Depression

How To Set Rules For Teenagers

by So-Mai Brown, M.A. on September 2, 2010

Q: I have a 14 year old son and we argue a lot about chores and house rules. Do you have any tips on how I can improve our communication? A: Adolescents are moving towards independence, more interested in peer relationships and going through many physical, cognitive and hormonal changes. As your child transitions into adulthood, how you two communicate is going to change and this transition can be frustrating for both of you. Your teen may be more defiant and complain of you interfering with their independence. This is …

Fish Oil May Help Depressed Teen Boys

New research from Japan may help cheer up young adolescent boys dealing with symptoms of depression. In a recent article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers found that increased intakes of fatty fish were associated with fewer depressive symptoms in teenage boys aged 12 to 15. Similar results were not seen for teenage girls, however. Fish such as salmon, trout, and whitefish are good sources of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA. Fatty fish, such as sardines, mackerel, yellowtail, and tuna are especially high …

New Help For Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

by Paul Chavez on September 1, 2010

People who suffer from borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is characterized by unstable and volatile relationships, self destructive behavior, emotional instability and rapidly shifting emotions, like angry outbursts, appear to benefit more from a treatment approach that combines modified interpersonal psychotherapy and antidepressants rather than just antidepressants alone. The combination of interpersonal psychotherapy and drugs had shown promising results for people with major depression and borderline personality disorder, but researchers at the University of Turin, Italy, wanted to find out if the technique would work with people who suffer with …

Why You Talk Like Your Friends

by Kevin Mathews on August 31, 2010

We all know that “you are what you eat,” but do you also sound like what you hear? Well, you’ve heard it here first: a new two-part study finds that people are prone to imitating the speech that they hear. While it may not be too surprising to find out you talk like your friends, your speech also changes to mimic the accent of strangers. Researchers from the University of California, Riverside decided to put this theory to the test. For their first experiment, these experts chose two graduate students …

Spit Your Stress Away

by Kevin Mathews on August 30, 2010

Forget biting your nails: if you’re feeling some anxiety, try spitting. We thought the eyes were the window to our soul, but maybe it’s really our tongue. A recent review of eight studies examined scientists’ use of saliva to read stress levels. Saliva contains cortisol, a hormone that kicks in when the body is under strain to increase both blood sugar and pressure, while simultaneously saving energy by slowing the digestive, reproductive, and immune systems. Researchers hope to use these cortisol samples to more accurately determine stress levels. One of …

Aw, Feelings Hurt? Take A Tylenol

by Tim Banas on August 30, 2010

Everyone knows that if you sprain your ankle or have a headache, you can take acetaminophen to relieve the pain. After all, it is one of the most popular over-the-counter drugs for physical pain relief. But what if it could help emotional pain too? According to a study published in Psychological Science, scientists have shown that acetaminophen may indeed relieve emotional hurt as well, particularly the pain associated with social rejection. A research team lead by Dr. C.N. DeWall conducted two experiments to demonstrate this amazing effect. In the first, sixty-two …

The Trick To Staying Happy

by Pha Lo on August 26, 2010

Ever catch yourself lamenting “If I only had more time!”? What would you do with this extra time? Absolutely nothing? Doing nothing is a romantic notion, but we hope for the sake of your happiness you stay busy. People are happier when they are busy. According to a new study from the Association for Psychological Research, people are uncomfortable with idleness, and prefer to stay busy as long as that busy activity is justified by a purpose. The study tested two hypothesis. First was that people who had any reason, even …

Preventing Postpartum Depression (PPD)

by Lisa Watson on August 25, 2010

Having a baby is an exciting, life-changing event, but for many women it signals the beginning of the blues. About 13 percent of new moms struggle with postpartum depression in the year following the birth of their child. New research shows that such depression can be prevented by training health visitors to assess and support these women after childbirth. University of Leicester Psychiatry Professor Terry Brugha led the prevention study. 1474 women were part of the intervention and 767 women were in the control group. Researchers found that mothers who had …

Young At Heart: Girls Hit Puberty Younger

by Lisa Watson on August 25, 2010

While puberty used to occur around age 15 or 16, it has been occurring at younger ages over the last few decades. New research shows that girls in the U.S. are developing earlier than ever, a possible trend that is associated with a number of health risks. The study was led by Dr. Frank Biro of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The subjects included over 1,200 6- to 8-year-old girls in Cincinnati, New York and San Francisco. As part of the study, researchers used a standard measure of breast development to …