Behavioral Health News

Understanding the impact of trauma
A new study gives some credence to the old saying "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." November 8, 2010

The two sides of risk taking
Risk taking has a mixed reputation. When it comes to our kids and relationships lots of us worry that risk taking will turn into recklessness October 25, 2010

Young caregivers face many challenges
The majority of elderly or ill Americans are being cared for at home, by family members. We think of spouses, siblings, or adult children shouldering the burden - but experts say there is a big population of little-known caregivers. October 18, 2010

Blogging about death
Several very popular blogs have been written by people who were dying from cancer or other illnesses. October 11, 2010

When loved one has cancer, partner?s mental health suffers
A Danish study published in the journal "Cancer" found that men whose partners had breast cancer were 39% more likely to need hospital care for mood problems, including severe depression. October 4, 2010

Scientists say research on learning is being ignored
Students of all ages and their instructors try to find the best methods to make material stick ? from vocabulary to historical facts and math equations. But some scientists say many accepted approaches to optimal learning are not in accordance with the latest cognitive science. September 27, 2010

Cheating just a little bit?
Monogamy is a guiding principle of marriage and committed relationships in our society - and infidelity is generally frowned upon. But - our actions tell a different story. September 20, 2010

Treating depression in children
Can children as young as preschoolers suffer from depression? Some researchers who have studied children who appear very sad and withdrawn say yes, but their work has attracted a lot of criticism. September 15, 2010

Finding support systems to improve mental health
Mental health experts say the recession has created greater need for services. But - as psychologist Dan Gottlieb suggests, professionals are only one part of improving your mental health. September 6, 2010

Are kids getting too much homework?
School is starting back up, and families everywhere are once again embroiled in the homework wars. New research from the University of Michigan finds that Children are more likely to do their homework if they see it as an investment, not a chore, according to new research at the University of Michigan. August 30, 2010

Asperger?s History of Overdiagnosis
People with social disabilities are not necessarily autistic, and giving them diagnoses on the autism spectrum often does a real disservice. January 31, 2012

I Had Asperger Syndrome. Briefly.
Asperger syndrome was the wrong diagnosis for me. I was really just an awkward teenager. January 31, 2012

The D.S.M.?s Troubled Revision
The debate over the new manual of mental disorders misses one thing: the diagnoses are only convenient categories. January 30, 2012

Blogging as Therapy for Teenagers - Studied
Researchers find blogging provides a therapeutic value for teenagers. January 29, 2012

Depression?s Criteria May Be Changed to Include Grieving
A proposed change to depression?s definition could greatly expand the number of people treated, a new study says. January 9, 2025

There Goes the Neighborhood
Intimidation; intervention. January 22, 2012

A Bridge to Recovery on Campus
College can be harrowing for students struggling to stay clean. Special dorms offer support, and a safe haven. January 22, 2012

New Definition of Autism May Exclude Many, Study Suggests
Changes to the way autism is diagnosed may make it harder for many people who would no longer meet the criteria to get health, educational and social services, researchers say. January 20, 2012

My So-Called Bipolar Life
Claire Danes?s character in ?Homeland? isn?t just like me. She is me. January 18, 2012

Study Links Immigrating at Young Age and Higher Risk of Psychosis
Researchers in the Netherlands found risk was highest among people from Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, Turkey and Morocco who immigrated before age 4. January 17, 2012

Depression Defies Rush to Find Evolutionary Upside
There is a line to be drawn between any insights from sadness and the debility of a clinical condition. January 17, 2012

Frenchwomen Worry About Suspect Breast Implants
About 30,000 women were given the implants, which are more susceptible to leaks and rupture, and many fear for their health. January 17, 2012

The Importance of Setting Expectations, Whether High or Low
What we expect from life?s events can determine how we react to them ? and those expectations can be managed. January 14, 2012

When Injuries to the Brain Tear at Hearts
Marriage counseling is evolving to help couples survive personality changes and physical challenges. January 10, 2012

Nicotine Patch Helps Against Cognitive Impairment in Study
Mild cognitive impairment, or M.C.I., involves a decline in mental acuity noticeable by oneself and others but not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia. January 10, 2012

Discovery predicts patient sensitivity to important drug target in deadly brain cancer
A recent discovery enables the prediction of patient sensitivity to proposed drug therapies for glioblastoma ? the most common and most aggressive malignant brain tumor in humans. February 6, 2012

It's not solitaire: Brain activity differs when one plays against others
Researchers have found a way to study how our brains assess the behavior -- and likely future actions -- of others during competitive social interactions. Their study is the first to use a computational approach to tease out differing patterns of brain activity during these interactions, the researchers report. February 6, 2012

Why people can hold visual information in great detail in their working memory
A new study may explain why people can hold visual information in great detail in their working memory. February 6, 2012

East views the world differently to West
Cultural differences between the West and East are well documented, but a study shows that concrete differences also exist in how British and Chinese people recognize people and the world around them. Easterners really do look at the world differently to Westerners, according to new research. February 6, 2012

Strategy shift with age can lead to navigational difficulties
A researcher believes studying people's ability to find their way around may help explain why loss of mental capacity occurs with age. February 6, 2012

Children hospitalized at alarming rate due to abuse, U.S. study finds
In one year alone, over 4,500 children in the United States were hospitalized due to child abuse, and 300 of them died of their injuries, researchers report in a new study. February 6, 2012

Positive parenting during early childhood may prevent obesity
Programs that support parents during their child?s early years hold promise for obesity prevention, according to a new study. February 6, 2012

Genetic variant increases risk of common type stroke
A genetic variant that increases the risk of a common type of stroke has been identified by scientists. This is one of the few genetic variants to date to be associated with risk of stroke and the discovery opens up new possibilities for treatment. February 5, 2012

Hearing metaphors activates brain regions involved in sensory experience
New brain imaging research reveals that a region of the brain important for sensing texture through touch, the parietal operculum, is also activated when someone listens to a sentence with a textural metaphor. The same region is not activated when a similar sentence expressing the meaning of the metaphor is heard. February 3, 2012

Why do cells age? Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging and neurodegenerative diseases
One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain. February 3, 2012

A lonely heart can make you sick: Middle aged divorced women vulnerable to contracting HIV
Newly divorced middle aged women are more vulnerable to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, according to new research, because they tend to let their guard down with new sexual partners and avoid using protection since they are not afraid of getting pregnant. February 3, 2012

The complex relationship between memory and silence
People who suffer a traumatic experience often don't talk about it, and many forget it over time. But not talking about something doesn't always mean you'll forget it; if you try to force yourself not to think about white bears, soon you'll be imagining polar bears doing the polka. A group of psychological scientists explore the relationship between silence and memories. February 3, 2012

Schooling protects refugee children from disease
Refugee children have scant access to medical care and are particularly vulnerable to disease. Fresh research results show that just a few hours of schooling a week may have a pronounced positive impact on their health not only in childhood but later in life when they achieve adulthood. February 3, 2012

Placebos and distraction: New study shows how to boost the power of pain relief, without drugs
Placebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction -- say, doing a puzzle -- relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That's the part of the brain that controls high-level cognitive functions like working memory and attention -- which is what you use to do that distracting puzzle. February 3, 2012

Warfarin and aspirin are similar in heart failure treatment, study suggests
In the largest and longest head-to-head comparison of two anti-clotting medications, warfarin and aspirin were similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to new research. February 3, 2012