March 9, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
Understanding how the pandemic and the lockdown is affecting the mental well-being of people is crucial for researchers and scientists to understand as well as government and health care practitioners. A new study published in PLOS ONE Journal looked at COVID-19 and mental health deterioration by ethnicity and gender in the UK, specifically looking at how the mental health of UK women and ethnic minorities are being affected by the pandemic.
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March 7, 2021
by Kimberly Lucey
A nation-wide Maternal Mental Health Month is coming up in May. Utah advocates say they hope other states will follow their initiative to focus local efforts on helping mothers, and bring more awareness to postpartum health issues and resources.
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March 5, 2021
by Tina Arnoldi
One-third of people working from home during COVID-19 are concerned about their mental health, according to the results of an Aetna survey with 4,000 people. Three-quarters of employees surveyed feel their decline in mental health impacted their productivity.
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March 2, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
Researchers of a new study published in the Journal of Molecular Neurobiology investigated the therapeutic potential of drugs that inhibit stress-induced epigenetic changes. “It is well described in the literature that stress triggers epigenetic modifications which result in changes in the expression of genes that code for proteins important for several functions in the brain, such as neurotransmitter signaling and neuroplasticity,” study author Sâmia Joca told us. “Impaired neuroplasticity and neurotransmitter signaling in limbic brain regions (responsible for emotion, affection, cognition and endocrine control) has been considered central mechanisms involved in depression neurobiology.”
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February 28, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Mindfulness, laughter and even robotic dogs may be some of the methods to help people cope with isolation and loneliness due to social distancing during COVID-19.
Researchers from Cambridge’s School of Medicine undertook a review examining existing evidence on the different approach to curbing loneliness and isolation, and found there are options to suit everyone.
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February 26, 2021
by Tina Arnoldi
A recent Gallup study reveals a positive connection between regular church attendance and a positive self-evaluation of one’s mental health. I invited experts to give their opinions on these findings and what it is about church attendance that contributes to positive mental health.
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February 26, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Teenagers who bully may be using aggression as a technique to climb the social ladder.
Research from UC Davis published recently in the American Journal of Sociology found that teens who harass, bully or victimize their peers don’t always do this due to an unhealthy home environment or due to psychological problems, but out of a desire to strategically move up in a school’s social hierarchy.
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February 25, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Psychologists in the UK have developed the first ever mind reading questionnaire designed to assess how well people understand what others are truly thinking.
The researchers from the University of Bath, Cardiff and London developed the new questionnaire and in doing so determined that women are much better at understanding what others may be thinking.
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February 23, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the journal, PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) looked at how childhood self-control forecasts the pace of midlife aging and preparedness for old age. “We studied whether as adults, children who exercise better self-control age more slowly, and are more prepared to manage the health, financial, and social demands of later life,” study author Leah Richmond-Rakerd told us. “We also investigated whether self-control in adulthood – not just childhood – is important for aging.” Prior studies have shown that people with better self-control live longer lives. Richmond-Rakerd and the team predicted that people with better self-control would also age more healthily, in midlife.
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In the American culture, dealing with loss, especially death, is a theme that few know how to handle. How long do I mourn? Am I allowed to laugh? These are among the questions that arise. There is, of course, no consensus as to what is appropriate. It is hard for mourners to accept that often the direction is dependent on the beliefs of the survivor.
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