In new research, scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found for the first time that disruptions to a particular protein called Akt can lead to the brain changes characteristic of bipolar disorder. The results offer a foundation for research into treating the often-overlooked cognitive impairments of bipolar disorder, such as memory loss, and add to a growing understanding of how the biochemistry of the brain affects health and disease.
Keck Medicine of USC experts address how traumatic occurrences affect us even more in the age of COVID-19, and how people can cope with anxiety and fear.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may influence hormonal shifts during pregnancy as well as contribute to postpartum depression, according to a small study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
In 1890, psychologist William James described attention as the spotlight we shine not only on the world around us, but also on the contents of our minds.
Increased consumption of flavanols - a group of molecules occurring naturally in fruit and vegetables - could protect people from mental stress-induced cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart disease and thrombosis, according to new research.
A recent survey by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago shows the toll the pandemic is taking and estimates that 70,000 toddlers and children in the city—at a minimum—are showing symptoms that may be connected to detrimental mental and behavioral health.
To learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on TV journalists, researchers in the College of Social Work (CoSW) Self-Care Lab at the University of Kentucky conducted a national study.
Stress, increased free time and feelings of boredom may have contributed to an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked per day during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bullying at boarding schools has a negative impact on students’ emotional health, but for male students, having a school staff member to rely on for support may mute the harmful effects of bullying, according to a new University at Buffalo study. Support networks did not have the same effect for female students, the researchers say.
UC San Diego alumni make a gift of $1 million towards first-of-its-kind pediatric research. The Cathy and Richard Tryon Pediatric Facial/Psychological Trauma Research Fund will support research at UC San Diego to benefit pediatric patients who have suffered from traumatic facial deformities.
Harsh parenting practices, not genetics, are linked to higher levels of behavior problems in children, according to a new study in the March 2021 volume of Psychological Science, which studied pairs of twins whose parents disciplined them differently.
The University of Michigan Board of Regents today approved the renaming of the U-M Depression Center for Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg and their family, in recognition of their transformational $30 million total giving to depression research and scholarship.
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers report that opioid users who participated in a 12-step abstinence program and recently stopped using drugs refused to take home naloxone, even if having it on hand might save lives.
UC San Diego scientists have taken the connection between wisdom, loneliness and biology one step further, reporting that wisdom and loneliness appear to influence — and/or be influenced by — microbial diversity of the gut.
Dr. James Lee is a Korean-American resident in psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. His perspective, “Combating anti-Asian sentiment — a practical guide for clinicians,” was published March 24 in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Being persistently lonely during midlife (ages 45-64) appears to make people more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) later in life. However, people who recover from loneliness, appear to be less likely to suffer from dementia, compared to people who have never felt lonely.
Family-centered prevention programs that foster protective caregiving can buffer the negative effects of racial discrimination on young Black people, according to a study published by University of Georgia researchers.
With heavy workloads and high professional and personal demands, medical residents in training – and those in urology residency programs – face a high risk of burnout. At one urology department, a wellness program designed by and for residents produced meaningful reductions in burnout risks, reports a study in Urology Practice®, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
For the past decade, researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Washington State University, and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System have conducted successful studies on harm reduction in Seattle homeless shelters. The researchers offer great advice on how to cut back on drinking.
College students’ alcohol consumption fell during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, notwithstanding concerns that the pandemic may drive up the risk of problematic drinking, according to new studies in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The findings point to changing living conditions as a key influence, and a shift from heavy drinking with peers to lighter drinking with families. College students’ drinking is a longstanding public health concern in the US and international research on the effects of the pandemic has had mixed findings. Some studies have highlighted the drinking risks associated with pandemic stressors, disruptions, and deprivations, and increased depression, anxiety, and loneliness among college students. On the other hand, the closure of liquor stores and bars, the cancellation of events, and financial limitations may be protective against problematic drinking. Understanding how students’ alcohol use changed during the pandemic, and the reasons behind th
The Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted the mental health of young people, with increased levels of clinical depression being identified, a new study published in the journal Psychiatry Research reports. A decrease in alcohol consumption was also identified amongst young people during the pandemic.
The fear, anxiety and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on mental health. But a new study suggests these symptoms may be alleviated through safe and convenient online mindfulness practices.
A comprehensive review published today in Nature Medicine offers an initial glimpse of the multi-organ effects of long-term COVID-19 and suggests a framework for the care of COVID-19 long-haulers through dedicated, multidisciplinary clinics.
A new research review identifies personality traits that have been associated with positive and negative experiences on psychedelics being tested for therapeutic purposes in previous studies, information that could help predict how future clinical trial participants will respond to the drugs.
Studies show that social and emotional learning could reduce school violence and harassment, while improving attendance, graduation rates and perceptions of school climate. But Maurice Elias, a professor of psychology and director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Developmental Lab, says in order for that to occur, social and emotional learning (SEL) must become the norm in schools nationwide.
The United States ranks lowest in overall policies to help support children in lower-income families. A study of 20 developed nations found that more flexible work hours and paid leave are more effective for children’s psychological health than cash transfers.
The study used data collected from 44,817 participants enrolled in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a large, national population-based study of health and aging. The participants completed questionnaires about adverse childhood experiences through telephone and face-to-face interviews between 2015 and 2018.
Recent generations show a worrying decline in health compared to their parents and grandparents when they were the same age, a new national study reveals.
There is a growing body of evidence that exposure to green space is good for our health but a new study from the University of Adelaide has found that this may equally be due to how much light we are exposed to at night.
A new study led by a psychology researcher at IUPUI has found evidence that feelings of 'work loneliness' during the pandemic are associated with greater depression -- and also that self-compassion seems to mitigate these negative effects.
Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that more than 50% of children in high-risk populations in the United States are not receiving behavioral health services that could improve their developmental outcomes when it comes to mental and physical health problems.
A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports on the young adult assessment of the now 20-year longitudinal Boricua Youth Study (BYS), a large cohort that brings much needed insight about development and mental health of children from diverse ethnic background growing up in disadvantaged contexts.
While play and playfulness have been studied well in children, their structure and consequences are understudied in adults. A new article published in Social and Personality Psychology Compass highlights available research on this topic and also examines why playfulness is important in romantic relationships.
A physician who has recovered from burnout and is now working to help other physicians develop resiliency, the Co-Director of the Early Trama Intervention Research Lab and a counseling psychologist with expertise in Compassion Fatigue take an inside look at the complex issue of health care worker burnout, the culture in which it exists and potential solutions.
Recent research shows that people are more likely to take “microbreaks” at work on days when they’re tired – but that’s not a bad thing. The researchers found microbreaks help tired employees engage with their work better over the course of the day.
Researchers found two simultaneous conditions in pregnancy's response to stress that made them realize just how complex the cross-talk between mom and baby is during gestation: Immune cells in the placenta and uterus were not activated, but significant inflammation was detected in the fetal brain.