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Psychology & Psychiatry news

Psychology & Psychiatry

Hot sauce study finds asymmetric placebo effect can offer insights into pain perception

The expectations humans have of a pleasurable sensation asymmetrically shape neuronal responses and subjective experiences to hot sauce, according to a study published October 8, in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by ...

Medical research

Psilocybin may lead to increased optimism, rat study suggests

Monash University researchers have made a breakthrough in the study of psychedelics to treat disorders including major depression, demonstrating that rats given psilocybin exhibit increased optimism over time.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Screen time tied to depression, anxiety in 9- and 10-year-olds

Spending more time on screens increases the likelihood that 9- and 10-year-olds will develop symptoms of mental illness, according to a study by UC San Francisco that is one of the first long-term looks at the problem.

Psychology & Psychiatry

What's driving the rise in ADHD diagnoses among children and adults?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in children, and the numbers are only expected to rise. The CDC reported that in 2022, more than 7 million (11.4%) U.S. children ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Is owning a dog good for your health?

Australia loves dogs. We have one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, and one in two households has at least one dog.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Are auditory magic tricks possible for a blind audience?

Magic tricks make the impossible seem possible. Magicians have long captivated audiences with visual tricks, such as pulling a bunny from a hat or sawing someone in half, but tricks that rely on sound are scarce.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Research reveals gene expression's role in depression and immunity

A new study, conducted in a shared effort between U.K. and Italian researchers offers novel insights about the biological mechanisms behind major depressive disorder (MDD), and especially on the role of the immune system.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Obstetricians more emotionally stable than most in Sweden

Swedish obstetricians and gynecologists are noticeably more emotionally stable and conscientious compared to the majority of the Swedish population. Based on the doctors' personalities, their decision-making styles differ ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

How and when do athletes seek mental health support?

Athletes' experience of using mental health support—and their attitudes towards these services—could be better understood with a more robust approach to research.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Children's language development doesn't just happen through words

Children learn to understand language and to speak largely independently of cognitive functions like spatial awareness, working (short-term) memory and perception (interpreting and organizing sensory impressions), according ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

How extreme isolation can alter your sense of time

A year and half alone in a cave might sound like a nightmare to a lot of people, but Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini emerged with a cheerful grin and said she thought she had more time to finish her book.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Why do we find someone reading sexy?

A few years ago the dating website eHarmony concluded that profiles that included reading in their list of hobbies were more attractive to the opposite sex. Specifically, the data revealed that men who mentioned reading as ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Psychologists map the psyche of extreme altruists

Although many people admire the actions of people who engage in acts of extraordinary altruism, like altruistic organ donors, bone marrow donors, and heroes who rescue people from fires or accidents, they are also often mystified ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Digital peer emotional support improves youth well-being: Study

Emerging adulthood (ages 19 to 25 years) is a developmental phase that is marked by increased mental health conditions, especially depression and anxiety. Online peer emotional support is one mental health intervention that ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Six tips for coping with climate anxiety

Climate change has led to more frequent and extreme weather events, including floods, storms, droughts and wildfires. As we continue to live through and witness these events, many people are more likely to be exposed to traumatic ...