Sharing a home with a pet appeared to act as a buffer against psychological stress during lockdown, a new survey shows. Most people who took part in the research perceived their pets to be a source of considerable support during the lockdown period. (23 March…
Researchers from HSE University compared the effect of two meditation practices – loving-kindness meditation (LKM) and compassion meditation (CM). Loving-kindness meditation turned out to be more effective when it comes to increasing happiness, but, in contrast with previous studies, compassion meditation also did not result…
By Amanda Froelich As you may have noticed in a recent video I posted, the stress of life (and, let’s be honest, 2020) has been getting to me lately. Finally, after experiencing the nth emotional up-and-down, I decided it was time I take a fresh…
By: GreenMedInfo Research Group The psychological side effects of acetaminophen, aka Tylenol, continue to mount, with research showing users are more likely to make risky decisions. When coupled with past research linking this supposedly safe pain reliever to blunted empathy and emotions, the widespread social…
New research from UBC finds that after a night of shorter sleep, people react more emotionally to stressful events the next day–and they don’t find as much joy in the good things. The study, led by health psychologist Nancy Sin, looks at how sleep affects…
Lack of social interaction or companionship is more common among those with health issues, but neighbors, healthy habits and technology may help Staying close to home and avoiding crowded places may help older adults reduce their risk of COVID-19. But a new national poll suggests…
By Sara Tipton During times of crisis, stress, and uncertainty, we tend to forget that we should be taking care of ourselves too. Putting your kids, spouse, and pets welfare before yourself is common, but we all need to take the time to make sure…
By Fay Bound Alberti, University of York Some UK care homes are to deploy robots in an attempt to allay loneliness and boost mental health. The wheeled machines will “initiate rudimentary conversations, play residents’ favourite music, teach them languages, and offer practical help, including medicine…
By Tyler Durden The suicide rate among Americans ages 10 to 24 increased by 57% between 2007 and 2018, data published Thursday from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) shows. New concerns are mounting that social media could be contributing to the wave of suicides among younger generations. Between 2007…
By mc schraefel, University of Southampton COVID-19 has seen all the rules change when it comes to social engagement. Workplaces and schools have closed, gatherings have been banned, and the use of social media and other online tools has risen to bridge the gap. But…
Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, but it may not be enough for the levels caused by COVID-19. In a study of twins led by Washington State University researchers, people who reported increasing their physical activity after the start of COVID-19 stay-at-home…
Less screen time and more green time are associated with better psychological outcomes among children and adolescents, according to a study published September 4 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Tassia Oswald of the University of Adelaide, and colleagues. The prevalence of mental illness…
A first-of-its-kind study from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) finds 27.8% of U.S. adults had depression symptoms as of mid-April, compared to 8.5% before the COVID-19 pandemic. Published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the study also found that income and savings…
Three popular complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies – yoga, tai chi, and meditation – lead to significant improvements in key outcomes perceived by Veterans receiving care in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) system, suggests a study in a special September supplement to Medical Care….
By Kathryn Abel, University of Manchester and Matthias Pierce, University of Manchester Public health responses to the pandemic have focused on preventing the spread of the virus, limiting the number of deaths and easing the burden on healthcare systems. But there’s also potentially another, less…
By Daisy Luther The pandemic and the government’s response to it has changed the lives of many people. The “new normal” is a rather dystopian and uncomfortable existence. Going places and watching people skitter around with their faces covered, following arrows on the floor, no…
By Matt Agorist The fact that any people have to get permission from their government to ingest a fungus that grows wildly in all corners of the globe is infuriating. Even more infuriating, however, is the fact that terminally ill cancer patients have to get…
New research into people’s coping strategies faced with COVID-19 highlights the mental health toll for those shielding Coronavirus and the imposition of lockdown this year ‘significantly raised’ mental health challenges, particularly so for the most vulnerable groups, including those shielding, according to the first study…
By Daisy Luther One side effect of the pandemic and subsequent restrictions isn’t physical or financial – it’s mental. Last month, The Psychiatric Times published an article about the “mental health pandemic” that came along with COVID-19. The health and financial costs of COVID-19 have…
The ongoing disruptive changes from efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are having a substantial negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of parents and their children across the country, according to a new national survey published today in Pediatrics. Families are particularly…
