FAMILY DEATH:Society must pay more attention to the effects of family death on children, according to Dr Anne Tracey, who recently completed the first study in Ireland on the psychological impact of a mother's death on her daughters.
The five-year study of 26 women who lost their mothers before the age of 11 found prolonged effects included difficulties in building trust. The study also found that at milestones such as puberty, pregnancy, marriage and motherhood, feelings of loss resurfaced, triggering new cycles of grief. Tracey lectures in psychology at Magee campus, University of Ulster.
TIME FOR REFLECTION:Taking time out of a busy life to reflect on that life can help people find better coping skills. The Oscailt Complementary Health Centre, 8 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4, has new courses being run by psychotherapist Mary O'Callaghan. The next eight-week course begins in January with an option to do eight Monday evenings from January 15th or eight Friday lunchtimes from January 19th. Each course includes one all-day workshop on February 24th and costs €350. Tel: 086-6001935 or email mary@oscailt.com for more details. See also www.oscailt.com
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS:London-based oncologist, Prof Jonathan Waxman's plea to reclassify food supplements as drugs has led to an online debate in the British Medical Journal. Waxman, professor of oncology at Imperial College London said: "It is difficult to provide any sort of objective rationale whatsoever for the sales of any of these products In many cases the agents that are for sale may be doctored by the addition of chemicals". In response, Dr Robert Verkerk, scientific director of the Alliance for Natural Health said: "Ignoring the role of nutrition as a means to increasing survival rates and reducing side-effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy is irresponsible."
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