Feature Channels: Psychology and Psychiatry

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DALLAS – May 12, 2021 – Scientists with UT Southwestern’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute have identified the molecular mechanism that can cause weight gain for those using a common antipsychotic medication. The findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, suggest new ways to counteract the weight gain, including a drug recently approved to treat genetic obesity, according to the study, which involved collaborations with scientists at UT Dallas and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

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Almost half (47.5%) of women with babies aged six months or younger met the threshold for postnatal depression during the first COVID-19 lockdown, more than double average rates for Europe before the pandemic (23%), finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

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The latest news and discoveries from the field of psychological science will be featured at the 2021 Virtual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), held May 26-27.

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Dr. Vaishnave is a clinical psychology and professor at Palo Alto University. She immigrated from Mumbai more than 11 years ago and is sensitive to the mental health needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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It is estimated that as many as 15-20% of pregnant and postpartum women experience a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.

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In "The Comfort Crisis," UNLV journalism professor Michael Easter investigates how our modern-day comforts are linked to some of our most pressing problems—obesity, chronic disease, depression—and how by leaving our comfort zone, we can improve our overall mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing.

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People are more persuaded by the actual messages contained in social media posts than they are by how many others viewed the posts, a new study suggests.

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AED 2021 International Conference on Eating Disorders awards and honorees announcement.

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The symptoms of grief people feel for a loved one facing a life-limiting illness fluctuate over time, a new study found – suggesting that individuals can adjust to their emotional pain, but also revealing factors that can make pre-loss grief more severe.

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Watching meaningful films – those that we find moving and poignant – can make us feel more prepared to deal with life’s challenges and want to be a better person, a new study found.

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People who feel younger have a greater sense of well-being, better cognitive functioning, less inflammation, lower risk of hospitalization and even live longer than their older-feeling peers. A study published by the American Psychological Association suggests one potential reason for the link between subjective age and health: Feeling younger could help buffer middle-aged and older adults against the damaging effects of stress.

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UC San Diego researchers report that one kind of perceptual learning can occur in memory-impaired persons who do not actually remember what they learned.

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Researchers have found an independent association between COVID-19-related income loss and financial strain and depression, according to the latest study from the COVID-19 Resilience Project, run by the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine. This association was found in two separate cohorts – one primarily in the United States and one in Israel – and the depressive symptoms worsened over time in participants who were hit financially, above and beyond pandemic-related anxiety. The findings were published today in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

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With mass shootings and other seemingly meaningless acts of violence in the headlines all too frequently, strategies to assess the risk and reduce the potential for violent acts are sorely needed. The fourth in a series of five columns devoted to therapeutic risk management of violence – focusing on a method called chain analysis to identify and target pathways leading to violent thoughts and behaviors – appears in the May issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

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Subtle differences in the shape of the brain that are present in adolescence are associated with the development of psychosis, according to an international team led by psychiatrists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

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As parents and caregivers continue to navigate the changing realities of life during a global pandemic, it is important for families to address the emotional and mental health needs of children.

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In a multi-institutional study, researchers in the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network (DBPNet), led by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), have conducted the first and largest analysis to date comparing the effectiveness and side effects of stimulants like methylphenidate (Ritalin) and alpha-adrenergic agonists like guanfacine (Tenex) in preschool-age children. The researchers found that both classes of drugs have benefits, with differing side effects, suggesting that decisions on which class of drugs to prescribe should be made based on individual patient factors. The retrospective study was published today in JAMA.

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A new study suggests that over the past 30 years, there has been little to no increase in the association between adolescents’ technology engagement and mental health problems. The study also urges more transparent collaborations between academia and industry.

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Screening for even mild depressive symptoms before hip fracture repair may be helpful in predicting which patients are at higher risk of developing delirium after emergency surgery, according to results of a new study by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine. The researchers say their findings also add to evidence that symptoms of depression and postoperative delirium may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, although those findings were not conclusive.

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Nearly one in five older adults say their mental health has gotten worse since the pandemic began in March 2020, and an equal percentage say their sleep has suffered in that time too. More than 1 in 4 say they’re more anxious or worried than before the COVID-19 era, according to a new poll of people age 50 to 80.

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A new study led by a University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researcher underscores the importance of screening adolescents with hearing loss for depression and anxiety.

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Many people in Switzerland experienced considerable psychological distress during the first COVID-19 lockdown from mid-March to the end of April 2020.

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Social media may make it easier for people to engage online, but I does not provide certain benefits of real-life human interactions, says a Michigan State University researcher.

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Like much of society, college athletics were thrown into disarray by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center has established an interprofessional Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Center which brings together all of the specialists a patient and family may need in one clinic, during one visit. The new ALS Center is the second such program in the Hackensack Meridian Health network, the other being at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

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When Melodee Lasky joined Rutgers University 19 years ago, behavioral and mental health services were scattered across the individual colleges with little coordination. Psychiatry and the Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program were part of student health, but counseling services were separated and college-affiliated. Lasky, a physician who recognized the connection between physical and emotional wellness, recommended that mental and behavioral health be integrated within the framework of student health. That led to the creation of CAPS – Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program & Psychiatric Services – a program that helps about 4,500 students each year.

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Many of the world’s leading psychological scientists and educators will explore the latest discoveries and discuss emerging societal concerns at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) 2021 Virtual Convention, 26-27 May.

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Adult heterosexual women and men are often jealous about completely different threats to their relationship.

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DALLAS – April 28, 2021 – Depression screening among cancer patients improved by 40 percent to cover more than 90 percent of patients under a quality improvement program launched by a multidisciplinary team at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Southwestern Health Resources.

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UC Davis researchers develop PsychLight, a sensor that could be used in discovering new treatments for mental illness, in neuroscience research and to detect drugs of abuse.

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Researchers found that difficulties in diagnosing toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be due to the dynamic nature of the disorder during child development. Children with clinical characteristics that put them on the diagnostic border of autism have an increased susceptibility to gaining or losing that diagnosis at later ages.

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A substantial number of adults in the United States between the ages of 21 and 62 felt anxiety and stress about their personal finances well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report published today by the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center at the George Washington University.

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Comme l'épilepsie, les crises non épileptiques psychogènes (CNEP) ont des conséquences sur la scolarisation, l'emploi et l'autonomie.

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A recent study by the University of Eastern Finland shows that loneliness among middle-aged men is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

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Le fait de changer le nom des crises psychogènes non épileptiques pourrait-il conduire à une meilleure communication médecin-patient, à une meilleure compréhension et à moins de stigmatisation?

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A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) has investigated associations between EHR usability and nurse job outcomes (burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intention to leave) and surgical patient outcomes (inpatient mortality and 30-day readmission).

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A new study by researchers at the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon found that augmenting traditional treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) with morning bright light therapy (MBLT) improved physical and mental symptoms for participants. The team will present their work virtually at the American Physiological Society’s (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2021.

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A new study reveals that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) genes within the amygdala—the brain region important for traumatic memory processing—express differently when the brain develops fearful memories, such as when people undergo traumatic stress. Researchers have found that medication may potentially be used as a pharmacological blockade of the angiotensin type 1 receptor, thereby improving components of fear memory as assessed by freezing behavior.

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The antidepression drug duloxetine could be beneficial to patients with both depression and cardiovascular disease, according to new studies performed in human blood and in mice. Globally, more than 300 million people have depression, which comes with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

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People rarely have just one motivation to do something. New research from the lab of Todd Braver at Washington University in St. Louis suggests how, and where, they combine.

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Musculoskeletal injuries comprise a large percentage of hospital admissions for adults and often lead to chronic pain and long-term disability. A new review article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons® (JAAOS®) recognizes the intimate connection between patients who sustain traumatic orthopaedic injuries and their subsequent psychological effects. The results suggest opportunity to improve overall patient health by attending to psychological and social concerns, along with physical health.

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A recent study provides insights on the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on employment, anxiety, and financial distress among women who have gynecologic cancer and low income.

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In the workplace, whether or not we believe that a supervisor has treated us fairly depends on a number of factors, including motive, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.

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During the pandemic, there was a shift to remote work, and demand for video conferencing increased. Zoom estimates daily meeting participants grew from approximately 10 million in December 2019 to more than 300 million in April 2020. Board-certified dermatologists also reported a change with this increased use of video calls: a rise in the number of patients they’re seeing with negative self-perceptions.

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The outcome of the highly sensitive trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd can cause many different emotions for people. Last May, Floyd’s death sparked a societal reckoning that prompted protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Demonstrations also took place following the jury’s decision on April 20. How can adults cope with their emotions following the verdict as well as help their children cope?

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A possible link between delirium and mortality in hospitalized older adults with acute heart failure exacerbation has been found by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

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Black Americans experience an increase in poor mental health days during weeks when two or more incidents of anti-Black violence occur and when national interest surrounding the events is higher, according to a new study.

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You can probably guess that losing a job late in life affects your finances and your mental health. But did you know that it can also affect your weight?

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The Psychology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research announces the 2021 recipients of its Psychology Research Awards. The recipients are undergraduate students conducting original psychological research, who receive awards of up to $500 per project.