Mindfulness meditation reduces loneliness in older adults, and may lower their risk of inflammatory diseases, a new Carnegie Mellon University study suggests. For older adults, loneliness is a major risk factor for health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s, and death. Attempts to diminish loneliness with social networking programs like creating community centers to…
Category: Psychology
What Is Dysthymia?
Dysthymia, sometimes also called neurotic depression, dysthymic disorder, or chronic depression, is a mood disorder consisting of the same cognitive and physical problems as in depression, with less severe but longer-lasting symptoms. The concept was coined by Robert Spitzer as a replacement for the term “depressive personality” in the late 1970s. According to the fourth…
Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model May Help People Stay Happy Longer
“Variety is the spice of life”, they say. And “happiness isn’t getting what you want, but wanting what you get”. Cliches? Maybe, but both sayings appear to have a psychological basis, according to a new study by an University of Missouri Columbia psychologist who identified two keys to becoming happier and staying that way. “Although…
Bilingualism Enhances Attention And Fine-tunes Hearing
A new Northwestern University study provides the first biological evidence that bilinguals‘ rich experience with language fine-tunes their auditory nervous system and helps them juggle linguistic input in ways that enhance attention and working memory. Northwestern bilingualism expert Viorica Marian teamed up with auditory neuroscientist Nina Kraus to investigate how bilingualism affects the brain. In…
What Is Declarative Memory?
Declarative memory, also referred to as explicit memory is one of the two main types of long-term human memory. It is the conscious, intentional recollection of factual information, previous experiences and concepts. Declarative memory can be divided into two categories: episodic memory, which stores specific personal experiences, and semantic memory, which stores factual information. Declarative…
Depressed Mothers Disrupt Babies’ Sleep
Women who are depressed are more likely than other mothers to needlessly wake their babies from a sound sleep out of worry. Douglas M. Teti, professor of human development, psychology, and pediatrics and associate director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State, says: “We found that mothers with high depressive symptom levels are…
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real. Common symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory hallucinations, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and inactivity. Diagnosis is based on observed behaviour and the person’s reported experiences. Genetics and early environment, as well as…
Stress Statistics, Illness and Psychoneuroimmunology
You hear it all the time from almost every one you know – “I am so stressed out!” “Sorry, I’m just under too much stress.” Pressures proliferate in our difficult world today. Pressures that cause stress and anxiety. So often we are ill-equipped to combat daily stress that activates anxiety and other emotions that can…
How Do Anxiety Disorder Medications Work?
When someone suffers from an anxiety disorder, it goes beyond the regular anxiety that everyone suffers from day to day. This form of anxiety can be chronic, recurring and extreme to the point of being unbearable. Therefore many doctors will recommend prescription medication to help treat the problem. Some people will not mind medication, as…