Astrology, Mental health and the Economics of Well Being
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Ultimately can the mental health system single-handedly address the concerns of inequality and economic access in society?
Around 75 per cent of the Indian population lives in rural areas, but their access to quality mental health care is limited and traditional approaches continue to be in use. The shortage is to such a large extent that there are only 0.7 physicians per 1000 population and only one psychiatrist for every 343,000 Indians. While over the years the mental health sector has seen major developments, like the 2017 mental health care act. This act establishes equal access for all citizens, to avail government-run or funded mental health services in the country. However, it does not bridge the gap in society as the majority of the population remains deeply unaware or unable to access these services.
While the uncertainties of the pandemic brought mental wellbeing to the forefront, the national budget for the sector dropped, making this an issue of human rights. This accessibility to services is further corroborated by the recurring financial expenses of medications and frequent visits to government clinics. The cost of sessions is steep and a single session is not ideal. Spending exorbitant amounts on healthcare is a burden most families can’t afford leading to debt. In the absence of insurance and healthcare schemes and provisions, therapy remains a luxury to many Indians.
Economic struggles are only one of the causes of this discerning gap in the mental health sector. Barriers caused by sexuality, gender, caste and religion also play a major role in mediating people’s perception and access to therapeutic services. The persistent stigma surrounding mental health, especially in India continues to be a hindrance to seeking help. The supernatural inhibitions and disparity in knowledge across communities only create more confusion. The notion that mental well being is an optional expense is popular, even though the country’s population is in a dire state. Data collected in a WHO report found that nearly 15 per cent of Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues.
The population disregards the very prevalence of such mental disorders and more than often finds it fruitless to receive treatment. Some who are open-minded fail to afford the hiked fees that therapists in urban settings charge, leaving them with no option. While for years Indians attributed the systemic weakness of the mental health system to the people’s attitudes, a 2016 survey showed more than 42% of people have positive attitudes toward mental wellbeing and treatment. While the skeptics remain, these underprivileged sections of society too struggle to gain the accessibility they deserve.
This is where astrology, tarot card reading and other spiritual practices, have created a market for themselves in the well-being industry. The sceptics, and those from poor socio-economic backgrounds resort to these local and easily accessible ways of coping, to instil the faith they so desperately need. Astrology is a layman’s substitute for therapy, or for some even a supplement when they cannot afford extended periods of treatment. Visiting a local astrologer in many ways breeds the self-awareness one would expect from a session in therapy. These practices even hold certain similarities to actual psychotherapy settings, in the way they define, and alleviate aspects of one’s personality and behaviour.
Very often one simply needs an explanation, or an answer to the ‘why’ no matter how scientifically rooted that response truly is. Astrologers impart a level of faith, that things will get better. For those in rural areas, struggling to provide the bare necessities to their family affording therapy is impossible, so their local psychic, astrologer or pandit becomes their anchor during emotional duress. Tarot cards and other practices primarily focus on the future and act as a guide point for how to deal with the things ahead. For a farmer coping with anxiety, access to anti-anxiety medication is strained, and so is therapy. His best bet remains to consult his next-door jyotish about his burdens.
A famous clinician Caroline Hexdall in an interview said that “ Part of the popularity of astrology and tarot today has to do with their universal nature”. With growing technology and the pervasiveness of social media, people can gain easy access to self-care and astrology resources. Apps and web pages provide daily tarot cards, zodiac signs readings and astrological predictions for people, and almost serve the purpose of a therapist. Is reading the lines on our palm, and checking the alignment of the stars enough to cure the mental illness they undergo? Is it a solution or a quick fix as a consequence of an ignorant healthcare system?
Several studies have also shown the deteriorating effects of depending on astrology. Cases of worsening and onset of depression, anxiety and personality disorders are common for those who use astrology as more than just a temporary coping mechanism. It also becomes a source of losing control, as every feeling is attributed to fate and destiny, instilling a sense of helplessness. Ultimately can the mental health system single-handedly address the concerns of inequality and economic access in society?
Maahira Jain is a third-year student at Ashoka University studying Psychology and Media studies. She is a movie buff and is extremely passionate about writing and traveling.
This article is republished from OpenAxis under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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The Pain-Free Mindset – by Dr. Deepak Ravindran
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First: please ignore the terrible title. This is not the medical equivalent of “think and grow rich”. A better title would have been something like “The Pain-Free Plan”.
Attentive subscribers may notice that this author was our featured expert yesterday, so you can learn about his “seven steps” described in our article there, without us repeating that in our review here.
This book’s greatest strength is also potentially its greatest weakness, depending on the reader: it contains a lot of detailed medical information.
This is good or bad depending on whether you like lots of detailed medical information. Dr. Ravindran doesn’t assume prior knowledge, so everything is explained as we go. However, this means that after his well-referenced clinical explanations, high quality medical diagrams, etc, you may come out of this book feeling like you’ve just done a semester at medical school.
Knowledge is power, though, so understanding the underlying processes of pain and pain management really does help the reader become a more informed expert on your own pain—and options for reducing that pain.
Bottom line: this, disguised by its cover as a “think healing thoughts” book, is actually a science-centric, information-dense, well-sourced, comprehensive guide to pain management from one of the leading lights in the field.
Click here to check out The Pain-Free Mindset, and manage yours more comfortably!
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Green Beans vs Zucchini – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing green beans to zucchini, we picked the green beans.
Why?
In terms of macros, green beans have more than 2.5x the fiber, as well as slightly more protein and carbs, winning on nutritional density in this category.
In the category of vitamins, green beans have more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, E, and K, while zucchini has more of vitamins B5, B6, B9, and C, yielding a modest 6:4 victory for green beans here.
Looking at minerals, green beans have more calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and selenium, while zucchini has more copper, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, giving green beans a marginal 5:4 win in this round.
Adding up the sections makes for an overall win for green beans, but by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
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Level-Up Your Fiber Intake! (Without Difficulty Or Discomfort)
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Almost half of antibiotic prescribing for surgery is inappropriate, new report shows
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Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing around the time of surgery and long-term prescribing in aged care are among a mixed bag of findings of a recent report into antibiotic use and resistance in Australia.
The report shows while fewer antibiotics are prescribed in the community than a decade ago, there is still room to improve antibiotic prescribing in hospitals.
We are both involved in antibiotic stewardship programs, primarily in hospitals, which aim to improve the use of antibiotics to improve patient care and reduce the potential for antimicrobial resistance.
Here’s why antibiotic resistance is so concerning and what the latest report tells us.
Why is antibiotic use and resistance important?
Factors driving antibiotic use tend to be different in hospitals and in the community.
In hospitals, there are more patients with infections, and these are also places where patients come to with resistant infections. Here, a common dilemma is making sure sick patients receive antibiotics quickly, balanced with not overusing them unnecessarily.
In the community, GPs often have to use careful clinical judgement to determine whether antibiotics are required, or if the patient will recover without them.
If we think of this issue at the level of individual patients, the risks may feel small. But at the population level, using the wrong antibiotic, or using it when it’s not needed, or for too long increases the risk of antibiotic resistance.
This is where bacteria become resistant to the usual treatment options, so infections may continue to progress despite treatment.
This occurs due to “selection pressure”. This means the bacteria acquire changes that enable them to evade the effect of antibiotics, and these resistant strains continue to grow and spread.
Why are antibiotics used in surgery?
Antibiotics are mostly used around the time of surgery as one way to prevent, rather than treat, an infection.
They are generally needed only for procedures where there is a higher risk of infection and for a short period (mostly a single dose before surgery or for up to 24 hours afterwards).
This report shows that just under half (42.7%) of antibiotic use for surgical procedures was not appropriate. The main areas that we need to work on are:
- only using antibiotics for surgery where there is a high risk of infection
- the time we administer the antibiotic dose, ideally within an hour before the skin is cut
- the choice of antibiotic – sufficient to cover the organisms that could cause infection, but not unnecessarily broad that it may cause side effects or antibiotic resistance.
Inappropriate antibiotic use in surgery may have several consequences.
Giving the antibiotic at the wrong time (too early, or too late) reduces its effectiveness. Giving it for surgery where there is a low risk of infection, or for too long unnecessarily exposes patients to the risk of antibiotic side effects such as diarrhoea, as well as increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance.
How about aged-care facilities?
The report shows residents of aged-care homes receive high amounts of antibiotics.
Two striking statistics were that four in five residents (79.5%) received at least one antibiotic prescription each year. About one in three patients (34.7%) were given an antibiotic for more than six months.
Aged-care residents are at a higher risk of developing infections and it can sometimes be harder to spot the signs and symptoms of an infection.
So using antibiotics to prevent infection can sometimes be appropriate but should be a last resort. This is because infections that “break through” to cause infection despite preventative antibiotics are more likely to be resistant.
What else did the report find?
The report also included critical antimicrobial resistances. These microorganisms are a serious threat to some of our last-line antibiotics. These are very difficult to treat and require specialised antibiotics and medical care.
The reported number of these organisms more than doubled from 2022, to 3,389, or more than nine cases each day, in 2024.
The report also highlights that many of these organisms are acquired overseas, reinforcing the regional and global context of antibiotic resistance.
What can we do to reduce antibiotic resistance?
We’ve previously written about actions we can take to reduce antibiotic use. This latest report reinforces that we should:
- raise awareness that many infections will get better by themselves, and don’t necessarily need antibiotics
- for aged-care residents, regularly review medications, including antibiotics, and check if they are still needed
- use the antibiotics we have more appropriately and for as short a time as possible, supported by appropriate oversight in hospitals, and at state and national levels
- continue to monitor for infections due to resistant bacteria to inform control policies
- reduce cross-transmission of resistant organisms in hospitals and in the community
- prevent infections by other means, such as clean water, sanitation, hygiene and vaccines
- continue to develop new antibiotics and alternatives to antibiotics, and ensure the right incentives are in place to encourage a continuous pipeline of new antibiotics.
The wider context
This report is only one part of the picture of how and where antibiotics are used in Australia.
We have previously estimated that around 60% of antibiotics in Australia are used in animals.
This issue was highlighted by recent use of the antibiotic florfenicol in Tasmanian salmon farms. This is closely related to chloramphenicol, an antibiotic used in humans.
This reinforces the need to take a co-ordinated strategy across different sectors, an approach that has worked before in Australia.
There would also be benefits from responding to antibiotic resistance in a similar way to how we respond to other public health threats. So bringing the national response into the Australian Centre for Disease Control, which was launched officially at the start of 2026, should strengthen our efforts.
Allen Cheng, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Monash University and Kelly Cairns, PhD Candidate studying antimicrobial resistance, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred Hospital and School of Translational Medicine, Monash University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Should I limit how often my child eats nuts because they contain fat?
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When I mention kids and nuts in the same sentence, some parents react like I’ve dropped the F-bomb, thanks to the association of nuts with two other F-words: fat and fear.
Parents sometimes avoid nuts due to claims they cause unwanted weight gain or trigger life-threatening allergies.
But nuts are good for kids – and avoiding them can do more harm than good.
The fats in nuts are healthy fats
Decades of exposure to the diet industry’s relentless low-fat marketing have led parents to believe that all fats are bad. But this isn’t the case.
Nuts are packed with fats, but it’s the healthy type: unsaturated fat. It supports heart and digestive health, and reduces inflammation.
Nuts provide essential nutrients children need for healthy growth, including the omega-3 fatty acids younger kids need for brain, nerve and vision development. They are also one of the richest sources of dietary polyphenols or antioxidants, which have a range of potential health benefits, including cancer prevention.
Nuts contain fibre, protein and good fats, which take longer to digest, satisfying kids’ hunger and making them feel fuller for longer. In fact, up to 20% of the energy in nuts isn’t absorbed, but still provides feelings of fullness.
The high fibre content also helps kids’ with regular and easier bowel movements.
This means nuts actually help manage kids’ weight, with research showing eating more nuts is linked to a lower risk of being overweight.
What about the allergy risk?
Nut allergies are becoming more common and understandably can cause parents great concern.
But research shows consuming nuts in appropriate forms from a young age can actually reduce the chance of having a nut allergy, including among those at high risk (such as when a family member has an allergy).
Another study found regularly feeding peanuts from infancy reduced the rate of peanut allergies in adolescence by 71%.
To reduce the risk of allergies, introduce nuts as early as possible to your child’s diet – ideally between four and six months – in the form of 100% nut spreads to prevent choking.
Start by smearing a small amount of 100% smooth peanut butter on the inside of the lip and monitor for 30 minutes. If there’s no reaction, double the quantity (¼ teaspoon) and monitor for another 30 minutes. You can then repeat this process increasing to ½ teaspoon.
If this goes well, you can include 100% nut butters in your child’s diet, increasing the amount offered weekly.
If you have a family history of allergies, introduce nuts in consultation with your GP. If your child does have a reaction, mild to moderate reactions can be treated using non-sedating antihistamines. If the child has any symptoms of anaphylaxis, call an ambulance immediately and treat them with an EpiPen if one is available.
What should you do?
Allowing kids to enjoy nuts – nature’s treats – helps keep unhealthy processed foods out of their diets.
There’s no need to limit them because kids are extremely good at regulating their calorie intake across the course of the day.
When nuts are no longer a choking hazard (between the age of three and five years), I’d suggest serving them a large handful every day. Before that, they can eat nuts as pastes or finely crushed and mixed into food to prevent choking.
Adults often avoid eating nuts themselves due to concerns about their high energy content, fearing they might lead to weight gain. However, research suggests this fear may be unfounded. Studies show even relatively large servings – up to 100 grams per day – are linked to modest reductions in body weight and fat mass.
While Australia’s current dietary guidelines recommend limiting intakes of nuts, this no longer reflects the evidence and should be revised when the guidelines are updated next year.
Take-home tips
Nuts are a powerhouse of nutrition, but getting kids to eat them can be a challenge.
All nut varieties offer health benefits, so include a mixture to keep things interesting. Choose raw or dry-roasted, unsalted options to avoid added oil and salt creeping into kids’ diets.
If they reject them the first time, try again. Research shows kids need eight to ten exposures before they willingly eat new foods. So offer them regularly, encourage tasting and don’t pressure them to eat.
To help incorporate more nuts into children’s snacks and meals, start with milder, more familiar varieties such as cashews, almonds, or peanuts. These tend to have a softer texture and sweeter flavour, making them more appealing to younger palates.
More robust or bitter varieties – such as walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts – can be introduced gradually, mixed into other foods or baked into recipes to balance their stronger taste and firmer texture.
Nick Fuller is the author of Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids – Six Steps to Total Family Wellness. His free, practical recipe ideas, such as Easy Granola and Tahini Nut Bars, can be found at feedingfussykids.com.
Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Artichoke vs Bamboo Shoots – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing artichoke to bamboo shoots, we picked the artichoke.
Why?
Both have their merits, but there is a clear winner:
In terms of macros, artichoke has more than 2x the fiber, for a little under 2x the carbs, and more protein, making it the more nutrient-dense option in this category.
In the category of vitamins, artichoke has more of vitamins B3, B5, B7, B9, C, and K, while bamboo has more of vitamins B1, B6, and E, yielding a 6:3 victory to artichoke here.
Looking at minerals, artichoke has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus, while bamboo has more potassium, selenium, and zinc, giving a 5:3 win to artichoke in this round.
In other considerations, artichoke is also higher in polyphenols, so that’s another point in its favor too.
Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for artichoke, but by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Don’t Be Bamboozled By Bamboo! ← including how to eat bamboo, for those unfamiliar with such, as we have been asked about it 🙂
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Decoding Hormone Balancing in Ads
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It’s Q&A Time!
This is the bit whereby each week, we respond to subscriber questions/requests/etc
Have something you’d like to ask us, or ask us to look into? Hit reply to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom, and a Real Human™ will be glad to read it!
Q: As to specific health topics, I would love to see someone address all these Instagram ads targeted to women that claim “You only need to ‘balance your hormones’ to lose weight, get ripped, etc.” What does this mean? Which hormones are they all talking about? They all seem to be selling a workout program and/or supplements or something similar, as they are ads, after all. Is there any science behind this stuff or is it mostly hot air, as I suspect?
Thank you for asking this, as your question prompted yesterday’s main feature, What Does “Balancing Your Hormones” Even Mean?
That’s a great suggestion also about addressing ads (and goes for health-related things in general, not just hormonal stuff) and examining their claims, what they mean, how they work (if they work!), and what’s “technically true but may
be misleading* cause confusion”*We don’t want companies to sue us, of course.
Only, we’re going to need your help for this one, subscribers!
See, here at 10almonds we practice what we preach. We limit screen time, we focus on our work when working, and simply put, we don’t see as many ads as our thousands of subscribers do. Also, ads tend to be targeted to the individual, and often vary from country to country, so chances are good that we’re not seeing the same ads that you’re seeing.
So, how about we pull together as a bit of a 10almonds community project?
- Step 1: add our email address to your contacts list, if you haven’t already
- Step 2: When you see an ad you’re curious about, select “share” (there is usually an option to share ads, but if not, feel free to screenshot or such)
- Step 3: Send the ad to us by email
We’ll do the rest! Whenever we have enough ads to review, we’ll do a special on the topic.
We will categorically not be able to do this without you, so please do join in—Many thanks in advance!
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