Feature Channels: Psychology and Psychiatry

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Children who suddenly appear to lose the thread of an otherwise obvious conversation often do so because they cannot combine two key communicative skills until surprisingly late in their development, researchers have found.

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"On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the appearance of your breasts?" For nearly 40% of women after breast reconstruction, perceptions are substantially better or worse compared to ratings by third-party observers, concludes a study in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

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Few would argue that romantic partners have the potential to shift each other’s beliefs and behaviors, but what about their views on climate change specifically? Up until now there’s been little analysis of the dynamics of climate change conversations in romantic relationships and how the beliefs of one partner can influence the other.

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A University of Pittsburgh study suggests that while American workers who work alongside industrial robots are less likely to suffer physical injury, they are more likely to suffer from adverse mental health effects — and even more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.

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UC San Diego Health study identifies the main job stressors contributing to physician suicides.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on many people’s lives. Emerging adults may have been particular impacted, given their transition from adolescence to adulthood during such a time of upheaval, with their educational and career aspirations thrown into disarray. A new study has found that the risk for depression tripled among young people – particularly younger women – during the pandemic, and that this risk persisted into 2021.

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Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have identified specific elements of tone and style in online speech that are linked to hyperpartisan echo chambers. These language markers could also prove useful for flagging spaces where disinformation may be likely to emerge.

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In the Chicago area, pediatric mental health Emergency Department (ED) visits increased 27 percent at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a 4 percent increase monthly through February 2021, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. The authors found increased ED visits for suicide, self-injury and disruptive behaviors, as well as higher admission rates for these children.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, policy interventions designed to reduce the virus’ spread included shelter-in-place (SIP) orders and phased “reopenings” of public spaces. Knowing that adult alcohol and substance use generally rose during the pandemic due to factors such as stress, boredom, worsening mental health, and increased alcohol availability, a new study sought to understand the impact of SIPs and reopenings on adolescent alcohol use in California. Analysis shows SIP decreased frequency of alcohol use. Also, compliance with SIP orders was associated with decreased frequency and quantity of use.

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Most teachers focus on academic considerations when assigning seats. A new study is the first to show that these classroom seat assignments also have important implications for children’s friendships and the enormous influence that teachers wield over the interpersonal lives of children.

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Researchers at Osaka University use a semi-autonomous robot to better understand the psychological connections between machine and user, which may help improve future industrial safety and remote control of automata.

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The latest expert commentary and research on SCOTUS decisions, including the overturn of Roe v. Wade

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A long-term study has shown a common bone density scan can also show calcified plaque build-up in the abdominal aorta - revealing if someone is at increased risk of developing dementia

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UCSF is welcoming its first patients to the Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building, a one-of-a-kind treatment center that aims to redefine mental health services and make a bold statement against stigma.

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Young adolescents who are targets of cyberbullying are more likely to report suicidal thoughts and attempts, an association that goes above and beyond the link between suicidality and traditional offline bullying.

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Military sexual trauma (MST) can have a corrosive impact on trust within the U.S. military, as well as a number of negative effects on the individual. A recent study has examined the prevalence of MST history among U.S. Army Reserve/National Guard (USAR/NG) soldiers, the extent to which MST history predicts risk for alcohol misuse and problems, and potential sex differences in these experiences and outcomes. Findings indicate that MST is alarmingly prevalent for both female and male service members; in fact, the prevalence of MST appears to be much higher for male service members than is often reported.

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People are less morally outraged when gender discrimination occurs because of an algorithm rather than direct human involvement, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

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Social ties may demonstrate both a strengthening of interpersonal relationships and also a manifestation of empathic distress and stigma-related anxiety. The pandemic has provided substantial anecdotal data concerning anxiety, conflicts, and cognitive flexibility.

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Prior research has demonstrated greater addiction vulnerability in women; for example, women advance from casual substance use to addiction at a faster rate, experience more severe withdrawal symptoms, exhibit higher rates of relapse, and have less treatment success than men. A new study shows that biobehavioral interactions in alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among women are cyclical in nature: women’s greater risk of personal histories of trauma coupled with a greater vulnerability to alcohol-related brain deficits can lead to more severe AUD effects.

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Checkout Newswise list of top four Gun Control/Gun Violence Experts from leading universities, colleges and institutions, spreading awareness about gun violence.

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Mass shooters frequently share their plans, creating opportunities to intervene. Experts from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program provide an overview of the research on mass shootings and the “red flag” laws or extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) designed to stop them.

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When states enact hate crime laws that protect LGBTQ populations, the rate of suicide attempts among high school students drops significantly, and not just among sexual and gender minority students, but among heterosexual students as well, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

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Findings from a new University of California San Diego Rady School of Management study reveal people often hurt others because in their mind, it is morally right or even obligatory to be violent and as a result, they do not respond rationally to material benefits.

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June is Aphasia Awareness Month and the members of the Summer Aphasia Arts Program held a concert, theatrical performance and an art exhibit after honing their artistic skills over two weeks.

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Irvine, Calif., June 21, 2022 — If you are skilled at playing puzzles on your smartphone or tablet, what does it say about how fast you learn new puzzles, or more broadly, how well can you focus in school or at work? In the language of psychologists, does “near transfer” predict “far transfer”? A team of psychologists from the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Riverside reports in Nature Human Behavior that people who show near transfer are more likely to show far transfer.

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International researchers in four countries of the "Global North," including Canada, are looking into how majority and majority faiths are dealing with life after the pandemic.

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Whether it’s sports practice, music lessons or a casual catch up with friends, when children are involved in after-school activities, they’re more likely to feel happier and healthier than their counterparts who are glued to a screen.

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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved a new doctoral degree in occupational therapy (OTD) at The University of Texas at El Paso. The OTD is the highest level of academic preparation that an entry-level occupational therapist can obtain. It is expected to be the required degree program to enter the occupational therapy profession in the coming years.

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Nearly 3 in 10 Americans (28%) say insomnia has a negative impact on their daily lives, according to a new survey from the AASM. On June 21, Insomnia Awareness Night will drive awareness about chronic insomnia and discuss healthy ways to treat it.

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Previous research has described how virtual training produces acute cognitive and neural benefits. Building on those results, a new study suggests that a similar virtual training can also reduce psychosocial stress and anxiety.

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The majority of apps preschool-aged children use are designed to make money off their digital experiences, a new study suggests.

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Repeated exposure to hurricanes, whether direct, indirect or media-based, is linked to adverse psychological symptoms and may be associated with increased mental health problems, according to a first-of-its kind study led by University of California, Irvine researchers.

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In one of the first studies to look at the association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) medications and brain development in young children, research from the Behavioral Research and Imaging Neurogenetics (BRAIN)Lab at Washington University in St. Louis found no association between children’s exposure to the drugs in the womb and later childhood depression.

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that although there have been steady increases in the number of people nationwide who die by suicide, such increases have slowed in states that have implemented Medicaid expansion.

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With stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, youth spent more time at home with family and were more isolated from in-person interaction with peers. Largely due to this social isolation from peers, substance use among youth declined, according to researchers at the WVU School of Public Health.

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Most research on children involved with the child welfare system focuses on the negative consequences, such as depression and suicide.