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A new neurobiological study has found that a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, is an effective anti-depressant at low doses. However, at higher doses, the effect reverses itself and can actually worsen depression and other psychiatric conditions like psychosis. [continue reading…]
Many of the lifestyle habits that children and adolescents develop—eating a diet high in fat and low in fruits and vegetables, being physically inactive or sedentary, and experimenting with tobacco and alcohol use—can have a major impact on their health later in life. Given that, psychologists with expertise in children’s health and behavior should be taking more of a lead role in helping young people develop good lifestyle habits early on and preventing these problems from occurring, says a researcher from Georgetown University Medical Center. [continue reading…]
Cancer care today often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the illness. These problems ─ including patients’ lack of information or skills needed to manage the illness; anxiety, depression or other emotional problems; lack of transportation or other resources; and disruptions in work, school, and family life ─ cause additional suffering, weaken adherence to prescribed treatments, and threaten patients’ return to health. Today, it is not possible to deliver good-quality cancer care without addressing patients’ psychosocial health needs. [continue reading…]
People with more years of education lose their memory faster than those with less education in the years prior to a diagnosis of dementia, according to a study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, published in the October 23rd issue of the medical journal Neurology. [continue reading…]
