If this time of year brings to mind the joyful happiness and tingly feelings brought forth at the conclusion of the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” then a big let-down may be in store, according to a University of Missouri-Columbia psychology expert. In fact, high expectations can be the first step on the road to a stressful holiday season. [continue reading…]
Family
Parents and even doctors sometimes miss the red flags for autism, but a new online video “glossary” makes them startlingly clear. [continue reading…]
Family meals are the perfect time to talk to your kids and to listen to what’s on their mind. Current research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA)* at Columbia University consistently found that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. [continue reading…]
 Teenage pregnancy is widely recognized to be a major public health concern. These young mothers face many life challenges and they have an increased risk for becoming depressed. How might the behavior of these young mothers be related to later psychiatric or behavioral problems in some of their offspring? A new study being published in Biological Psychiatryon September 15th suggests an association between a history of depression in the mothers, a particular style of mothering, “maternal over-control”, and increased stress reactivity of their infants. [continue reading…]
