samba concerts are back in the streets. Fireworks, after some back-and-forth, will light the sky over Copacabana beach to mark the New Year — unless some new disaster strikes. Maybe that will be omicron; maybe not. Some other variants have come and gone without driving the pandemic to terrifying new heights. For now, every plan is a provisional plan. Conspiracy theories abound, in part because the pandemic has enriched the wealthy as markets have soared, and punished those without investments. Yakov Kochetkov, head of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Moscow, said, “In Russia there has been a strong increase in mistrust of vaccines, even the term ‘pandemic’ itself. This greatly affects the psyche.” Just this month, a 45-year-old man reported to view the pandemic as a conspiracy opened fire at a Russian government office and killed two people after being told to put on a mask. Anna Shepel, a Russian therapist, has observed her patients’ “obsessive thoughts, obsessive actions, fear of getting infected, fear of touching anything in public places.” Nevertheless, in a country with a deep vein of fatalism and stoicism, President Vladimir Putin has faced little criticism for his relatively lax response to the coronavirus. In Italy, hit to devastating effect early in the pandemic, access to everything from movie theaters to offices has been strictly curtailed for anyone who does not have the “green pass” of the vaccinated. The government is promising a “semi-normal” Christmas without the need to resort to lockdowns. Still, the mood of the country is somber. Massimiliano Valerii, the director general of CENSIS, a Rome-based research group, observed that the pandemic had exacerbated anxieties about the future. “The social ladder has been blocked, the mechanism for being able to improve one’s position in life,” he said. David Lazzari, the president of Italy’s psychologists’ guild, said recent studies in Italy showed the incidence of anxiety and depression had doubled since the pandemic began. For those under 18, levels had reached 25%. “One in four,” he noted. “That’s very high.” Among adolescents and young adults — stuck on their screens, often unable to date over the past two years, inundated with online friends but short of actual contact — anorexia and bulimia have spread, said Melchior, the French public health researcher who focuses on mental illness. In France, she added, depression and anxiety are at about twice normal levels, in line with the Italian findings and a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The surgeon general in the United States warned recently that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the pandemic and other challenges experienced by their generation. Chanel Contos, 23, an Australian student in London who is uncertain whether she will be able to fly home this month, expressed acute frustration at having been told that “once we had adequate vaccines in the country you’re in, things would be OK.” She asked a question frequently heard among her generation: “How much of our lives can we give up for this?” Governments are acutely aware of this frustration. Nicolas Franck, a French psychiatrist, said, “We fell short initially, now we are in the phase of excess precaution.” “People are so exhausted their greatest fear is not so much a new variant, but a new curfew,” he added. China, through its extreme measures, has been determined to move on. But a sense of normalcy remains elusive, and the second anniversary of the day the first reported patient experienced symptoms in Wuhan did not pass without comment. Hundreds of people posted messages on the social media account of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who many consider a martyr for the official threats he received over his online attempts to warn friends — and by extension the world — of a strange new disease ravaging his hospital. “I can’t believe that we have been wearing masks now for two years,” one commenter wrote. Another message reads: “Dr. Li, it’s been two years and the pandemic is not only still here but it’s getting more intense.” Li’s account has become known as China’s “Wailing Wall” — a place where people grieve and seek solace for all that has been lost in a remote world.

Across the world, Covid anxiety and depression take hold

On the first night of December, the scene at Nowadays, a bar and club in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, was uncharacteristically tranquil. In place of the usual crowded dance floor, people were lying on blankets in the middle of the club. Instead of bumping beats, the music was calming and the space was filled with candles. Rather than dancing body to body, guests engaged in gentle forms of touch: caressing, hugging and leaning on each other.

They had gathered for an event called “Under the Tongue: A Hibernation Temple and Ceremony,” organised by Nocturnal Medicine, a nonprofit that hosts parties meant to encourage spiritual healing. Together, the group would work to ease each other’s worries about the seasonal transition to winter — the second since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic in March 2020.

“We noticed, in ourselves and in our friends and in the people we were speaking to, an uneasiness about winter approaching,” said Michelle Shofet, 33, who founded Nocturnal Medicine with Larissa Belcic, also 33. “There was this kind of discomfort, uncertainty, fear, anxiety of returning to the cold, to this time of being shut in.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-heres-what-the-pandemic-will-look-like-in-2022-434239">WATCH |</a>
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As the pandemic closes in on its second year, people are continuing to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety at a high rate. Many still feel socially isolated and deprived of human touch. Some have tried adopting pets to combat loneliness or gone to therapy. Others have sought relief through nonclinical means: by creating new rituals and immersing themselves in new social settings, where conversation and connection can lead to new realizations.

Although some of Nocturnal Medicine’s events are referred to as “raves,” they don’t involve shoulder-to-shoulder dancing or rely on hedonistic drug consumption. Rather, the organisation borrows principles from rave culture such as the power of crowds and the sense of release that parties can provide.

That evening’s offerings included a sound bath, a guided meditation, a candle-lighting ritual and an invitation to interact with an art installation in the center of the dance floor.

The installation, which consisted of sculptures made of tree stumps, horseshoe crab bodies, stone and dirt, was meant to serve as a “visual cue for the concepts of cycles and time,” Shofet said. “The stone is meant to reference geological time scales that are moving much more slowly than us. With horseshoe crabs, which are one of the oldest living species on earth, we wanted to have this sort of ancient creature present.”

Donesh Ferdowsi, 33, an architectural designer who lives in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, said that engaging with the installation helped him feel more connected to the earth. “Touching the dirt, holding the logs, putting my hand by the fire, it’s sort of this return to the elemental,” he said. “My whole job is all in my head, so you forget that you’re not just a disembodied brain.”

Ambient music helped set the tone. “I was trying to find tracks that can meet different moods,” said Ian Kim Judd, the night’s DJ. “Things that emanated a lot of light, things that also tend to have some darker edges underneath.”

For Ferdowsi, the fact that the event fell on a Wednesday night, rather than on a weekend, was also significant. “It’s incredible that it’s in the middle of the week, because you can’t wait for the right time,” he said. “It’s in the middle of everything, and that’s how winter is. I wanted to be able to drop everything and go to something that touches on sacredness in a universal way.”

Kelsa Trom, 33 who works with writers and lives in Ridgewood, agreed that the gathering was well timed. “Who doesn’t need a hug before another pandemic winter?” she said, as she waited for the sound bath and meditation to begin. “I’ve been to Nowadays as a club. I haven’t been here as a ritual space. It’s calmer, easier to speak and listen in.”

Shofet said that the decision to host the event at a nightclub — rather than at, say, a meditation center — was intentional. “The dance floor is a space that’s already charged with so much collective energy, it’s already used for this kind of communication with things outside of ourselves like music or other people,” she said. “One of our big underlying goals and desires is to knit together contemporary clubbing and raving with environmental awareness.”

Although attending a healing rave might not solve all of one’s anxieties, the sense of connectedness it may bring about can be beneficial, said Scott Hutson, a professor of anthropology at the University of Kentucky, who has researched the ways raves have helped foster spiritual transformations.

“The therapeutic rave experience comes precisely from being in community, in unity with others,” Hutson said. “The ability to break down barriers between other people and yourself, to sort of be away from your own anxieties and your own ego, to basically unite and forge bonds with a whole crowd of people.”

Trom refers to that as a “beautiful anonymous intimacy.” “It’s a feeling that is hard to come by in New York City, and maybe everywhere,” she said after the event. “It felt like a gift.”

On the first night of December, the scene at Nowadays, a bar and club in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, was uncharacteristically tranquil. In place of the usual crowded dance floor, people were lying on blankets in the middle of the club.

On the first night of December, the scene at Nowadays, a bar and club in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, was uncharacteristically tranquil. In place of the usual crowded dance floor, people were lying on blankets in the middle of the club. Instead of bumping beats, the music was calming and the space was filled with candles. Rather than dancing body to body, guests engaged in gentle forms of touch: caressing, hugging and leaning on each other. They had gathered for an event called “Under the Tongue: A Hibernation Temple and Ceremony,” organised by Nocturnal Medicine, a nonprofit that hosts parties meant to encourage spiritual healing. Together, the group would work to ease each other’s worries about the seasonal transition to winter — the second since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic in March 2020. “We noticed, in ourselves and in our friends and in the people we were speaking to, an uneasiness about winter approaching,” said Michelle Shofet, 33, who founded Nocturnal Medicine with Larissa Belcic, also 33. “There was this kind of discomfort, uncertainty, fear, anxiety of returning to the cold, to this time of being shut in.” WATCH | As the pandemic closes in on its second year, people are continuing to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety at a high rate. Many still feel socially isolated and deprived of human touch. Some have tried adopting pets to combat loneliness or gone to therapy. Others have sought relief through nonclinical means: by creating new rituals and immersing themselves in new social settings, where conversation and connection can lead to new realizations. Although some of Nocturnal Medicine’s events are referred to as “raves,” they don’t involve shoulder-to-shoulder dancing or rely on hedonistic drug consumption. Rather, the organisation borrows principles from rave culture such as the power of crowds and the sense of release that parties can provide. That evening’s offerings included a sound bath, a guided meditation, a candle-lighting ritual and an invitation to interact with an art installation in the center of the dance floor. The installation, which consisted of sculptures made of tree stumps, horseshoe crab bodies, stone and dirt, was meant to serve as a “visual cue for the concepts of cycles and time,” Shofet said. “The stone is meant to reference geological time scales that are moving much more slowly than us. With horseshoe crabs, which are one of the oldest living species on earth, we wanted to have this sort of ancient creature present.” Donesh Ferdowsi, 33, an architectural designer who lives in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, said that engaging with the installation helped him feel more connected to the earth. “Touching the dirt, holding the logs, putting my hand by the fire, it’s sort of this return to the elemental,” he said. “My whole job is all in my head, so you forget that you’re not just a disembodied brain.” Ambient music helped set the tone. “I was trying to find tracks that can meet different moods,” said Ian Kim Judd, the night’s DJ. “Things that emanated a lot of light, things that also tend to have some darker edges underneath.” For Ferdowsi, the fact that the event fell on a Wednesday night, rather than on a weekend, was also significant. “It’s incredible that it’s in the middle of the week, because you can’t wait for the right time,” he said. “It’s in the middle of everything, and that’s how winter is. I wanted to be able to drop everything and go to something that touches on sacredness in a universal way.” Kelsa Trom, 33 who works with writers and lives in Ridgewood, agreed that the gathering was well timed. “Who doesn’t need a hug before another pandemic winter?” she said, as she waited for the sound bath and meditation to begin. “I’ve been to Nowadays as a club. I haven’t been here as a ritual space. It’s calmer, easier to speak and listen in.” Shofet said that the decision to host the event at a nightclub — rather than at, say, a meditation center — was intentional. “The dance floor is a space that’s already charged with so much collective energy, it’s already used for this kind of communication with things outside of ourselves like music or other people,” she said. “One of our big underlying goals and desires is to knit together contemporary clubbing and raving with environmental awareness.” Although attending a healing rave might not solve all of one’s anxieties, the sense of connectedness it may bring about can be beneficial, said Scott Hutson, a professor of anthropology at the University of Kentucky, who has researched the ways raves have helped foster spiritual transformations. “The therapeutic rave experience comes precisely from being in community, in unity with others,” Hutson said. “The ability to break down barriers between other people and yourself, to sort of be away from your own anxieties and your own ego, to basically unite and forge bonds with a whole crowd of people.” Trom refers to that as a “beautiful anonymous intimacy.” “It’s a feeling that is hard to come by in New York City, and maybe everywhere,” she said after the event. “It felt like a gift.”

Can parties help us heal?

"Enter and cry," reads one sign. "I too have anxiety," glows another notice in pink. One corner has phones with the names of psychologists and other people you can call when you're feeling down.

This is the Crying Room, or La Lloreria, a place where you can freely express your sorrow. Located in central Madrid, the project seeks to eliminate social stigmas associated with mental health, crying, and seeking help. Anyone can drop in.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suicide-is-still-a-crime-in-at-least-20-countries-worldwide-research-411901">Suicide is still a crime in at least 20 countries worldwide: Research</a>

Jon Nelssom, a Swedish student based in Madrid, says that he thinks it's a great idea to visualize mental health issues.&nbsp;

As he noted, the name 'The Crying Room' is a brilliant idea since, in Spain, there's a saying that goes "if you want to cry, go to the crying room". Therefore, people are kind of stigmatized to cry as in many other countries.

Martyna Dluzniewska, Head of marketing at therapy chat, explained that the idea of 'La Lloreria' did come&nbsp;from the Spanish phrase that is said when people don't want to worry about other people's problems.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-pandemic-took-hold-suicide-rose-among-japanese-women-365653">As pandemic took hold, suicide rose among Japanese women</a>

"They say "a llorar a la lloreria" (go and cry in the crying room), you take your feelings to your corner and don't talk about them. This is exactly what we want to destigmatize, that yes, you can talk about your feelings, that if you are not well you can be so, if you need to stop, stop and if you need to put yourself first do so. And of course, if you need help, ask for it."

A week ago, Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, also announced a 100-million-euro or $116 million, mental health care program, which will include services like a 24-hour suicide helpline.

"It is not a taboo, it is a public health problem that we must talk about, make visible and act accordingly," he said about mental illness as he launched the plan on Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/teen-girls-complain-of-tics-experts-link-it-to-depression-tiktok-videos-421497">Teen girls complain of tics; experts link it to depression &amp; TikTok videos</a>

Spain's 2021-2024 Mental Health and COVID-19 Action Plan, which will have 100 million euros allocated from the Government of Spain, is, according to a press release being implemented "in response to the emergency caused by the impact of the COVID pandemic on Mental Health and in response to the Opinion of the Reconstruction Commission".&nbsp;

In 2019, 3,671 people in Spain committed suicide, the second most frequent cause of death after natural causes. According to government data, one in ten adolescents has a mental health condition, while 5.8 per cent of the overall population suffers from anxiety.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a&nbsp;professional.&nbsp;Aasra&nbsp;(Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726,&nbsp;Sneha&nbsp;(Chennai) 044-24640050,&nbsp;Sumaitri&nbsp;(Delhi) 011-23389090,&nbsp;Cooj&nbsp;(Goa) 0832- 2252525,&nbsp;Jeevan&nbsp;(Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830,&nbsp;Maithri&nbsp;(Kochi) 0484-2540530,&nbsp;Roshni&nbsp;(Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata),&nbsp;Parivarthan&nbsp;(Bangalore) +91 76766 02602

 
WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations

"Enter and cry," reads one sign. "I too have anxiety," glows another notice in pink. One corner has phones with the names of psychologists and other people you can call when you're feeling down.

"Enter and cry," reads one sign. "I too have anxiety," glows another notice in pink. One corner has phones with the names of psychologists and other people you can call when you're feeling down. This is the Crying Room, or La Lloreria, a place where you can freely express your sorrow. Located in central Madrid, the project seeks to eliminate social stigmas associated with mental health, crying, and seeking help. Anyone can drop in. Also read | Suicide is still a crime in at least 20 countries worldwide: Research Jon Nelssom, a Swedish student based in Madrid, says that he thinks it's a great idea to visualize mental health issues. As he noted, the name 'The Crying Room' is a brilliant idea since, in Spain, there's a saying that goes "if you want to cry, go to the crying room". Therefore, people are kind of stigmatized to cry as in many other countries. Martyna Dluzniewska, Head of marketing at therapy chat, explained that the idea of 'La Lloreria' did come from the Spanish phrase that is said when people don't want to worry about other people's problems. Also read | As pandemic took hold, suicide rose among Japanese women "They say "a llorar a la lloreria" (go and cry in the crying room), you take your feelings to your corner and don't talk about them. This is exactly what we want to destigmatize, that yes, you can talk about your feelings, that if you are not well you can be so, if you need to stop, stop and if you need to put yourself first do so. And of course, if you need help, ask for it." A week ago, Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish Prime Minister, also announced a 100-million-euro or $116 million, mental health care program, which will include services like a 24-hour suicide helpline. "It is not a taboo, it is a public health problem that we must talk about, make visible and act accordingly," he said about mental illness as he launched the plan on Oct. 10, World Mental Health Day. Also read | Teen girls complain of tics; experts link it to depression & TikTok videos Spain's 2021-2024 Mental Health and COVID-19 Action Plan, which will have 100 million euros allocated from the Government of Spain, is, according to a press release being implemented "in response to the emergency caused by the impact of the COVID pandemic on Mental Health and in response to the Opinion of the Reconstruction Commission". In 2019, 3,671 people in Spain committed suicide, the second most frequent cause of death after natural causes. According to government data, one in ten adolescents has a mental health condition, while 5.8 per cent of the overall population suffers from anxiety. (With inputs from agencies) If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602 WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations

'Enter and cry': Spain's crying room aims to break stigma attached to crying and mental health problems

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