twist on theatre sports could counteract a stutter

Mock ‘Ninja knife throwing’, ‘Gibberish’, or the fast and furious ‘Zap’ – they’re all favourite theatre games designed to break ice and boost confidence. But add speech therapy to theatre sports and you get a brand-new experience that’s hoping to deliver positive changes for people with a stutter.

SLU Professor Studies Link Between Adversity, Psychiatric and Cognitive Decline

Saint Louis University associate professor of health management and policy in the College for Public Health and Social Justice, SangNam Ahn, Ph.D., recently published a paper in Journal of Clinical Psychology that examines the relationship between childhood adversity, and psychiatric decline as well as adult adversity and psychiatric and cognitive decline.

Poor sleep health associated with muscle dysmorphia in Canadian young adults

Getting enough sleep is crucial for our body to maintain vital health functions and is especially important for the growth and development of adolescents and young adults. But a new study from the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work found an association between poor sleep and symptoms of muscle dysmorphia, the pathological pursuit of muscularity that is increasing in prevalence among young people.

Obesity drugs and mental health: UTSW expert says GLP-1s may exacerbate problems for some patients

New weight-loss drugs have helped people with their diabetes, obesity, even high blood pressure. But how they affect our mental health is a much more complicated issue, says Dr. Carrie McAdams, a psychiatrist and eating disorders expert at UT Southwestern…

Podcast: Experts in Health: Colin Jackson CBE talks about anxiety attacks, coming out, and dealing with retirement

Decorated athlete and sports broadcaster Colin Jackson CBE discusses his mental health struggles, his experience after coming out as gay, and the difficulties he faced when retiring from international athletics.

Study finds childhood bullying linked to distrust and mental health problems in adolescence

A new study, co-led by UCLA Health and the University of Glasgow, found that young teenagers who develop a strong distrust of other people as a result of childhood bullying are substantially more likely to have significant mental health problems as they enter adulthood compared to those who do not develop interpersonal trust issues.

Study Pinpoints Which Zoom Features Improve Focus—And Which Ones May Not

Research from a New York Institute of Technology psychology expert offers insight that could help remote students and workers combat “Zoom fatigue.”

New Insights on Long COVID

David Winter, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, answers the most common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research. What is long COVID, and how common is it? (SOT@ :14, TRT :32) Why do some people get…

Study finds mindfulness training may not be enough to increase eco-friendliness

Could general well-being practices like meditation encourage eco-friendly behaviors and attitudes? As the climate crisis accelerates ecological disasters around the world, scientists’ investigations into this longstanding question have taken on greater urgency. A new study from the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison explores the connection between meditation and environmental consciousness and suggests the relationship might not be that simple.

Dr. Jaime Avila shares back-to-school tips that parents should know.

Jaime Avila, MD, at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center, answers common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research What can parents do to help ease back-to-school anxiety? (SOT@ :14, TRT :51) Some kids may not…

People with Severe Alcohol Use Disorder Have Impaired Ability to Learn From Others’ Painful Experiences, Raising Their Risk for Ongoing Dangerous Drinking, Study Suggests

People with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are less able to learn from others’ negative experiences, potentially rendering them more vulnerable to maintaining their dangerous drinking or relapsing, according to the first study of its type. The study explored social cognition, processes that enable us to understand and interact with others, and specifically social learning, our ability to learn by observing others’ experiences.

Symptoms of the body and the mind are frequent fellow travelers

Chronic pain is often accompanied by depression and anxiety. An invited commentary discusses the relationship between pain, the most common symptom for which individuals visit a physician, and depression and anxiety, the two most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide. It highlights the importance of not neglecting psychological symptoms in patients experiencing pain.

Expert offers tips for easing back-to-school transition for children

There’s more to back-to-school season than snagging the latest notebooks, bookbags, and trendy jackets and jeans. A new routine, new teachers, and new schools signal a big adjustment period for some students. “Anxiety can be associated with the unknown, such as what will the teacher this year be like, what friends will be in my class, where will my classroom be, and likely other worries can pop into children’s minds,” said Cindy Smith, director of the Children’s Emotions Lab at Virginia Tech and an expert in child emotional development, parent-child interaction, and parenting behaviors.

Atopic dermatitis associated with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disorder that has well-established associations with depression and anxiety. A new Yale School of Medicine study finds AD is also associated with increased risk for schizophrenia and shizoaffective disorder. Schizophrenia is a…

Do Children Inherit Parents’ Stressful Experiences?

Scientists are discovering that a parent’s experiences can lead to changes in gene expression that are encoded in the sperm or egg and passed to offspring. In other words, there is a way in which offspring inherit the experiences of their parents. This is different than inheriting genes for brown or blue eyes. It’s more like inheriting genes that are switched on or off for the purpose of being better adapted to a particular environment.

Emerging adults who experience pain and related anxiety may engage in high-risk drinking

Emerging adults – those aged 18 to 24 years –who experience pain are more likely to engage in high-risk patterns of alcohol use such as binge drinking. Anxiety caused by pain may be what motivates unhealthy coping strategies such as excessive drinking as a form of escape/avoidance. These results and others will be shared at the 46th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in Bellevue, Washington.

The psychological challenges of rural living

People who endure the daily hassles of big cities often romanticize life in the country. But rural living is not necessarily the carefree, idyllic experience that many people imagine, said Emily Willroth, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Willroth co-authored a study in the Journal of Personality suggesting that people in rural areas face unique challenges that may shape their personalities and psychological well-being.

Majority of Nurses Attribute Well-Being Struggles to Staffing Shortages

With projected national shortages of 63,720 registered nurses in 2030 and 141,580 licensed practical nurses in 2035, a new survey finds one-third of nurses plan to leave the profession in the next two years.

At-home yoga reduces anxiety, improves short-term memory

Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology designed a virtual eight-week moderate-intensity yoga program geared specifically toward full-time working adults experiencing symptoms of stress. The trial, which appeared in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, led participants through three self-paced remote workouts each week, assessed levels of stress and anxiety in addition to executive functioning. The results showed overall decreases in stress and anxiety.

Gene in the brain can put brakes on anxiety, discover scientists

A gene in the brain driving anxiety symptoms has been identified by an international team of scientists. Critically, modification of the gene is shown to reduce anxiety levels, offering an exciting novel drug target for anxiety disorders. The discovery, led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, is published online today [25 April] in Nature Communications.

‘All Work, No Independent Play’ Cause of Children’s Declining Mental Health

A new study suggests the rise in mental health disorders in children and teens is attributed to a decline over decades in opportunities for them to play, roam and engage in activities independent of direct oversight and control by adults. Although well intended, adults’ drive to guide and protect children has deprived them of the independence they need for mental health, contributing to record levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide among young people.