mood disorder

ROCHESTER, Minn. —  Anxiety disorders affect up to 20% of children, and according to recent Mayo Clinic research, there are several effective treatment options. The ...

The suicide rate in America continues to climb. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 33% increase from 1999 ...

The winter has been especially harsh for millions of Americans with record snowfalls and extreme temperatures forcing many to stay indoors due to inclement weather. Short days, lack of sunlight and cold temperatures especially in the northern areas of the U.S. are being blamed for bouts of cabin fever and the winter blues. You may also hear people refer to seasonal affective disorder or SAD this winter, however, there are some distinct differences. Mark A. Frye, M.D., says SAD is a significant cyclical mood disorder that affects patients most winters beginning in late fall or early winter when the skies are gray during the day or the sun sets early. While many people, especially during a difficult winter, struggle with cabin fever and winter blues, SAD depressive symptoms can be severe and functionally disabling. Dr. Frye says SAD is a mood disorder much like bipolar disorder or major depression but specifically related to the change of seasons. Journalists: Soundbites with Dr. Frye are in the downloads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPWEZThklw&feature=youtu.be&hd=1 Bipolar disorder evolves differently in patients who also binge eat, according to a study by Mayo Clinic, the Lindner Center of HOPE and the University of Minnesota. Binge eating and obesity are often present among bipolar patients, but researchers discovered the mood disorder appears to take a different path in those who binge eat than it does in obese bipolar patients who do not. Study co-author Mark Frye, M.D., a psychiatrist and chair of the Department of Psychiatry/Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, says, “The illness is more complicated, and then by definition how you would conceptualize how best to individualize treatment is more complicated. It really underscores the importance of trying to stabilize mood, because we know when people are symptomatic of their bipolar illness their binge frequency is likely to increase. We want to work with treatments that can be helpful but not have weight gain as a significant side effect.” Up to 4 percent of Americans have some form of bipolar illness, and of those, just under 10 percent also have binge eating disorder — a higher rate of binge eating than seen in the general population. The findings are published online in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Click here for news release  Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Frye are available in the downloads