Pancreatic cancer and depression: myth and truth

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Various studies reported remarkable high incidence rates of depression in cancer patients compared with the general population. Pancreatic cancer is still one of the malignancies with the worst prognosis and therefore it seems quite logical that it is one of the malignancies with the highest incidence rates of major depression.</p> <p>However, what about the scientific background of this relationship? Is depression in patients suffering from pancreatic cancer just due to the confrontation with a life threatening disease and its somatic symptoms or is depression in this particular group of patients a feature of pancreatic cancer per se?</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Several studies provide evidence of depression to precede the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and some studies even blame it for its detrimental influence on survival. The immense impact of emotional distress on quality of life of cancer patients enhances the need for its early diagnosis and adequate treatment. Knowledge about underlying pathophysiological mechanisms is required to provide the optimal therapy.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>A review of the literature on this issue should reveal which are the facts and what is myth.</p

Positive Psychiatry Interventions in Geriatric Mental Health

Purpose of reviewPositive psychiatry shifts the focus of geriatric mental healthcare beyond studying disorders and psychopathology to studying factors that contribute to mental well-being and successful aging. An increasing number of interventional studies are using treatments that target modifiable positive psychosocial characteristics (PPCs) and study their impact on mental health. Here we provide an overview of the literature on positive psychiatry interventions using illustrative examples of interventions targeting social connectedness, meaning in life, wisdom, and resilience.Recent findingsThere is growing evidence that PPCs are modifiable constructs that may be associated with improved well-being, physical health, and mental health outcomes.SummaryThe preliminary evidence summarized in this narrative review indicates that positive psychiatry interventions targeting social connectedness, meaning in life, wisdom, and resilience can improve overall well-being and other positive health outcomes amongst older adults. The effect sizes of these interventions reported in RCTs and meta-analyses are typically small to medium, but occasionally large effect sizes are also reported. Current literature is restricted by heterogeneous methodology, limiting clinicians' abilities to extrapolate these principles of positive psychiatry into everyday practice. With the expanding body of evidence, positive psychiatry may have the potential to transform the landscape of geriatric mental health