Feature Channels: Psychology and Psychiatry

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected not only individual lives but also the world and global systems, both natural and human-made. Besides millions of deaths and environmental challenges, the rapid spread of the infection and its very high socioeconomic impact have affected healthcare, economic status and wealth, and mental health across the globe. To better appreciate the pandemic's influence, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are needed. In this paper, together with world-leading scientists from different backgrounds we share collectively our views about the pandemic's footprint and discuss challenges that face the international community.

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A study by Rutgers University-New Brunswick researchers has shown that military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who participated in a program caring for horses, experienced an improved mental outlook and easing of symptoms. Some of the most widely used psychotherapy interventions for PTSD ... have shown that about one-third of participants drop out prior to the completion of treatment.

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Eliminating taxes on tips — an idea supported by both major party 2024 presidential candidates — could benefit some service workers but the overall impact may not be that dramatic, says a Virginia Tech expert. There are roughly 4 million workers for whom tips make up a significant portion of their income.

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Nancy Segal, author, professor of psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center at Cal State Fullerton, is set to speak about twins, genetics, parenting, nature and nurture at the Fullerton Public Library's Conference Center on Oct. 17.

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Homelessness in Arizona has reached a new crisis point. In 2023, more than 14,000 people were without shelter—a 29% increase since 2020.Help could be on the way, thanks to grant funds that are fueling new research projects based at NAU and developed alongside community partners.Laura Noll and Robert Wickham, both associate professors of psychological sciences at NAU, recently received more than $1 million in grants from the Garcia Family Foundation to lead three projects aimed at not only finding housing and support for unsheltered Arizonans but also preventing future homelessness in the state.

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The global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 and resulting job losses led to a surge in suicidal ideation among Canadians, especially young people, a new UdeM-led study finds.

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A report released today by the Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA) at Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life evaluates the potential impact of Massachusetts Ballot Question 4, which would legalize a group of naturally occurring psychedelic drugs — psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, DMT, and ibogaine — for use at home and eventually in a network of therapy centers.

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Mount Sinai Health System and IBM Research today announced the launch of the Phenotypes Reimagined to Define Clinical Treatment and Outcome Research (PREDiCTOR) study. The research effort aims to address the lack of objective measures in psychiatry by leveraging advances in artificial intelligence and incorporating rich behavioral data from clinical interviews, at-home data captured on smartphones, and cognitive testing.

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New research from the University of Georgia suggests the COVID-19 pandemic may have had an unexpected side effect for postpartum women: more benzodiazepine prescriptions. The new study found that the pandemic didn’t lead to increases in postpartum depression or anxiety diagnoses. But it did prompt a 15% increase in the number of privately insured new moms filling prescriptions for antianxiety medications like Valium, Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin.

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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.

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Brain scans reveal that mindfulness meditation engages different neural pathways compared to placebo, demonstrating that pain relief from mindfulness meditation is not the result of the placebo effect.

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U.S. vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance recently made headlines after previous remarks he made in 2021 resurfaced in which he said that the U.S. was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and a “bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.” While pundits often focus on the impact of suburban family voters, MSU psychologists say those without children should not be overlooked.

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Trosman, who studied the psychological roots of emotional suffering and dreams, worked at UChicago for 70 years.

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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.

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A recent surgeon general’s advisory outlining an urgent need to support increasingly stressed-out parents highlights an important and growing issue, says a Virginia Tech expert. Rosanna Breaux, a psychologist at Virginia Tech who directs the Child Study Center, said how well parents manage their emotions is crucial for their own parenting experience and for the health of both themselves and their children.