Dr. John Grohol's weekly update of news and articles on psychology. Since 1999.
Ed Silverman Moves on From Pharmalot, Joins Elsevier
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.5 Jan 2009 at 8:42 pm
Pharmalot is a blog we turned to when we wanted to keep up-to-date on the latest pharmaceutical news or scandal. Written for the past 2 years by Ed Silverman, he’s decided to move on to take a job over at Elsevier and may very well start blogging for them on the same topics (either at the In Vivo blog or some other company blog).
While we’ll miss Pharmalot as it exists today, we hope
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Abuse in Teen Relationships
by Renée M. Grinnell5 Jan 2009 at 6:58 pm
The New York Times ran a chilling article the other day about abusive relationships among youths, which are far more prevalent than I realized. According to a 2007 Center of Disease Control and Prevention survey of 15,000 teens cited in the Times article, 10 percent of respondents reported physical abuse “like being hit or slapped by a romantic partner. Nearly 8 percent of teenagers in the surve
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Cutting and Self-Injury
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.5 Jan 2009 at 8:08 am
This entry may be triggering or difficult to read for some people.
Self-injury behavior is something that is more common than many people realize. (In one study by researchers at Brown University of high school students, 46 percent had injured themselves in the past year on multiple occasions.) It is often misunderstood, not just by the lay public, but also by the mental health professionals who
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12 Winter Depression Busters
by Therese J. Borchard4 Jan 2009 at 9:16 pm
We’ve officially entered the hard months, the “dark ages” as the midshipmen at the Naval Academy say: the time of the year when the sun disappears and the pale complexions of your friends remind you that you had better take your vitamins or else you’ll have a cold to go with your pasty look.
I dread winter each year because many of my depression busters require sunny skies
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Once You Click, Can You Quit?
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.4 Jan 2009 at 5:05 pm
Ah, what’s the new year without another look at “Internet addiction disorder,” especially since it’s being considered for inclusion into the DSM-V? Yours truly is quoted in this one, so at least it brings some balance to the topic. And I do note the tendency for researchers and policy makers working on the DSM-V to want to seem to err on the side of including more disorders
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Older Parents, Birth Order Linked to Autism
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.4 Jan 2009 at 11:04 am
In the largest study ever to look at correlations related to autism, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that birth order and a parent’s age are important factors.
Specifically, the researchers found that the risk of a firstborn child having an autism-related disorder triples after a mother turns 35 and a father turns 40.
The researchers also found a 20 percent in
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Friday Flashback for January 2, 2009
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.2 Jan 2009 at 7:46 am
This seems like a good Friday to take a look back, as people recover from their New Year’s celebrations (including us!) and as many of us look forward to what 2009 has in store for us (we’re wishing for an improved economy, for one!).
10 Years Ago on Psych Central
Enjoying the Moment: It’s Harder Than It Seems
I’ve always been fascinated by the passage of time, and how ou
Happy New Year 2009
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.1 Jan 2009 at 5:44 am
In many ways, we’re sad to see 2008 go. We passed some great milestones during the year here at Psych Central, including topping 80,000 members in our collective communities and reaching more people through our website than in any previous year. We started our first two new blogs — Bipolar Beat and Celebrity Psychings — which have both already been great successes.
As much as I
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Collectively, Are We Still Happy in a Depression?
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.31 Dec 2008 at 5:09 am
Sonja Lyubomirsky thinks so.
Or at least that seems to be her argument in a recent op-ed in the New York Times, where she suggests that people (What people? Most people? Her friends? She doesn’t say…) aren’t panicking due to the depression/recession that we’re in. That most people aren’t really that unhappy in these difficult economic times.
Of course, I have to ra
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Bad Science Headlines: Discovery’s Brain Warping
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.30 Dec 2008 at 7:57 am
In yet another news article on yet another of-questionable-value fMRI study, hard-hitting Discovery news came up with this doozy of a headline:
How Visiting Your Family Warps Your Brain
Really now? Warps your brain? Wow, I can’t wait to read how someone who visits their family actually finds significant, long-lasting structural changes in their brain.
Ahh, but then I’d be disappoint
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5 Tips to Make Your Resolutions Stick
by Therese J. Borchard29 Dec 2008 at 5:16 am
I know what you’re thinking: another cheesy, goody-two-shoes article on how I can keep all those goals I’ve set going into 2009. If you abhor such articles (like 10 ways to declutter your bathroom), then keep on reading. I’m like you. Normal.
1. Bribe yourself.
A so-called parenting expert that I read last week claimed that bribing your kid to get him to do something was an example of
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The Psychology of New Year’s Resolutions
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.28 Dec 2008 at 5:22 am
As we put the holidays behind us and dig out from underneath all of the wrapping paper (or snow! or both), many of us turn to the upcoming New Year’s celebration to engage in a ritual that any visiting alien might be puzzled by — New Year’s resolutions. Why do humans pick a single point in time each year to try and change certain things in their life — behaviors, attitudes,
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Locked Away for Years, Nobody Cares
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.27 Dec 2008 at 6:00 am
What if someone you loved had a mental disorder that nobody knew how to treat? The disorder causes your loved one to act out against others, because they see hallucinations or believe delusions about others trying to harm them.
Sometimes, the delusions might cause them to act out, sometimes even harming other people.
Medical and psychological science don’t yet have all the answers. Sad
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Minding the Media: 9 Eating Lessons from Magazines
by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.26 Dec 2008 at 7:47 am
Women’s magazines are always filled with tons of tips. Here’s what I learned from December/January issues of popular fitness and health publications.
1. At your family dinner or office party, concentrate your efforts on making the right food decisions and always choose the lighter fare.
Women’s Health tells us to select sliced ham instead of a turkey drumstick, mashed potatoes over stuf
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Merry Christmas 2008!
by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.24 Dec 2008 at 1:33 pm
As we close down the Psych Central offices for the holidays, we want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! May the joy of the season be with your family, your friends, and most of all, with you. Whether you spend it with others or on your own, remember that the holiday lasts for only a very short time each year (whether that’s for better or worse for yo
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