Drivers deluding themselves

Most drivers think that they are better than average despite the fact that this is statistically impossible. Researchers from Ottawa University polled nearly 400 drivers who were asked to rate how they would cope with different driving conditions such as poor weather, emergency stops and fast roads with heavy traffic. They were also asked how likely they thought they would be to have a crash compared to the average motorist of the same sex. All the drivers rated themselves above the average motorist with drivers over 65 being particularly looked down on. Young men had the greatest feelings of superiority while middle-aged men felt themselves to be better than both older and younger drivers. But even the older drivers felt that they were better than other drivers of the same age.

You can find out more about this study at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8479393.stm

At last, an excuse for the student coffee break

Scientists know that sleep plays an important part in memory but new research from New York University suggests that even a short break can help people remember things. The researchers showed the participants in the study images of faces, followed by a series of random objects. The participants did not know they would be tested on their memory of the objects later. The levels of activity in a part of the brain called the hippocampus - which plays an important part in memory - were measured while the participants were being shown the images and during a subsequent rest period. The hippocampus was found to be equally active while people were resting as it was when they were being shown the images and the more active people's hippocampi were when they were resting the better they did during a subsequent test of recall.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7084270/Coffee-breaks-and-screen-breaks-aid-memory.html

Prosody and empathy

Prosody refers to the intonation - the up and down quality - of people's speech and is distinct from, though usually related to, speech's content. Researchers from the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology looked into prosody by playing and getting people to speak, nonsense phrases with a happy or sad intonation. They found that a part of the brain called Broca's Area became active when the volunteers both heard and produced the different intonations. The participants were also tested on their levels of empathy and it was found that those with the most active Broca's Area were the most empathetic. Interestingly people with Asperger's Syndrome, who tend to lack empathy with others often speak in a monotone.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127085550.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Figures show scale of alcohol abuse in U.K.

The number of alcohol-related deaths in the U.K. rose to 9,031 in 2008, up from 8,724 the year before although the amount being drunk has fallen slightly. Middle-class professionals drink more (13.8 units per week) than those on lower incomes (10.6 units). U.K. alcohol consumption started to fall in 2002 but because of the long-term damage caused by alcohol there is a lag in the number of deaths. The percentage of people buying alcohol from an off licence fell from 37% in 1998 to 27% in 2009 but the percentage buying from a supermarket rose from 25% to 29%. Meanwhile a separate reply by public-health minister Gillian Merron to a question in Parliament revealed that 12,832 children were admitted to hospital with alcohol-related conditions in 2008/9 down from 14,501 the year before. The highest number of admissions were in the North-West where there were 2,548 alcohol-related cases. Separate figures from the NHS Information Centre revealed how much children who do drink consume, ranging from an average 17.7 units (two bottles of wine) a week in the North East to 13.5 units in the South-East.

You can find out more about alcohol in the U.K. at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8485122.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7092136/Alcohol-a-factor-in-42000-cases-of-child-hospital-admissions.html

Review of the evidence backs psychodynamic psychotherapy

Psychodynamic psychotherapy (PP) has lost out to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and medication over the last few years but a review of the research by Jonathan Shedler of the University of Colorado suggests that it may be just as effective and have long-lasting benefits. PP focuses on the psychological causes of people's problems and uses self-reflection and self-examination. The relationship between the client and the therapist is seen as very important as this is thought to mirror problems the client might have in their other relationships. Shedler reviewed eight meta-analyses covering a total of 160 studies and found that PP had a significant effect that was longer lasting than that of CBT or medication. PP was found to be effective for a wide variety of conditions including depression, anxiety and personality disorders.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125094501.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Ambidextrousness - why mixed hands are a mixed blessing in the classroom

Ambidextrous children are more likely to have mental-health, language and schoolwork problems than those who are left- or right-handed. One would have thought being able to use both hands equally well would be an advantage but a study of 7,871 children from Northern Finland by a team of researchers led by Alina Rodriguez from Imperial College London suggests otherwise. The team used questionnaires to assess the children at 7/8 and and 15/16. 87 of the children were ambidextrous and at 7/8 these children were twice as likely as their right-handed peers to have difficulties with languages or to perform poorly in school. At the age of 15/16 they were at twice the risk of showing symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and more likely to have severe symptoms.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125094511.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Time flies when you're having fun - or is it the other way around?

Time flies when you're having fun is a tried and tested proverb but it could work in the other direction too according to researchers from the University of St Thomas in Minneapolis. They got students to carry out a mundane task and told them it would take ten minutes to do. Although the clocks in the rooms where the students carried out the tasks were manipulated to show that ten minutes had passed in reality some spent five minutes working on it and others twenty giving the illusion that time had flown by or dragged. Those participants who thought that time had flown rated the task as much more enjoyable than those who thought it dragged even though both groups had spent exactly the same amount of time on it.

You can find out more about this research at

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/01/time-flew-by-i-must-have-been-enjoying.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BpsResearchDigest+%28BPS+Research+Digest%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Prevention programmes for eating disorders

Many schools use prevention programmes aimed at stopping children from developing eating disorders. Some target children considered to be most at risk of developing eating problems while others are aimed at all children. A team of researchers from Barcelona looked into the effectiveness of a universal school-based eating-disorder-prevention programme aimed at secondary-school students. The 349 students in the study received either the full version of the programme, a partial version of it or no programme at all. They were also assessed for known risk factors for anorexia: early menarche (periods), being overweight, dieting, negative attitudes to food and perceived pressure to be thin. Both the full and partial prevention programmes reduced the perceived pressure to be thin and improved eating attitudes and the knowledge of nutrition in all the participants. However, there was a greater benefit in girls thought to be at risk because they had started their periods early, were overweight or were unduly influenced by the 'thin is beautiful' message.

Raich, R.M., Portell, M. and Pelaez-Fernandez, M.A. - Evaluation of a school-based programme of universal eating disorders prevention: is it more effective in girls at risk? European Eating Disorders Review January/February 2010, 18(1), 49-57

Antipsychotics for anorexia

Admissions to U.K. NHS hospitals with a diagnosis of anorexia have risen by 80% in the last 10 years. Anorexia is notoriously difficult to treat and there is no evidence that antidepressants are effective for it. Antipsychotic drugs are sometimes used to treat anorexia. They reduce agitation and anxiety, increase appetite and lead to weight gain and may tackles some of the psychosis-like characteristics of anorexia. But do they really work?! Researchers from Oxford University reviewed 43 studies into the use of antipsychotics in anorexic patients. The most studied drugs were olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone. The study concluded that the antipsychotics appeared safe and that there was some evidence that they had a positive effect on depression, anxiety and 'core-eating disordered psychopathology.' However, there was insufficient evidence, for the moment, to say that they actually enhanced weight gain.

McKnight, Rebecca F. and Park, Rebecca J. - Atypical antipsychotics and anorexia nervosa: a review European Eating Disorders Review January-February 2010, 18(1), 10-21

Family mental illness and schizophrenia

A family history of schizophrenia is the strongest single indicator of individual schizophrenia risk. Bipolar affective disorder and schizoaffective disorders have been found to occur more frequently in the parents and siblings of schizophrenia patients but it is less clear what the relationship is between schizophrenia and other mental illnesses in relatives. Researchers from the University of Aarhus in Denmark studied the records of everyone born in the country between 1955 and 1991 of whom 9,324 people developed schizophrenia. Schizophrenia was found to be strongly associated with schizophrenia and related disorders in first-degree relatives (siblings or parents) but almost any other mental disorder in people's close family increased their risk of developing the condition. Although the influence of relatives' schizophrenia was stronger the influence of other mental illnesses was greater overall because they are more common. The risk of developing schizophrenia was found to be 2.16x greater for people born in Copenhagen than for people born in rural areas but this risk dropped to 1.8x when familial mental illness was taken into account suggesting that this is something which needs to be allowed for when people are studying the links between urbanization and schizophrenia.

Mortensen, P.B., Pedersen, M.G. and Pedersen, C.B. - Psychiatric family history and schizophrenia risk in Denmark: which mental disorders are relevant? Psychological Medicine February 2010, 40(2), 201-210

Weight gain and antipsychotics

Weight gain has long been recognised as one of the side effects of antipsychotic drugs. Weight gain can lead to other illnesses or health problems, such as glucose intolerance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnoea and cardiovascular diseases. At the same time fear of weight gain can lead to patients not taking their drugs which may lead to a failure to recover. It can be hard to pinpoint the effects of the drugs particularly if patients have been taking them for some time or if they are on other medication. A team of researchers from Bologna University in Italy reviewed 11 studies into people who were taking antipsychotic drugs for the first time. They found that, on average, the patients put on 3.8kg. Weight gain occured rapidly in the first few weeks and continued during the following months.

Tarricone, I. ... [et al] - Weight gain in antipsychotic-naive patients: a review and meta-analysis Psychological Medicine February 2010, 40(2), 187-200

Early learning problems and schizophrenia

People who develop schizophrenia have often had cognitive problems in their childhood. Researchers from Duke University in North Carolina used data from a long-term study of 1,000 New Zealanders, born between 1972 and 1973. By the time they had reached the age of 32 1% of the participants had been hospitalised with schizophrenia and put on antipsychotic medication and another 2.5% met the diagnostic criteria for the disorder but had not received any treatment. Looking back at the childhood test scores of the participants who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia the researchers found that their verbal skills were poor at the start of the study and that they developed other problems as time went on including difficulties with memory and verbal processing. The children who went on to develop schizophrenia had early deficits in verbal and visual learning, reasoning and conceptualization that remained with them as they grew up. They also showed slower development than their peers in processing speed, attention, visual-spatial problem-solving and working memory. However, while 20% of children have some degree of cognitive problems only 1% of them go on to develop schizophrenia. So mass medication of children with learning difficulties would definitely do more harm than good. But if the link is substantiated it could add more weight to the arguments in favour of early intensive interventions for pupils struggling at school.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100121135901.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Blueberry juice is latest memory booster

Last year researchers from the University of Cincinnati found that purple grace juice could help with memory loss and now they have found evidence that blueberry juice could do the same. The researchers studied a small group of people who were in their 70s and who had early signs of memory loss. Half the participants drank a pint of blueberry juice every day for 2-3 months while the other half drank a similar placebo. After just 12 weeks those who drank the juice were better at recalling words from a list, scored better on word association tests and were less likely to feel depressed. The results were described as a 'significant improvement.' Blueberries contain a compound of chemicals called anthocyanins which help improve the flow of information to the brain and halt the speed at which cells deteriorate with age.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7048574/Daily-pint-of-blueberry-juice-could-help-stop-memory-loss-study-suggests.html

Early birds really do catch the worms

Early risers are more likely to grab life by the scruff of the neck than night owls. Christoph Randler from the University of Leipzig studied 367 students and found that early risers were more likely to identify long-range goals and feel responsibility for their own life. The link was weak but still statistically significant. It's not sure whether early risers really have a different personality or whether it's just easier for them to get things done in a society geared to working 9 to 5. Previous studies have shown that night owls tend to be more extrovert, pessimistic and creative while morning people are more consicentious and that genetic differences are quite important in deciding who ends up as a lark or an owl.

You can find out more about this study at

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/01/early-risers-are-more-proactive-than.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BpsResearchDigest+%28BPS+Research+Digest%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Count Me In report shows continuing inequality in U.K.

In the U.K. the Healthcare Commission has produced its fifth Count Me In census of mental-health inpatients in England and Wales. It shows that people from a black and minority ethnic background are still three times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act and that 67% of all patients, and 76% of women are on mixed-sex wards.

You can download the full text of the Count Me In report at

http://www.cqc.org.uk/_db/_documents/Count_me_in_2009_(FINAL_tagged).pdf

Psychological mindedness and mental health

Psychological mindedness can be defined as "the interest and ability to be in touch with and reflect upon one's psychological states and processes." It has been associated with greater well-being, more flexible and helpful ways of thinking, better relationships with one's peers, more openness and extraversion and better adjustment. However, most of the research on psychological mindedness has been done on students and there has been little work done on how it might affect young adults with mental-health problems. Researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands studied 95 young people who had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital. They found that psychological mindedness was linked to positive personality traits such as extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. It was also associated with problem-focused coping i.e. dealing with problems by tackling them rather than avoiding them or turning to drink, drugs etc.

Nyklicek, Ivan, Poot, Joela C. and Opstal, Jan van - Psychological mindedness in relation to personality and coping in a sample of young adult psychiatric patients Journal of Clinical Psychology January 2010, 66(1), 34-45

Mindfulness and child-abuse victims

It is estimated that over a quarter of adult women in the U.S. were victims of childhood sexual abuse. Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are common in these survivors and a number of different kinds of therapies are used to treat them. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine looked into the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in treating these women. Mindfulness has been described as 'moment-to-moment, non-judgmental attention and awareness actively cultivated and developed through meditation.' As well as meditation MBSR also includes course material that dwells on the impermanent and changeable nature of thoughts and judgments in a way influenced by CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy). The researchers studied 27 adult abuse survivors who took an eight-week MBSR programme with daily home practice. The participants also had three refresher courses over a follow-up period of 24 weeks. The study found that after eight weeks depressive symptoms had reduced by 65%. There were statistically-significant improvements in all the measures used by the study, improvements which were sustained over 24 weeks. Symptoms of avoidance and numbing were greatly reduced among people who had PTSD. The intervention was safe and acceptable to the participants and compliance to home practice and class attendance was good.

Kimbrough, Elizabeth ... [et al] - Mindfulness intervention for child abuse survivors Journal of Clinical Psychology January 2010, 66(1), 17-33

Occupational therapy student helps bridge 'digital divide'

Occupational therapy student Jade Nixon from the University of Derby has been looking into the ways people with mental-health problems can overcome the 'digital divide' that separates those people with access to, and mastery of, new technology and those without. Jade got a 2:1 in her degree and her final year dissertation looked at how people suffering from psychosis can be integrated into society more effectively. As part of her study she looked into the difficulties people with psychosis have in accessing new technologies. She wrote “Occupational therapists have been specifically identified as an important point of reference for people with mental health issues wishing to gain information and make changes to their lives. The profession is ideally placed to promote digital inclusion... [and] aims to enable individuals to perform competently and confidently within their daily lives.”

Burnout in the Finnish family

Burnout is a condition in which people lose confidence in their abilities, become cynical about their work and see customers or patients as objects to be dealt with as quickly as possible. Some researchers think children can suffer from school burnout which is characterised by fatigue, cynicism about school and a sense of inadequacy as a student. Researchers from the Academy of Finland studied 515 15-year-old schoolchildren and 595 of their parents. They found that experiences of burnout were shared within families particularly between children and parents of the same sex. Parental burnout manifested itself in a negative style of upbringing and a lowered interest in and involvement with children's lives. The greater families financial worries were the higher their level of burnout.

You can find out more about this research at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119074754.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Look to the side of you to spot threats quickly

People's brains process scared faces more quickly when they are seen in the periphery of one's vision than when they are seen straight ahead. Researchers from the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale in France scanned 11 people's brains while they judged whether faces displayed on a computer screen were happy or not. However, the real point of the experiment lay in subliminally-presented fearful faces either straight ahead on the screen or in the periphery of the participant's vision. The study found that faces in the periphery of people's vision were actually processed much more quickly in a region of the brain known to be involved in processing emotions. This could be, thought the researchers, because fearful faces seen from the side are processed using a quicker, less-sophisticated visual-processing system than faces seen from the front. This might be because unexpected threats are more likely to come from side-on than from straight ahead.

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2010/01/scared-face-processed-more-quickly-when.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BpsResearchDigest+%28BPS+Research+Digest%29&utm_content=Google+Reader