news 2012

People's judgements about whether they are depressed depend on how they believe their own suffering "ranks" in relation to the suffering of friends and family and the wider world, according to a new study. Research from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick finds that people make inaccurate judgements about their depression and anxiety symptoms - potentially leading to missed diagnoses as well as false positive diagnoses of mental health problems.

The social pain of loneliness produces changes in the body that mimic the aging process and increase the risk of heart disease, reports a recent Cornell study published in Psychology and Aging (27:1). Changes in cardiovascular functioning are part of normal aging, but loneliness appears to accelerate the process, say the researchers.

In a study with implications for businesspeople in a global economy, researchers at the University of Chicago have found that people make more rational decisions when they think through a problem in a non-native tongue. People are more likely to take favorable risks if they think in a foreign language, the new study showed.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have thrown new light on the tricks the brain plays as it struggles to make sense of the visual and other sensory signals it constantly receives. The research has implications for understanding how the brain interprets the world visually and how the brain itself works.

Breast cancer survivors who redefine their goals are healthier, joint study shows Most people go through life setting goals for themselves.

CHAMPAIGN, lll. Does hearing that you are a member of an elite group - of chess players, say, or scholars - enhance your performance on tasks related to your alleged area of expertise? Not necessarily, say researchers who tested how sweeping pronouncements about the skills or likely success of social groups can influence children's performance.

A mysterious, difficult-to-diagnose, and potentially deadly disease that was only recently discovered can be controlled most effectively if treatment is started within the first month that symptoms occur, according to a new report by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Unlike women, men don't curb certain risk-taking behaviours when a baby is present, a new psychology study at the University of Warwick suggests. Whereas women are significantly more cautious when they are partnered with small children in a gambling game measuring their attitude to risk, men don't substantially alter their willingness to take a chance.

A unique study to test the effectiveness of personally tailored exercise programmes on young people with depression has been launched by researchers at The University of Nottingham. The power of exercise in helping people with depression is well-documented in studies looking into adult populations but not in young people.

CHAMPAIGN, lll. We all have them - positive memories of personal events that are a delight to recall, and painful recollections that we would rather forget. A new study reveals that what we do with our emotional memories and how they affect us has a lot to do with our gender, personality and the methods we use (often without awareness) to regulate our feelings.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Some people quit smoking on the first try while others have to try to quit repeatedly. Using such mobile technology as hand-held computers and smartphones, a team of researchers from Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh is trying to find out why.

Pediatricians who show an unconscious preference for European Americans tend to prescribe better pain-management for white patients than they do for African-American patients, new University of Washington research shows. Pediatricians responded to case scenarios involving medical treatments for white and African American patients for four common pediatric conditions.

Odds are, you're not going to make it all the way through this article without thinking about something else. In fact, studies have found that our minds are wandering half the time, drifting off to thoughts unrelated to what we're doing — did I remember to turn off the light? What should I have for dinner? A new study investigating the mental processes underlying a wandering mind reports a role for working memory, a sort of a mental workspace that allows you to juggle multiple thoughts simultaneously.

Exposure to radiation from cell phones during pregnancy affects the brain development of offspring, potentially leading to hyperactivity, Yale School of Medicine researchers have determined. The results, based on studies in mice, are published in the March 15 issue of Scientific Reports, a Nature publication.

When it comes to intergroup conflict, the group with less power benefits more from sharing its perspective. To help promote peace in the Middle East, many organizations have established "peace camps" or similar conflict-resolution programs that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to foster greater understanding of the opposing group.

The pharmaceutical industry has in part withdrawn, either because they struggled to translate research into a viable drug or because of financial pressures." —Barbara Sahakian Leading international academics are advocating for new approaches to drug development for mental health diseases. Their comment article depression, and schizophrenia.

CHAMPAIGN, lll. Those motivated to actively change bad habits may be setting themselves up for failure, a new study suggests. The study, described in an article in the journal Motivation and Emotion, found that people primed with words suggesting action were more likely than others to make impulsive decisions that undermined their long-term goals.

Breastfeeding less common and much shorter with unplanned pregnancy, according to new research Women who did not plan to get pregnant stop breastfeeding sooner than women who did and are ten times as likely to stop breastfeeding exclusively by 12 weeks, according to new research by a Durham University expert The study suggests that women whose pregnancies weren't deliberate often experience more emotional and physical discomfort with breastfeeding compared to women who had fully intended to have a baby.

Adapted from a news release issued by the British Medical Journal Referring people with schizophrenia to group art therapy does not improve their mental health or social functioning, finds a study published in the British Medical Journal today. The findings challenge national treatment guidelines which recommend that doctors consider referring all people with schizophrenia for arts therapies.

AUSTIN, Texas — Parents always want the best education possible for their child, and new research from The University of Texas at Austin shows preschool enrollment is one of the best ways to ensure that disadvantaged kids start down the right academic path early on. In a study published online in the February issue of Psychological Science , Elliot Tucker-Drob , assistant professor of psychology and research associate at the Population Research Center, found preschool attendance significantly bridges the achievement gap between children of low and high socioeconomic backgrounds.