Newswise — How do you manage your child's gift expectations and your added stress during these tough fiscal times or cope with the recent loss of a loved one this holiday season?
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) experts on those and other holiday-related issues are available for comment via phone, e-mail or live interview at your request.
Here is a sampling of potential holiday-related stories and corresponding experts:
FAMILY/RELATIONSHIP ISSUES- How do you manage children's gift expectations during these tough economic times and get them to focus less on "gimme" and more on "give ye" ? o Dr. Geetha Kumar is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.
- Continuing economic woes and the anticipation of family drama are among the stressors that could worsen anxiety this holiday season. UMDNJ experts discuss ways to de-stress. o Dr. Cheryl Kennedy is vice-chair for clinical services and associate professor of psychiatry & preventive medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, o Paul Lehrer, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, psychophysiologist specializing in anxiety disorders, biofeedback, and behavioral medicine, and professor of psychiatry at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He has published widely on biofeedback, relaxation therapies, and psychophysiological effects of stress, and is senior editor of a basic text in the field, Principles and Practice of Stress Management.
- Caregiver conflict: How to make decisions about including a loved one with Alzheimer's or other serious chronic illness in holiday celebrations. o Nancy Alterman, MSW, LCSW, is a clinical social worker for geriatrics at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine. Her clinical interests include counseling for adult children and caregivers.
- Managing depression and grief following the loss of a loved one. o Patricia Murphy, Ph.D., APN, FAAN, is a certified grief therapist and adult psychiatric and mental health clinical specialist with UMDNJ-University Hospital. She has published extensively on bereavement and ethics issues, with a particular focus on end-of-life care.
DIET & NUTRITION- Planning to attend your company or other holiday party or to entertain at home this holiday season? UMDNJ experts can provide tips to help you maintain a healthy diet. o Jane Ziegler, DCN, RD, LDN, CNSD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions. Her research interests include wellness interventions in college-aged students; resting energy expenditure in overweight and obese adults; and school-based wellness interventions.
- Tips for safe food handling o Dr. Steven M. Marcus is executive director of the New Jersey Poison Information & Education System (NJPIES) and professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and associate professor of pediatrics at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
- Holiday weight gain and dieting o Riva Touger-Decker, PhD, RD, FADA, is the professor and chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UMDNJ-School of Health Related Professions. She has led a four-year program at the university that has successfully promoted weight loss and improved cardiovascular risk factors among UMNDJ employees. She can discuss tips on preventing weight gain during the holidays and on avoiding "rebound eating." o Dr. Adarsh Gupta is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine. He has experience blending the science and art of weight management into sustainable, long-term weight loss programs.
SAFETY- Did you hastily pack away ornaments or the artificial tree at the end of the last holiday season and forget to clean them before storing? Are you excited to pick out a real tree and bring it home for the holidays this year? Beware of dust and other potential holiday allergens. o Dr. Leonard Bielory is director of the Asthma & Allergy Research Center and of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
- Planning marathon shopping outings to get those early bird and late night savings? An orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon can illustrate how footwear can lead to fatigue or even injury for holiday shoppers and offer tips to help save your feet from excruciating pain. o Dr. Joseph Daniel is an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon at UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.
- The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2008 alone, approximately 1.4 million people will be diagnosed with some type of cancer and about 565,650 will die of cancer. It also is estimated that about 40% of all men and women will develop cancer during their lifetime. In light of these statistics, consider cancer prevention gifts for your loved ones this holiday season. o Dr. Kitaw Demissie, MD, PhD, is co-program leader of Population Science Program at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Demissie also is assistant professor of epidemiology at UMDNJ-School of Public Health.
- Travel safely with your medications this holiday season. o Bruce Ruck, Pharm.D., is director of drug information for the New Jersey Poison Information & Education System (NJPIES) at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 1st to January 31st, can bring with it an increased risk of injuries from falls, as people use ladders, stools and other furniture to hang lights, ornaments and other decorations. A UMDNJ orthopaedist discusses how to prevent fall-related injury and what to do if it occurs. o Dr. Wayne S. Berberian, M.B.A.., is an associate professor and residency program director in the Division of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS- "Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it hundreds of times," Mark Twain once said. UMDNJ experts are available to discuss successful quitting techniques. o Jonathan Foulds, Ph.D., is director of the Tobacco Dependence Program at the UMDNJ-School of Public Health and an internationally known expert on tobacco addiction and treatment.
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is the nation's largest free-standing public health sciences university with nearly 5,700 students attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and a school of public health on five campuses. Annually, there are more than two million patient visits at UMDNJ facilities and faculty practices at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a statewide mental health and addiction services network.
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