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Study explores the psychological benefits of adult play among a group of comedy improv performers
New research published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology explores the idea that organized play that is mentally absorbing can reduce anxiety and stress among adults. The researchers found that while absorption does play a role in improvisational comedy, the stress-reducing effects may not extend outside the improv context. Cognitive scientists use the term “psychological absorption” to describe a personality trait defined by a readiness for deep involvement in self-altering experiences. This type of focused attention has been observed in certain religious practices, such as speaking in...
PsyPost
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Researchers link serious physical injury with posttraumatic stress and depression among university students
When most people think of PTSD, they may imagine soldiers and civilians struggling with the horrors of war, victims of abuse, witnesses of terrorist attacks, and other extreme incidents. However, PTSD — and the depression, stress and anxiety that often accompany it — is not the sole domain of extraordinary trauma. PTSD and depressive symptoms are known to affect individuals following moderate to serious physical injuries. The nature of this relation in university students, however, and especially those from low and middle-income countries is not well researched. This was the theme of a recent ...
PsyPost
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Engaging in art shown to improve anxiety and depression
Researchers at the University of Gloucestershire and Cardiff Metropolitan University have found that engaging in a course of creative art is associated with decreases in anxiety and depression, alongside improvements in wellbeing. The research, due to appear in the forthcoming special issue in Public Health on Arts, Creativity & Health, also examined patterns of change across two cycles of referral for this social prescribing scheme. The use of social prescribing in patient medical care has been increasing in recent years, particularly in the UK. Social prescribing is the practice of referring...
PsyPost
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Psychopathy linked to fear-specific reductions in brain activity when taking another’s perspective
Psychopathic individuals exhibit reduced brain activity when taking the perspective of another person who is experiencing fear, according to new research published in NeuroImage. The findings shed light on the underlying neurobiological mechanisms linked to psychopathy. “Psychopathy takes an enormous financial and human toll on society. Lack of empathy is thought to be a key characteristic that contributes to psychopathic people’s behavior that victimizes other people,” said study author Philip Deming (@phil_deming), a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at University of Wisconsin-Madi...
PsyPost
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CBD treatment for epilepsy does not have adverse effects on memory
Treatment with highly purified cannabidiol among epilepsy patients is associated with increases in neural activity in prefrontal brain regions related to verbal memory and attention, according to new research published in Epilepsy & Behavior. But the treatment does not appear to significantly impact working memory performance. “We were interested in better understanding highly purified CBD’s effects on working memory for several reasons,” said study author Tyler E. Gaston of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “First and foremost, with the FDA approval of Epidiolex, neurologists who may p...
PsyPost
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KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Open Enrollment, One More Time
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. An estimated 9 million Americans eligible for free or reduced premium health insurance under the Affordable Care Act have a second chance to sign up for 2021 coverage, since the Biden administration reopened enrollment on healthcare.gov and states that run their own marketplaces followed suit. Meanwhile, Biden officials took the first steps to revoke the permission that states got from the Trump administration to require many adults on Medicaid to work or perform community service in exchange for their health coverage. The Supreme...
Kaiser Health News
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KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Open Enrollment, One More Time
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. An estimated 9 million Americans eligible for free or reduced premium health insurance under the Affordable Care Act have a second chance to sign up for 2021 coverage, since the Biden administration reopened enrollment on healthcare.gov and states that run their own marketplaces followed suit. Meanwhile, Biden officials took the first steps to revoke the permission that states got from the Trump administration to require many adults on Medicaid to work or perform community service in exchange for their health coverage. The Supreme...
California Healthline
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Study among recently divorced individuals reveals a host of physical and mental health issues
A Danish study published in Frontiers in Psychology offers evidence that the negative consequences of divorce include a wide range of physical and mental health symptoms. The study also suggests that these negative consequences appear depending on certain risk and protective factors. Divorce has previously been associated with a range of health consequences such as anxiety, stress, and even greater risk of mortality. However, according to study authors Søren Sander and his team, divorce research carries some key limitations. Divorce is often only granted by a court after a couple has undergone...
PsyPost
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Study pinpoints hormonal pathway through which early poverty may contribute to poor psychological health
According to a new study, the link between early poverty and poor mental health might be partly explained by a hormonal mechanism. This mechanism is proposed to interfere with hippocampal development and lead to disrupted emotion regulation. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Early poverty has been established as a risk factor for developmental issues and has been tied to psychological impairment in childhood and adulthood. Intervention strategies to address these consequences early on are needed. Deanna M. Barch, the Gregory B. Couch Professor ...
PsyPost
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Exaggerated threat expectancies linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors in U.S. gun owners
New research suggests that heightened threat perceptions play an important role in the link between firearm ownership and suicide. The findings appear in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. (If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or follow this link to their online chat.) “My interest in firearm suicide has been largely influenced by my experience as a military veteran,” said study author Craig J. Bryan of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Military veterans are more likely to die by suicide using a firearm tha...
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