Feature Channels: Psychology and Psychiatry

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Residential segregation is an example of the long history of structural racism in the United States. Black Americans are more likely to live in low-quality neighborhoods, which contributes to disparities in health outcomes.

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Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of depression in adolescents and young adults — and a simultaneous uptick in the inclusion of technology and social media in everyday life. However, it is unclear how exactly social media use and depression are associated and relate to other behaviors, such as physical activity, green space exposure, cannabis use and eveningness (the tendency to stay up late).

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No means no when it comes to sex. But what happens when a woman makes a more passive response to a sexual advance? According to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York, men differ in how they interpret these types of responses, and men who display hostile masculinity, known commonly as “toxic masculinity,” tend to act on them regardless of whether or not they think it’s consensual.

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A baby’s exposure to air pollution while in the womb is associated with the development of certain mental health problems once the infant reaches adolescence, new research has found.

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World first research from the University of South Australia shows that antipsychotics can be reformulated with a strategically engineered coating that not only mitigates unwanted weight gain but also boosts serotonin levels by more than 250%.

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Heavy alcohol use may be a key factor contributing to suicide among military personnel with untreated post-traumatic stress disorder. A study of active military personnel found that heavy drinking amplifies the relationship between PTSD symptoms and the severity of suicidal thoughts. The authors of the study, which is published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, recommend that the military health system consider requiring screening for suicidal ideation and alcohol use in service members who may have post-traumatic stress disorder and further develop integrated treatment programs that simultaneously treat alcohol use disorder and PTSD.

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A new study by UC Davis researchers finds key differences in the development of the cortex between autistic boys and girls ages 2-13.

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Working under the umbrella of the PsychENCODE Consortium, the mental health research project established in 2015 by the National Institutes of Health, a team of Mount Sinai scientists has uncovered important new insights into the molecular biology of neuropsychiatric disease through two new studies published in a special issue of Science on Friday, May 24.

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Scientists have long been studying the brain with a goal of aiding healthier aging. While much is known about risk factors for accelerated brain aging, less has been uncovered to identify ways to reduce cognitive decline.

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A team of researchers from Wayne State University was awarded a $1.3 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study “Advanced wireless augmented reality-enhanced exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.”

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An increase in nightmares and hallucinations could signal the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, according to a new study.

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Patients with fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who take multiple medications are more likely to develop severe drug intolerance than healthy patients, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers reported. Their findings, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, could help health professionals prescribe drugs for patients and identify treatment plans for multiple drug intolerance syndrome (MDIS).

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Mental health is a growing issue for millions. In an effort to meet people where they are with accurate, useful health information, Cleveland Clinic has developed an interactive experience designed to provide users with a mental health break.

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The projects share the overall goal of using technology in new ways to improve health, especially mental health and rehabilitation. Many of the projects use gamification techniques and apps to train healthy mental habits and support health care workers in providing optimal care.

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Mental health has become a part of wellness discussions in schools, workplaces and health care organizations. In higher education, there has been a greater focus on mental health as one component of wellness that supports students in learning and persisting through to graduation.

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Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, UCSF, Stanford, and Harvard determined that a protein prediction technology can yield accurate results in the hunt to efficiently find the best possible drug candidates for many conditions.

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If you tend to do other things or get distracted while eating dinner, you may be running the risk of over-consuming everyday pleasures later, possibly because the distraction caused you to enjoy yourself less, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

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According to a review published in Harvard Review of Psychiatry, part of the Lippincott portfolio from Wolters Kluwer, certain combinations of medication or psychotherapy in conjunction with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are supported by clinical studies for treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The authors do caution that, overall, the research has important limitations.

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Amidst rising depression rates on college campuses, SMU researchers discovered combining behavioral activation (BA) therapy with savoring (S) enhanced students' mental health. This approach improved both positive and negative moods significantly.

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It’s no secret that the Mediterranean diet is good for your health. Already recommended to reduce the risks of bowel cancer, heart disease, and dementia, new research from the University of South Australia shows that the Mediterranean diet can also reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety.

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A newly published study found that one in five U.S. adults who die by suicide spent at least one night in jail in the year prior to their death. Rapidly and efficiently providing prevention, screening and outreach resources for this group is critical to reducing adult suicides nationwide.

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A research team led by the University of California, Irvine has revealed the link between the frequency of sleep apnea events during the rapid-eye-movement stage and the severity of verbal memory impairment in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Verbal memory refers to the cognitive ability to retain and recall information presented through spoken words or written text and is particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.

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To help address the growing need for mental health services on Chicago’s South Side and the south suburbs, the University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital is adding 15 beds to its behavioral health department inpatient unit. The new space is now open.

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Civilized political debates may seem increasingly out of reach as democracies across the world face rising polarization, but people still want to discuss issues with people they disagree with – especially those who present themselves as balanced and willing to seek solutions that work for everyone or open to learning new information, according to two studies published by the American Psychological Association.

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Measuring heart rate or body temperature may sound easy, but retrieving the data from small animals with bulky traditional tech is difficult, especially during behavioral tests, which are critical for understanding brain disorders. Thanks to a recent study, the animal data is now in reach.

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Kendall, a longtime resident of Middle Tennessee, has been through this before, and his words likely ring true for anyone who has lived through one of the periodic invasions of the red-eyed, noisemaking insects.

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The Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University cordially invites everyone to join a Research Sharing Session on “Neural Sensitivity and Facilitation in Visual Word Processing of Typical and Dyslexic Readers” presented by Prof. Dr. Urs Maurer from the Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

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New insights into the metabolism of autism from researchers at UC San Diego could help inform early detection and prevention strategies for the disorder.

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A study that used artificial intelligence (AI) and social media posts to assess the rates of depression and anxiety in nearly half of American counties found that the AI-generated measurements produced more reliable assessments than population surveys. The findings are published in Nature Digital Medicine.

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Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have shed valuable light on the complex mechanisms by which a class of psychedelic drugs binds to and activates serotonin receptors to produce potential therapeutic effects in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety.

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UCLA Health is set to host a unique symposium this week to explore the evolving research in psychedelic therapies and how combining it with reconnection to natural world could help to amplify their mental health benefits.

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Pitch of experts and patients regarding mental health awareness month

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A new UC Davis study finds biomarkers that could identify patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome who are more likely to develop schizophrenia.

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A University of California, Irvine-led team has found evidence of a potential link between patterns of changes in a key pregnancy hormone – placental corticotropin-releasing hormone – and symptoms of postpartum depression.

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Researchers have analysed more than 30 years of Canadian criminal records to shed light on intimate partner homicide indicators.

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University of Miami specialists in health psychology and in mindfulness practices offer tips to help reframe how we perceive stress and shift our response to build resilience and support well-being.

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Acclaimed psychologist Roxane Cohen Silver of the University of California, Irvine – whose groundbreaking studies on stress and coping have advanced understanding of how traumatic incidents like terror attacks, infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters affect people – has been elected a member by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

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The Pediatric Emergency Department at Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital at Hackensack Meridian Children's Health has been awarded the accolade of becoming the first Emergency Department in New Jersey to earn the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).

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New research from the University of Washington shows the brain’s response to viewing errors in both the syntax (form) and semantics (meaning) of code appeared identical to those that occur when fluent readers process sentences on a word-by-word basis, supporting a resemblance between how people learn computer and natural languages.

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Drug effects have dominated the national conversation about psychedelics for medical treatment, but a new study suggests that when it comes to reducing depression with psychedelic-assisted therapy, what matters most is a strong relationship between the therapist and study participant.