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 Some researchers who have studied children who appear very sad and withdrawn say yes, but their work has attracted a lot of criticism.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 25, 2012

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

New diet: Top off breakfast with -- chocolate cake?
In a study of nearly 200 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults, a researcher found that a 600-calorie breakfast that includes dessert as well as proteins and carbohydrates can help dieters lose weight and keep it off over the long term. Her research indicates that such a morning meal staves off cravings and defuses psychological addictions to sweet foods. February 7, 2012

As Valentine's day approaches, cardiologist describes broken heart syndrome
People who have been unlucky in love are said to suffer from a "broken heart." A broken heart is an actual medical condition. Broken heart syndrome occurs during highly stressful or emotional times, such as a painful breakup, the death of a spouse or the loss of a job. February 7, 2012

Study of live human neurons reveals Parkinson's origins
Parkinson?s disease researchers have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure. February 7, 2012

The dark path to antisocial personality disorder
With no lab tests to guide the clinician, psychiatric diagnostics is challenging and controversial. Antisocial personality disorder is defined as "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood," according to a standard definition. But, until now, no one has studied the dimensional structure associated with the DSM antisocial personality disorder criteria. February 7, 2012

Why the middle finger has such a slow connection
Each part of the body has its own nerve cell area in the brain -- we therefore have a map of our bodies in our heads. The functional significance of these maps is largely unclear. What effects they can have is now shown by neuroscientists through reaction time measurements combined with learning experiments and "computational modeling." They have been able to demonstrate that inhibitory influences of neighboring "finger nerve cells" affect the reaction time of a finger. February 7, 2012

Super dog: Bud Light?s rescue dog ?Weego? fetches Cocky Award
Students in the nation's oldest and maybe still the only course on Super Bowl Advertising rated the big game's commercials in the 9th annual Super Ad Poll. February 7, 2012

Young love really can hurt: Parents can use Valentine's month to teach safe dating for teens
There?s a dark side to puppy love. Teen dating: it?s a subject that causes many parents to shudder and shy away, but parents can use Valentine?s Day to start important conversations with their teens or pre-teens. There are ways to make dating and relationships safer for them ? not just now but throughout their lives. February 7, 2012

Who Will Benefit From Stroke Drug? New Score Can Help Decide
A new scoring method can help doctors quickly decide which stroke patients will respond well to the clot-busting drug alteplase, according to a new study. February 6, 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