Psychology / Psychiatry News From Medical News Today

Facebook Use Affects Mood Differently To Stress And Relaxation

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Researchers measured people's physical and psychological responses while they used Facebook, performed a stressful task, or just relaxed, and found each of these activities appears to have a different effect on mood and arousal. Dr...

Facebook Use Elevates Mood

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

People visit social networking sites such as Facebook for many reasons, including the positive emotional experience that people enjoy and want to repeat, according to an article in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. The article is available free online...

Child Sex Abuse Victims Blamed More By Parents If Perpetrator Is Another Youth

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Parents are much more likely to blame and doubt their children when their child has been sexually abused by another adolescent instead of an adult, according to new research from the Crimes against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire...

The Health Impacts Of Comparing Yourself To Others

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Comparing yourself to others with the same health problem can influence your physical and emotional health, according to researchers who conducted a qualitative synthesis of over 30 studies focusing on the relationship between social comparisons and health...

New Study: The Dark Path To Antisocial Personality Disorder

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

With no lab tests to guide the clinician, psychiatric diagnostics is challenging and controversial...

Football Withdrawal Coping Tips

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Millions of football fans will experience withdrawal symptoms now that the Super Bowl and football season is over. When an individual experiences pleasurable activity, such as watching a football game, dopamine is released in the nucleus accumbens region of the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) related to the brain's pleasure centers...

Association Between Mild Cognitive Impairment, Disability And Neuropsychiatric Symptoms

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

In low- and middle-income countries, mild cognitive impairment - an intermediate state between normal signs of cognitive aging, such as becoming increasingly forgetful, and dementia, which may or may not progress - is consistently associated with higher disability and with neuropsychiatric symptoms but not with most socio-demographic factors, according to a large study publishe...

Too Much Emphasis On Time And Money Affects Happiness

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

What does "free time" mean to you? When you're not at work, do you pass the time -- or spend it? The difference may impact how happy you are. A new study shows people who put a price on their time are more likely to feel impatient when they're not using it to earn money. And that hurts their ability to derive happiness during leisure activities...

The Best Medicine For A Stressed Worker

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

A worker experiencing the stress of intense workdays might develop somatic symptoms, such as stomach ache or headache, which will eventually lead to taking leave of absence. But when the individual's supervisor offers emotional and instrumental support, the employee is more likely to recover without needing to take that extra afternoon or day off...

Working Memory And The Brain

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Researchers have long known that specific parts of the brain activate when people view particular images. For example, a region called the fusiform face area turns on when the eyes glance at faces, and another region called the parahippocampal place area does the same when a person looks at scenes or buildings...

Spanking Undermines A Child's Long-Term Development

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:00 PST

Spanking children may harm their long-term development, making them more aggressive towards their peers, siblings, parents, as well as spouses later in life, researchers from the University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, report in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Their study tracked children for two decades...

Online Dating Falls Short, But Offers Some Benefits

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

Online dating has become a billion dollar industry and is today a common way for people to meet potential mates - however, a new report written by researchers from Northwestern University and published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest has said that online dating websites fall short of their potential, make several phony claims, but do offer some benefits...

Preventing Obesity Through Positive Parenting During Early Childhood

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Programs that support parents during their child's early years hold promise for obesity prevention, according to a new study in the online issue of Pediatrics. Today, one out of five American children is obese. Young children who are overweight are five times more likely than their peers of normal weight to be obese by adolescence...

Weight Management Programs For African-American Women Are More Successful If Held In A Church

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

As a brand new year gets underway, people all over America are resolving to better manage their weight and have a more healthy 2012. According to a new study, those starting new weight loss programs may be surprised to find out that both location and level of experience may influence their success...

How To Boost The Power Of Pain Relief, Without Drugs

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Placebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction - say, doing a puzzle - relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex...

Memory And Silence - A Complex Relationship

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

People who suffer a traumatic experience often don't talk about it, and many forget it over time. But not talking about something doesn't always mean you'll forget it; if you try to force yourself not to think about white bears, soon you'll be imagining polar bears doing the polka...

When Caring For Older People, Dignity Counts

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Older people feel that their health problems pose a challenge to their sense of independence, dignity and identity and sometimes the health care they are given makes things worse. According to research funded by UK Research Councils' New Dynamics of Ageing programme (NDA), healthcare providers must avoid taking a 'blanket view' of how to help older people cope with the ageing process...

Distinguishing Between The Forgetful And Those At Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

It can be difficult to distinguish between people with normal age-associated memory loss and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However people with aMCI are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), and identification of these people would mean that they could begin treatment as early as possible...

Does A Lab-Measured Compassionate Brain Fare Well In Real Life?

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:00:00 PST

A new series of studies is being launched by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, exploring insight knowledge on how laboratory measures of moral qualities, such as compassion, relate to real-life behavior. Founder of the UW's Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM), Dr. Richard J. Davidson at the Waisman Center, was awarded a three-year, $1...

Genetic Connection To Traumatic Experience

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PST

Rutgers scientists have uncovered genetic clues as to why some mice no longer in danger are still fearful while others are resilient to traumatic experiences - knowledge that could help those suffering with crippling anxiety and PTSD...

Suicide Recommendations Lead To Drop In Suicides Across England And Wales

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:00 PST

According to new research published by The Lancet, there has been a substantial decrease in suicide rates among health authorities across England and Wales that adopted a new range of suicide recommendations...

Measures Must Be Taken To Prevent Depression In Adolescents

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:00:00 PST

As one of the most common, unrecognized and untreated health problems among young people, tackling depression is a serious priority for countries worldwide. The psychiatric disorder causes serious social and educational problems for patients, as well as leading to increased risk of suicide and substance abuse...

Mentoring Helps Survivors Of Violence, Child Abuse

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

Can mentoring relationships help female students who survive childhood abuse or domestic violence? Absolutely, according to new research from Concordia University, published in the Journal of College Student Development...

For Those With Low Self-Esteem, Facebook Is Not Such A Good Thing

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

In theory, the social networking website Facebook could be great for people with low self-esteem. Sharing is important for improving friendships...

What Real Commitment To Your Marriage Means

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PST

What does being committed to your marriage really mean? UCLA psychologists answer this question in a new study based on their analysis of 172 married couples over the first 11 years of marriage. "When people say, 'I'm committed to my relationship,' they can mean two things," said study co-author Benjamin Karney, a professor of psychology and co-director of the Relationship Institute at UCLA...

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