Cigarette smoke, whether one is the smoker or the one exposed to second hand or even third hand smoke, has detrimental and measurable health effects. A variety of studies have been conducted that connect cigarette smoking in parents to a wide variety of health issues in their children, from obesity to asthma. Two studies appearing…
Military veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to develop dementia than their peers who do not suffer from PTSD. Even as the debate continues about whether or not the government is doing enough to care for the vets, it has now been discovered that the most common disorder among…
Autism, a mental health disorder that affects social development and is typically diagnosed in children prior to their third birthday, has often been blamed for being partially responsible for increasing divorce rates. While Autism may be a stressor in the lives of the parents who are raising the autistic child, it’s not more likely to…
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals in Louisiana, Alan Levine, has asked BP for $10 million in funding for mental health services for Louisiana residents who are affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the second request made by Louisiana for funding for mental health services. Levine…
Many believe that people who behave heroically must be stronger or have greater will power than the rest of us. New research, reported by a Harvard University researcher, suggests that the hero’s belief in the moral rightness of his or her actions might actually help to create strength, will power, and stamina. Even more surprising…
Is divorce contagious? According to professors James Fowler and Rose McDermott from the University of California in San Diego, it may be. The group’s research demonstrates when someone in the social circle gets divorced, it is more likely that others within the circle may follow suit. The research, conducted by Fowler and researchers from Harvard…
At the 5th European Conference on Positive Psychology, held last week in Copenhagen, Denmark, psychologist Wilmar Schaufeli called for the development of a branch of positive psychology focused on workplace mental health. Professor Schaufeli, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, says that workplace psychology is still focused on problems rather than creating a positive environment…
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…
A lot of media hype has suggested that the current generation of young people is remarkably self-centered. If you’re tempted to think that’s just old folks being crotchety, you might want to think again. According to a large new study of college students, concern for others among college students has dropped 40 percent over the…
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…