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A new study published in Child Development looked at whether older children verify adult claims because they are skeptical of those claims. “When children between four and seven years old are told something surprising, for example that a smaller object is heavier than a much larger object, they will frequently pick up those objects,” study author Samuel Ronfard, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto at Mississauga told us. “Older children engage in such exploratory behavior more frequently than younger children.” [More]

50% of people who are pregnant or postpartum report feeling dissatisfied with their bodies. A small survey of 161 women aged between 18 and 45 who were either pregnant or postpartum found that more than half were unhappy with how they looked either during or following pregnancy. [More]

Two in three parents report that their children feel self-conscious about their appearance. A national poll found that one in five parents report their teens avoid some activities due to their insecurities and one in three parents report their kids have been treated unkindly due to their appearance. [More]

Having a partner was more beneficial at avoiding loneliness during the first wave of COVID-19 than having children. Research published in the European Journal of Ageing found that whilst those without children and those without a partner were more likely to be lonely, those without a partner underwent a notable shift in their loneliness in the early stages of the pandemic. [More]

Children who participate in extra-curricular activities are happier than their peers who spend their time playing video games or on social media. Whether it be music lessons, clubs, catch ups with friends or sports practice, children who did out of school activities had greater wellbeing. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Child Psychiatry and Human Development looked at the evidence for protective effects of peer play during the early years. “We were hoping to find out whether early play experiences with other children are important for later mental health and wellbeing,” study author Jenny Louise Gibson told us. “We think that play with others protects against future mental health challenges because it is a natural way for children to develop the cognitive and emotional maturity they need to build up a strong social network.” [More]

Cumulative exposure to trauma in childhood is a key indicator of suicide ideation in university students. Researchers from Trinity College in Dublin found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were a common cause of poor mental health in college students. [More]

Air pollution is associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents. Researchers at the University of Denver found that even in neighbourhoods that met air quality standards, exposure to ozone gas lead to symptoms like sadness, difficulties concentrating and thoughts of suicide in adolescents over time. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Neurobiology of Disease looked at organelle dysfunction in human astrocytes in Alzheimer’s Disease. “We have analyzed transcriptomic data (gene-expression data) from almost 800 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and controls to look for molecular signatures of astrocytes, a type of brain cell. Transcriptomes contain information about the cell genome, over 30,000 genes,” study author Elena Galea told us. [More]

A new study says perinatal mental illness rates have tripled during the pandemic. The study looked at the experiences of 670 women in the U.S. between February and July 2020. The women completed an online survey that contained the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Researchers found that one in three women screened positive for postpartum depression and one in five had major depressive symptoms. [More]