Any parent of a teenager knows it is not possible to control all of a teen’s actions. New research indicates that although parents can’t do much to stop teenagers from trying alcohol, a balanced approach to parenting can go a long way toward preventing binge drinking among teenagers. Researchers from Brigham Young University surveyed over…
Michael Jackson’s ongoing transformation that included major changes to his nose, skin color, and other facial features, may have been as a result of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). BDD is a disorder in which anxiety causes sufferers to seek major modifications to their body, often with less-than-satisfactory results. According to scientists at the University of…
A new technique for stimulating the brain improves the language skills of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a preliminary report of new research that appeared online last week in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. The technical is called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (or rTMS). The new treatment uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the…
For New York residents with mental disorders that require significant support, new options are expected to be in place within the near future. Many people currently housed in group homes in New York that provide services for those with mental health issues will be moving into independent housing within the next three years, based on…
A group of researchers in Philadelphia have developed a brain scan relying on a different kind of dye that will allow doctors to see the early stages of developing Alzheimer’s disease and to track the progress of the disease in the brain. In the past, doctors treating patients with memory loss have not had reliable…
Many people believe that alcohol can cause normally peaceful people to become violent. New research shows that intoxication can indeed increase violence, but that the association is strongest for people who normally hold in their anger. In fact, according to this new study, people who do not habitually repress their anger are not likely to…
Lonely people are less healthy, and the quality of friendships is more important than the quantity, according to researchers at the University of Arizona. Having hundreds of friends on Facebook or dozens of followers on Twitter does not prevent the effects of loneliness. The quality and depth of connections with others is as important or…
Most people know it’s not a good idea to go to the grocery store when you’ve had a tough day at work and haven’t eaten for 12 hours, or to go out drinking after getting some bad news. We know that the stress we’re under would probably lead us to make some poor health decisions….
Baby boomers–roughly, the generation of Americans currently over 50–have sharply increased their rate of substance abuse. This is according to a report issued last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to Pamela S. Hyde, administration of SAMHSA, “The…
Social stigma is still attached to people who achieve success in jobs normally held by members of the other sex. The specific social penalties differ for men and women, according to a new study by researchers from New York University and Columbia University. The researchers, Madeline Heilman and Aaron Wallen, found that men who are…