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NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY OF ICAHY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009
MEDICINE
Six-step program works to cure depression
BY KRISTEN LISZEWSKI kliszewski@kansan.com
In his book, "The Depression Cure", published June 1, Stephen Ilardi, associate professor of clinical psychology, said the most effective way to cure depression was to make just a few simple changes to daily lifestyles and habits.
Illiardi used Therapeutic Lifestyle Change, or TLC, a research program on depression conducted by him and his colleagues at the University, to write the book. TLC combines six primitive lifestyle elements — exercise, omega 3 fatty acids, sunlight exposure, anti-rumination strategies, social support and sleep hygiene — to help heal victims of depression.
"I noticed across the globe that depression rates are higher in urbanized places, about one-in-four now," Ilardi said. "So I thought, 'What's different about the way were living now?'
Ilardi used historical evidence from published studies on the detection of diseases in large populations to show the differences in today's lifestyles and those a century ago. He also compared modern society to cultures that reflect a simpler way of life. For example, the American Amish have depression rates much lower than the
larger American population.
Ilardi also used evidence from the Kaluli people of New Guinea, a population of about 2,000 where anthropologist Edward
Ilardi
Schieffelin found only a small amount of depression symptoms in one person. These studies ultimately showed llardi that modern society's lack of the primitive lifestyle elements have ushered in a vulnerability to depression.
Iardi said people were willing to take the TLC approach because the six elements were all part of the world we were originally designed for.
"Our environment has mutated and so we need to be very clever about how to bring these elements back in the 21st century." Ilardi said.
One of the main focuses in "The
Depression Cure" is how to bring these elements back into modern-day life. Iardi suggested a prescriptive dose for each element. For example, he recommended people get at least 30 minutes of bright light exposure each day. He said the TLC program was designed to re-focus people's natural habits away from the high-stress, sleep-deprived lifestyles they lead today.
lardi's research can also be found in the classroom.
Danielle Hagen, Hillsboro senior, said Iardi was one of the most engaging professors she had had. She said Iardi incorporated the TLC program into a class discussion one day, describing omega-3 supplements, which promote better health. Hagen said Iardi's research showed that the vitamins were beneficial, so she began using them.
"He was so intense and excited about it that he convinced me to start taking the vitamins. Now my whole family does." Hagen said.
Edited by Justin Hilley
ENTERTAINMENT
Letterman makes apology for joke
BY FRAZIER MOORE
Associated Press
It was "a coarse joke," "a bad joke," Letterman told viewers. "But I never thought it was (about) anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure, in fact, that she is of legal age, 18."
NEW YORK — David Letterman said his joke about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter was a lousy joke, no matter how you cut it, and he's sorry.
On Monday's edition of "Late Show," Letterman explained that the risque joke thought by some to have targeted Palin's underage daughter, Willow, was actually referring to 18-year-old daughter Bristol. The name of the daughter wasn't mentioned in the joke, which was part of Letterman's monologue on last Monday's show.
Even so, the ongoing outcry, led by Palin and her husband, Todd, has centered on Letterman intending to make a joke about the Palins' 14-year-old daughter having sex with a Yankees baseball player.
On Monday's show, Letterman said, "I'm wondering, 'Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?' I've never made jokes like this, as long as we've been on the air, 30 long years."
If that's the misconception — that the joke was aimed at a 14-year-old — he understands why people are upset, he said. "I would be upset myself."
He apologized to both daughters, "and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke," he said as the studio audience applauded. "I'm sorry about it, and I'll try to do better in the future."