April 29, 2023
by Elizabeth Pratt
Having low levels of stress and a four year college degree are strongly associated with psychological resilience in women 80 and over.
Researchers from The Ohio State University found that stronger social support and higher levels of self-rated health were also helpful in building resilience.
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April 25, 2023
by Patricia Tomasi
A new recently published study looked at robotic mental well-being coaches for the workplace. “This study investigated the use and deployment of two different robotic forms to deliver positive psychology exercises over four weeks, and how the robotic form impacts on the coachee’s robotic coach perceptions, robotic coach personality, and robotic coach-coachee alliance,” study author Micol Spitale told us. “We hypothesized that the design features, such as the form, may impact the coachees’ perceptions towards the robotic coach.”
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April 18, 2023
by Patricia Tomasi
There has been a lot of research into how leaders with low self-esteem are likely to cause toxic stress at work. Simon L. Dolan, author of De-Stress at Work: Understanding and Combatting Chronic Stress has brought together the research into a book. In the chapter about toxic leaders specifically, he summarizes and analyses the results of many other studies and he has done many studies himself. “The underlying concept behind this book, is to demystify the concept of chronic stress,” Dolan told us. “It is poorly understood, poorly used, and there are no, or very few, valid diagnostic tools available to professionals in the field."
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March 30, 2023
by Elizabeth Pratt
People with PTSD or are at high risk of PTSD have specific patterns in four types of biomarkers that can be measured through a blood test.
The research suggests the biomarkers could be used as a tool to predict whether a person is likely to develop PTSD, as well as help diagnose the condition and monitor how effectively someone is responding to treatment.
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March 28, 2023
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology looked at a longitudinal assessment of COVID-19 fear and psychological wellbeing in the United Kingdom. “Our study examined how fear of the COVID-19 virus impacted psychological wellbeing in a UK population at two different timepoints during the pandemic,” study author Martyn Quigley told us. “The first timepoint took place when the number of COVID-19 related deaths and hospitalizations were high and the number of those who were vaccinated were low. The second timepoint took place when the number of deaths and hospitalizations were considerably lower, and most of the population were vaccinated.”
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January 29, 2023
by Elizabeth Pratt
Daily engagement in political news can have a negative impact on mental health, but disengaging can also have consequences.
Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that strategies to manage the negative emotions that come from daily engagement may also reduce an individual’s motivation to act on what they care about politically.
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January 24, 2023
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in Education Researcher looked at teachers’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our study investigated teachers’ mental health throughout the pandemic, comparing outcomes between teachers and other professionals,” study author Joseph M. Kush told us.
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October 31, 2022
by Elizabeth Pratt
27% of Americans say they are so stressed they can’t function.
A poll from the American Psychological Association (APA) found that more than a quarter of Americans are facing significant stressors due to external stressors that are beyond their personal control.
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September 27, 2022
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in Psychiatry Research looked at whether perceived stress can be linked to enhanced cognitive functioning and a reduced risk for psychopathology. “Our study tested whether low to moderate levels of perceived stress are associated with benefits in cognitive functions and mental health,” study author Assaf Oshri told us. “We relied on the Hormesis model, which is from the field of toxicology- assuming that not all stress is bad for the organism and that there is a threshold of stress from which stress is bad for you.”
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September 13, 2022
by Patricia Tomasi
A new study published in the NeuroReport for Rapid Communication of Neuroscience Research looked at high-frequency ultrasound exposure and whether it could improve depressive-like behavior in an olfactory bulbectomized rat model of depression. “It is well known that whole-body exposure to high frequency ultrasound increases brain activity in humans,” study author Akiyoshi Saitoh. “However, little is known about its impact and associated mechanisms on emotional states like depression. In the present study, we demonstrated the anti-depressant effects of ultrasound exposure in a rodent model of depression.”
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