Discrimination and safety concerns barriers to accessing healthy food for food-insecure young adults

New study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics indicates interventions of specific relevance to COVID-19, including expanded food assistance services, are needed to improve the accessibility of healthy food for young adults

Mood matters: New app empowers moms to manage mental wellbeing

Having a baby can be one of life’s most exciting and rewarding experiences, but for a new mum it can also be an emotional rollercoaster – sometimes you’re up, and other times you’re down. Recognising the symptoms of maternal anxiety…

Transgender teens may turn to substance use to cope with stress

Over half of transgender or gender minority (GM) adolescents engage in substance use, seemingly as a coping strategy in response to GM stressors, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sabra L.…

Supersensitive connection causes hatred of noises

A supersensitised brain connection has been identified in people who suffer from misophonia, an extreme reaction to “trigger” sounds. For the first time, researchers led by Newcastle University, have discovered increased connectivity in the brain between the auditory cortex and…

Survey measures health care delays during pandemic’s beginning

At the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, a University of Illinois Chicago researcher conducted a survey asking respondents if they experienced health care delays because of the pandemic. In addition to learning about the types of delays, the study also presented a unique opportunity to capture a historic moment at the…

Digital mental health interventions for young people are perceived promising, but are they effective

April 29, 2021 -An increasing number of digital mental health interventions are designed for adolescents and young people with a range of mental health issues, but the evidence on their effectiveness is mixed, according to research by Columbia University Mailman…

Practicing ‘mindfulness’ in summer camp benefits campers and counselors alike

With summer around the corner, a project shows how implementing an evidence-based mindfulness program in a summer camp setting decreases emotional distress in school age children and empowers campers and counselors alike – enhancing camper-counselor relationships. Mindfulness – a state…

Transcendental Meditation effective in reducing PTSD, sleep problems, depression symptoms

Veterans with PTSD who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique showed significant reductions in PTSD symptom severity, according to a new study published today in Journal of Traumatic Stress . Fifty percent of the meditating veterans no longer met criteria for…

Mindfulness program in campus dorms, groups improved students’ mental health

As experts nationwide point to a mental health crisis among teens and young adults, a pilot program teaching mindfulness and coping techniques to students at the University of Washington has helped lower stress and improve emotional well-being. New studies by…

Shimmer Research launches NeuroLynQ@Home platform to enable at-home online psychophysiological neuromarketing research

NeuroLynQ@Home™ assesses participants’ emotional responses to a wide variety of entertainment, advertisements, marketing materials and other stimuli in their own home

Latest research delineates the effectiveness of “quitlines” for smoking cessation

While cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the U.S., the evidence base for cessation support has revealed that telephone call centers, or “quitlines,” have been a particularly successful intervention, according to…

COVID-19 lockdown linked to uptick in tobacco use

March 4, 2021 — Pandemic-related anxiety, boredom, and irregular routines were cited as major drivers of increased nicotine and tobacco use during the initial COVID-19 “lockdown,” according to research just released by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. The…

Microneedle patches for microdosing psychedelic pharmaceuticals

(LOS ANGELES) – Although one may think of psychedelic pharmaceuticals as being dangerous and detrimental, scientists have been conducting experiments and clinical trials on some of them and have obtained positive results when testing them for medical use. Research has…

Material hardship taking a mental and physical toll on young adults during pandemic

Syracuse, N.Y. – As the United States approaches the one-year anniversary of the start of COVID-19 lockdowns, a new study by researchers from Syracuse University and the University of Texas at San Antonio shows that material hardship – difficulty paying…

Robotic dogs & laughter therapy: combating loneliness & isolation while social distancing

Robotic dogs, laughter therapy and mindfulness are some of the ways that might help people – particularly the elderly – cope with loneliness and social isolation while social distancing, say researchers at the University of Cambridge. A team at Cambridge’s…

Smartphone app to change your personality

Personality traits such as conscientiousness or sociability are patterns of experience and behavior that can change throughout our lives. Individual changes usually take place slowly as people gradually adapt to the demands of society and their environment. However, it is…