Guilt-Based PSAs Have Opposite Impact News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 17, 2010Public service announcements (PSAs) are meant to contribute something positive to the community. In the case of PSAs aimed at shaming college students out of drinking activities may instead send them back to the bottle. The New York Daily News recently reported on a new study that found PSAs that strongly associate binge drinking with…
Vitamin D May Lift Spirits in Cold Weather Mood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 17, 2010A daily dose of vitamin D may just be what people in northern climates need to get through the long winter, according to researchers at Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing (MNSON). This nutrient lifts mood during cold weather months when days are short and more time is spent indoors.
Short Online Questionnaire a Valid Tool for Screening Psychiatric Illnesses News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 15, 2010A one-page, 27-item questionnaire that is available free online is a valid and effective tool to help primary care doctors screen patients for four common psychiatric illnesses, a study led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers concludes. Results of the My Mood Monitor (M-3) checklist study are published in the March/April 2010…
New Scale Measuring Anxiety Outcomes Developed News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 12, 2010A new questionnaire and outcomes measurement scale developed by the department of psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital has proven to be a reliable and valid measure of anxiety. The scale can easily be incorporated into routine clinical practice when treating psychiatric disorders. The study appears online ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Studies Examine Gene Impact in Schizophrenia News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 10, 2010Schizophrenia continues to be a puzzling disease and one that doctors cannot always effectively treat and scientists still don’t fully understand. A recent Science Daily release examined a report of two new studies in which researchers led by Johns Hopkins say they have identified the mechanisms rooted in anatomical brain abnormalities that could explain the…
Study Examines Potential to Control Drug Dependence AddictionBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 9, 2010For the millions of individuals who fight drug dependence every day, not all of them set out to develop a drug problem. Those who are desperate to find relief may benefit from work done by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Some Antidepressants Bring Higher Risk of Developing Cataracts Mood DisordersBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 9, 2010A new statistical study has found that some antidepressant drugs are associated with an increased chance of developing cataracts. Researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and McGill University conducted the study, based on a database of more than 200,000 Quebec residents aged 65 and older, that showed statistical relationships…
Ritalin Enhances Speed of Learning by Boosting Dopamine Levels News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 8, 2010Doctors treat millions of children with Ritalin every year to improve their ability to focus on tasks, but scientists now report that Ritalin also directly enhances the speed of learning. In animal research, scientists showed for the first time that Ritalin boosts both of these cognitive abilities by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine…
Meaningful Conversations Linked to Happiness News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 5, 2010A new study examining how conversation connects to happiness found that substantial, meaningful conversations (as opposed to small talk) may make people happier. The researchers, led by Matthias Mehl at the University of Arizona, looked at the different types of conversation that happy and unhappy people participate in. The study, published in the journal Psychological…
Stress May Lead to Grinding Teeth at Night News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 4, 2010People who are stressed by daily problems or trouble at work seem to be more likely to grind their teeth at night, a new study has found. Researchers writing in BioMed Central’s open access journal Head & Face Medicine studied the causes of “sleep bruxism,” or gnashing teeth during the night, finding that it was especially common…
