August 24, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A recent scientific statement by the American Heart Association published in the AHA Journal covered the topic of cardiovascular health in people who are transgender and gender diverse. “Our statement is about looking at people's health in the context of the world in which we live,” Writing Committee Chair, Carl G Streed told us. “It's about moving beyond blaming individuals for their health and looking at what is actually causing health disparities."
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August 10, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in PLOS ONE looked at how state-trait interactions in regulatory focus determines impulse buying behavior. “Our study looks at how a basic motivational theory (regulatory focus theory) can be applied to the phenomenon of impulse buying,” study author Anand Krishna told us. “Regulatory focus differentiates between a promotion focus, in which people are motivated by achieving potential gains or growth goals, and a prevention focus, in which people are motivated by avoiding losses or achieving security goals.”
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June 30, 2021
by Elizabeth Pratt
Toxic workplaces raises the risk of depression in workers by 30 percent.
Researchers from Australia found that employees of organizations who didn’t prioritize the mental health of their workers had an increased risk of being diagnosed with depression.
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June 8, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Neuropharmacology looked at whether a sensation-seeking trait confers a dormant susceptibility to addiction through intermittent cocaine self-administration in rats. The advantage of studying this phenomenon in rats is that researchers can examine what is different about the brains of high- versus low- sensation-seeking rats. This will help identify new targets for medications designed to treat cocaine use disorder.
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April 20, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Psychological Science looked at attitudes and feelings and whether they are fixed or fleeting. “We wanted to understand which opinions stick with a person for a long time and which ones fluctuate over time,” study author Matthew Rocklage told us.
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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 9, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry looked at repeated Ketamine administration for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “This study was the first randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of repeated ketamine infusions in improving PTSD symptoms in individuals suffering with chronic PTSD,” study author Adriana Feder told us.
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January 26, 2021
by Patricia Tomasi
new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry looked at subjective responses to alcohol in the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder. “There are heuristic scientific models as well as common folklore surrounding the issue of responses to alcohol in those who are at risk for, and who do become addicted,” study author Dr. Andrea King told us.
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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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