Brighton academics find ghosting and gaslighting cause depression
A study by university academics has concluded being ghosted or gaslit can cause depression and paranoia among young people.Ghosting involves suddenly cutting off all contact, while gaslighting is the term applied when someone is made to question their perception of reality in order to control them.The study was carried out by teams from the universities of Brighton in East Sussex and Coimbra in Portugal.Prof Rusi Jaspal, from the University of Brighton, said: "As the use of social media and dating apps grows, so too does the risk of encountering harmful behaviours."
Prof Jaspal added: "The digital age has provided enormous opportunity for social connections but also comes with some risks. "Ghosting, in particular, is almost exclusively enacted in online settings."Younger adults, in particular, appear to be at greater risk and must be supported."The study attempted to explain why some people might behave in this way, concluding it could be to avoid conflict.It suggested therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy could help those who have been affected.
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm slowly losing my brilliant Dad to dementia – but now I'm tormented by a fear his demise could've been easily avoided
WATCHING my dad Mick cry sitting on the bottom stair when I was 11 years old in 1990 is a memory I can recall far too easily. Confused, I asked my mum Irene what was going on. I was told he was on new antidepressants and it would take some time for him to get used to the dose. 14 14 I knew what depression was, I'd read about it in magazines, but it was the first time I was told my beloved dad – who was just 43 at the time – had it. It's been 35 years since that memory. But every single one of those days since he's taken medication, which has chemically levelled out his poor mental health. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and dementia in 2020, the memory of hearing his sobbing didn't even register – until a few weeks ago. New research brought it screaming back into my mind. A study from the University of Nottingham, published last month, suggested having depression in midlife could increase the risk of Alzheimer's by as much as 56 per cent. My wonderful dad is one of about a million people in the UK living with dementia - a figure that's set to rise to 1.4million people by 2040. According to the charity Alzheimer's UK, depression is one of 14 modifiable and potentially preventable risk factors of the condition, so what if the depression I watched him live with throughout my childhood has contributed to or even caused the diagnosis which ultimately will end his life? Professor Jacob Brain, from the Institute of Mental Health and School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham who led the research, says the findings from the study need to be acted upon. 'Our study shows depression is linked to an increased risk of dementia in both midlife and late life,' he says. 'This highlights the importance of recognising and treating depression across the life course, not just for mental health, but also as part of a broader strategy to protect brain health. 'Public health efforts need to place greater emphasis on preventative brain health, including scaling up access to effective mental health care.' Around 2.5million people took part in the study, which concluded that feelings like my dad had in midlife – specifically in your 40s and 50s - more than doubled the risk of developing the condition. And with dementia costing the UK £42billion today, rising to £90billion by 2040, there's an urgency to treat midlife mental health to potentially reduce both the diagnosis statistics and the cost of dementia to the already struggling NHS. My dad doesn't know anything about the link between the two conditions, but it's all I can think about. While talking therapies were in their infancy back in the 90s, his midlife mental health and diagnosis could be inextricably connected. After crying on the stairs, his new dosage kicked in and he bounced back to the father I adored, who I used to make bread with and play chess with. Yet while clinical psychology has been in existence since the 1890s, it's only after his dementia diagnosis five years ago he was offered a psychologist to talk to. Until that time, his only help was a pill. It leaves me wondering whether his dementia would have occurred had his depression been treated and cured, rather than medicated for decades – and that's something I'll never have an answer to. I dread not knowing my grandchildren's names when I see them. I can't imagine the hurt they'll feel when that day comes and that's heartbreaking Mick O'ReillyDad Dementia is considered a terminal illness because it's degenerative and there's no cure. On average, life expectancy is between five and 10 years after diagnosis, and my amazing, funny, kind, smart and wonderful dad is halfway through that timeline. When he was diagnosed, under mum's advice, he wrote letters to both my brother Michael and I, as well as his four grandchildren, to be opened when he's not around anymore. The bomb blast of his diagnosis in our tight knit family was, and continues to be, devastating. My three children Eddie, 21, Sammy, 16, and Annie, 14, all cried on hearing the news. 14 14 14 14 Watching him forget simple words like 'pasta' or struggling to recall what a sofa is called has been challenging at best and devastating at worst. His passion for poetry and art is dwindling as his confusion mounts and his thousand-yard stare becomes something we grow accustomed to. But given the fact that around 13 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer from depression, our family can't be the only ones living with a dementia diagnosis after midlife depression, which was left treated but not cured in the 1980s and 1990s. 'It's hard to admit it, but I'm terrified' By Mick O'Reilly, written in November 2020 after being diagnosed IN my heart I knew I had something wrong with me before it was diagnosed as dementia and Alzheimer's. For the last two years when I've woken in the night I don't know where I am and it takes a few seconds, sometimes a minute or two, to remember I'm at home. Despite living here for 36 years, if I'm out with my wife, Irene, I forget what the front of the house looks like. I've grown familiar with those feelings, that uncertainty, but labelling them – while it felt like being hit with a brick – was a relief. I'd worried it was a brain tumour and while people might think I'm mad to prefer this diagnosis to a brain tumour, it's just how I feel. It's hard to admit I'm frightened but I am. I'm terrified. I've had almost 50 years of marriage with Irene and we've raised a family – while those memories will go for me, she has plenty that will last her. The same with my children Michael and Clare; we've had holidays to Barry Island, Prestatyn and Scarborough with fish and chips and pickled cockles on the beach. We've had plenty of Christmases and birthdays together. I've watched them graduate from university and have their own children, but it's my four grandchildren I'm most saddened for. I've only had six years with my youngest grandchild, Michael, and whatever memories we make together will have to last him forever and they might fade for him as he grows up. I know I won't be present when it happens but I dread not knowing their names when I see them. I can't imagine the hurt they'll feel when that day comes and that's heartbreaking. Having had epilepsy for 41 years and thousands of seizures, many of which I had no idea were coming, I'm familiar with uncertainty, with not knowing what will happen next. But I do know this diagnosis isn't going anywhere and I have to accept that. I'm reminded of it every time I watch The Chase. I used to be able to get a few questions right, now I'm very lucky if I get one. Despite staring down the barrel of an abyss though, I don't feel sorry for myself. Why would I? I'll be ignorant in bliss, it's the family I love who'll have the hardship, not me. I feel guilty they'll have to endure the hurt that comes with this diagnosis – with being forgotten – but I'm helpless to prevent it. I'm not scared either, we all have to go some time and I've had a life far richer than a lot of people. I know Clare says at my essence I'm a decent bloke and will still be that even when I'm not anchored by my history or a past or family I've forgotten, but I can't help but wonder who I'll be when I've forgotten myself. The new research brings together existing evidence, but also adds fresh analysis to examine the relationship between the two conditions in more detail. 'Our findings raise the possibility that depression late in life may not just be a risk factor, but it could also be an early warning sign of dementia beginning to develop,' says Mr Brain. 'By clarifying this timing, our work helps guide future research, treatment, and prevention strategies. 'We specifically focused on the timing of when depression was measured, whether it was measured in midlife or in later life, and calculated how much it increased the risk of developing dementia. 'This essentially allowed us to provide a more accurate and up-to-date picture of how depression at different life stages is linked to dementia risk.' 'Bitter pill to swallow' While Alzheimer's UK says depression is a risk factor that can be attributed to three per cent of dementia cases, around 13 per cent of people over the age of 65 suffer from the condition, and my dad is one of them. With the publication of the findings from the University of Nottingham, Alzheimer's UK is calling on the UK Government and NHS to set ambitious and achievable new diagnosis rate targets. Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, says even more research will help establish the correlation and relationship between the two conditions. 'The relationship between depression and dementia is a complicated topic,' he says. 'While there is a connection, the association is still unclear, and we don't fully understand the specific changes that link these two conditions. 'We know that depression is a risk factor for dementia and some research suggests treating depression may reduce the risk of developing dementia in the future. 'This is why getting the right support for depression is important.' 14 14 14 It's too late for my dad to get the help that might have changed his diagnosis. There's a possibility he would have been diagnosed anyway but – like his antidepressants in the 1990s – it's a bitter pill to swallow. He still takes the 'happy pills' as he used to call them. And while there are glimpses of the dad who I grew up adoring, they're becoming fewer and further apart. I was too little to do anything back in 1990; his wonderful GP unaware of the link and his devoted wife – my mum – couldn't have known either. I do know there'll be an equivalent 'me' though – kids across the UK are living with parents with depression in their midlives. So for the sake of their adult selves, I hope the research findings are acted upon before another generation has to watch a parent they adore disappear in front of their eyes. 14 14 14 14
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie Olympic legend Leisel Jones breaks down in tears while opening up about suicide moment
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The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan opens up on mental health struggles and hitting ‘rock bottom'
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