Archive for the ‘Psychology / Psychiatry’ Category

When Abdominal Pain In Children Has No Apparent Cause: What Is Behind?

A systematic review that is published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by Schulte and associates (University of Bremen, Germany) analyzes what is the psychosomatic component of abdominal pain with no apparent cause in children...

The Roots Of Bilingualism In Newborns

It may not be obvious, but hearing two languages regularly during pregnancy puts infants on the road to bilingualism by birth...

Group Psychotherapy May Improve Fears In Patients With Cancer Or Chronic Arthritis

A controlled study by a group of German investigators published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics indicates that brief group psychotherapy is helpful for clearing fears of disease progression (FoP) in patients with chronic arthritis or cancer. The interventions comprised either cognitive-behavioral group therapy or supportive-experiential group therapy...

Prison Inmates In The UK Comfortable With Diversity

'Ethnicity, Identity and Social Relations in Prison', carried out by Dr. Coretta Philips of the London School of Economics, explored how prisoners' ethnic identities helped them cope with prison life, and whether such identities informed a social pecking order and the formation of gangs. More specifically, it explored the influence of prison practices on prisoner and group identities...

Could Acetaminophen Ease Psychological Pain?

Headaches and heartaches. Broken bones and broken spirits. Hurting bodies and hurt feelings. We often use the same words to describe physical and mental pain. Over-the-counter pain relieving drugs have long been used to alleviate physical pain, while a host of other medications have been employed in the treatment of depression and anxiety...

Could Acetaminophen Ease Psychological Pain?

Headaches and heartaches. Broken bones and broken spirits. Hurting bodies and hurt feelings. We often use the same words to describe physical and mental pain. Over-the-counter pain relieving drugs have long been used to alleviate physical pain, while a host of other medications have been employed in the treatment of depression and anxiety...

The Pain Of Torture Can Make The Innocent Seem Guilty

The rationale behind torture is that pain will make the guilty confess, but a new study by researchers at Harvard University finds that the pain of torture can make even the innocent seem guilty. Participants in the study met a woman suspected of cheating to win money. The woman was then "tortured" by having her hand immersed in ice water while study participants listened to the session over an intercom.

Physician-Assisted Suicide Does Not Increase Severity Of Depression, Grief Among Family Members

Unlike other forms of suicide, physician assisted death does not cause substantial regret, or a sense of rejection among surviving family members. In addition, the prevalence and severity of depression and grief among family members whose loved ones received aid in dying is no different than family members whose loved ones did not pursue physician assisted suicide.

Physician-Assisted Suicide Does Not Increase Severity Of Depression, Grief Among Family Members

Unlike other forms of suicide, physician assisted death does not cause substantial regret, or a sense of rejection among surviving family members. In addition, the prevalence and severity of depression and grief among family members whose loved ones received aid in dying is no different than family members whose loved ones did not pursue physician assisted suicide.

Students Coping With High School Put-Downs Find It Hard To Learn

High-school put-downs are such a staple of teen culture that many educators don't take them seriously. However, a University of Illinois study suggests that classroom disruptions and psychologically hostile school environments can contribute to a climate in which good students have difficulty learning and students who are behind have trouble catching up. "We need to get away from the idea that bullying is always physical.

Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms Common After Heart Attack

Many people experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress following a heart attack, and anxiety, depression and social withdrawal are also commonplace. These are the findings of a study by Susan Ayers of the University of Sussex and colleagues Claire Copland and Emma Dunmore, published recently, in the British Journal of Health Psychology.

Antipsychotic Drugs Associated With High Blood Sugar In Older Adults With Diabetes

Older patients with diabetes who take antipsychotic medications appear to have an increased risk of hospitalization for hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose level), especially soon after beginning treatment, according to a report in the July 27 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

‘Delinquent Behavior Among Boys Contagious’ New Study Finds

Impulsive boys with inadequate supervision, poor families and deviant friends are more likely to commit criminal acts that land them in juvenile court, according to a new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Count Your Money, Not Your Blessings: Money And Its Symbolic Powers

When we are feeling blue we are told to count our blessings, but according to a study recently published in Psychological Science, counting our money might be a more useful activity. Psychologists Xinyue Zhou, Sun Yat-Sen University, Kathleen D. Vohs, University of Minnesota, and Roy F. Baumeister, Florida State University, investigated the psychological, physical and social impact of money.

No Psychological Risk In Children Next-Born After Stillbirth

There is no evidence that children next-born after stillbirth are clinically at risk compared to children of non-bereaved mothers, according to a study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. However, the study did find evidence of less optimal mother-child interaction. Stillbirth can be a major psychological trauma to parents. Anecdotal accounts have suggested that children born subsequent to stillbirth of a sibling may be psychologically vulnerable.

Lower Empathic Responses To Outsiders’ Pain Shown By Imaging Study

An observer feels more empathy for someone in pain when that person is in the same social group, according to new research in the July 1 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The study shows that perceiving others in pain activates a part of the brain associated with empathy and emotion more if the observer and the observed are the same race. The findings may show that unconscious prejudices against outside groups exist at a basic level.

Link Between Pressure To Look Attractive And Fear Of Rejection In Men And Women

People who feel pressure to look attractive are more fearful of being rejected because of their appearance than are their peers, according to a new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Kent. The study of appearance-based rejection sensitivity among college students was conducted by Lora Park, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and graduate student Ann Marie DiRaddo, of the University at Buffalo, and Rachel Calogero, Ph.D.