RE:Pesticides & Depression

[Guest guest]

Compañeros/as:

The research cited by on the role of pesticides as a contributing

factor to depression is very interesting and important. Those of us who study

behavioral health issues among farmworkers focus a lot of attention on their

difficult working and living conditions as major contributing factors to

depression. I remain convinced that you can't understand or provide

interventions regarding farmworker depression without focusing specifically on

these conditions. However, if there are chemical factors that exacerbate this

situation, then this is truly a cause for alarm for all members of this

listserv since, as we all know, depression has a negative effect on nearly all

other aspects of health.

Atentamente,

R. Duke, Ph.D.

Social Anthropologist

Director, Internship Program

Hispanic Health Council

175 Main Street

Hartford, CT 06106 USA

860.527.0856 x 252

FAX: 860.724.0437

miked@...

www.hispanichealth.com

[Guest guest]

Thank you Janet. That's very interesting. Have other folks heard similar

things about chemicals and depression from patients, etc?

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> Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 11:33 AM

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> 1. RE: RE:Pesticides & Depression

> From: " Ehlers, Janet J. " <jje0@...>

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> ________________________________________________________________________

> ________________________________________________________________________

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> Message: 1

> Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 09:45:04 -0400

> From: " Ehlers, Janet J. " <jje0@...>

> Subject: RE: RE:Pesticides & Depression

>

> I agree.

> Additionally -

> Besides pesticides, agricultural workers may also have other chemical

> exposures that impact behavioral health, e.g. solvents and gases (low levels

> of carbon monoxide).

>

> At a wedding, about 10 years ago a green house owner told me about serious

> mental health problems he had had several years earlier that turned out to

> be caused by his pesticide. When he changed his pesticide, his mental

> health problems went away. His primary provider had known him for years

> and what he did, maybe even had come to his worksite to buy plants. His

> physician tried several medications, but he kept getting sicker. The farmer

> himself made the connection himself when attending a seminar that included

> information on the pesticide he was using. As he told me, " right up on the

> overhead they listed the side effects of the pesticide I was using " and it

> was what was happening to him. He went home, got the can and took it to his

> Dr. They agreed it could be the cause. He changed pesticides and

> recovered.

>

> When people know what I do and that I am a nurse, they share all kinds of

> stories.

>

> Just my thoughts and nothing else -

> Janet Ehlers, RN, MSN

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Mike Duke [mailto:miked@...]

> Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 1:19 PM

>

> Subject: [ ] RE:Pesticides & Depression

>

>

> Compañeros/as:

> The research cited by on the role of pesticides as a

> contributing factor to depression is very interesting and important. Those

> of us who study behavioral health issues among farmworkers focus a lot of

> attention on their difficult working and living conditions as major

> contributing factors to depression. I remain convinced that you can't

> understand or provide interventions regarding farmworker depression without

> focusing specifically on these conditions. However, if there are chemical

> factors that exacerbate this situation, then this is truly a cause for

> alarm for all members of this listserv since, as we all know, depression has

> a negative effect on nearly all other aspects of health. Atentamente,

>

>

> R. Duke, Ph.D.

> Social Anthropologist

> Director, Internship Program

> Hispanic Health Council

> 175 Main Street

> Hartford, CT 06106 USA

> 860.527.0856 x 252

> FAX: 860.724.0437

> miked@...

> www.hispanichealth.com

>

>

>

>

> To Post a message, send it to: Groups

>

> To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:

> -unsubscribe

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>