December 29, 2008
Easy NY's Resolution:Boost Mental Health With Games
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Keeping a New Year's resolution can be difficult. So, this year, make an easy resolution that can improve your mental health. Play brain games.
Among health experts there is growing belief that the mental exercise involved in playing some board games - word games and strategy games, for example - can make children and teens smarter, while helping adults and seniors to stay sharp and ward off degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Achieving these benefits can be as easy, and as fun, as organizing weekly family games of Word Sweep! or Scrabble, completing daily crossword or Sudoku puzzles, or even regularly playing the online version of the hit strategy game Blokus.
Adults and seniors can benefit from playing board games and computer puzzles that require concentration on problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, says Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, Ph.D., a clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine and author of the book, "The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger as Your Brain Grows Older."
"Evidence is growing that cognitive exercise, such as game playing, may have a relatively lasting positive effect on cognitive health," Dr. Goldberg says, adding that the three principles for good brain exercises are novelty, variety and constant challenge. "The challenge is to make such exercise sufficiently varied."
In fact, according to studies cited on the research Web site, www.SharpBrains.com, individuals who lead mentally stimulating lives have 35 to 40 percent less risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimer's.
So which new board games offer the latest variety of brain-stimulating challenge and fun for 2008?
Word Sweep! recently became the first game endorsed by leading dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster. The game (www.wordsweep.com) asks players to use clues to identify consecutive words from the dictionary. For example, which word follows "walrus" in the dictionary? (Clue: it's a type of dance.)
The game, which was invented by a former teacher and father of three, is recommended for ages 10 and older, so everyone from children to adults to seniors can play together. This all-inclusive game play has helped the product win several toy industry, parenting and social entertainment awards, and helped the product get stocked at Borders book stores.
Other games for all ages that provide a mental workout include WordSpot, a game where players search for words hidden among random letters on a grid, and Last Word, a game where players try to be the last person in the group to say, for example, a vegetable that starts with the letter "C." (Hint: There are least 10 that start with "C".)
Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D., child development expert and professional toy reviewer who goes by the nickname "Dr. Toy," says that brain-stimulating activities such as games not only benefit adults and seniors but also can help children and teens become better students in school. In her book "Smart Play Smart Toys," Auerbach says that active educational play helps children develop such basic social and academic skills as concentration, problem solving, communication and cooperation.
"When kids play at home they gain additional skills that complement their classroom studies," Auerbach says. "Kids not only improve mental skills, but also their social skills."
While board games tend to improve cognitive and social skills, online games can sharpen concentration skills as players often play alone. And the popularity of online games is growing. According to www.SharpBrains.com, consumers will spend $80 million on brain fitness computer games such as Nintendo's Brain Age DS game and Blokus World Tour in 2007, up from just $2 million in 2005.
"I think we are at a relatively early stage of this trend, but it is rapidly gaining momentum," Dr. Goldberg says.
The benefits of games should give everyone something to think about in the new year.
Courtesy of ARA Content
retrieved 12/29/2008 from http://www.recipeland.com/ara/article/3121/
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December 17, 2008
A Message from the Board Association
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As we look towards the holiday season and the New Year I would be amiss if I did not recognize that there are many people who are very stressed or hurting and in pain based on economic circumstances. Many people have lost their job, home, and/or their financial ability to afford their basic needs. This stress can contribute to an increase in alcohol and drug use, depression, and even suicide. Now more than ever people need access to behavioral health services and supports so that they can continue on, or start down the road to recovery. As we look at what cuts to funding or insurance may have on services, we must all make it a priority to put those in need of services first. We are all going to need to work hard, be flexible, and be willing to look at things differently as this economic downturn is definitely going to be a struggle at least through the next year and possibly the following. Additionally, we are all going to need to work together and most importantly KEEP HOPE ALIVE! If we can keep hope alive for those in need, it may be more important than any other thing we do.
Cheri Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities
www.oacbha.org
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December 8, 2008
Study Noted Impact of Mental Illness
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A recent study noted that 8 of the top 10 leading causes of disability are mental health conditions. The massive Global Burden Of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and Harvard University measured the leading causes of disability (counting lost years of healthy life). In developed countries, the ten leading causes of lost years of healthy life at ages 15-44 were: (1) Major Depressive Disorder, (2) Alcohol Use, (3) Road Traffic Accidents, (4) Schizophrenia, (5) Self-Inflicted Injuries, (6) Bipolar Disorder, (7) Drug Use, (8) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, (9) Osteoarthritis, (10) Violence. "The Global Burden Of Disease" by C.J.L. Murray and A.D. Lopez, World Health Organization, 1996, Table 5.4 page 270
For more information, check out GLOBAL BURDEN -WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
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December 1, 2008
5 Million in Support Groups
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New data indicate that 2.3 million people who participate in self-help groups for alcohol or illicit drug use currently abstain from use of these substances. Based on a nationwide survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the report offers other data highlighting the use and benefits of these groups.
Among the report’s notable findings:
• An annual average of 5 million persons aged 12 or older attended a self-help group in the past year because of their use of alcohol or illicit drugs
• 45.3 percent attended a group because of their alcohol use only and 21.8 percent attended a group because of their illicit drug use only, while 33.0 percent attended a group because of their use of both alcohol and illicit drugs
• 45.1 percent of past year self-help group participants did not use alcohol or illicit drugs in the past month
• Almost one third (32.7 percent) of individuals who attended a self-help group for their substance use during the past year also received specialty treatment for substance abuse in the past year. Specialty treatment refers to substance abuse treatment received at a hospital as an inpatient, at a rehabilitation facility (either inpatient or outpatient), or at a mental health center
“This report adds to the substantial body of research indicating that participation in self-help groups can help support people battling substance abuse problems,” said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. “Self-help groups often are used in conjunction with specialty treatment and to support individuals seeking help or sustaining their recovery.”
Findings for Participation in Self-Help Groups for Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use: 2006 and 2007, are drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a nationwide survey of 67,500 respondents each year. This report focused on questions asked of persons aged 12 and older about their participation in a self-help group for substance use (i.e., alcohol use, illicit drug use, or both).
The full report is available on the web at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/selfHelp/selfHelp.cfm. Copies may be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). Request inventory number SMA 08-4333. For related publications and information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/.
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