Vocabulary increases as parents name visible objects

Today's post is dedicated to my second grade teacher, who sent home a report card to my mother indicating that, although I had great potential, I was a talker in the classroom.

The word filled me with dread.  I'll never forget wondering what the consequences would be if I continued to be a talker and became an abject failure in my education.  Of course, I did not know the word "abject" back then, but a new study may indicate that the reason I do know the word "abject" now is because I was a talker or — more accurately — because my parents were talkers and quite good at naming objects in the immediate environment to me when I was learning my words.

So to my beloved second grade teacher, who was very well-meaning and I'm sure just trying to manage an efficient classroom without interruptions, I would like to say that I have made two out of three careers (journalism and psychology) of being a talker, and I still enjoy being a talker very much.

But I do want to thank that teacher for being such a wonderful influence in so many other ways.

Best news yet: Mindfulness helps students

This is my favorite Psychology Matters post yet.

Mindulness was used with students without psychiatric problems and it helped them at exam time!!!

It truly speaks for itself. Please see the original item here.

Have a great weekend!

Just say no to BOTOX

BOTOX (TM) may not be your friend if you are trying to appear authentic, more attractive, highly intelligent, or sufficiently dominant.

This one speaks for itself.  The original article where I found the information was here.

So keep rockin' those crow's feet.

Exercise boosts creativity

I stumbled upon a delightful article detailing the exercise — and other — habits of creative people.  I do not want to spoil much of the fun of reading it.  You should do so, right away.

I also found this neat article suggesting that exercise enhances creativity, independently of its effects on mood.  So it is not just a mood lift that one may experience with exercise, but an increase in creative power and cognitive flexibility as well

Heart attack risk highest for those with depression

People with depression have a 55% increased risk of heart attack, according to new research available on the American Psychological Association's website.

Of more than 60,000 research hits on cardiovascular disease in PubMed research database, more than 35,000 of them cite psychosocial factors involved in the pathogenesis of the problem.  This has increased the amount of attention being paid to serious mental illness over the past several years.  Cognitive-behavioral interventions have shown promise in inoculating patients against the stresses that may arise in those predisposed to cardiovascular problems.

Research also suggests that optimism may be a preventative factor for cardiac illness. This appears to be in line with older research suggesting that cynical hostility — expecting the worst from others — was a well known risk factor.  Having great senses of meaning and hope in life is considered to be some of the best psychological protection against cardiovascular illness.

For more information, please see the article and video linked here.

Volunteerism for prevention of hypertension?

Higher levels of volunteerism were associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of hypertension, according to new research from Carnegie Mellon university that was published in an article on Science Daily.

The research followed 1,164 adults aged 51-91 from across the United States.  Results were collected in 2006 and 2010.  In 2006, the participants all had normal blood pressure levels.  The study collected data on volunteerism, various social and psychological factors, and blood pressure.

Those with more than 200 hours of volunteer work were at 40% less risk of hypertension.

The authors of the study have suggested that forming social connections through volunteer work may help ward off the stress that is believed to be one of the underlying causes of hypertension.

For more information on volunteering in your area, check out www.volunteer.gov.

ADHD: More frequently diagnosed in younger students

I stumbled upon this on a site called Clinically Psyched last night and I found it very thought-provoking.  A study looking at nearly a million students indicated that in general, it is the younger members of any given class that are more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

It is clear that there is an overabundance of pharmacotherapy being utilized for ADHD, and not enough emphasis on exercise and nutrition.  This is especially prevalent in the United States, where incidentally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refuses to acknowledge the role of food dyes in exacerbating the problem, as other countries have done, and the other countries have banned the dyes as a result.  That is not true here in the USA.  Here is an article from the medical establishment supporting the FDA's position but outlining the research against food dyes.

Anyway, this article presents another hypothesis. Maybe what we are looking at is social immaturity for many students with ADHD, instead of an actual neurological impairment that needs to be addressed with medication.

ADHD can be conceptualized as an overabundance of energy and is usually paired with different learning styles.  There are many ways to treat it.  If you are curious, talk to a psychologist.

Excessive gamers sleep less

Sometimes in editing this blog, I stumble upon research that is a few years old, but seems more relevant today than it was when the research was published.

I think it is fair to say that computer gaming, specifically on mobile devices, is more ubiquitous today than it was in 2009.  I know many people who rarely played computer games in 2009 who now play games on tablets and smartphones. "Candy Crush" comes to mind as the latest widespread addiction.

I have been an "excessive" gamer (more than seven hours a week of playing, according to this study) more times in my life than I care to count.  I actually laughed when I saw this study, because I was surprised "excessive" gaming was not counted as more than 7 hours a day which has not been outside my own experience.  As a matter of fact, I would offer that if you ask most gamers who play online roleplaying games, fewer than 7 hours a day of playing represents someone who might be considered by other gamers to be a little lazy. 

As new technologies emerge, I think we will see gaming take new forms.  I believe that when Google's Project Glass becomes popular, or items like it, people will be gaming in their glasses.  Some of them will game more than seven hours per day.  Hey, you can say you saw it here first.  Let's track that prediction.

It is important to note that if you receive fewer than 8 hours of sleep per night as an adult, and fewer than 9 hours of sleep per night as an adolescent, you are considered to be sleep deprived and your performance at work/school is likely to be suffering.  But another thing that is likely to be suffering is your mood, and if you operate a motor vehicle, you can reasonably expect to be worse at that too.

Let's all make an effort to get to bed for adequate rest.

See the original Science Daily article on the study here.

Bullies & Victims: 4x Risk of Psychiatric Illness

Bullies and their victims alike are at risk for psychiatric problems into adulthood.

The following is from the National Institutes of Mental Health website, published June 11, 2013. It is public domain.

***

Bullying is a repetitive, aggressive act done to abuse or intimidate others. It can take on various forms—primarily verbal, emotional, and physical, although cyberbullying is also on the rise. Typically these scenes occur inside school or on the playground, but they can also happen at home or at work. A power imbalance usually is involved in which one child or a group of children torments another child who is considered “weaker.” Methods employed by bullies include threats, rumor-spreading, and exclusion.

Most of what experts know about the effects of bullying comes from short-term observational studies. These studies reflect general society’s view that most people overcome these events by the time they become adults.

“Initially I too was skeptical about these long-term effects,” says study author William Copeland, Ph.D., at Duke University, who as an epidemiologist knew of other traumatic events that do not linger psychologically, such as maltreatment and physical abuse. “Yet this is something that stays with people. A large number of people express lasting effects decades after their childhood experiences.”

Copeland and his colleagues tapped into a local population sample of 1,420 children from 11 Western North Carolina counties. Starting at the ages of 9, 11, and 13, the kids, along with their parents, were interviewed annually until the age of 16, fielding questions about peer relations and home and community settings. The participating children were again interviewed at 19, 21, and 24 to 26 years of age. Four groups emerged from this longitudinal study: people who were never involved in bullying, people who were victims, people who were bullies, and people who were both.

Results of the Study

More than half of the study’s youth reported being neither a bully nor a victim. Around a quarter of the study group claimed that they were victimized. About 7 percent confessed to being a bully. A similar percentage said that they were both, a group the researchers labeled as “bully-victims.”

Compared to those who went through childhood unscathed, victims had four times the prevalence of agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, and panic disorder when they became adults. Overall, bullies had four times the risk of developing antisocial personality disorder. These disorders still stood even after other factors were taken into account, such as preexisting psychiatric problems or family hardships.

Bully-victims fared the worst. Also known as “loners,” these individuals start out with less developed social skills and are seen as more impulsive and aggressive. When picked on, they respond by picking on others. Their numbers, compared to those never involved in bullying, tell the story: 14 times the risk of panic disorder, 5 times the risk of depressive disorders, and 10 times the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.

“Victims report the greatest anxiety problems. They might become successful people later on, but they still think about the event and hold onto it. Bullies are socially adept and may find ways in adulthood to use these skills in a pro-social manner. Folks really underestimate who are the bully-victims. These are the ones who end up having the most significant emotional problems including suicidality,” explained Copeland, who is also a father of two.

Significance

All these disorders impart a great emotional and financial cost to society. Lowering and/or preventing bullying could possibly reduce human suffering and long-term health costs—not to mention creating a safer environment for children to grow up in.

Research into resilience or why some are able to bounce back in adulthood is ongoing. Some key molecules and brain circuit pathways have been identified in animals. Other research areas under exploration include physiology, genetics, epigenetics, and cognitive therapies.

What’s Next

Studies looking into which interventions work best for bullying are underway. Once these interventions are identified, research is needed to see at what stages in life they should they be administered. Lastly, other factors that play a role in bullying and victimization, such as sexual orientation, need exploration.

“This study suggests that we should pay attention to what’s going on between peers,” said Copeland, adding that kids spend more time each day with their peers, including school and online, than with their parents. “What happens to kids when they’re with their peers is as important, or may be more important, than what happens at home,” said Copeland.

Reference

Copeland WE, Wolke D, Angold A, Costello EJ. Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry, published April 2013.

Grant number: K23 MH080230

Dads should ask kids for feedback

Just in time for Father's Day: a developmental psychologist at San Francisco State University suggests that dads should be asking their kids for feedback on how the parenting is going.

Children have various ways to interpret parental behavior, according to the research by Dr. Jeff Cookston.  Sometimes a parent might not know how a child will understand what the parent is doing.  Especially for fathers, it is important to keep checking in with the children.

Anyway, Happy Father's Day this coming Sunday.

P.S. If you like the photo in this post, it is here, titled "I love you, Dad" by George Hodan. All the photographer asks for is a donation for a cup of coffee to use it. Pretty neat. Oh, and Happy Father's Day, George.

Girls = boys in math & science

Here is an oldie but goodie that bears repeating.

With all of the emphasis on the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) as being the pathway forward for the United States of America to remain competitive, we sometimes need reminders that we should be encouraging our girls to pursue these fields.

The March 2010 "In Brief" section of the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology covered a study examining data of nearly 500,000 students from around the world.

Girls have no appreciable innate difference in ability at STEM subjects compared to their male peers.

Girls were much more likely to do well in countries where women were:

1) wealthier
2) better-educated
3) more politically active.

Yes, it is good for women to be rich, wise, and powerful.  It is good for their countries too.

And it would be really good for America.  Maybe that can be a new American value.

P.S. Great thanks and kudos to all of you empowering, forward-thinking educators, parents, and role-models out there.  You know who you are.

Yoga focuses better than cardio

The effects of exercise on brain function are well-known anecdotally, but there appears to be a myth that only cardiovascular exercise will "get the blood pumping" through the brain to increase brain function in a superior way to other forms of exercise.

Not true, says a new study.

The executive functioning effects of 20 minutes of Hatha yoga were found to be superior to 20 minutes of walking or running on a treadmill, according to a recent study by kinesiologist Neha Goethe and her colleagues.

Congratulations to the researchers, and bravo to all of you yogis and yoginis.

Please see the Science Daily article.

Have a great weekend!

Belief in science increases under duress

A recent social psychology study, covered on Science Daily, indicates that people's belief in science increases in various stressful situations.

The comforting power of belief is not something usually applied, in ordinary conversation, to secular humanism.  However, this study may serve as a guide post for the helping professions.

A scientific view of the universe is likely to be a source of comfort to many. This is something that those in the helping professions, and especially those who regard themselves as relying on scientifically validated approaches, need to bear in mind when working with people.

In the 1990s, the helping professions were encouraged to begin an exploration of faith and spirituality as part of healing.  Left out of that conversation was a thorough and competent discussion of atheism.  Perhaps the time has come for us to include it into the dialogue, as many organization with an open orientation to what-constitutes-belief (Unitarian Universalism comes to mind) have done for many years.

Meditation beats anxiety by activating certain brain structures

The evidence is in for which brain structures, specifically, are activated by mindfulness meditation to reduce anxiety.

If you are not familiar with mindfulness meditation, you might want to give try it for a few decades and see how you like it.

In short, mindfulness meditation is:

1. Focusing on the breath or the senses in some focused way

2. Allowing thoughts to arise, and noticing them non-judgmentally (this is huge: you are not to become angry at yourself for having thoughts, and when unsettling thoughts arise, you say: "How interesting/human of my mind to have a thought like that" and move on.)

3. Return your focus to the breath

The article about this study on Science Daily may be found here.

Have a mindful and minimally anxious day!

Students with ASD face fewer opportunities

The following is taken directly from the NIH website (public domain) in September 2012:

Many Youths with Autism Not Employed or In College 2 Years After High School

Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are less likely to have a job or be enrolled in any type of postsecondary education when compared to peers with a speech/learning impairment or learning disability, according to a study partially funded by NIMH. Published in the June 2012 issue of Pediatrics, the findings emphasize the need to improve transition planning for students with ASD before they leave high school.

Background

Past studies on post-high school activities of youths with ASD were limited by having relatively few participants, lacking adequate diversity in the study population, or studying a narrow set of outcomes. As a result, it was unclear if those studies gave accurate descriptions of the ASD youth population as a whole, and if so, how broadly any findings could be applied.

Using nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, Paul Shattuck, Ph.D., of Washington University, and colleagues assessed the activities of about 1,900 youths identified as having autism, speech/language impairment, learning disability, or mental retardation between the years 2007-2008. Data were provided by the youths’ parents or guardians or from the youths themselves if they were able to understand and answer the survey questions.

All participants had previously received special education services and were no longer in high school.

Results of the Study

Compared to youths in other disability categories, those with ASD were less likely to have a job after high school. Youths with ASD were also less likely to be enrolled in any type of schooling than youths with speech/learning impairment or learning disability, but more likely than youths with mental retardation.

In the first 2 years after leaving high school, youths with ASD were at significant risk of being completely disengaged, meaning to not be employed or in any postsecondary education.

The participation rates, with rounded percentages, are summarized in the table below:

	Disability Category
Youth is involved in…	ASD	Speech/Learning  Impairment	Learning  Disability	Mental  Retardation
Any 2- or 4-year college*	35	51	40	18
Any paid employment	55	86	94	69
No education or  employment	35	7	3	26

*Additional data on youths’ participation in vocational or technical education showed a similar distribution.

Youths from low-income families were much more likely to become disengaged, regardless of the severity of their disability. More impaired youths were also at greater risk of disengagement.

Significance

The results indicate that young adults with ASD experience unique challenges in finding work or enrolling in appropriate educational opportunities after leaving high school. In a related paper, also partially supported by NIMH funding, Dr. Shattuck noted that “the evidence base on services for adults with ASD is inadequate for informing policy and program decisions to meet the needs of this growing population.”

In this context, the researchers emphasized the need to improve transition planning for youths with ASD or other special education needs as they prepare to leave high school.

What’s Next

According to the researchers, as more and more children are diagnosed with ASD, the demand for specialized adult services, jobs, and education will also continue to grow. Supporting targeted initiatives such as JobTIPS and further research on how to reduce or prevent disengagement will help inform efforts to better serve this population.

References

Shattuck PT, Narendorf SC, Cooper B, Sterzing PR, Wagner M, Taylor JL. Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatrics. 2012 Jun;129(6):1042-9. Epub 2012 May 14. PubMed PMID: 22585766; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3362908. 

Shattuck PT, Roux AM, Hudson LE, Taylor JL, Maenner MJ, Trani JF. Services for adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2012 May;57(5):284-91. PubMed PMID: 22546060.

Related funding: R01-MH086489

Remember your health to ... remember

This just in: Don't smoke, eat right, and exercise, and you'll probably remember to thank yourself for it.

A recent collaboration between UCLA and Gallup revealed the staggering inverse relationship between healthy self-care behaviors and reports of poor memory.  In other words, those reporting more healthy behavior had fewer complaints about their memory.

The story is fascinating, and found in its entirety on Science Daily.

Hope you remember to take care of yourself today.