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Even if someone that we do not know insults us, it is likely that our feelings get hurt. Why? That individual doesn’t even know you. Why grant creditability to strangers? [More]

Having access to nature during COVID-19 lockdowns is important for mental health. Researchers in Europe found that those living in European countries with strict COVID-19 lockdown policies were more likely to have symptoms of anxiety and depression. [More]

“Zoom fatigue” is a catchphrase for 2020 as the pandemic forced in person meetings online. But is there a better alternative? A study by Ericsson, “The Dematerialized Office”, predicts that augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) would “enable the experience of collaborating in the same room with colleagues.'' If this becomes a routine solution in the business world, it will likely become commonplace for personal use, including therapy. However, is this introducing another potential solution that people will grow tired of? [More]

Did you know that adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep per day and that adolescents need eight to ten hours? According to statistics from the Institute of Medicine, American adults and teens aren’t getting enough sleep. How does lack of sleep or sleep deprivation affect our brain’s reward system? An average of 50-70 million American adults have a sleep disorder. The most common sleep disorder is insomnia. Approximately 30 per cent of American adults say they have experienced short term insomnia while 10 per cent say they experience chronic insomnia. A new study published in eNeuro looked at sleep-deprivation and rewards using mice and cocaine. [More]

Levels of anxiety among young people in Britain doubled during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and first lockdown. Researchers say the findings could have implications for young people around the world grappling with the same challenges during COVID-19. [More]

The pandemic has been trying for many people this year - compounding mental health issues for those already battling them, and unveiling new ones for people who may not have realized they were bubbling beneath the surface. Now, add in a holiday season away from friends and family, and things may get even tougher. [More]

In an earlier post for Theravive, I examined how cartoons and comics might be a useful way to educate people on mental health concerns. This fall, I interviewed Cara Bean to learn about the process behind Vermont’s Center for Cartoon Studies released “Let’s Talk About It: A Graphic Guide To Mental Health” about its use for education. Recently, there was an article in the Open Library of Humanities about the perceived value in using comics to teach mental health professionals. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Nature looked at neurons, values, and our economic choices. “The behavior we engage in, for example, when we are sitting in a restaurant and contemplating the menu,” study author Dr. Camillo Paoda-Schioppa told us. “Let’s say that there are two options – pizza or burger. How do we make that choice?” Fifteen years ago, research in neuroscience demonstrated that values are real, in the sense that neurons in the brain compute and represent the values assigned to the various options. That result was a breakthrough, and a large number of studies subsequently confirmed the initial findings. However, it remained unclear whether and how neurons encoding values directly participate in the choice process. [More]

In a recent study, researchers surveyed 200 movies released between 1977 and 2019 with content about mental illness and found box office returns were higher than average. Those same movies received 15% of Oscar nominations during the time period. While the article still needs peer-review, the findings show that we, as a society, are doing a better job of talking about mental health. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics looked at kindergarten readiness, later health, and social costs. “We used kindergarten readiness measures to forecast later academic, psychological, and health risks by end of high school,” study author Linda Pagani told us. “We wanted long term evidence of the importance of ensuring that all children are ready to learn at the time of school entry was crucial to support the idea of that prevention for all kinds of social problems have their origins in early childhood.” [More]