PsychCentral

Men More Prone to Memory Problems
If you believe that men seem more prone to memory problems as they age than women, new research suggests you may be right. The researchers were interested in studying a condition called “mild cognitive impairment” or MCI. This is considered a problem with remembering something that goes beyond the effects of normal aging. Despite common [...]
Vitamin D Shortage in Babies Linked to Schizophrenia
Lack of vitamin D has been linked to a number of health issues in recent years. New findings by the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) now suggests that a low level of this important nutrient in babies can lead to a greater risk of schizophrenia development down the road. In fact, the research team found that babies born [...]
Psychological Abuse During Pregnancy Linked to Postnatal Depression
Postnatal depression is strongly linked to psychological abuse by an intimate partner during pregnancy, independent of any physical or sexual violence, according to the research of Dr. Ana Bernarda Ludermir of the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil and colleagues at the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol. These findings [...]
Preference for Geometric Patterns Possible Link to Autism
Young children who are attracted to geometric patterns at an early age may be showing signs of autism, a new study out of the University of California, San Diego suggests. This fixation was found in autistic children as early as 14 months by researchers using eye-tracking technology. The study focused on 110 children ages 14 to [...]
Bipolar Does Not Increase Risk of Violent Crime
A new Swedish study suggests that a person with bipolar disorder is not at increased risk of aggression. However, substance abuse associated with bipolar does increase the chance of violent crime. The public debate on violent crime usually assumes that violence in the mentally ill is a direct result of the perpetrator’s illness. Previous research [...]
Parental Depression After Childbirth
A study of UK parents suggests a significant number of parents develop depression during the first twelve months of a child’s life. Researchers discovered more than 30 percent of mothers and about 20 percent of fathers experience an episode of depression — with the risk of depression greatest during the first year after [...]
Weight Is Sensitive Topic for Pre-Teens
Taunting is difficult for any preteen’s self-confidence. Researchers have determined the ridicule is especially harmful when the teasing is about an individual’s weight. In fact, a new study suggests that teasing about weight can have distinctive and significant effects on how preteens perceive their own bodies. The research, among the first to specifically examine the impact [...]
Breakup of Social Structure Linked to Psychotic Disorders
A new study finds the association between psychotic disorders and living in urban areas is a result of increased social fragmentation. As proof, authors of a new study in September issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry point to the substantial worldwide variation in incidence rates of schizophrenia. “The clearest geographic pattern within this distribution of [...]
Combination Treatment Best for Early Schizophrenia
A new report finds that individuals with early-stage schizophrenia respond well to a combination of medication and psychosocial intervention. Study participants were less likely to discontinue treatment or relapse — and may have improved insight, quality of life and social functioning — than those taking medication alone. The report is found in the September issue of Archives [...]
Neurochemical Pathway May Link Compulsive Eating, Addiction
In a recent study, the compound Ezlopitant — already known to suppress alcohol cravings in humans — was found to decrease the urge of rodents to drink sweetened water. The research took place at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center which is affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco. “This finding suggests a [...]
Mom’s Evolutionary Influence for Selfish Behavior
A new theory suggests evolutionary dispersal patterns have influenced the genes that determine our social behavior. Researchers from Oxford University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, examined the impact that genes knowing which parent they come from — a process scientists call “genomic imprinting” — has on how selfish or altruistic they want their carriers [...]
Parkinson’s Effect on Cognition
Researchers have learned that Parkinson’s disease can affect thought processes and the acquisition of knowledge. Interestingly, Queen’s University researchers have found that people with Parkinson’s disease can perform automated tasks better than people without the disease, but have significant difficulty switching from easy to hard tasks. The findings are a step toward understanding the [...]
Hair as Biomarker of Stress and Heart Disease
New research provides the first evidence that a biomarker can be used to measure chronic stress and its relationship to heart attacks. Stressors such as job, marital and financial problems have been linked to the increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease including heart attack. But there hasn’t been a biological marker to measure chronic [...]
Coping with Divorce: Words Tell the Story
University of Arizona researchers say that people in the midst of divorce reveal how they are handling things – not so much by what they say but how they say it. Apparently the truth is fairly easy to determine; even complete strangers were able to figure out how people were coping with their emotions using relatively [...]
Chronic Social Stress Linked to Obesity
Everyday stress can cause metabolic changes that, in the long run, contribute to obesity, according to a recent study by the departments of psychiatry and biomedical engineering at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Science has long documented that during extreme stress, such as in the experience of war or traumatic grief, victims tend to [...]