Levels of gender inequality across the world are associated with disproportionate death rates among girls under five years old, according to a study led by Queen Mary University of London. The analysis of data from 195 countries suggests that the unequal treatment of females in society could be interfering with the natural biological advantage they […]
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Attending the ‘best’ high school may yield benefits and risks for students
Parents often go to great lengths to ensure that their children attend top schools, surrounded by high-achieving peers who often come from advantaged backgrounds. But data collected from individuals over a span of 50 years suggests that these aspects of selective schools aren’t uniformly beneficial to students’ educational and professional outcomes in the following decades. […]
Rethinking lethality in youth suicide attempts: Firearms are a major factor in first suicide attempts in youth ages 10 to 24
First suicide attempts are more lethal than previously realized, reports a study of children and adolescents published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). Seventy-one percent of youth dying by suicide did so on their first attempt, also known as the “index” attempt; the authors also found that firearms […]
Breastfeeding changes gene activity that may make babies less reactive to stress
It has long been known that there are many physical and mental health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies. But can these benefits be due to genetic changes induced by breastfeeding? New research suggests that connection. The research, published in the September 2018 edition of the Pediatrics, was led by Barry M. Lester, PhD, […]
Toddlers prefer winners, but avoid those who win by force
They have only just learnt to walk and talk — and have only just started to develop social relationships with children of their own age. Yet, these tiny toddlers already use cues of social status to decide which people they prefer or would rather avoid. This has just been established by researchers from Aarhus BSS […]
Anxiety, depression, other mental distress may increase heart attack, stroke risk in adults over 45
Adults ages 45 or older who experience psychological distress such as depression and anxiety may have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal. In a study of 221,677 participants from Australia, researchers found that: among women, high/very high psychological distress […]
New research presents alternative methods, like robo-advisors, to manage retirement income
The need to help retirees make prudent spending decisions has led to the growth of a large industry of financial advisors, but a new article suggests that improved policy approaches may be more effective. Published in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, the study reviews the psychology behind rapid spending decisions and presents […]
Maternal depression may alter stress and immune markers in children
New research suggests that depression in women may affect their children’s stress and physical well-being throughout life. For the Depression & Anxiety study, researchers followed 125 children from birth to 10 years. At 10 years, mothers’ and children’s cortisol (CT) and secretory immunoglobulin (s-IgA) — markers of stress and the immune system — were measured, […]
In teen friendships, misery does love company: Study finds teens with similar levels of anxiety and depression are more likely to remain friends
A new study on adolescent friendships offers support for the belief that misery really does love company. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators examined the degree to which internalizing symptoms — anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and submissiveness — predicted the dissolution of teen friendships. Do friendships end because of one child’s mental health problems […]
Adults play a key role in children’s participation in school recess
When adults are participants in school recess — leading games, monitoring play and ensuring conflicts are mediated quickly — children are more likely to be engaged in recess activities, a new study has found. The study, which focused on the recess environment and student engagement during school recess periods, also found that students were more […]