Feature Channels: Psychology and Psychiatry

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The Perceptions of Research Trustworthiness (PoRT), described in an original investigation published in JAMA Network Open, is a groundbreaking tool designed as an on-going gauge of perception of trust and distrust in biomedical research, said team leader Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, MSCI, Senior Vice President and senior associate dean for Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence and professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).

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Among families with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, Johns Hopkins University researchers say they have found a link between chemical “marks” on DNA in the sperm of fathers and autistic traits in their 3-year-old children.

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A new study may help explain why people choose to include themselves in some photos – and it is not vanity.

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Even mild concussion can cause long-lasting effects to the brain, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge.

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The resilience and coping abilities of patients who’ve had liver transplants vary and change over time and are often linked to sociodemographic factors including income, race, and education, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. The findings could lead to tailored interventions to optimize clinical and patient-centered outcomes among liver transplant recipients.

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Cornell University psychology researchers have found that happiness does not depend as much on personality as many surveys suggest. In fact, objective circumstances and behaviors, such as wealth and health, influence happiness as much as subjective psychological traits, like how outgoing someone is.

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University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers believe they have determined that the immune system whittles away neurons to properly shape the brain and accounts for differences in sizes of regions in male and female rats. These changes later affect behavior of the rats in their personal preferences.

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A study exploring trends in suicide rates among 13 to 14 year olds from 1999 to 2018 shows rates more than doubled from 2008 to 2018, following a rise in social media and despite significant declines in suicide mortality in this age group previously from 1999 to 2007. These trends were similar in urban and rural areas but were more common in boys in rural areas where firearms are more prevalent. Suicides occurred significantly more often between September and May and were highest on Monday followed by the rest of the weekdays, suggesting school stress as a contributor.

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A gene in the brain driving anxiety symptoms has been identified by an international team of scientists. Critically, modification of the gene is shown to reduce anxiety levels, offering an exciting novel drug target for anxiety disorders. The discovery, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, is published online today [25 April] in Nature Communications.

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One in five adults in California, or an estimated 6.5 million people, are concerned that someone they know, usually a friend or family member, is at risk of harming themselves or others, according to new research published in Preventive Medicine. Alcohol and substance misuse, a history of violence, and firearm access were common reasons for concerns about potential violence.

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Bilingual people from cultural backgrounds in which mental health is a particularly taboo topic may be more likely to support treatment when they hear information in their second language.

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You might not care about the fast-food commercial shots of juicy burgers or creamy milkshakes, but they might change your beliefs about these items, whereas shots of fresh salads and berries might not, according to a new study.

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Columbia University today announced the establishment of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Center for Precision Psychiatry & Mental Health at Columbia University. The center will catalyze the scientific innovation and clinical implementation of precision medicine to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness.

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The BD Diabetes Center at Atlantic Health System’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital and diabetes research and advocacy organization JDRF, partnered to distribute a video series focusing on helping teens and young adults overcome the emotional challenges associated with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.

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A study led by the Michigan Psychedelic Center at the University of Michigan Medical School takes a closer look at the neurobiology of psychedelic experiences caused by nitrous oxide, ketamine and LSD.

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Problems with the brain’s ability to ‘prune’ itself of unnecessary connections may underlie a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during adolescence, according to research published today.

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Sleeping enough, eating well, exercising and coping with stress are all components of good health, but focusing on all four at once while managing a hectic schedule may seem impossible.

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Krause-Parello's innovative research focuses on the human-animal bond. She developed and is the director of the university-based health research initiative for veterans, Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors (C-P.A.W.W. ™), a program established to advance the health and well-being of members of the armed forces.

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New mental health app developed by Rutgers Institute for Health faculty member Dr. Edward Selby launches today.

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Nurses exposed to 40 minutes of bright light before their night shifts feel less fatigued and make fewer errors at work, according to a study led by McGill University. The nurses also slept better after their shifts.

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Researcher will discuss the study which involved a sleeping aid known as suvorexant that is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for insomnia, hints at the potential of sleep medications to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Measuring stress activity directed to the blood vessels of muscles could allow researchers to measure pain objectively, according to a new study.

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A five-minute test commonly used to evaluate olfactory function (sense of smell) could also help doctors screen for depression, according to new research out of King George’s Medical University, India.

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New research results suggest that the widely used diabetes drug metformin may be beneficial for recovering from short periods of severe food insecurity or anorexia.

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Athletes’ experience of using mental health support – and their attitudes towards these services – could be better understood with a more robust approach to research.

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The rate of suspected suicide attempts by poisoning among children and adolescents ages 10-19 reported to U.S. poison centers increased 30% during 2021 – the COVID-19 pandemic’s first full year – compared with 2019, a new UVA Health study found.

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A 2019 Florida Department of Health survey showed that 12.7 percent of Florida high schoolers had carried a weapon; 21.2 percent were involved in a physical altercation; and 11.3 percent and 14.9 percent were bullied electronically or on school property, respectively. In addition, 15.6 percent reported they had seriously considered attempting suicide. Alarmingly, results indicated a 50 percent increase in the suicide attempt rate for black females. These numbers demonstrate the need for timely, immediate prevention and intervention in mental health services for Florida youth.

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Individuals who were diagnosed with depression during pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease within two years after giving birth than individuals without depression, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

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In a paper published today in Molecular Psychiatry, a team of scientists from the University of Pittsburgh in collaboration with researchers in Italy described shared patterns of sleep disturbances and irregularities in daily rhythms of rest and activity across patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or SSD.

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A new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) reveals that one-third of adults (32%) "always or often" lose sleep at night due to worries about environmental issues, and younger generations are more likely to lose sleep due to these worries.

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MTSU management professor Jackie Gilbert has spent years researching the topics of civility and bullying in the workplace and is building on that expertise with the development of a new online course addressing the unique challenges brought about by the pandemic.

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Power often boosts an employee’s creativity because being powerful liberates the individual from constraints, such as worrying that their ideas will be rejected. However, new research shows that employees who are not in positions of power can become more creative when given time to “warm up” to a task by engaging in the creative task more than once.

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A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals that a connection between the body and mind is built into the structure of the brain. The study shows that parts of the brain area that controls movement are plugged into networks involved in thinking and planning, and in control of involuntary bodily functions such as blood pressure and heart rate.

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The study, which appears in the journal Psychological Science, found participants showed more generosity toward strangers when prompted to think about God. Moreover, participants’ giving increased equally no matter if recipients were members of the same religious group or a different group.

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Tucked away in the corner of University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is Sophie’s Place, a bright, comfortable studio that’s brought peace to many patients and their families since its grand opening last year.

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About one in five cases of child abuse and neglect is committed by both mothers and fathers, but nearly all the research attention has been focused on when just one parent is involved. A new study that aimed to shine a light on risk factors for mistreatment coming from both parents found some surprising results.

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U.S. middle and high schools with the most students taking prescription stimulants to treat ADHD also had, overall, the highest percentage of students who misused prescription stimulants within the past year.

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Having a four-year college degree and a low level of stress are strongly linked to psychological resilience in American women aged 80 and older, a new study suggests.

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University of Minnesota Twin Cities computer science researchers found that the nature of TikTok’s algorithm can have both positive and negative outcomes for users’ mental health and sense of belonging on the platform.