Although demand for mental health treatment remains high, administrative and financial barriers are preventing many psychologists from participating in insurance networks, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2024 Practitioner Pulse Survey. Barriers by many insurance companies can make it more difficult for psychologists to remain in-network and for patients to access the care they need, exacerbating the ongoing mental health crisis.
Tag: Psychology
Supporting a grieving loved one on holidays and special occasions: Practical tips from a clinical psychologist
The holiday season, often considered a time of joy and togetherness, can also be one of the most challenging periods for those who are grieving a loss.
Notre Dame’s College of Arts & Letters launches ND Population Analytics to accelerate policy-relevant work through big data
The College of Arts & Letters at the University of Notre Dame has launched a data-focused research effort that will foster and advance multidisciplinary work on a wide range of pressing demographic issues facing society, including poverty, rising inequality, declining health in the United States, family instability and falling religious participation.
Cultivating hope in uncertain times
A University of Miami psychologist outlines strategies to help us rebalance, find a spark of joy, and restore a sense of hopefulness when life’s inevitable blue notes are sounding.
Better Typeface = Better Learning?
New Jersey native Caterina Belle Azzarello-Nichols earned an M.A. from the University of Northern Colorado’s Educational Psychology program. Continuing in the program as a doctoral student, she’s conducting research in mathematics readability and student educational dispositions.
AFTER A DIVISIVE ELECTION, MOST U.S. ADULTS READY TO AVOID POLITICS THIS HOLIDAY
A majority of U.S. adults hope to avoid political discussions during the holidays and, in some cases, family members they disagree with, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.
A band’s sophomore slump? A figment of music critics, study finds.
The supposed curse of the “sophomore slump” in record quality is really just a social phenomenon among music critics.
Texting abbreviations makes senders seem insincere, study finds
If you want to seem sincere and receive more responses to your texts, spell out words instead of abbreviating them, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.
Can toxic political polarization be reduced? Video intervention project from UIC researchers shows promise
A video intervention project co-produced by UIC researchers reduced toxic political polarization, according to a megastudy published in the journal Science. UIC assistant professors of psychology Michael Pasek and Rebecca Littman can talk about the video, its effectiveness in decreasing…
How COVID-19 transformed family dinners
While the lockdowns associated with COVID-19 pandemic led many families to eat more meals at home, they had an additional benefit: an increase in the quality of family time during those dinners, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Aumenta la necesidad de derivaciones psicológicas para niños con alergias alimentarias
Con el aumento de la incidencia de alergias alimentarias en los niños en la última década, ha habido un aumento correspondiente en la necesidad de servicios de psicología profesional debido al aumento de la ansiedad. Un nuevo estudio que se presentará en la Reunión Científica Anual del Colegio Americano de Alergia, Asma e Inmunología (ACAAI) de este año en Boston mostró un aumento de más del 50% en las derivaciones a psicólogos en un centro en 2023 en comparación con las derivaciones anuales de 2018 a 2022.
Need for Psychology Referrals Increasing for Children with Food Allergies
With the rise in incidence of food allergies in children in the past decade, there has been a corresponding increase in the need for professional psychology services due to increased anxiety. A new study being presented at this year’s American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston showed a more than 50% increase in psychology referrals at one center in 2023 compared to yearly referrals from 2018-2022.
Q&A: UW researchers examine link between light pollution and interest in astronomy
Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, research scientist the University of Washington Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS), and Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of I-LABS and professor of psychology, recently co-authored a study in Nature Scientific Reports showing a link between the ability to see the stars unblocked by light pollution and an interest in astronomy.
Feet First: AI Reveals How Infants Connect with Their World
Researchers explored how infants act purposefully by attaching a colorful mobile to their foot and tracking movements with a Vicon 3D motion capture system. The study tested AI’s ability to detect changes in infant movement patterns. Findings showed that AI techniques, especially the deep learning model 2D-CapsNet, effectively classified different stages of behavior. Notably, foot movements varied significantly. Looking at how AI classification accuracy changes for each baby gives researchers a new way to understand when and how they start to engage with the world.
New study reveals which men are most likely to commit sexual assault
Do you respect your date’s refusal? Research from the Psychology Department at Binghamton University, State University of New York sheds light on which men might choose to ignore a lack of consent and why.
People prefer working with higher-paid colleagues
When given the choice, people prefer to collaborate on work projects with higher-paid colleagues, but they want to hire subordinates with a lower pay history than theirs, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Play it Forward: Lasting Effects of Pretend Play in Early Childhood
As the school year revs up, a renowned child developmental psychologist highlights the robust benefits of pretend play on cognitive, social, and emotional development in children and cautions how “learning through play” has changed with the demands of contemporary society. Given natural selection’s shaping of childhood for the acquisition and refinement of species-adapted social-cognitive skills – much through pretend play – he says it’s unfortunate that modern culture is ignoring the evolved wisdom of how best to educate young children.
Hopelab Names Inaugural Cohort of Six HBCU Researchers to Drive Black Youth Wellness Initiatives
In the context of the increasing focus on mental health and equity in our society, Hopelab, a leader in advancing these outcomes for young people, is excited to announce the selection of six researchers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as recipients of its inaugural Translational Science Fellowship.
What will it take to make mental health coverage and care better?
New mental health parity rules from the federal government aim to address issues with access and insurance coverage, but multiple experts from the University of Michigan say more effort is needed.
Banning Friendships Can Backfire: Moms Who ‘Meddle’ Make Bad Behavior Worse
Bad behavior often occurs away from home, leading parents to blame and limit contact with peers. However, a new study shows that banning friendships can backfire, worsening behavior instead of improving it.
How Hope Beats Mindfulness When Times Are Tough
A recent study finds that hope appears to be more beneficial than mindfulness at helping people manage stress and stay professionally engaged during periods of prolonged stress at work. The study underscores the importance of looking ahead, rather than living “in the moment,” during hard times.
Physical health has its yardsticks. Mental health is still searching for the right ruler
A national initiative led by the National Institutes for Mental Health is now underway to find figurative “rulers” that can accurately measure and compare the quality of the various mental health treatments available.
Scientific consensus can strengthen pro-climate attitudes in society
Climate scientists have long agreed that humans are largely responsible for climate change. A new study, co-led by Bojana Većkalov from the University of Amsterdam and Sandra Geiger from the University of Vienna, finds that communicating the scientific consensus about climate change can clear up misperceptions and strengthen beliefs about the existence and the causes of climate change. The team surveyed over 10,000 people from 27 countries on 6 continents. The study has just been published in the renowned journal Nature Human Behaviour.
Finding love: Study reveals where love lives in the brain
We use the word ‘love’ in a bewildering range of contexts — from sexual adoration to parental love or the love of nature. Now, more comprehensive imaging of the brain may shed light on why we use the same word for such a diverse collection of human experiences.
MSU study finds placebos reduce stress, anxiety, depression — even when people know they are placebos
A study out of Michigan State University found that nondeceptive placebos, or placebos given with people fully knowing they are placebos, effectively manage stress — even when the placebos are administered remotely.
The Medical Minute: Leaving the nest for college ― transition for students, parents
Saying good-bye to a child headed out on their own for the first time can be loaded with tears. But you can make the transition less painful for everyone. A Penn State Health expert discusses how to make the college drop-off healthy and rewarding.
‘Baby Talk:’ Decoding How Children’s Vocal and Cognitive Cues Sway Adults
In infancy, caregivers rely on facial expressions and vocal cues to understand a baby’s needs and emotions, as babies do not use language. A new study shows that while facial expressions are important, they are less effective than vocal and cognitive signals. Adults are more focused on a child’s voice when assessing emotional states and helplessness, but use cognitive content, such as reasoning abilities, to gauge intelligence. When a child’s vocal immaturity conflicts with advanced cognitive abilities, caregivers prioritize vocal cues for emotional needs and cognitive cues for intelligence, highlighting how different cues influence judgments in early childhood.
Unlocking the mind: The fascinating psychology of Olympic athlete, fan rituals
Body paint, mismatched socks, hidden knick-knacks — what do they have in common when chasing glory on the biggest stage? In the competitive world of sports, where every move matters, athletes often turn to rituals and superstitions to find comfort and boost confidence. These unique habits can also extend to fans.
Sometimes it hurts to think
If somebody complains that it hurts to think, they may be onto something, as mental exertion appears to be associated with unpleasant feelings in many situations, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
The experts behind the athletes share the science of high performance
As the Olympics draw inspiration and wonder into how athletes manage to achieve such a high level of success and skill, a new podcast series is serving up useful insights into what it takes to optimise performance in sports.
Sipping Alcohol in Early Adolescence May Contribute to Personality Changes and Depression
Children who try alcohol may experience mental health and personality effects as they transition to early adolescence. An analysis of alcohol sampling behavior in children ages 9 to 14, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that children who had poor response inhibition and increased alcohol sipping behaviors might be more likely to have accelerated changes in personality traits and depression scores over time. The study suggests that even minimal alcohol experimentation in early adolescence may influence later alcohol use as well as personality and mental health issues.
APA journal addresses racism in psychology
As a discipline, psychology prides itself on helping people improve their lives. However, the field of psychology has had a long history of committing harm against people of color, and psychologists must work to dismantle racism within the field, according to a special issue of the American Psychological Association’s journal American Psychologist.
Good Timing: UNLV Study Unravels How Our Brains Track Time
Ever hear the old adage that time flies when you’re having fun? A new study by a team of UNLV researchers suggests that there’s a lot of truth to the trope.
Narcissism decreases with age, study finds
People tend to become less narcissistic as they age from childhood through older adulthood, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association. However, differences among individuals remain stable over time — people who are more narcissistic than their peers as children tend to remain that way as adults, the study found.
High ceilings linked to poorer exam results for university students
Ever wondered why you performed worse than expected in that final university exam that you sat in a cavernous gymnasium or massive hall, despite countless hours, days and weeks of study? Now you have a genuine reason – high ceilings.
Facial recognition linked to close social bonds, not social butterflies
Do you have trouble recognising faces, or do you never forget a face? The better you are at facial recognition, the more supportive relationships you are likely to have, regardless of your personality type.
AI Recognizes Athletes’ Emotions
Using computer-assisted neural networks, Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been able to accurately identify affective states from the body language of tennis players during games. For the first time, they trained a model based on artificial intelligence (AI) with data from actual games.
Families on the space–time continuum: Conceptualizing and measuring temporal and spatial dimensions
Abstract Objective In this article, I propose a new approach to study the opportunities and challenges for low-income families through a focus on two key dimensions of family life: time and space. I show how the interaction of these two…
Ketamine, anesthetics for depression let anesthesiologists and psychiatrists collaborate on new treatments
Ketamine is emerging as a powerful tool to treat depression, and other anesthetics such as nitrous oxide (laughing gas) are also showing promise. As the established experts in using these medications to sedate patients during surgery or other procedures, anesthesiologists…
Benefits of failure are overrated
The platitude that failure leads to success may be both inaccurate and damaging to society, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Q&A: Social Media and Youth Mental Health Expert Sarah Domoff
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 4, 2024) — New York State legislators are poised to pass new regulations designed to limit the ways social media companies use algorithms to target content shared with young users. The proposed legislation focuses on features of…
Food for thought: Study links key nutrients to slower brain aging
Scientists have long been studying the brain with a goal of aiding healthier aging. While much is known about risk factors for accelerated brain aging, less has been uncovered to identify ways to reduce cognitive decline.
Why do we overindulge?
If you tend to do other things or get distracted while eating dinner, you may be running the risk of over-consuming everyday pleasures later, possibly because the distraction caused you to enjoy yourself less, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Getting out of the political echo chamber
Civilized political debates may seem increasingly out of reach as democracies across the world face rising polarization, but people still want to discuss issues with people they disagree with – especially those who present themselves as balanced and willing to seek solutions that work for everyone or open to learning new information, according to two studies published by the American Psychological Association.
Join Us for a Research Sharing Session on Neurocognitive & Dyslexia
The Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University cordially invites everyone to join a Research Sharing Session on “Neural Sensitivity and Facilitation in Visual Word Processing of Typical and Dyslexic Readers” presented by Prof. Dr. Urs Maurer from the Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
One in five U.S. adults experience mental illness each year according to the National Institute of Mental Health. During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, UC San Diego Health mental health experts are available to discuss a wide range of…
CSUF Grad from Zimbabwe Aims to Improve Access to Mental Health Services
Psychology grad Joshua Bhasera, an advocate for mental health, found his calling at Cal State Fullerton, diving into psychology while becoming a force for positive change.
Q&A: UW research shows neural connection between learning a second language and learning to code
New research from the University of Washington shows the brain’s response to viewing errors in both the syntax (form) and semantics (meaning) of code appeared identical to those that occur when fluent readers process sentences on a word-by-word basis, supporting a resemblance between how people learn computer and natural languages.
Fighting impostor syndrome: Binghamton University researcher aims to help students struggling with self-doubt
Psychology lecturer focused on countering negative mindset
People think ‘old age’ starts later than it used to, study finds
Middle-aged and older adults believe that old age begins later in life than their peers did decades ago, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.