New Study Looks To Identify Regions In the Brain Where Anxiety-Associated Genes Are Expressed A new study published in the Journal of Translational Psychiatry looked at the spatiotemporal expression patterns of anxiety disorder-associated genes. “There are a substantial number of neuroimaging and microstimulation studies that identify neural circuits linked to anxiety as a trait or specific anxious behaviors such as pessimistic decision-making,” study author Kalyani B. Karunakaran told us. [More]
How Much Do The Holidays Stress You Out? A Lot According To A New Survey A new survey was recently released by the American Heart Association regarding health habits during the holidays. The survey found that nearly 80 per cent of people overlook their health needs during the holidays. “The survey is about the general trends and attitudes U.S. adults have about stress during the holiday season,” Dr. Glenn Levine told us. Dr. Levine is a volunteer medical expert from the American Heart Association. [More]
New Study Looks At Pet And Owner Personality And Mental Well-Being A new study published in iScience looked at whether pet and owner personality and mental wellbeing associate with attachment to cats and dogs. “We delved into the personality and mental wellbeing profiles of both owners and their pets (cats and dogs) concerning owners’ attachment insecurity, explicitly focusing on avoidant and anxious attachment styles,” study author Aada Ståhl told us. [More]
1 In 5 Parents Worried Their Holiday Stress Negatively Impacts Their Kids Parents are feeling the pressure this holiday season. Data from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan Health found one in five parents think their children have unrealistic expectations of the holiday, and one in four parents admit they themselves set overly idealistic expectations for the holidays. [More]
Holiday Spending Causing Stress For Adults Across US Adults across the country are feeling festive but overwhelmed this holiday season. A new poll by the American Psychological Association found 89% of respondents are stressed about not having enough money for the holidays, missing loved ones and family conflict. [More]
The Case For Screening Black Pregnant People For Depression, Anxiety, and Stress A new study published in PubMed looked at the case for screening and evidence-based intervention in pregnant Black people to detect depression, anxiety, and stress. “As part of a larger randomized clinical trial to determine whether a newly created cognitive-behavioral skills building intervention is effective in improving the mental health of pregnant people of color, we screened Black pregnant women for anxiety, depression, and stress,” study author Susan Gennaro RN, PhD, FAAN told us. [More]
New Study Looks At Benzodiazepine Prescribing Patters For Homeless Veterans A recently published study looked at benzodiazepine prescriptions for homeless veterans affairs service users with mental illness. “People experiencing homelessness are at high risk for substance use disorders, overdose, and death,” study author Dr. Katherine A. Koh told us. “Benzodiazepines are medications that are known to increase risk of overdose particularly when combined with other sedating medications. [More]
Exploring The Brain For More Clues In The Treatment Of Depression A recent review in the Journal of Trends in Pharmacological Sciences was written by four scientists from different universities -- Dr. Bernhard Luscher from Penn State University, Dr. Jamie Maguire from Tufts University, Dr. Uwe Rudolph from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Dr. Etienne Sibille from the University of Toronto -- who have a longstanding interest in the role that GABAA receptors play in the brain, specifically for the development and therapy of depression. [More]
Pregnant Women Experience A Wide Variation In Body Image Women experience a large variation in perceptions of their own body during pregnancy. Research published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that average levels of body image dissatisfaction was similar in pregnant and non-pregnant, but there were significant differences between individuals. [More]
Why Keeping A Secret Can Make You Feel Alive Keeping secrets may actually brighten your day. Research has found that keeping good news a secret makes people more alive and energized. [More]