Feature Channels: Psychology and Psychiatry

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Higher levels of racial inequality in political disenfranchisement are linked to negative health outcomes in Black populations in the United States, according to a new Florida State University study.Assistant Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of the Public Health Program Patricia Homan, the study’s lead author, said it revealed that racialized disenfranchisement is accompanied by health problems including depression, physical limitations and disability.

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Most patients who show signs of alcohol or opioid/stimulant drug use associated with injury now undergo screening and/or intervention in Level I and II trauma centers, according to national survey results.

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Exposure to alcohol in the womb exacerbates children’s vulnerability to social and environmental stressors and to mental health issues in adulthood, according to a new study. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is known to cause neurocognitive and physical conditions, including facial and growth abnormalities. Previous research has also linked PAE to long-term mental health effects, though these outcomes are not well understood. This is partly because the impact of alcohol exposure before birth is difficult to separate from the effects of other early social and environmental stressors, including adverse childhood experiences, that often accompany PAE. For the new study in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigators compared mental health conditions among adults who’d been exposed to alcohol before birth with those who weren’t. They also explored the role of early childhood adversity and other social and environmental factors on mental health.

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Here are some of the latest articles we've posted in the Physical Science channel.

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A long-term study by UC Davis MIND Institute researchers finds significant changes in brain development linked to anxiety in autistic children. The study, which included brain scans and interviews, also provides new evidence that supports forms of anxiety specific to autism.

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Patients physically recovering from traumatic injury are at risk for experiencing psychological distress, particularly depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Early identification of depression and PTSD risk while under the care of the trauma service is essential to supporting the comprehensive recovery of injured patients.

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Far from being hobbled by fears of COVID-19, lung cancer patients actually showed less depression and anxiety during the pandemic than their healthy peers, a new study found.

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Nationally renowned psychologist and anxiety specialist Thea Gallagher, PsyD, has joined the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health

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People at risk of developing alcohol use disorder show lower functional connectivity between brain regions involved in processing facial expressions. Future psychoeducation programs focused on improving social and emotional processing may help prevent alcohol use disorder.

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In new research published in Liver International, researchers at Henry Ford Health System have found that people hospitalized for alcoholic hepatitis – a life threatening liver disease fueled by alcohol use – increased a staggering 50 percent in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers said the role of gender and race had no meaningful impact on the spike in admissions.

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MRI scans of children aged 9–10 years with ADHD showed few differences in structural brain measurements compared to their unaffected peers, according to a study led by a Duke University School of Medicine researcher.

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A new study found that adults living with spinal cord injuries have a near-80% increased risk of developing psychological conditions, such as depression or anxiety, compared to people without the traumatic injury. They also found chronic centralized and neuropathic pain was robustly associated with mental health conditions. In most cases, chronic pain was an even greater influence on these conditions than exposure to living with the injury itself.

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An international consortium with researchers from 13 countries has investigated the impact of Covid-19 related social isolation measures on 2,200 young infants and toddlers between 8 and 36 months of age.

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Children are having difficulty recognizing faces that are partially covered by masks. This could potentially impact social interactions with peers and educators, as well as the ability to form important relationships, according to a new study led by York University.

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A culturally underprivileged childhood increases a person’s risk of being less physically active in adulthood. This risk is greater for women than for men, according to new research published in the journal Psychological Science.

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As the world shifts its attention to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, it brings another opportunity to shine a spotlight on the mental health of athletes. Experts at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center stress the importance of combining the care of sports psychologists and sports psychiatrists to support the unique mental health challenges athletes face, whether it’s recovering from an injury or coping with the pressures of competition.

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Irvine, Calif., Feb. 7, 2022 — The estate of Audrey Steele Burnand has gifted $57.75 million to the University of California, Irvine to fund the creation of a new campuswide center that will pursue research into the causes and treatment of depression and also support the UCI-managed Steele/Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center.

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A U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory released in December, titled “Protecting Youth Mental Health,” unveiled several troubling trends when it comes to the mental health of school-aged children.

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When the nearest psychiatrist’s office is dozens or even hundreds of miles away, a virtual connection may be enough to help people living with serious mental health conditions get effective care through their local primary care clinic, a new study shows.

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Tulane researchers say that despite vaccinations and lifted restrictions, mental health issues continue to be a crucial concern as the COVID-19 pandemic enters a recovery phase.

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Theodore Beauchaine and his colleagues break down the cognitive shortcuts that can affect how we assess risk and decide to behave in the face of the pandemic in a recent paper in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

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Parents of children with cancer experience stress as they navigate and manage their child’s illness. Karen Long-Traynor, PhD, clinical psychologist in the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey whose current research focuses on psychological support for parents during their child’s treatment and through survivorship, shares more on the impact of childhood cancer on parents and ways to cope.

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Unless you live to ski, take polar bear plunges or are like Bill Murray in the movie version of “Groundhog Day,” forever trapped in a blizzard like a bug in amber, Punxsutawney Phil’s most recent forecast might have been unwelcome. For those with Seasonal Affective Disorder, the change of seasons is serious business.

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A new academic psychiatric hospital, part of the John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center, will combine the most advanced patient care, research, and education when it opens next month at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) in partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Texas Medical Center.

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New research from Wellesley College in the Journal of Vision found that bar graphs are frequently misunderstood. The study demonstrates that because of a fundamental error and misunderstanding of data, people who view exactly the same graph often walk away with completely different understandings of the facts it represents.

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Researchers looked at gender differences relative to wisdom, using two different validated scales and found that, in general, women scored higher on compassion-related items and on self-reflection while men scored higher on cognitive-related items and on emotional regulation.

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Secrets are a social phenomenon among humans. Some would say it’s part of our social fabric, to talk about others, to gossip, to divulge another person’s deepest secret. But when, and maybe more importantly, why, would someone divulge another person’s secret to others? According to a new study by researchers at Arizona State University and Columbia University, the divulging of a secret has a direct correlation to a person’s morals.

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Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison have revealed the importance of a specific type of connection between brain cells that may explain ketamine’s potential as a treatment for depression.

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Data from a UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science study point to as much as a 27% increase in heart disease risk in postmenopausal women who experience both high levels of social isolation and loneliness.

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Holistic well-being advocate Portia A. Jackson Preston, DrPH, MPH, says former Miss USA apparent suicide should remind us all to practice sustainable self-care, and seek help via therapy.

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A Cleveland Clinic survey finds 41% of Americans have experienced at least one heart-related issue since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, with top issues including shortness of breath (18%), dizziness (15%), increased blood pressure (15%) and chest pain (13%). In addition, about one in four Americans (27%) who have tested positive for COVID-19 report that their diagnosis has impacted their heart health.

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When people choose between two high-value items, their decisions tend to be fast and accurate, a new study showed – exactly the opposite of what many scientists expected.

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New research from Michigan State University and the Ohio State University reveals how CEO narcissism during a crisis can influence the behavior of middle managers, which may have implications for the firm overall.

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Artificial intelligence (AI)-based scheduling significantly improves physician engagement and reduces burnout by creating fair and flexible schedules that support work-life balance — even during the COVID-19 pandemic — according to research being presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ADVANCE 2022, the Anesthesiology Business Event.

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Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, young people are in the midst of a mental health crisis. A psychologist at CHLA says that comprehensive support services and positive role models are crucial.

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A strong majority of American adults over 50 -- including the 37% of older adults who own guns or live with someone who does -- supports specific steps that could reduce the risk of firearm injury and death, a new national study shows. The study also highlights opportunities to help older adults recognize and address the risks in their own homes.

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Sometimes the words we choose say more than we intend. New research on a fact-checked collection of tweets from former president Donald Trump uncovered telltale word choices when he was being deliberately misleading.

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Denise Vidot, a University of Miami epidemiologist who has studied the impact of cannabis on well-being for a decade, has broadened her laboratory’s research to include psilocybin, aiming to explain a surge in use of both substances during the pandemic.

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A new longitudinal study takes a deep dive into adolescent self-esteem and the role that parents – specifically mothers – and friends play in shaping how youth feel about themselves.