Story Ideas for Media 5/17/10

Cross-section of a walleye ear bone, or otolith, showing growth rings. Image courtesy of Ohio State University.

Research

Ohio State study: Changing thoughts key to battling even severe depression. Moderate to severely depressed clients showed greater improvement in cognitive therapy when therapists emphasized changing how they think rather than how they behave, according to new research co-authored by Daniel Strunk, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
The results suggest cognitive therapists should concentrate, at least during the first few sessions, on using cognitive techniques to help those with more severe depression to break out of negative thought patterns and to see events in their lives more realistically. The study found that a concentration on changing behavior – such as having patients schedule activities to get them out of the house, and tracking how they spent their time – did not significantly predict subsequent change in depressive symptoms.
“There has been a lot of attention recently on behavioral approaches to treating severe depression, and that may lead some people to suspect that cognitive techniques are not important for more severely depressed patients,” said Strunk.
Strunk said this research is being continued at Ohio State’s Depression Treatment and Research Clinic. Researchers there are working with people suffering from depression to understand the nature of cognitive change and how it affects their improvement.
“But our results suggest that it was the cognitive strategies that actually helped patients improve the most during the first critical weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy.” CONTACT: Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457. SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/cogther.htm

Events

This is the week when many elementary school students visit Ohio State.
•Ohio State hosts “Baseball Day” for Columbus City Schools 6th graders – May 18. Approximately 2,600 sixth-grade students and staff from nearly 30 Columbus City Schools will visit The Ohio State University tomorrow (5/18) for “CCS Baseball Day. The event includes an educational pep rally at 10 a.m. in the Jerome Schottenstein Center followed by a Buckeye baseball game vs. University of Pittsburgh at 12:05 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium.
The event is designed help the 6th graders gain an appreciation for college preparation and inspire them to work hard in school. The program is one of many collaborations between Ohio State and Columbus City Schools.
The sixth-graders will be welcomed to campus by the Ohio State cheerleaders and pep band. The pep rally opens with members of the ROTC rappelling from the ceiling to the floor of the Schottenstein. Students will hear from Ohio State seniors Cameron Heyward (a student athlete) and Danielle Orr (a graduate of Columbus Schools), learn about healthy lifestyles from a nutritionist and enjoy a program by COSI staff. CONTACT: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385 or, to cover the baseball game part of the event, Jerry Emig, (614) 688-0343.

•Columbus City School students celebrate achievements in STEM Fest – May 20. Students from 30 Columbus City Schools will visit Ohio State on Thursday (5/20) for STEM Fest 2010. The event showcases student achievement and projects, including robotics and engineering activities.
Students will demonstrate their skills through a series of projects and competitions including egg drop, rollercoaster build, bridge build, LEGO NXT robotics, and a Quiz-Bowl academic competition.
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St. CONTACT: Betsy Bhasker, Columbus City Schools (614) 365-5025, bhasker2382@columbus.k12.oh.us or Minnie McGee, College of Engineering, (614) 292-4309, mcgee.3@osu.edu

•Inspiring Hunger Fighters at Scarlet and Grey Ag Day – May 21. More than 600 Columbus area fourth and fifth grade students will visit campus on Friday (5/21) to learn about the world of agriculture through hands-on laboratory activities. The goal of Scarlet and Gray Ag Day is to educate students about where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture. The event will be held from 9:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. on Ohio State’s agriculture campus, at Woody Hayes Drive and Coffey Road.
This year’s theme, Inspiring Hunger Fighters,” celebrates the legacy of Norman Borlaug -- agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Borlaug, considered the father of the “Green Revolution” for lifting many developing countries out of poverty with research advances in food security, passed away last year. But his granddaughter, Julie Borlaug, continues his efforts and will visit Scarlet and Gray Ag Day to share her grandfather’s ideas.
Julie Borlaug will be available for media interviews while visiting Scarlet and Gray Ag Day. To make arrangements CONTACT: Candace Pollock, (614) 292-3799 or pollock.58@cfaes.osu.edu SEE: http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=5700.

Student Campaign, "Best Day of Your Life" designed to relieve stress, combat depression – May 19. Ohio State students can enjoy free food, High Five stations and a fireworks display as part of an effort to combat student depression and promote mental health awareness on Wednesday (5/19). Students of Ohio Staters, Inc. will turn the Ohio State University campus an oasis of happiness for their third annual “Best Day of Your Life” campaign. Activities will take place on campus to remind students of the little things in life that bring them joy. The activities take place in conjunction with many efforts to make students aware of their mental health and the resources for mental wellness on campus. CONTACT: Danielle Hertz, (614) 247-8347.

The person listed as the CONTACT will have the most current information about the story. Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story: Liz Cook,(614) 292-7276 or cook.17@osu.edu; Shelly Hoffman,(614) 247-4748 or hoffman.511@osu.edu; Jim Lynch,(614) 247-4110 or lynch.270@osu.edu; or Amy Murray,(614) 292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu