March 16, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Time spent outside and nature-based activities could counteract some of the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19 on adolescents.
Researchers from North Carolina State University found that outdoor based activities helped teens cope with major stressors, and restricting such opportunities could have negative mental health implications.
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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 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 18, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Life in a pandemic for married couples can lead to feelings of sadness and anger.
Many couples across the country are co-existing at home for extended periods due to COVID-19.
Now, researchers have found the more a person feels their spouse disrupts their daily lives, the more they view their relationship as turbulent.
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February 16, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published the Journal of Preventative Medicine looked at psychological distress in the United States before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the first longitudinal study of psychological distress during the pandemic in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, serious psychological distress includes mental health problems severe enough to require treatment and cause moderate to serious impairment in one’s daily life in the areas of schooling, social relationships, and work environments.
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January 31, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Those who are religious use the same coping strategies when facing a crisis as those recommended by psychologists.
A study in The Journal of Religion and Health found that religious people use emotion-regulation strategies (like looking at hardships in a positive way). Psychologists refer to this as cognitive reappraisal.
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January 5, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
Anxiety is an emotion that is central to human experience which can also cause immense suffering for millions of children and adults when it goes awry. A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience looked at the biological roots of anxiety. “Anxiety disorders are the most common family of mental illnesses, and they impose a staggered burden on global public health and the economy,” study author Alexander J. Shackman told us.
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December 19, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
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.
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December 14, 2020
by Elizabeth Pratt
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.
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