Mom Psych

We all want to enrich our children's lives. Here's an evidence-based approach to enriching the lives of children with autism.

Other studies out this week have pointed out the influence music has on happiness. One said people who are sad often prefer to listen to sad music. On the other hand, we're happier if we buck that first tendency and choose a happy tune instead. Clearly, music and emotion are intricately twined, and who hasn't known that instinctively? :) But how can we use it to our advantage?

It's that active ventral-striatal thing: social rewards are huge for teens.

"Current clinical guidelines for pediatricians and child psychiatrists associated with the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recommend that behavior therapy be the initial treatment approach for preschoolers with ADHD, and that treatment with medication should only be pursued when counseling in behavior management is not successful."

But don't just take your books outside to read. It's likely that far/near focusing (as tends to happen during outdoor activities) also plays a part.

It's great news to be moving toward a blood test that can predict this condition. In addition to the effects on women, postpartum depression can interfere with attachment, affecting a child's future mental health and wellbeing. 

Why do some soldiers develop PTSD while others don't? Our fear circuitry is regulated in the early stages of life . . . partly genetic, partly epigenetic factors--here's one piece of the puzzle . . .

"Workplaces that encourage employees to adopt and learn mindfulness-based skills will be healthier, happier and more productive," says Rossy. "These skills teach people the ability to respond better to stress, pain and illness. Mindfulness leads to an increase in important self-care strategies."

This research expands on previous studies, which have found that people who focus on making good things happen are less likely to suffer from anxiety than those who focus on preventing bad things from happening, 

Social psychologists once thought "fat-talking" was a tool women used to forge social bonds. But If that's what we think we're trying to do . . . apparently it's not working.

The study found that most teachers thought the visuals would have enhanced learning, and would have chosen teaching materials containing them. 

Some people develop PTSD as a result of experiences in adulthood. But PTSD is different when it's the result of trauma that occurred during important periods for brain development during childhood.  That said, other studies indicate that soldiers are more likely to succumb to PTSD (due to  lower stores of resilience) if they have also suffered childhood abuse. 

Remember when they used to say single people had a higher risk of depression than married people? Well, as is usually the case with research, there's a bit more complexity than one study might suggest. 

Dr. Louis Cozolino is a psychology professor at Pepperdine University and a veteran psychotherapist. The author of several books in the realm of social neuroscience--explaining how our brains are hardwired to connect with others--Cozolino argues in his latest work that this same understanding can "inform, impact, and radically change" our approach to education.

If you're planning to be in the L.A. area on May 15th and can take a couple of hours out of your schedule that evening, you won't want to miss Dr. Cozolino's talk, Q & A, and book signing just a few minutes north of L.A. in Pasadena/Altadena.