Health News

Study investigates the effects of depression on visual perception

Researchers specialized in psychiatry and psychology at the University of Helsinki investigated the effects of depression on visual perception. The study confirmed that the processing of visual information is altered in depressed people, a phenomenon most likely linked with the processing of information in the cerebral cortex. The study was published in the Journal of […]

Health Problems

Symptoms of hoarding

Compulsive hoarding is a mental health condition where the patient is unable to get rid of often meaningless and useless stuff so much so that it starts to encroach on his or her living space. The commonest manifestation is a house over full with stuff. Characteristic symptoms of hoarding The characteristics of compulsive hoarding behavior […]

Health News

Trauma begets trauma: Bullying associated with increased suicide attempts among 12-to-15-year-olds: International study finds bullying victimization is associated with suicide attempts across 48 countries

A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that bullying victimization may increase the risk of suicide attempts among young adolescents by approximately three-times worldwide. “Globally, approximately 67,000 adolescents die of suicide each year and identifying modifiable risk factors for adolescent suicide is […]

Health Problems

‘Spin’ found in over half of clinical trial abstracts published in top psychiatry journals

‘Spin’—exaggerating the clinical significance of a particular treatment without the statistics to back it up—is apparent in more than half of clinical trial abstracts published in top psychology and psychiatry journals, finds a review of relevant research in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. The findings raise concerns about the potential impact this might be having on […]

Health News

Potential for ‘unpacking’ complex simultaneous emotions in adolescence

When faced with emotional challenges or traumatic experiences, we may well have different, mixed feelings both at the same time and sequentially. In adolescence, when complex emotions are experienced as part of everyday life, the effect of challenge or trauma combined with difficulty expressing emotional complexity can exacerbate a given situation and limit the communication […]

Health News

Research questions link between unconscious bias and behavior: ‘Implicit bias’ is often cited as the underlying cause of discrimination;a new look at the evidence suggests the connection isn’t that strong

A new study calls into question the effectiveness of a popular concept for addressing social problems such as discrimination. Implicit bias, a term for automatically activated associations, is often perceived to be a primary cause of discrimination against social groups such as women and racial minorities. Identifying and understanding implicit bias and modifying behavior that’s […]

Health News

Better care needed for people displaying first symptoms of bipolar disorder

Better care and more research into treatments for people experiencing a first manic episode are urgently needed, according to researchers at the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre. The study, published today in The Lancet Psychiatry by a team of international experts, describes patchy and inconsistent care, widespread failure to detect bipolar disorder early enough, and […]

Health News

Children of both young and old parents share risk for certain neurodevelopment disorders

Results of a new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that parental age is linked to the risk for the development of neuropsychiatric disorders in children, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD); attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and Tourette’s disorder/chronic tic disorder (TD/CT). […]

Health News

A simple strategy to improve your mood in 12 minutes

We all have a remedy — a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate — for lifting our spirits when we’re in a bad mood. Rather than focusing on ways to make ourselves feel better, a team of Iowa State University researchers suggests wishing others well. “Walking around and offering kindness to others in […]