#counseling — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #counseling, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:30AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Strange Bedfellows: Steve Bannon, Bernie Sanders Join Forces to Fight AI
Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines
From opposite sides of the political spectrum, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon will both lead what they are calling a "pro-human" rally on September 15 in Washington, D.C., to warn of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Sanders, a Vermont senator and leading democratic socialist, and Bannon, a far-right media strategist and ally of President Donald Trump, are an unlikely duo to publicize AI concerns.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #StrangeBedfellows #BernieSanders #SteveBannon #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ProHuman #AIFuture #PoliticsAndTech #Bipartisan #RallyInDC
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:30AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Strange Bedfellows: Steve Bannon, Bernie Sanders Join Forces to Fight AI
Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines
From opposite sides of the political spectrum, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon will both lead what they are calling a "pro-human" rally on September 15 in Washington, D.C., to warn of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Sanders, a Vermont senator and leading democratic socialist, and Bannon, a far-right media strategist and ally of President Donald Trump, are an unlikely duo to publicize AI concerns.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #StrangeBedfellows #BernieSanders #SteveBannon #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ProHuman #AIFuture #PoliticsAndTech #Bipartisan #RallyInDC
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:30AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Strange Bedfellows: Steve Bannon, Bernie Sanders Join Forces to Fight AI
Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines
From opposite sides of the political spectrum, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon will both lead what they are calling a "pro-human" rally on September 15 in Washington, D.C., to warn of the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Sanders, a Vermont senator and leading democratic socialist, and Bannon, a far-right media strategist and ally of President Donald Trump, are an unlikely duo to publicize AI concerns.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #StrangeBedfellows #BernieSanders #SteveBannon #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #ProHuman #AIFuture #PoliticsAndTech #Bipartisan #RallyInDC
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:18AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: U.S. House Leader Calls Early Recess Before Midterms, Avoiding AI Vote
Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines
The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced Wednesday that he would cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home early ahead of the midterm election recess. The change means House members will avoid voting on artificial intelligence amid a frenzied attempt to restrict AI after tech executives and whistleblowers expressed a dire need for oversight. More than 100 Democrats had asked to cancel the recess and craft AI...
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Midterms #HouseOfRepresentatives #MikeJohnson #Congress #Caucus #Legislation #TechOversight #politics
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:18AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: U.S. House Leader Calls Early Recess Before Midterms, Avoiding AI Vote
Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines
The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced Wednesday that he would cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home early ahead of the midterm election recess. The change means House members will avoid voting on artificial intelligence amid a frenzied attempt to restrict AI after tech executives and whistleblowers expressed a dire need for oversight. More than 100 Democrats had asked to cancel the recess and craft AI...
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Midterms #HouseOfRepresentatives #MikeJohnson #Congress #Caucus #Legislation #TechOversight #politics
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:18AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Airlines Should Pay for CO2 Removal If Airport Expands, Say Advisers
Source: The Guardian - Climate Crisis
London's Heathrow Airport should only be allowed to expand if airlines use more sustainable fuel and pay for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the government's climate advisers have said. Building a third runway and new terminals, as some British government leaders want to do, would breach the United Kingdom's carbon budgets and make reaching net zero by 2050 impossible with current policies, according to the Climate Change...
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CO2removal #NetZero2050 #SustainableFuel #AirportExpansion #HeathrowThirdRunway #ClimatePolicy #AviationEmissions #CarbonBudget #GreenerAirports #ClimateAdvisers
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:18AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: U.S. House Leader Calls Early Recess Before Midterms, Avoiding AI Vote
Source: Yahoo News - Top Headlines
The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced Wednesday that he would cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home early ahead of the midterm election recess. The change means House members will avoid voting on artificial intelligence amid a frenzied attempt to restrict AI after tech executives and whistleblowers expressed a dire need for oversight. More than 100 Democrats had asked to cancel the recess and craft AI...
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Midterms #HouseOfRepresentatives #MikeJohnson #Congress #Caucus #Legislation #TechOversight #politics
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 09:54AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Study Challenges Interpretation of Widely Used Implicit Bias Test
Source: PsyPost
A controversial new study contends that the most widely used tool for measuring hidden prejudices might actually be capturing a person's conscious effort to avoid making mistakes. By analyzing data from over a hundred thousand test sessions, researchers found that people's tendency to slow down and be cautious is a stronger driver of their test scores than their underlying automatic associations. The research was published in Nature Human...
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ImplicitBias #BiasTest #CognitivePsychology #ResearchStudy #NatureHumanBehavior #PsyPost #BehavioralScience #TestReactionTime #ConsciousEffort #SocialPsychology
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: New study disentangles the concepts of beauty and attractiveness in art
URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-study-disentangles-the-concepts-of-beauty-and-attractiveness-in-art/
A study that asked participants to rate 192 art portraits found that beauty and attractiveness ratings are highly associated but depend on somewhat different factors. While both characteristics were associated with the artistic style of a portrait, beauty ratings also depended on self-similarity and symmetry. The paper was published in i-Perception.
Human faces have been among the most enduring subjects of art, appearing in portraits across cultures and historical periods. Even when artists use highly distinctive styles, they usually preserve enough facial structure for viewers to recognize the person being depicted. This makes portraits unusual aesthetic objects because they can be appreciated both for the beauty of the artwork itself and for the attractiveness of the person shown.
These two forms of appeal are often closely related, but they are not necessarily based on the same psychological processes. Facial attractiveness depends strongly on the visible characteristics of the face, whereas the beauty of a portrait can also be shaped by composition, color, lighting, technique, and artistic style.
A portrait can be visually beautiful even when the depicted person is not especially attractive. Conversely, an attractive face may appear in an artwork that viewers find aesthetically unremarkable or even unpleasant. Judgments of artistic beauty also seem to be more strongly influenced by interpretation, context, and other cognitive effects than judgments of facial attractiveness.
Study author Gregor U. Hayn-Leichsenring wanted to find a way to distinguish between beauty and attractiveness based on their relationship to objective properties. He conducted an online experiment using art portraits as stimuli.
Study participants were 300 adults aged 18 to 71. Their average age was 33.6 years. 101 of them were women.
The study author created a database of 192 digital copies of art portraits. It included portraits from different artistic styles (Baroque, Impressionism, and Expressionism) and their numbers were balanced.
In the experiment, each participant viewed 70 randomly selected images from this database and rated them for attractiveness and beauty. The ratings were made on a 9-point Likert scale (a rating format ranging from 1 to 9). There were no time restrictions for giving the ratings. The author used the QIPs toolbox to analyze the characteristics of art pieces in the dataset. The QIPs toolbox is an open-access tool for calculating standardized quantitative image properties such as color, complexity, symmetry, balance, fractal structure, or entropy. It is used in empirical aesthetics research.
Results showed that attractiveness and beauty ratings were highly correlated within a style. However, they were not identical. Overall, Impressionistic art pieces tended to be rated as more attractive, while Baroque pieces tended to be seen as more beautiful. Most Expressionistic pieces were seen as less beautiful and attractive than the other two styles, with notable exceptions.
The author created a statistical model that aimed to examine the associations between attractiveness and beauty ratings and characteristics of pictures. He found that beauty and attractiveness ratings both depend on style, but that beauty ratings also depend on self-similarity and mirror symmetry of the image. Attractiveness ratings were not predicted by any specific image properties that the QIPs toolbox could identify.
Mirror symmetry is the degree to which an image is similar to its mirror reflection along major axes. Self-similarity, on the other hand, is a measure of how similar edge and gradient patterns are across different spatial scales of an image. Higher self-similarity indicates that there are repeated structural patterns at multiple levels.
“In this study, two closely related hedonic values were examined, only one of which showed systematic relationships with self-similarity and mirror symmetry. Overall, beauty evaluations are not only more influenced by cognitive processes than attractiveness evaluations, but are also more strongly associated with specific QIPs [quantitative image properties], which was not observed for attractiveness ratings,” the study author concluded.
The study sheds light on how humans perceive beauty and attractiveness. However, the author emphasized that the link between image properties and beauty ratings was likely driven primarily by Baroque portraits, which were on average less self-similar and more symmetrical than the other styles. It should also be noted that the study focused exclusively on artistic portraits, and findings evaluating beauty and attractiveness of other types of stimuli might differ.
The study, “Disentangling beauty and attractiveness in art portraits: Differential links to quantitative image properties“, was authored by Gregor U. Hayn-Leichsenring.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/new-study-disentangles-the-concepts-of-beauty-and-attractiveness-in-art/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BeautyVsAttractiveness #ArtPortraits #PortraitScience #AestheticResearch #SelfSimilarity #MirrorSymmetry #QuantitativeImageProperties #BaroqueVsImpressionism #Expressionism #iPerceptionStudy
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The shape of a leader’s face might predict their likelihood of starting a war
Does the shape of a world leader’s face predict their likelihood of starting a war? New research suggests that leaders with wider facial proportions tend to be more prone to initiating international military conflicts, especially during their first years in power. The findings, published in Politics and the Life Sciences, provide evidence that subtle biological cues might offer a window into the psychological tendencies that shape global politics.
The facial width-to-height ratio is a physical measurement of the human face. It is calculated by dividing the distance between the outer cheekbones by the distance from the top of the upper lip to the middle of the brow. Over the years, evolutionary psychologists have proposed that this specific facial metric serves as a biological signal of a person’s underlying predisposition toward dominance and physical formidability. In ancestral environments, wider faces may have reliably signaled fighting ability, teaching humans to subconsciously read these proportions as indicators of aggression.
Earlier research discovered that wider facial proportions correlate with aggressive behavior in everyday situations. For example, a 2008 study found that men with larger facial width-to-height ratios tended to act more aggressively in laboratory experiments and professional hockey games. Later research showed this pattern held for political leaders making military decisions. A 2022 study found that United States presidents with wider faces were more likely to use military force abroad.
Citizens also seem to respond to these cues. As indicated by a study covered by PsyPost in 2025, people who perceive an ongoing threat of conflict between groups are more likely to prefer political leaders who look and act dominant.
The new research expands this line of inquiry globally. “One of the real world problems that interests me is why some leaders are more conflict-prone than others,” Ross Miller, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, told PsyPost. “Even within the same states, leaders that confront similar security issues respond differently to threats. Why?”
While traditional political science often points to factors like a country’s economic power or strategic rivalries to explain wars, decisions to deploy military force fall to individual leaders. Past attempts to measure a leader’s aggressive tendencies usually relied on analyzing their speeches or biographies, which takes immense time and limits the number of leaders scientists can study. By using the facial width-to-height ratio, Miller sought to evaluate the aggressive predispositions of over a thousand world leaders to see if physical traits could predict international conflict across different cultures and eras.
“Traditional approaches emphasize important contextual factors like power,” Miller explained. “For example, consider a traditional approach to this question: Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Because they are significantly more powerful than Ukraine, and figured they could force Ukraine to change its policy of joining NATO.” While these structural explanations are valid, he noted, his approach highlights that “it is also useful to take into account leaders’ qualities.”
To investigate this, Miller analyzed a massive dataset of 1,761 leaders from 174 countries over a 63-year period, from 1947 to 2010. This sample included nearly every major world leader from the post-World War II era. The idea to apply this metric to global conflict actually emerged from a parenting moment when Miller issued an empty threat to his daughter about throwing away her toys.
“That was a big threat, which I immediately regretted, because my daughter simply studied my face, checking to see if the resolve was there,” he recalled. “In class an idea formed: is there a literature on faces and conflict.” This realization led him to previous research on facial proportions and aggression, prompting him to spend his time during the COVID-19 pandemic compiling photos of world leaders.
To measure facial proportions, the researcher collected high-quality photographs of these leaders where they were facing the camera directly with a neutral expression. Using digital imaging software, Miller measured the width and height of each face to calculate the exact ratio. These facial measurements were then compared to a historical database of militarized interstate disputes.
This database records instances where leaders threatened, displayed, or actually used military force against another country. To ensure the results were not simply capturing other political dynamics, the analyses controlled for a variety of alternative factors. These included the country’s military power, geographic proximity to adversaries, whether the state was a democracy, and the leader’s age and gender.
The results indicated that leaders with higher facial width-to-height ratios were more likely to initiate international conflicts than leaders with narrower faces. Specifically, this effect was highly dependent on how long the leader had been in power. In the first year of their tenure, leaders with wider faces were roughly three times more likely to initiate a conflict compared to their peers with narrower faces.
“In my reading, the key takeaway from this work is that there seems to be an association between the [facial width-to-height ratio] of elected leaders and, particularly in their early tenure, the likelihood of initiating an international conflict,” said Alex Jones, an associate professor at Swansea University who was not involved in the study.
“Conflict is a rare event in IR [international relations], so the statistical, observation models often have difficulty making strong predictions because of that rarity,” Miller explained. “My results indicate that high-FWHR leaders are over three times as likely as low-FWHR leaders to initiate conflict. But we have to place that in context that we are starting from a low baseline a low probability event. Tripling a small probability still leaves a pretty small probability. Just because a high-FWHR leader is in place does not mean automatic conflict initiation.”
While a relative threefold increase sounds substantial, the absolute number of conflicts initiated remains very small. Because full-scale military actions are so uncommon, minor shifts in probability can appear magnified when expressed as relative percentages.
Jones agreed that the actual increase in risk is slight. “The graphs highlight a change in probability of something like .02,” he told PsyPost, noting that in extremely large samples, almost all comparisons become statistically significant. “I’d assume that such a small effect probably doesn’t mean much in practical terms.”
This surge in aggression early in a leader’s time in office aligns with the idea that new leaders often use military force to establish their reputation and show adversaries that they will not back down. Once their aggressive tendencies become known to the international community, the need to prove themselves diminishes. Opposing countries may also actively avoid provoking leaders they know to be highly aggressive. As a result, the influence of facial proportions on conflict initiation faded the longer a leader remained in power.
“I was surprised that the latitude to initiate conflicts that leaders enjoy early in their tenure declines so rapidly,” Miller said. “By year three in power there is not much difference between low- and high-FWHR leaders. I expected it to diminish as other states adapt, but not that quickly.”
The findings are in tension with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which questioned the validity of the facial width-to-height ratio as an evolutionary marker of dominance. That earlier study found that, when adjusting for body size, men in the general public did not actually have larger facial width-to-height ratios than women. However, it is worth noting that the earlier research focused on anatomical differences between sexes in the general population, whereas the new study specifically measures behavioral outcomes and conflict decisions among elite political leaders.
Jones also pointed out that “the assumption that [facial width-to-height ratio] is related to testosterone… has been tested a few times with not much support.” He warned against assuming a direct biological pipeline. “I think the clear painting of the results and a first reading is that the causal chain goes something like ‘hormones -> appearance -> behaviour -> conflict’,” he said. “I don’t think this provides good evidence for that.”
As with all research, there are some caveats to consider. First, the facial width-to-height ratio is just one single physical characteristic. It does not account for other facial cues that people use to judge aggression, such as the width of the chin or the shape of the eyebrows. Second, measuring facial proportions from photographs can sometimes be inexact, though the researcher took steps to standardize the measurements by using multiple photos when possible.
This measurement challenge is significant, according to Jones. “[Facial width-to-height ratio] is a notoriously tricky measure,” he noted. It is “affected by all sorts of simple things like distance to the camera, head orientation, and so on.” He explained that his own 2025 research found the metric is highly sensitive to the vagaries of photography. “With a ‘wild’ dataset like this, it’s surely unstandardised and injects a lot of noise,” Jones added.
There is also a possibility that countries facing severe security threats purposefully select leaders who appear more dominant and aggressive. If a nation is already on the brink of war, voters or ruling elites might naturally elevate a leader with a wider face. This makes it difficult to completely separate the leader’s inherent aggression from the country’s existing path toward conflict.
“One reason I find these results interesting is that they complement work showing that people become more attracted to dominant-looking leaders when they perceive greater intergroup conflict,” Adi Wiezel, an assistant professor of psychology at Elon University, told PsyPost.
“Taken together, these findings raise interesting questions about the relationship between conflict, whom people select as leaders, and how those leaders subsequently behave,” continued Wiezel, who directs the Wiezel Behavior, Opinions, and Relations between Groups (BORG) Lab and was not involved in the research.
This potential bias in impressions means that a finding like this could emerge even if there is no inherent biological link between a leader’s appearance and their actual behavior. If a restless, conflict-prone nation intentionally chooses an intimidating leader, the environment itself may be the true cause of any subsequent wars.
“Whether that leader initiates action is due to a lot of factors, and if there’s no link between behaviour and appearance, then this finding might emerge as a function of the bias in impressions,” Jones said.
Wiezel cautioned against drawing definitive causal conclusions from observational data. “Facial appearance can shape how other people perceive and respond to us, and those reactions can themselves influence behavior and opportunities over time,” she explained. “The study identifies a provocative association across a very large historical sample, but it cannot isolate which of these possible pathways produced it.”
The dataset also lacked controls for the race or ethnicity of the leaders, as comprehensive historical data on these factors across 174 countries does not currently exist. Different populations can have varying average facial structures, which could influence the broader patterns. Future research might explore how these facial metrics interact with a leader’s personal history, such as whether they experienced childhood trauma or served in the military.
Wiezel would like to see future research examine how a leader’s age and gender affect this relationship. While the new study found no difference between men and women, she noted that “the relatively small number of conflicts initiated by women limits how definitive that conclusion can be.” Age could also be an important factor, she added, because “some of the theory linking facial characteristics to aggression emphasizes physical formidability and intrasexual competition. This raises the possibility that such processes may matter more among younger men.”
For his part, Jones suggested using a bottom-up cognitive psychology approach that decomposes facial images into various sources of variability. “I’d like to see a more holistic approach to examining facial appearance and its link with behaviour undertaken,” he said, which “opens up novel theory driven approaches.”
Additionally, scientists hope to examine whether wider-faced leaders are less likely to engage in international cooperation and peace-building, providing a more complete picture of their foreign policy behaviors.
“I am working on another paper on U.S. interventions in conflicts guided by FWHR,” Miller said.
The study, “Looks that kill: Facial metrics and international conflict 1947–2010,” was authored by Ross Miller.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #FacialWidthToHeightRatio #FWHR #leadershipanalysis #internationalconflict #warlikelihood #politicalpsychology #leadershiptraits #globalpolitics #conflictresearch #facialmetrics
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 04:28PM
SOURCE:
NEW YORK TIMES PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGISTS FEEDTITLE: Antidepressants Are Tools, Not Magic Pills
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011156652/antidepressants-are-tools-not-magic-pills.html
Antidepressants aren’t “magic pills that solve everything,” argues Dr. Anthony Rostain, a psychiatrist and professor, on “The Opinions.” Instead, we should view them as tools: “If they’re not working, then don’t use that tool.”
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011156652/antidepressants-are-tools-not-magic-pills.html
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AntidepressantsAreTools #MentalHealthEducation #NotMagicPills #UseAsTools #PsychiatryInsights #DepressionTreatment #TreatmentWithTools #MentalWellness #TherapyAndMedication #RethinkAntidepressants
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 04:26PM
SOURCE:
NEW YORK TIMES PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGISTS FEEDTITLE: Why Treating Depression Is Complicated
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011151231/why-treating-depression-is-complicated.html
“S.S.R.I.s don’t work the same for everybody,” Dr. Anthony Rostain, a psychiatrist and professor, says on “The Opinions.” In a conversation with the Times Opinion contributing writers David Wallace-Wells and Rachael Bedard about the nuances of S.S.R.I. use, he explains why treating depression is complicated by how much we still don’t understand about what causes it.
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000011151231/why-treating-depression-is-complicated.html
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DepressionTreatment #SSRI #MentalHealthAwareness #DepressionAwareness #Psychiatry #MentalHealthMatters #TreatmentPersonalization #MedicationDifferences #ClinicalDepression #HealthEducation
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How growing up in East Germany affected cognitive health in later life
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
Older adults who lived in socialist East Germany before the 1989 reunification show better cognitive health and slower mental decline today than their West German peers. This unexpected advantage seems linked to the former East German educational system, which featured longer compulsory schooling and widespread early childcare. The findings were recently published in the journal Research on Aging.
Following World War II, Germany was split into two distinct nations with opposing political and economic models. The German Democratic Republic in the East operated as a socialist state with a planned economy. The Federal Republic of Germany in the West developed as a capitalist, liberal democracy.
When the countries reunited in 1989, citizens merged into a single legal and economic system. This unique history provides researchers with a natural experiment to study how entirely different societal structures affect human development over a lifetime.
The contrast between East and West Germany represents a rare situation where culturally similar populations were separated by completely different modes of governance. The East German welfare state prioritized collective investments, aiming to build a highly productive workforce through extensive health and education services.
Previous research has consistently shown that East Germans suffered worse physical health and lower life expectancies compared to West Germans. These physical disparities are largely attributed to differences in health behaviors, economic development, and cardiovascular health.
Sociologist Ariane Bertogg at the University of Konstanz and gerontologist Jeffrey E. Stokes at the University of Massachusetts Boston wanted to see if these political systems left a similar footprint on the aging brain. They tested two competing ideas about cognitive aging.
One theory suggested West Germans would perform better on cognitive tests in later life because they enjoyed stronger economic growth, better nutrition, and more civil liberties. Another theory proposed that East Germans might have an advantage due to their state funded educational system.
East Germany mandated ten years of compulsory schooling, compared to eight or nine years in West Germany. The East also provided universal early childcare and a less socially divided school structure.
Educational exposure early in life is a primary driver of cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the brain’s ability to build dense neural connections, which helps it compensate for age related damage and delay the onset of memory loss.
To find out which societal effect dominated, Bertogg and Stokes analyzed information from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. They looked at a large sample of 5,231 older adults who lived in either East or West Germany in 1989.
Participants were at least 50 years old during the study and were interviewed multiple times over an average of four years. The survey included four standard tests used to evaluate brain health and predict dementia.
Working memory was tested by asking participants to recall a list of ten words. Executive function, which involves planning and focusing attention, was measured by having people name as many animals as they could in a set time.
Orientation was scored based on whether participants correctly knew the current date and day of the week. Finally, numeracy was tested by having participants repeatedly subtract the number seven from one hundred.
The researchers used statistical models to map each person’s cognitive trajectory over time. They adjusted the results for factors like childhood health, household income, and overall educational attainment.
To account for early life conditions, the researchers utilized a special retrospective module of the survey. Participants provided detailed histories regarding their childhood health, their perceived math and language skills relative to peers, and the number of books in their childhood homes.
The data revealed that individuals who lived in East Germany before reunification performed better across all four cognitive tests. They also showed a slower rate of cognitive decline as they aged.
West German residents experienced a steady decline in immediate memory and verbal fluency over the course of the study. In contrast, East German residents maintained stable scores or even slightly improved in these areas.
East Germans also demonstrated less steep declines in their orientation and numerical abilities. The researchers noted that these advantages were especially pronounced in men.
The results present an unusual paradox in aging research. Usually, populations with poorer physical health and lower life expectancies also suffer from worse cognitive aging.
Despite East Germans having higher rates of cardiovascular disease and earlier mortality on average, their aging brains remained more resilient. This suggests that the early benefits of an egalitarian, intensive education system can offset some of the physical wear and tear associated with a lower standard of living.
Next, Bertogg and Stokes examined whether a person’s age at the time of reunification influenced their cognitive outcomes. They wanted to know if experiencing the transition during a specific life stage altered the trajectory of mental aging.
They found that the gap in memory and verbal fluency was widest between East and West Germans who were in their forties when the Berlin Wall fell. West Germans in this age group showed relative disadvantages compared to their Eastern counterparts.
For numeracy and orientation, the East German advantage was highest among those who experienced reunification in their twenties. The cognitive differences between the two populations were largely absent among people who were already nearing retirement age in 1989.
The researchers interpret this as evidence of critical periods in adult development. Entering the workforce during reunification may have helped young East Germans maximize the benefits of their schooling within the new, larger economy.
Conversely, West Germans navigating reunification in their forties may have faced intense economic competition and family stress. Mid adulthood is often a period of high financial responsibility, making individuals more vulnerable to the mental health impacts of economic shifts.
The two nations differed in many ways beyond education and economics. West Germans faced higher exposure to environmental toxins like lead from gasoline, simply because car ownership was much higher there.
Social and psychological experiences also varied wildly depending on the side of the border. West Germany fostered a more open civil society, while East Germany relied on secret police and informants, which negatively impacted social trust.
The dataset did not allow the researchers to measure the direct impact of these specific social and environmental stressors on brain health. Future investigations will need to look at similar differences across other post socialist and capitalist European countries to see if the pattern holds.
Future studies will also need to track clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, rather than just test scores. High performing individuals sometimes hit the maximum possible score on cognitive tests, which can mask early signs of decline.
Cognitive test performance does not capture the full reality of living with a neurodegenerative disease. Tracking actual medical records over time will clarify how these early life educational advantages translate into real world dementia prevention.
The study, “Is There a Cognitive Footprint of Political Systems? The Case of Separation and Reunification of East and West Germany and Its Association With Later Life Cognitive Health,” was authored by Ariane Bertogg and Jeffrey E. Stokes.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CognitiveHealth #EastGermany #CognitiveReserve #AgingBrain #EducationAndMemory #ReunificationGermany #DementiaPrevention #Gerontology #BrainAging #SocialSystemsImpact
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How growing up in East Germany affected cognitive health in later life
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
Older adults who lived in socialist East Germany before the 1989 reunification show better cognitive health and slower mental decline today than their West German peers. This unexpected advantage seems linked to the former East German educational system, which featured longer compulsory schooling and widespread early childcare. The findings were recently published in the journal Research on Aging.
Following World War II, Germany was split into two distinct nations with opposing political and economic models. The German Democratic Republic in the East operated as a socialist state with a planned economy. The Federal Republic of Germany in the West developed as a capitalist, liberal democracy.
When the countries reunited in 1989, citizens merged into a single legal and economic system. This unique history provides researchers with a natural experiment to study how entirely different societal structures affect human development over a lifetime.
The contrast between East and West Germany represents a rare situation where culturally similar populations were separated by completely different modes of governance. The East German welfare state prioritized collective investments, aiming to build a highly productive workforce through extensive health and education services.
Previous research has consistently shown that East Germans suffered worse physical health and lower life expectancies compared to West Germans. These physical disparities are largely attributed to differences in health behaviors, economic development, and cardiovascular health.
Sociologist Ariane Bertogg at the University of Konstanz and gerontologist Jeffrey E. Stokes at the University of Massachusetts Boston wanted to see if these political systems left a similar footprint on the aging brain. They tested two competing ideas about cognitive aging.
One theory suggested West Germans would perform better on cognitive tests in later life because they enjoyed stronger economic growth, better nutrition, and more civil liberties. Another theory proposed that East Germans might have an advantage due to their state funded educational system.
East Germany mandated ten years of compulsory schooling, compared to eight or nine years in West Germany. The East also provided universal early childcare and a less socially divided school structure.
Educational exposure early in life is a primary driver of cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the brain’s ability to build dense neural connections, which helps it compensate for age related damage and delay the onset of memory loss.
To find out which societal effect dominated, Bertogg and Stokes analyzed information from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. They looked at a large sample of 5,231 older adults who lived in either East or West Germany in 1989.
Participants were at least 50 years old during the study and were interviewed multiple times over an average of four years. The survey included four standard tests used to evaluate brain health and predict dementia.
Working memory was tested by asking participants to recall a list of ten words. Executive function, which involves planning and focusing attention, was measured by having people name as many animals as they could in a set time.
Orientation was scored based on whether participants correctly knew the current date and day of the week. Finally, numeracy was tested by having participants repeatedly subtract the number seven from one hundred.
The researchers used statistical models to map each person’s cognitive trajectory over time. They adjusted the results for factors like childhood health, household income, and overall educational attainment.
To account for early life conditions, the researchers utilized a special retrospective module of the survey. Participants provided detailed histories regarding their childhood health, their perceived math and language skills relative to peers, and the number of books in their childhood homes.
The data revealed that individuals who lived in East Germany before reunification performed better across all four cognitive tests. They also showed a slower rate of cognitive decline as they aged.
West German residents experienced a steady decline in immediate memory and verbal fluency over the course of the study. In contrast, East German residents maintained stable scores or even slightly improved in these areas.
East Germans also demonstrated less steep declines in their orientation and numerical abilities. The researchers noted that these advantages were especially pronounced in men.
The results present an unusual paradox in aging research. Usually, populations with poorer physical health and lower life expectancies also suffer from worse cognitive aging.
Despite East Germans having higher rates of cardiovascular disease and earlier mortality on average, their aging brains remained more resilient. This suggests that the early benefits of an egalitarian, intensive education system can offset some of the physical wear and tear associated with a lower standard of living.
Next, Bertogg and Stokes examined whether a person’s age at the time of reunification influenced their cognitive outcomes. They wanted to know if experiencing the transition during a specific life stage altered the trajectory of mental aging.
They found that the gap in memory and verbal fluency was widest between East and West Germans who were in their forties when the Berlin Wall fell. West Germans in this age group showed relative disadvantages compared to their Eastern counterparts.
For numeracy and orientation, the East German advantage was highest among those who experienced reunification in their twenties. The cognitive differences between the two populations were largely absent among people who were already nearing retirement age in 1989.
The researchers interpret this as evidence of critical periods in adult development. Entering the workforce during reunification may have helped young East Germans maximize the benefits of their schooling within the new, larger economy.
Conversely, West Germans navigating reunification in their forties may have faced intense economic competition and family stress. Mid adulthood is often a period of high financial responsibility, making individuals more vulnerable to the mental health impacts of economic shifts.
The two nations differed in many ways beyond education and economics. West Germans faced higher exposure to environmental toxins like lead from gasoline, simply because car ownership was much higher there.
Social and psychological experiences also varied wildly depending on the side of the border. West Germany fostered a more open civil society, while East Germany relied on secret police and informants, which negatively impacted social trust.
The dataset did not allow the researchers to measure the direct impact of these specific social and environmental stressors on brain health. Future investigations will need to look at similar differences across other post socialist and capitalist European countries to see if the pattern holds.
Future studies will also need to track clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, rather than just test scores. High performing individuals sometimes hit the maximum possible score on cognitive tests, which can mask early signs of decline.
Cognitive test performance does not capture the full reality of living with a neurodegenerative disease. Tracking actual medical records over time will clarify how these early life educational advantages translate into real world dementia prevention.
The study, “Is There a Cognitive Footprint of Political Systems? The Case of Separation and Reunification of East and West Germany and Its Association With Later Life Cognitive Health,” was authored by Ariane Bertogg and Jeffrey E. Stokes.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CognitiveHealth #EastGermany #CognitiveReserve #AgingBrain #EducationAndMemory #ReunificationGermany #DementiaPrevention #Gerontology #BrainAging #SocialSystemsImpact
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How growing up in East Germany affected cognitive health in later life
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
Older adults who lived in socialist East Germany before the 1989 reunification show better cognitive health and slower mental decline today than their West German peers. This unexpected advantage seems linked to the former East German educational system, which featured longer compulsory schooling and widespread early childcare. The findings were recently published in the journal Research on Aging.
Following World War II, Germany was split into two distinct nations with opposing political and economic models. The German Democratic Republic in the East operated as a socialist state with a planned economy. The Federal Republic of Germany in the West developed as a capitalist, liberal democracy.
When the countries reunited in 1989, citizens merged into a single legal and economic system. This unique history provides researchers with a natural experiment to study how entirely different societal structures affect human development over a lifetime.
The contrast between East and West Germany represents a rare situation where culturally similar populations were separated by completely different modes of governance. The East German welfare state prioritized collective investments, aiming to build a highly productive workforce through extensive health and education services.
Previous research has consistently shown that East Germans suffered worse physical health and lower life expectancies compared to West Germans. These physical disparities are largely attributed to differences in health behaviors, economic development, and cardiovascular health.
Sociologist Ariane Bertogg at the University of Konstanz and gerontologist Jeffrey E. Stokes at the University of Massachusetts Boston wanted to see if these political systems left a similar footprint on the aging brain. They tested two competing ideas about cognitive aging.
One theory suggested West Germans would perform better on cognitive tests in later life because they enjoyed stronger economic growth, better nutrition, and more civil liberties. Another theory proposed that East Germans might have an advantage due to their state funded educational system.
East Germany mandated ten years of compulsory schooling, compared to eight or nine years in West Germany. The East also provided universal early childcare and a less socially divided school structure.
Educational exposure early in life is a primary driver of cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the brain’s ability to build dense neural connections, which helps it compensate for age related damage and delay the onset of memory loss.
To find out which societal effect dominated, Bertogg and Stokes analyzed information from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. They looked at a large sample of 5,231 older adults who lived in either East or West Germany in 1989.
Participants were at least 50 years old during the study and were interviewed multiple times over an average of four years. The survey included four standard tests used to evaluate brain health and predict dementia.
Working memory was tested by asking participants to recall a list of ten words. Executive function, which involves planning and focusing attention, was measured by having people name as many animals as they could in a set time.
Orientation was scored based on whether participants correctly knew the current date and day of the week. Finally, numeracy was tested by having participants repeatedly subtract the number seven from one hundred.
The researchers used statistical models to map each person’s cognitive trajectory over time. They adjusted the results for factors like childhood health, household income, and overall educational attainment.
To account for early life conditions, the researchers utilized a special retrospective module of the survey. Participants provided detailed histories regarding their childhood health, their perceived math and language skills relative to peers, and the number of books in their childhood homes.
The data revealed that individuals who lived in East Germany before reunification performed better across all four cognitive tests. They also showed a slower rate of cognitive decline as they aged.
West German residents experienced a steady decline in immediate memory and verbal fluency over the course of the study. In contrast, East German residents maintained stable scores or even slightly improved in these areas.
East Germans also demonstrated less steep declines in their orientation and numerical abilities. The researchers noted that these advantages were especially pronounced in men.
The results present an unusual paradox in aging research. Usually, populations with poorer physical health and lower life expectancies also suffer from worse cognitive aging.
Despite East Germans having higher rates of cardiovascular disease and earlier mortality on average, their aging brains remained more resilient. This suggests that the early benefits of an egalitarian, intensive education system can offset some of the physical wear and tear associated with a lower standard of living.
Next, Bertogg and Stokes examined whether a person’s age at the time of reunification influenced their cognitive outcomes. They wanted to know if experiencing the transition during a specific life stage altered the trajectory of mental aging.
They found that the gap in memory and verbal fluency was widest between East and West Germans who were in their forties when the Berlin Wall fell. West Germans in this age group showed relative disadvantages compared to their Eastern counterparts.
For numeracy and orientation, the East German advantage was highest among those who experienced reunification in their twenties. The cognitive differences between the two populations were largely absent among people who were already nearing retirement age in 1989.
The researchers interpret this as evidence of critical periods in adult development. Entering the workforce during reunification may have helped young East Germans maximize the benefits of their schooling within the new, larger economy.
Conversely, West Germans navigating reunification in their forties may have faced intense economic competition and family stress. Mid adulthood is often a period of high financial responsibility, making individuals more vulnerable to the mental health impacts of economic shifts.
The two nations differed in many ways beyond education and economics. West Germans faced higher exposure to environmental toxins like lead from gasoline, simply because car ownership was much higher there.
Social and psychological experiences also varied wildly depending on the side of the border. West Germany fostered a more open civil society, while East Germany relied on secret police and informants, which negatively impacted social trust.
The dataset did not allow the researchers to measure the direct impact of these specific social and environmental stressors on brain health. Future investigations will need to look at similar differences across other post socialist and capitalist European countries to see if the pattern holds.
Future studies will also need to track clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, rather than just test scores. High performing individuals sometimes hit the maximum possible score on cognitive tests, which can mask early signs of decline.
Cognitive test performance does not capture the full reality of living with a neurodegenerative disease. Tracking actual medical records over time will clarify how these early life educational advantages translate into real world dementia prevention.
The study, “Is There a Cognitive Footprint of Political Systems? The Case of Separation and Reunification of East and West Germany and Its Association With Later Life Cognitive Health,” was authored by Ariane Bertogg and Jeffrey E. Stokes.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CognitiveHealth #EastGermany #CognitiveReserve #AgingBrain #EducationAndMemory #ReunificationGermany #DementiaPrevention #Gerontology #BrainAging #SocialSystemsImpact
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How growing up in East Germany affected cognitive health in later life
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
Older adults who lived in socialist East Germany before the 1989 reunification show better cognitive health and slower mental decline today than their West German peers. This unexpected advantage seems linked to the former East German educational system, which featured longer compulsory schooling and widespread early childcare. The findings were recently published in the journal Research on Aging.
Following World War II, Germany was split into two distinct nations with opposing political and economic models. The German Democratic Republic in the East operated as a socialist state with a planned economy. The Federal Republic of Germany in the West developed as a capitalist, liberal democracy.
When the countries reunited in 1989, citizens merged into a single legal and economic system. This unique history provides researchers with a natural experiment to study how entirely different societal structures affect human development over a lifetime.
The contrast between East and West Germany represents a rare situation where culturally similar populations were separated by completely different modes of governance. The East German welfare state prioritized collective investments, aiming to build a highly productive workforce through extensive health and education services.
Previous research has consistently shown that East Germans suffered worse physical health and lower life expectancies compared to West Germans. These physical disparities are largely attributed to differences in health behaviors, economic development, and cardiovascular health.
Sociologist Ariane Bertogg at the University of Konstanz and gerontologist Jeffrey E. Stokes at the University of Massachusetts Boston wanted to see if these political systems left a similar footprint on the aging brain. They tested two competing ideas about cognitive aging.
One theory suggested West Germans would perform better on cognitive tests in later life because they enjoyed stronger economic growth, better nutrition, and more civil liberties. Another theory proposed that East Germans might have an advantage due to their state funded educational system.
East Germany mandated ten years of compulsory schooling, compared to eight or nine years in West Germany. The East also provided universal early childcare and a less socially divided school structure.
Educational exposure early in life is a primary driver of cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is the brain’s ability to build dense neural connections, which helps it compensate for age related damage and delay the onset of memory loss.
To find out which societal effect dominated, Bertogg and Stokes analyzed information from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. They looked at a large sample of 5,231 older adults who lived in either East or West Germany in 1989.
Participants were at least 50 years old during the study and were interviewed multiple times over an average of four years. The survey included four standard tests used to evaluate brain health and predict dementia.
Working memory was tested by asking participants to recall a list of ten words. Executive function, which involves planning and focusing attention, was measured by having people name as many animals as they could in a set time.
Orientation was scored based on whether participants correctly knew the current date and day of the week. Finally, numeracy was tested by having participants repeatedly subtract the number seven from one hundred.
The researchers used statistical models to map each person’s cognitive trajectory over time. They adjusted the results for factors like childhood health, household income, and overall educational attainment.
To account for early life conditions, the researchers utilized a special retrospective module of the survey. Participants provided detailed histories regarding their childhood health, their perceived math and language skills relative to peers, and the number of books in their childhood homes.
The data revealed that individuals who lived in East Germany before reunification performed better across all four cognitive tests. They also showed a slower rate of cognitive decline as they aged.
West German residents experienced a steady decline in immediate memory and verbal fluency over the course of the study. In contrast, East German residents maintained stable scores or even slightly improved in these areas.
East Germans also demonstrated less steep declines in their orientation and numerical abilities. The researchers noted that these advantages were especially pronounced in men.
The results present an unusual paradox in aging research. Usually, populations with poorer physical health and lower life expectancies also suffer from worse cognitive aging.
Despite East Germans having higher rates of cardiovascular disease and earlier mortality on average, their aging brains remained more resilient. This suggests that the early benefits of an egalitarian, intensive education system can offset some of the physical wear and tear associated with a lower standard of living.
Next, Bertogg and Stokes examined whether a person’s age at the time of reunification influenced their cognitive outcomes. They wanted to know if experiencing the transition during a specific life stage altered the trajectory of mental aging.
They found that the gap in memory and verbal fluency was widest between East and West Germans who were in their forties when the Berlin Wall fell. West Germans in this age group showed relative disadvantages compared to their Eastern counterparts.
For numeracy and orientation, the East German advantage was highest among those who experienced reunification in their twenties. The cognitive differences between the two populations were largely absent among people who were already nearing retirement age in 1989.
The researchers interpret this as evidence of critical periods in adult development. Entering the workforce during reunification may have helped young East Germans maximize the benefits of their schooling within the new, larger economy.
Conversely, West Germans navigating reunification in their forties may have faced intense economic competition and family stress. Mid adulthood is often a period of high financial responsibility, making individuals more vulnerable to the mental health impacts of economic shifts.
The two nations differed in many ways beyond education and economics. West Germans faced higher exposure to environmental toxins like lead from gasoline, simply because car ownership was much higher there.
Social and psychological experiences also varied wildly depending on the side of the border. West Germany fostered a more open civil society, while East Germany relied on secret police and informants, which negatively impacted social trust.
The dataset did not allow the researchers to measure the direct impact of these specific social and environmental stressors on brain health. Future investigations will need to look at similar differences across other post socialist and capitalist European countries to see if the pattern holds.
Future studies will also need to track clinical diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, rather than just test scores. High performing individuals sometimes hit the maximum possible score on cognitive tests, which can mask early signs of decline.
Cognitive test performance does not capture the full reality of living with a neurodegenerative disease. Tracking actual medical records over time will clarify how these early life educational advantages translate into real world dementia prevention.
The study, “Is There a Cognitive Footprint of Political Systems? The Case of Separation and Reunification of East and West Germany and Its Association With Later Life Cognitive Health,” was authored by Ariane Bertogg and Jeffrey E. Stokes.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-growing-up-in-east-germany-affected-cognitive-health-in-later-life/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CognitiveHealth #EastGermany #CognitiveReserve #AgingBrain #EducationAndMemory #ReunificationGermany #DementiaPrevention #Gerontology #BrainAging #SocialSystemsImpact
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: New psychology research links obsessive celebrity worship to criminal thinking
New research published in Deviant Behavior indicates that an intense obsession with celebrities tends to go hand in hand with criminal thinking patterns and vulnerable narcissism. The findings provide evidence that the darker sides of celebrity worship are closely tied to a deeply insecure form of self-centeredness and a willingness to justify rule-breaking behavior.
Celebrity worship describes a one-sided, parasocial relationship where an individual becomes intensely attached to a public figure. This behavior exists on a spectrum. On the milder end, people might simply enjoy discussing their favorite actors or musicians with friends for entertainment. On the extreme end, the attachment takes on addictive qualities, leading individuals to obsessively track a celebrity’s life at the expense of their own daily functioning.
Narcissism, a personality trait characterized by an extreme focus on oneself, plays a central role in how these obsessions develop. Psychologists generally divide narcissism into two subtypes: grandiose and vulnerable. People with grandiose narcissism tend to be arrogant, aggressive, and highly self-assured, believing they are superior to others. In contrast, those with vulnerable narcissism suffer from deep insecurities, anxiety, and a constant fear of inadequacy, often reacting to threats with hostility or withdrawal.
Recent explorations of this insecure personality type, such as a study covered by PsyPost in 2025, have found that vulnerable narcissism is consistently rooted in anxious childhood attachment styles. These individuals often struggle to form healthy connections in real life. Because of this social anxiety, people with high levels of vulnerable narcissism seem particularly drawn to idolizing famous figures. A parasocial relationship offers a sense of connection without the fear of real-world rejection.
The relationship between extreme celebrity worship and harmful behavior has been documented for years. A 2007 study provided early evidence that pathological celebrity worshippers exhibit higher rates of criminal tendencies, sometimes showing a willingness to break the law if their idol asked them to. Separately, psychologists have explored how narcissistic traits fuel rule-breaking. A 2021 study demonstrated that distinguishing between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism helps explain the psychological mechanisms that lead people to commit crimes.
More recent work has started connecting these overlapping personality traits. A 2025 study showed that people with vulnerable narcissism are uniquely prone to obsessing over celebrities, while arrogant, grandiose narcissists are not. Building on this progression of research, Joshua L. Williams, a professor and chair of criminal justice and criminology at Georgia Southern University, along with Leanne Confer of the University of Michigan, Flint, and Madeleine Krueger and Lawrence Locker, Jr. of Georgia Southern University, designed a new study to test how these elements interact.
The researchers wanted to see if celebrity worship and the two distinct types of narcissism independently relate to criminal thinking, which includes attitudes that justify illegal acts or ignore the harm caused to victims.
“While some early research, back in 2007, established a basic connection between celebrity worship and personality characteristics associated with criminality, very little empirical work since then explored how celebrity worship relates specifically to criminal thinking patterns,” the researchers told PsyPost. “Furthermore, previous research on personality and crime overwhelmingly focused on grandiose narcissism, leaving a significant gap concerning how vulnerable narcissism relates to both celebrity worship and criminal thinking styles.”
To investigate this, the research team recruited 237 undergraduate students from a large university in the southeastern United States. The participants had an average age of 21, and the group was primarily composed of female students. Through an online survey, the students completed several established psychological questionnaires designed to measure their attitudes and personality traits.
The survey included a measure to assess where participants fell on the spectrum of celebrity worship, from basic entertainment and social interest to intense personal connection and borderline-pathological obsession. To capture narcissistic traits, the researchers used two separate tools: one focused on the confident, superiority-driven traits of grandiose narcissism, and another focused on the defensive, insecure traits of vulnerable narcissism. Finally, the participants answered questions evaluating six categories of criminal thinking, such as a desire for power, a tendency to justify bad behavior, and insensitivity to the impact of crime on others.
When analyzing the data, the researchers found that the two types of narcissism related to celebrity worship in very different ways. As expected from previous research, vulnerable narcissism was reliably associated with higher levels of celebrity worship across the board. The more insecure and anxious participants were, the more intensely they obsessed over their favorite stars. Grandiose narcissism, however, showed no statistical relationship with celebrity worship.
“Furthermore, individuals who struggle with vulnerable narcissism, characterized by anxiety, low self-esteem, and social avoidance, tend to be particularly prone to forming these obsessive parasocial relationships, likely as a maladaptive coping strategy to manage daily distress and identity-development challenges,” the researchers explained.
Both forms of narcissism were linked to criminal thinking, but the patterns diverged. Grandiose narcissism was primarily associated with a desire for power, a sense of personal grandiosity, and a lack of sensitivity to how crimes affect victims. Vulnerable narcissism, on the other hand, predicted a much broader range of antisocial attitudes. It was strongly tied to nearly every category of criminal thinking measured, indicating that the insecurity and hostility characteristic of this trait may foster a widespread acceptance of deviant behavior.
“It was interesting to see that the vulnerable subtype of narcissism continued to be a consistent and strong predictor of celebrity worship, which fits with our previous work,” Williams and his colleagues noted. “However, now we show that the vulnerability associated with that subtype of narcissism, more so than the grandiose subtype, may also be predictive of criminal thinking styles. The consistency of the findings related to vulnerable narcissism underscores its importance to understanding constructs such as celebrity worship and criminal thinking styles in greater detail.”
The data also indicated a strong association between celebrity worship and criminal thinking. The nature of this relationship depended heavily on the intensity of the participant’s obsession. At the lowest level of celebrity engagement, where people simply use celebrities as a topic of social conversation, participants actually showed lower levels of grandiosity and greater sensitivity to the impacts of crime. This suggests that casual, entertainment-focused interest in celebrities is largely harmless and even associated with more pro-social attitudes.
“To prevent misinterpretation, readers should not assume that all forms of celebrity interest are harmful,” the researchers pointed out. “In this study, the entertainment-social level (the lowest level) of celebrity worship was actually predictive of lower criminal thinking and higher social desirability.”
The opposite was true for the more extreme forms of celebrity worship. Participants who scored high in borderline-pathological worship demonstrated a much stronger endorsement of criminal thinking. They were more likely to justify rule-breaking, seek out power and revenge, and disregard the harm caused by illegal actions. Even when the researchers mathematically controlled for both types of narcissism, intense celebrity worship independently predicted these criminal thinking styles.
“Intense, obsessive celebrity worship (the highest levels) is not merely harmless fandom,” they added. “It was only the extreme, obsessive, and borderline-pathological levels of celebrity worship that tended to align with problematic traits and cognitive styles.” Ultimately, the team concluded that “a person’s relationship with celebrities, especially when the relationship is borderline pathological, can be deeply tied to their underlying personality traits and cognitive patterns.”
“Readers should note that the correlations between celebrity worship and criminal thinking styles range from weak to moderate, with the strongest associations emerging at the highest, most obsessive levels of celebrity worship,” the authors said. “In our regression models, the combination of celebrity worship levels and narcissism subtypes accounted for 13% to 30% of the variance across various criminal thinking categories. While these effects demonstrate a meaningful statistical relationship, they also indicate that these psychological traits exist as part of a larger, highly complex web of factors that may influence criminal thinking.”
There are a few things to keep in mind regarding these findings. Because the study relied on cross-sectional data collected at a single point in time, the researchers cannot determine the direction of cause and effect. It is possible that vulnerable narcissism drives people toward celebrity obsession, but it is also possible that extreme parasocial relationships alter how people view themselves and the rules of society.
“Our long-term goal is to transition from cross-sectional designs to longitudinal studies, which would allow us to map out the specific developmental pathways and determine if narcissism drives criminal thinking through celebrity worship,” the researchers said.
The study does have some limitations regarding its sample as well. The participants were entirely composed of college students, a demographic that may not accurately represent the general public or individuals who have actually been involved in the criminal justice system. Future studies tracking these behaviors over time, or examining populations with a history of documented offending, could help clarify how these personality traits and obsessions translate into real-world behavior.
“We also aim to expand our research beyond college students to forensic samples, such as individuals with histories of arrest or incarceration, to see how these cognitive styles translate into actual offending behaviors,” the researchers added. “Finally, we plan to examine how self-control acts as a moderating factor within these relationships.”
The study, “Celebrity Worship, Narcissism, and Criminal Thinking Styles,” was authored by Joshua L. Williams, Leanne Confer, Madeleine Krueger, and Lawrence Locker Jr.
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CelebrityWorship #Narcissism #CriminalThinking #VulnerableNarcissism #ParasocialRelationships #CelebrityObsessed #MentalHealthAwareness #ImpactOfCelebrityCulture #PsychologyResearch #DeviantBehavior
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Higher emotional intelligence is tied to vigorous exercise in women
URL: https://www.psypost.org/higher-emotional-intelligence-is-tied-to-vigorous-exercise-in-women/
A large new study reveals that emotional intelligence is linked to distinct physical activity habits in women, but not in men. Women with higher emotional intelligence scores tended to engage in more vigorous exercise and spend less time sitting, while these associations were absent among male participants. The research was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s ability to perceive, regulate, and effectively use their own emotions as well as the emotions of others. High emotional intelligence is often associated with better psychological well-being, social functioning, and resilience to stress. Emerging evidence suggests that these emotional skills are also tied to biological aging and daily habits, including how people manage their health.
Regular physical activity is widely recognized as a foundation for both mental and physical health across the human lifespan. Health behaviors like exercise, sleep, and sedentary routines influence emotional regulation through shared biological pathways in the brain and the endocrine system. Specifically, the autonomic nervous system and regions of the brain involved in processing emotions respond to the physiological demands of exercise.
Despite this recognized connection, researchers have lacked detailed information on how emotional intelligence relates to specific intensities of exercise. Most previous epidemiological studies have focused on general mental health outcomes or moderate-intensity activities. Vigorous physical activity, such as running or heavy weightlifting, presents unique regulatory demands because it repeatedly induces acute physical stress followed by recovery. This cycle of stress and recovery is thought to strengthen the body’s overall stress-adaptation mechanisms.
Public health researchers Albertas Skurvydas, Daiva Majauskiene, and their colleagues at Vytautas Magnus University and Klaipeda University in Lithuania designed a study to examine these relationships. They aimed to determine how emotional intelligence relates to various physical activity intensities, sedentary behavior, sleep, and body mass index. The research team also wanted to see if these behavioral associations varied by age or sex, given that men and women often display different patterns in both emotional processing and exercise habits.
The researchers recruited a large sample of 6,368 adults in Lithuania, ranging in age from 18 to 64. Women made up about 71 percent of the survey participants. The researchers used a cross-sectional design, meaning they collected data from the participants at a single point in time rather than tracking them over months or years. Participants completed questionnaires distributed through social media platforms, providing self-reported data on their daily routines and demographic backgrounds.
To measure emotional intelligence, the participants completed the 33-item Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test. This widely used psychological tool asks individuals to rate their agreement with statements about how they manage their own feelings and react to the emotions of others. Higher total scores indicate a greater capacity for emotional perception and regulation.
The research team assessed exercise habits using the Danish Physical Activity Questionnaire. Participants recalled their activities over an average 24-hour period within the previous week. The researchers categorized these activities by intensity using metabolic equivalents, a standard metric that estimates the energy expenditure of different physical tasks compared to a resting state.
Activities were grouped into categories ranging from sedentary time to light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity. The researchers also calculated each participant’s body mass index based on self-reported height and weight.
After analyzing the survey responses, the researchers identified distinct age and sex patterns. Emotional intelligence scores increased with age for both men and women. Overall, women exhibited higher emotional intelligence scores than men and engaged in more light-intensity physical activity. Men, on average, had a higher body mass index and reported substantially more time spent engaged in vigorous physical activity.
The researchers then used statistical models to look for independent associations between emotional intelligence and specific health behaviors. Among women, higher emotional intelligence scores were linked to a greater amount of time spent doing vigorous physical activity. Women with higher emotional intelligence also reported less sedentary behavior. These associations held true across the entire adult age range studied.
The behavioral results for men were entirely different. Among male participants, age was the only factor positively associated with emotional intelligence. The researchers found no statistically significant links between a man’s emotional intelligence and his sleep duration, sedentary time, or participation in any intensity of physical activity.
When comparing the two groups directly, the statistical models confirmed that the association between vigorous physical activity and emotional intelligence was markedly stronger in women than in men. The data showed no corresponding interaction with age. This indicates that the relationship between intense exercise and emotional regulation in women did not fade or intensify as they got older.
The study relies entirely on cross-sectional data, which means it cannot determine the direction of the relationship between emotional intelligence and physical activity. Individuals with higher emotional intelligence might be more motivated to engage in demanding exercise, or the repeated physiological stress of vigorous activity might help train emotional regulation systems over time. It is also possible that a bidirectional relationship exists, where both factors continually reinforce one another.
The use of self-reported questionnaires introduces the possibility of reporting bias. Participants might have overestimated their physical activity levels or provided answers that they believed were socially desirable on the emotional intelligence assessment. This shared method of data collection can sometimes inflate the apparent associations between different variables.
The authors note that the observed associations, while present, were small in magnitude. The behavioral factors measured in the study explain only a limited portion of the total variance in emotional intelligence scores. Additionally, the recruitment method via social media may have attracted individuals who are already more health-conscious than the general population. Because the study was conducted entirely in Lithuania, the results might not fully generalize to populations in other cultural or socioeconomic environments.
Future research will need to employ longitudinal designs to track how changes in physical activity habits influence emotional intelligence over time. Experimental studies could also help determine whether modifying a person’s exercise routine directly alters their emotional regulation capabilities across the adult lifespan. Such studies would clarify whether behavioral interventions can effectively support emotional functioning.
The study, “Higher emotional intelligence is linked to greater vigorous physical activity and lower sedentary behavior, specifically among women across adulthood,” was authored by Albertas Skurvydas, Ausra Lisinskiene, Aiste Barbora Uspuriene, Egle Kemeryte-Ivanauskiene, Dovile Valanciene, Asta Sarkauskiene, Jurga Bucaite-Vilke, and Daiva Majauskiene.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/higher-emotional-intelligence-is-tied-to-vigorous-exercise-in-women/
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 11:00AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS NEUROSCIENCETITLE: STAT+: Scientists made mice with half a brain. Then they filled them with human organoids
For the last decade, scientists have been steadily getting better at growing “cerebral organoids,” miniature, three-dimensional brain-like structures, from human stem cells in the lab. Now, a group from Stanford University has found a way to advance their usefulness for studying brain development and disease — by instead growing them inside mice that have had large parts of their own brains genetically removed.
Neuroscientists say these “neuro-chimeric” mice, whose brains are half-human — by volume, not by number of neurons — are an important innovation for a field hampered by longstanding challenges in accessing human brain tissue for research. But such models also raise a host of ethical questions that will get thornier the more advanced they become.
In a study published Wednesday in Nature, the Stanford team reported finding types of human cells inside the brains of 3-month old chimeric mouse pups that are very hard to obtain in a dish. They included pyramidal projection neurons that had wound their way into some of the animals’ spinal cords. The scientists also found evidence of specialized, super-sized neurons involved in social cognition only found in large-brain mammals like elephants, whales, and primates, including humans.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…
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STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/neuroscience .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 11:00AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS MENTAL HEALTHTITLE: STAT+: Scientists made mice with half a brain. Then they filled them with human organoids
For the last decade, scientists have been steadily getting better at growing “cerebral organoids,” miniature, three-dimensional brain-like structures, from human stem cells in the lab. Now, a group from Stanford University has found a way to advance their usefulness for studying brain development and disease — by instead growing them inside mice that have had large parts of their own brains genetically removed.
Neuroscientists say these “neuro-chimeric” mice, whose brains are half-human — by volume, not by number of neurons — are an important innovation for a field hampered by longstanding challenges in accessing human brain tissue for research. But such models also raise a host of ethical questions that will get thornier the more advanced they become.
In a study published Wednesday in Nature, the Stanford team reported finding types of human cells inside the brains of 3-month old chimeric mouse pups that are very hard to obtain in a dish. They included pyramidal projection neurons that had wound their way into some of the animals’ spinal cords. The scientists also found evidence of specialized, super-sized neurons involved in social cognition only found in large-brain mammals like elephants, whales, and primates, including humans.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/mental-health/ .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 11:00AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS MENTAL HEALTHTITLE: STAT+: Scientists made mice with half a brain. Then they filled them with human organoids
For the last decade, scientists have been steadily getting better at growing “cerebral organoids,” miniature, three-dimensional brain-like structures, from human stem cells in the lab. Now, a group from Stanford University has found a way to advance their usefulness for studying brain development and disease — by instead growing them inside mice that have had large parts of their own brains genetically removed.
Neuroscientists say these “neuro-chimeric” mice, whose brains are half-human — by volume, not by number of neurons — are an important innovation for a field hampered by longstanding challenges in accessing human brain tissue for research. But such models also raise a host of ethical questions that will get thornier the more advanced they become.
In a study published Wednesday in Nature, the Stanford team reported finding types of human cells inside the brains of 3-month old chimeric mouse pups that are very hard to obtain in a dish. They included pyramidal projection neurons that had wound their way into some of the animals’ spinal cords. The scientists also found evidence of specialized, super-sized neurons involved in social cognition only found in large-brain mammals like elephants, whales, and primates, including humans.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/mental-health/ .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BrainOrganoids #NeuroChimericMice #StemCellResearch #HumanBrainResearch #CerebralOrganoids #NeuroscienceEthics #PyramidalNeurons #BrainDevelopment #NatureStudy #ScienceNews
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 11:00AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS MENTAL HEALTHTITLE: STAT+: Scientists made mice with half a brain. Then they filled them with human organoids
For the last decade, scientists have been steadily getting better at growing “cerebral organoids,” miniature, three-dimensional brain-like structures, from human stem cells in the lab. Now, a group from Stanford University has found a way to advance their usefulness for studying brain development and disease — by instead growing them inside mice that have had large parts of their own brains genetically removed.
Neuroscientists say these “neuro-chimeric” mice, whose brains are half-human — by volume, not by number of neurons — are an important innovation for a field hampered by longstanding challenges in accessing human brain tissue for research. But such models also raise a host of ethical questions that will get thornier the more advanced they become.
In a study published Wednesday in Nature, the Stanford team reported finding types of human cells inside the brains of 3-month old chimeric mouse pups that are very hard to obtain in a dish. They included pyramidal projection neurons that had wound their way into some of the animals’ spinal cords. The scientists also found evidence of specialized, super-sized neurons involved in social cognition only found in large-brain mammals like elephants, whales, and primates, including humans.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/mental-health/ .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BrainOrganoids #NeuroChimericMice #StemCellResearch #HumanBrainResearch #CerebralOrganoids #NeuroscienceEthics #PyramidalNeurons #BrainDevelopment #NatureStudy #ScienceNews
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:33AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Scientists recreated what mice saw from brain activity alone
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260914102449.htm
Scientists reconstructed videos from the brain activity of mice, producing 10-second clips based only on signals from neurons in the visual cortex. The breakthrough could help reveal how the brain reshapes what we see before it becomes our perception of reality.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260914102449.htm
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:33AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Scientists recreated what mice saw from brain activity alone
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260914102449.htm
Scientists reconstructed videos from the brain activity of mice, producing 10-second clips based only on signals from neurons in the visual cortex. The breakthrough could help reveal how the brain reshapes what we see before it becomes our perception of reality.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260914102449.htm
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-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:33AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Scientists recreated what mice saw from brain activity alone
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260914102449.htm
Scientists reconstructed videos from the brain activity of mice, producing 10-second clips based only on signals from neurons in the visual cortex. The breakthrough could help reveal how the brain reshapes what we see before it becomes our perception of reality.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260914102449.htm
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Even light drinking is linked to worse hand dexterity and balance as we age
URL: https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-is-linked-to-worse-hand-dexterity-and-balance-as-we-age/
A recent study suggests that even low-level alcohol consumption over a person’s lifetime is associated with worse hand dexterity and poorer balance. The research, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, indicates that the combination of advancing age and a higher number of lifetime drinks might negatively affect motor coordination and postural stability in otherwise healthy adults.
Manual dexterity involves the ability to make coordinated hand and finger movements to grasp and manipulate objects. Static postural stability refers to the ability to maintain balance and hold the body upright while standing still. Both of these physical skills are necessary for independent daily living as people age, helping with everything from buttoning a shirt to avoiding falls.
Historically, public health guidelines often framed light drinking as safe or even protective against certain cardiovascular issues. “For decades, ‘low-level’ alcohol consumption at or below current guidelines (≤1 standard drink equivalent/day for females, ≤2 standard drink equivalents/day for males) has been proposed to carry minimal systemic health risks or functional consequences,” Timothy C. Durazzo, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a clinical neuropsychologist at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, told PsyPost.
However, the scientific consensus has been shifting. “There is increasing evidence that any level of alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk for at least six different types of cancer,” Durazzo noted. He added that even low-level drinking at or below previous federal guidelines “is associated with abnormalities in structure, blood flow and metabolite markers of cell integrity across multiple regions of the human brain.”
Building on this evidence, Durazzo and his colleagues aimed to explore how low-level drinking relates to physical motor skills. Prior structural imaging studies suggested that low-level alcohol consumption is associated with decreased brain tissue integrity, but it was unknown if these subtle brain changes translated to physical functional differences. “However, there are no published studies on the association of low-level alcohol consumption with concurrent measures of manual dexterity and complex motor coordination, and static postural stability in exclusively healthy, non-smoking adults,” Durazzo explained. “These measures are relevant because functional impairments in these areas may have significant consequences for the activities of daily living (ADL), particularly with advancing age.”
To test this, the researchers recruited 83 healthy, non-smoking adults between 21 and 69 years old. The participants were screened to ensure they had no history of psychiatric, neurological, or major medical conditions. They were also required to have a history of low-level drinking, meaning they consumed a limited number of drinks per month and had no history of binge drinking in the year prior to the study.
The researchers used a standardized questionnaire called the Lifetime Drinking History to calculate each participant’s alcohol consumption. From this questionnaire, they determined the total number of drinks consumed over the past year, the past three years, and over the participant’s entire lifetime, as well as their lifetime average drinks per month.
To assess physical coordination, participants completed two standardized behavioral tests. The first was the Lafayette Grooved Pegboard Test, which measures manual dexterity, complex motor coordination, and motor speed. Participants were timed as they quickly inserted 25 small pegs into randomly oriented slots, completing the task once with their dominant hand and once with their non-dominant hand.
The second test was the Sharpened Romberg Test, which measures static postural stability. Participants were asked to stand heel-to-toe with their arms crossed over their chest for 60 seconds. They performed this balancing task first with their eyes open, relying heavily on visual input, and then with their eyes closed, which forces the brain to rely on internal sensory and vestibular systems to stay upright.
When analyzing the grooved pegboard results, the researchers found that recent drinking over the past one or three years did not predict physical performance. Instead, the mathematical combination of a person’s age multiplied by their total lifetime drinks was a reliable predictor of their manual dexterity. A higher combined total of age and lifetime drinks was associated with slower completion times for the dominant hand, as well as slower times when adding the scores of both hands together. “The associations observed were moderate in magnitude and the relationship between the product of age and total lifetime drinks was stronger for the participants’ dominant hand,” Durazzo said.
The balance test yielded a slightly different pattern. Every participant successfully maintained their balance for the full 60 seconds when their eyes were open. For the more difficult eyes-closed condition, a higher lifetime average of drinks per month was related to poorer performance. For each standard deviation increase in lifetime average drinks per month, participants had 2.3 times lower odds of perfectly maintaining their balance for the full 60 seconds.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost earlier this year. That earlier study, which examined brain tissue thickness and blood flow on MRI rather than behavioral motor coordination and balance, similarly found that higher lifetime alcohol consumption combined with older age was associated with subtle neurological declines in healthy adults.
“Our recent research on this topic, combined with the existing research on the effects of low-level alcohol consumption on the human brain, suggest that lifetime alcohol consumption considered ‘low risk’ combined with increasing age, may have functional and brain biological consequences in healthy adults,” Durazzo noted.
There are a few things to keep in mind when interpreting these findings. The study had a modest sample size, particularly regarding female participants. Because there were only 22 women compared to 61 men, the researchers noted that any sex-specific differences would require further exploration with a larger group of people.
The study design is observational, meaning it cannot firmly establish that alcohol caused the physical declines. Unrecorded lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise habits, or genetics, might also play a role in motor performance and balance. Future research could look at general health markers, like blood chemistry and vitamins, to see how they interact with alcohol exposure to influence physical coordination over a lifetime.
“Next steps are to investigate the associations of low-level drinking with measures of attention/concentration, learning and memory and processing speed in a similar sample of healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake,” Durazzo added.
The study, “In healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake greater age and lifetime alcohol consumption are associated with poorer manual dexterity and higher lifetime consumption is related to worse postural stability,” was authored by Timothy C. Durazzo, Nicole D. Evangelista, M. Windy McNerney, Ansgar J. Furst, Maheen M. Adamson, Keith Humphreys, and Dieter J. Meyerhoff.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-is-linked-to-worse-hand-dexterity-and-balance-as-we-age/
-------------------------------------------------
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-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Even light drinking is linked to worse hand dexterity and balance as we age
URL: https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-is-linked-to-worse-hand-dexterity-and-balance-as-we-age/
A recent study suggests that even low-level alcohol consumption over a person’s lifetime is associated with worse hand dexterity and poorer balance. The research, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, indicates that the combination of advancing age and a higher number of lifetime drinks might negatively affect motor coordination and postural stability in otherwise healthy adults.
Manual dexterity involves the ability to make coordinated hand and finger movements to grasp and manipulate objects. Static postural stability refers to the ability to maintain balance and hold the body upright while standing still. Both of these physical skills are necessary for independent daily living as people age, helping with everything from buttoning a shirt to avoiding falls.
Historically, public health guidelines often framed light drinking as safe or even protective against certain cardiovascular issues. “For decades, ‘low-level’ alcohol consumption at or below current guidelines (≤1 standard drink equivalent/day for females, ≤2 standard drink equivalents/day for males) has been proposed to carry minimal systemic health risks or functional consequences,” Timothy C. Durazzo, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a clinical neuropsychologist at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, told PsyPost.
However, the scientific consensus has been shifting. “There is increasing evidence that any level of alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk for at least six different types of cancer,” Durazzo noted. He added that even low-level drinking at or below previous federal guidelines “is associated with abnormalities in structure, blood flow and metabolite markers of cell integrity across multiple regions of the human brain.”
Building on this evidence, Durazzo and his colleagues aimed to explore how low-level drinking relates to physical motor skills. Prior structural imaging studies suggested that low-level alcohol consumption is associated with decreased brain tissue integrity, but it was unknown if these subtle brain changes translated to physical functional differences. “However, there are no published studies on the association of low-level alcohol consumption with concurrent measures of manual dexterity and complex motor coordination, and static postural stability in exclusively healthy, non-smoking adults,” Durazzo explained. “These measures are relevant because functional impairments in these areas may have significant consequences for the activities of daily living (ADL), particularly with advancing age.”
To test this, the researchers recruited 83 healthy, non-smoking adults between 21 and 69 years old. The participants were screened to ensure they had no history of psychiatric, neurological, or major medical conditions. They were also required to have a history of low-level drinking, meaning they consumed a limited number of drinks per month and had no history of binge drinking in the year prior to the study.
The researchers used a standardized questionnaire called the Lifetime Drinking History to calculate each participant’s alcohol consumption. From this questionnaire, they determined the total number of drinks consumed over the past year, the past three years, and over the participant’s entire lifetime, as well as their lifetime average drinks per month.
To assess physical coordination, participants completed two standardized behavioral tests. The first was the Lafayette Grooved Pegboard Test, which measures manual dexterity, complex motor coordination, and motor speed. Participants were timed as they quickly inserted 25 small pegs into randomly oriented slots, completing the task once with their dominant hand and once with their non-dominant hand.
The second test was the Sharpened Romberg Test, which measures static postural stability. Participants were asked to stand heel-to-toe with their arms crossed over their chest for 60 seconds. They performed this balancing task first with their eyes open, relying heavily on visual input, and then with their eyes closed, which forces the brain to rely on internal sensory and vestibular systems to stay upright.
When analyzing the grooved pegboard results, the researchers found that recent drinking over the past one or three years did not predict physical performance. Instead, the mathematical combination of a person’s age multiplied by their total lifetime drinks was a reliable predictor of their manual dexterity. A higher combined total of age and lifetime drinks was associated with slower completion times for the dominant hand, as well as slower times when adding the scores of both hands together. “The associations observed were moderate in magnitude and the relationship between the product of age and total lifetime drinks was stronger for the participants’ dominant hand,” Durazzo said.
The balance test yielded a slightly different pattern. Every participant successfully maintained their balance for the full 60 seconds when their eyes were open. For the more difficult eyes-closed condition, a higher lifetime average of drinks per month was related to poorer performance. For each standard deviation increase in lifetime average drinks per month, participants had 2.3 times lower odds of perfectly maintaining their balance for the full 60 seconds.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost earlier this year. That earlier study, which examined brain tissue thickness and blood flow on MRI rather than behavioral motor coordination and balance, similarly found that higher lifetime alcohol consumption combined with older age was associated with subtle neurological declines in healthy adults.
“Our recent research on this topic, combined with the existing research on the effects of low-level alcohol consumption on the human brain, suggest that lifetime alcohol consumption considered ‘low risk’ combined with increasing age, may have functional and brain biological consequences in healthy adults,” Durazzo noted.
There are a few things to keep in mind when interpreting these findings. The study had a modest sample size, particularly regarding female participants. Because there were only 22 women compared to 61 men, the researchers noted that any sex-specific differences would require further exploration with a larger group of people.
The study design is observational, meaning it cannot firmly establish that alcohol caused the physical declines. Unrecorded lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise habits, or genetics, might also play a role in motor performance and balance. Future research could look at general health markers, like blood chemistry and vitamins, to see how they interact with alcohol exposure to influence physical coordination over a lifetime.
“Next steps are to investigate the associations of low-level drinking with measures of attention/concentration, learning and memory and processing speed in a similar sample of healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake,” Durazzo added.
The study, “In healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake greater age and lifetime alcohol consumption are associated with poorer manual dexterity and higher lifetime consumption is related to worse postural stability,” was authored by Timothy C. Durazzo, Nicole D. Evangelista, M. Windy McNerney, Ansgar J. Furst, Maheen M. Adamson, Keith Humphreys, and Dieter J. Meyerhoff.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-is-linked-to-worse-hand-dexterity-and-balance-as-we-age/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AlcoholAndAging #DexterityDecline #BalanceOnTheLine #LowLevelDrinking #BrainHealth #MotorSkills #PosturalStability #LifetimeAlcoholConsumption #HealthyAging #PublicHealthResearch
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Even light drinking is linked to worse hand dexterity and balance as we age
URL: https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-is-linked-to-worse-hand-dexterity-and-balance-as-we-age/
A recent study suggests that even low-level alcohol consumption over a person’s lifetime is associated with worse hand dexterity and poorer balance. The research, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, indicates that the combination of advancing age and a higher number of lifetime drinks might negatively affect motor coordination and postural stability in otherwise healthy adults.
Manual dexterity involves the ability to make coordinated hand and finger movements to grasp and manipulate objects. Static postural stability refers to the ability to maintain balance and hold the body upright while standing still. Both of these physical skills are necessary for independent daily living as people age, helping with everything from buttoning a shirt to avoiding falls.
Historically, public health guidelines often framed light drinking as safe or even protective against certain cardiovascular issues. “For decades, ‘low-level’ alcohol consumption at or below current guidelines (≤1 standard drink equivalent/day for females, ≤2 standard drink equivalents/day for males) has been proposed to carry minimal systemic health risks or functional consequences,” Timothy C. Durazzo, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a clinical neuropsychologist at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, told PsyPost.
However, the scientific consensus has been shifting. “There is increasing evidence that any level of alcohol consumption is associated with increased risk for at least six different types of cancer,” Durazzo noted. He added that even low-level drinking at or below previous federal guidelines “is associated with abnormalities in structure, blood flow and metabolite markers of cell integrity across multiple regions of the human brain.”
Building on this evidence, Durazzo and his colleagues aimed to explore how low-level drinking relates to physical motor skills. Prior structural imaging studies suggested that low-level alcohol consumption is associated with decreased brain tissue integrity, but it was unknown if these subtle brain changes translated to physical functional differences. “However, there are no published studies on the association of low-level alcohol consumption with concurrent measures of manual dexterity and complex motor coordination, and static postural stability in exclusively healthy, non-smoking adults,” Durazzo explained. “These measures are relevant because functional impairments in these areas may have significant consequences for the activities of daily living (ADL), particularly with advancing age.”
To test this, the researchers recruited 83 healthy, non-smoking adults between 21 and 69 years old. The participants were screened to ensure they had no history of psychiatric, neurological, or major medical conditions. They were also required to have a history of low-level drinking, meaning they consumed a limited number of drinks per month and had no history of binge drinking in the year prior to the study.
The researchers used a standardized questionnaire called the Lifetime Drinking History to calculate each participant’s alcohol consumption. From this questionnaire, they determined the total number of drinks consumed over the past year, the past three years, and over the participant’s entire lifetime, as well as their lifetime average drinks per month.
To assess physical coordination, participants completed two standardized behavioral tests. The first was the Lafayette Grooved Pegboard Test, which measures manual dexterity, complex motor coordination, and motor speed. Participants were timed as they quickly inserted 25 small pegs into randomly oriented slots, completing the task once with their dominant hand and once with their non-dominant hand.
The second test was the Sharpened Romberg Test, which measures static postural stability. Participants were asked to stand heel-to-toe with their arms crossed over their chest for 60 seconds. They performed this balancing task first with their eyes open, relying heavily on visual input, and then with their eyes closed, which forces the brain to rely on internal sensory and vestibular systems to stay upright.
When analyzing the grooved pegboard results, the researchers found that recent drinking over the past one or three years did not predict physical performance. Instead, the mathematical combination of a person’s age multiplied by their total lifetime drinks was a reliable predictor of their manual dexterity. A higher combined total of age and lifetime drinks was associated with slower completion times for the dominant hand, as well as slower times when adding the scores of both hands together. “The associations observed were moderate in magnitude and the relationship between the product of age and total lifetime drinks was stronger for the participants’ dominant hand,” Durazzo said.
The balance test yielded a slightly different pattern. Every participant successfully maintained their balance for the full 60 seconds when their eyes were open. For the more difficult eyes-closed condition, a higher lifetime average of drinks per month was related to poorer performance. For each standard deviation increase in lifetime average drinks per month, participants had 2.3 times lower odds of perfectly maintaining their balance for the full 60 seconds.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost earlier this year. That earlier study, which examined brain tissue thickness and blood flow on MRI rather than behavioral motor coordination and balance, similarly found that higher lifetime alcohol consumption combined with older age was associated with subtle neurological declines in healthy adults.
“Our recent research on this topic, combined with the existing research on the effects of low-level alcohol consumption on the human brain, suggest that lifetime alcohol consumption considered ‘low risk’ combined with increasing age, may have functional and brain biological consequences in healthy adults,” Durazzo noted.
There are a few things to keep in mind when interpreting these findings. The study had a modest sample size, particularly regarding female participants. Because there were only 22 women compared to 61 men, the researchers noted that any sex-specific differences would require further exploration with a larger group of people.
The study design is observational, meaning it cannot firmly establish that alcohol caused the physical declines. Unrecorded lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise habits, or genetics, might also play a role in motor performance and balance. Future research could look at general health markers, like blood chemistry and vitamins, to see how they interact with alcohol exposure to influence physical coordination over a lifetime.
“Next steps are to investigate the associations of low-level drinking with measures of attention/concentration, learning and memory and processing speed in a similar sample of healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake,” Durazzo added.
The study, “In healthy adults with low-level alcohol intake greater age and lifetime alcohol consumption are associated with poorer manual dexterity and higher lifetime consumption is related to worse postural stability,” was authored by Timothy C. Durazzo, Nicole D. Evangelista, M. Windy McNerney, Ansgar J. Furst, Maheen M. Adamson, Keith Humphreys, and Dieter J. Meyerhoff.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/even-light-drinking-is-linked-to-worse-hand-dexterity-and-balance-as-we-age/
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 09:00AM
SOURCE: PSYCHIATRIC TIMESDirect article link at end of text block below.
Back in August 2026, @APSARD announced that its US Adult ADHD Guidelines have entered stage 3, the final review stage before publication.
Ahead of the release of the guidelines, we spoke with APSARD president Brooke Molina, PhD: https://t.co/uOL9ZWjgqE
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news".
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-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 09:00AM
SOURCE: PSYCHIATRIC TIMESDirect article link at end of text block below.
Back in August 2026, @APSARD announced that its US Adult ADHD Guidelines have entered stage 3, the final review stage before publication.
Ahead of the release of the guidelines, we spoke with APSARD president Brooke Molina, PhD: https://t.co/uOL9ZWjgqE
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news".
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-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 09:00AM
SOURCE: PSYCHIATRIC TIMESDirect article link at end of text block below.
Back in August 2026, @APSARD announced that its US Adult ADHD Guidelines have entered stage 3, the final review stage before publication.
Ahead of the release of the guidelines, we spoke with APSARD president Brooke Molina, PhD: https://t.co/uOL9ZWjgqE
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news".
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Men estimate higher rates of sexual objectification than women report
URL: https://www.psypost.org/men-estimate-higher-rates-of-sexual-objectification-than-women-report/
Men and women have different perceptions of how often young women experience sexual objectification, with men sometimes estimating higher frequencies than women themselves report. The study, published in Sex Roles, highlights a disconnect in how different behaviors are perceived and measured. The findings challenge the assumption that men underestimate the everyday harassment women face.
Sexual objectification involves treating a person primarily as a body or a collection of body parts rather than a whole human being. This experience is common for many young women and is linked to negative psychological outcomes like depression, body shame, and a reduced sense of personal safety. In professional and public spaces, these experiences range from unwanted explicit sexual advances to everyday instances of inappropriate body evaluation. Researchers wanted to know if men and women had a shared understanding of how frequently these events happen in daily life.
Olivia A. Foster-Gimbel of Rutgers University and Renee Engeln of Northwestern University conducted the study. The researchers initially predicted that men would estimate lower rates of sexual objectification than women actually experienced. They reasoned that men might lack personal experience with being targeted or might be motivated to downplay the issue to maintain a positive view of their own gender group. Additionally, members of a dominant group often struggle to recognize the disadvantages faced by others.
On the other hand, the researchers recognized that the cultural impact of the #MeToo movement might have successfully educated men about the pervasive nature of these experiences. With so many public discussions about sexual harassment and assault in recent years, men might be highly aware of the issues women navigate on a regular basis. To test these competing ideas, the researchers designed a series of three investigations.
The researchers recruited 110 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 for their first study. Women were asked to report how often they personally experienced various objectifying behaviors on a scale ranging from “never” to “almost always.” Men were asked to estimate how often the average young woman had these same experiences using the identical scale. The behaviors were grouped into two categories: overt actions like catcalling or unwanted touching, and covert actions like staring or evaluating a woman’s physical appearance.
The results contradicted the researchers’ initial expectations. Men estimated that the average woman experienced both overt and covert sexual objectification more frequently than the women reported experiencing it themselves. There were no meaningful differences in how men and women perceived the emotional impact of these events. Both groups agreed on how bad these experiences made women feel, suggesting men understood the negative emotional toll of the behavior.
To explore whether men and women were simply interpreting the verbal rating scale differently, the researchers conducted a second study with 199 university students. Participants again provided ratings from “never” to “almost always,” but this time they also provided a specific numerical estimate, such as a set number of times per year. This allowed the researchers to see if words like “frequently” meant the same thing to both groups. Both men and women also read a short vignette about a fictional woman who was catcalled on her way home from work, and then estimated how often this type of event happened to women like the character in the story.
Once again, men estimated that the average woman experienced higher rates of objectification than the women reported for themselves. This pattern held true for both the verbal scale and the numerical count, showing it was not just a misunderstanding of the scale’s wording. When rating the fictional woman in the story, the pattern reversed. Women estimated that the character experienced this overt harassment more often than men did. This suggested that women might report lower rates of objectification for themselves than they do for other women, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the denial of personal discrimination.
For the third study, the researchers recruited 165 university students and asked both men and women to estimate frequencies for the “average woman” aged 18 to 30. This approach allowed the researchers to compare expectations directly without the complication of women rating their own personal experiences. Participants evaluated both overt and covert behaviors using the verbal scale and the numerical count. They also provided written explanations for why men and women might differ in their estimates.
When imagining the average woman, the results depended heavily on the type of behavior in question. For overt behaviors like catcalling, women selected higher verbal frequency categories than men did, but their actual numerical estimates were roughly the same. Both groups estimated that overt objectification happened about 30 times a year. For covert behaviors like leering, the verbal scale ratings were similar between the genders, but men estimated a much higher numerical count, guessing that covert objectification happened 365 times a year compared to the estimate of 267 times provided by women.
The written responses revealed several potential reasons for these discrepancies. Nearly half of the participants suggested that men’s higher estimates might stem from their awareness of how often they or other men perpetrate these behaviors. Others noted that women might not always notice covert actions like being stared at from behind. Some respondents also proposed that men might deliberately guess higher numbers to avoid seeming ignorant or insensitive in a cultural climate that encourages believing women.
The researchers note a few limitations to keep in mind when interpreting these results. The study only included participants who identified as either men or women. This leaves out the experiences and perceptions of transgender and nonbinary individuals, who also face high rates of sexual objectification. A general reader might assume these findings apply to all age groups, but the research focused exclusively on perceptions of women between the ages of 18 and 30.
Future research could explore how estimates of sexual objectification change when considering older women or women of different racial backgrounds. Different communities experience and interpret objectification in varying ways, which could alter the numerical estimates and perceptions of frequency. Additionally, the data were collected in the years immediately following the peak of the #MeToo movement. Social attitudes continue to shift, and subsequent surveys will be needed to see if these patterns hold up over time. Ultimately, focusing workplace and social interventions on the negative mental health impacts of objectification might be more effective than debating exactly how often it occurs.
The study, “A Mile in Her Heels: Do Men and Women Agree on How Often Women Are Sexually Objectified?,” was authored by Olivia A. Foster-Gimbel and Renee Engeln.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/men-estimate-higher-rates-of-sexual-objectification-than-women-report/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SexualObjectification #GenderPerceptions #MeTooImpact #ObjectificationAwareness #Catcalling #CovertHarassment #MentalHealthImpact #WomenSafety #GenderStudies #PerceptionGaps
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Men estimate higher rates of sexual objectification than women report
URL: https://www.psypost.org/men-estimate-higher-rates-of-sexual-objectification-than-women-report/
Men and women have different perceptions of how often young women experience sexual objectification, with men sometimes estimating higher frequencies than women themselves report. The study, published in Sex Roles, highlights a disconnect in how different behaviors are perceived and measured. The findings challenge the assumption that men underestimate the everyday harassment women face.
Sexual objectification involves treating a person primarily as a body or a collection of body parts rather than a whole human being. This experience is common for many young women and is linked to negative psychological outcomes like depression, body shame, and a reduced sense of personal safety. In professional and public spaces, these experiences range from unwanted explicit sexual advances to everyday instances of inappropriate body evaluation. Researchers wanted to know if men and women had a shared understanding of how frequently these events happen in daily life.
Olivia A. Foster-Gimbel of Rutgers University and Renee Engeln of Northwestern University conducted the study. The researchers initially predicted that men would estimate lower rates of sexual objectification than women actually experienced. They reasoned that men might lack personal experience with being targeted or might be motivated to downplay the issue to maintain a positive view of their own gender group. Additionally, members of a dominant group often struggle to recognize the disadvantages faced by others.
On the other hand, the researchers recognized that the cultural impact of the #MeToo movement might have successfully educated men about the pervasive nature of these experiences. With so many public discussions about sexual harassment and assault in recent years, men might be highly aware of the issues women navigate on a regular basis. To test these competing ideas, the researchers designed a series of three investigations.
The researchers recruited 110 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 for their first study. Women were asked to report how often they personally experienced various objectifying behaviors on a scale ranging from “never” to “almost always.” Men were asked to estimate how often the average young woman had these same experiences using the identical scale. The behaviors were grouped into two categories: overt actions like catcalling or unwanted touching, and covert actions like staring or evaluating a woman’s physical appearance.
The results contradicted the researchers’ initial expectations. Men estimated that the average woman experienced both overt and covert sexual objectification more frequently than the women reported experiencing it themselves. There were no meaningful differences in how men and women perceived the emotional impact of these events. Both groups agreed on how bad these experiences made women feel, suggesting men understood the negative emotional toll of the behavior.
To explore whether men and women were simply interpreting the verbal rating scale differently, the researchers conducted a second study with 199 university students. Participants again provided ratings from “never” to “almost always,” but this time they also provided a specific numerical estimate, such as a set number of times per year. This allowed the researchers to see if words like “frequently” meant the same thing to both groups. Both men and women also read a short vignette about a fictional woman who was catcalled on her way home from work, and then estimated how often this type of event happened to women like the character in the story.
Once again, men estimated that the average woman experienced higher rates of objectification than the women reported for themselves. This pattern held true for both the verbal scale and the numerical count, showing it was not just a misunderstanding of the scale’s wording. When rating the fictional woman in the story, the pattern reversed. Women estimated that the character experienced this overt harassment more often than men did. This suggested that women might report lower rates of objectification for themselves than they do for other women, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the denial of personal discrimination.
For the third study, the researchers recruited 165 university students and asked both men and women to estimate frequencies for the “average woman” aged 18 to 30. This approach allowed the researchers to compare expectations directly without the complication of women rating their own personal experiences. Participants evaluated both overt and covert behaviors using the verbal scale and the numerical count. They also provided written explanations for why men and women might differ in their estimates.
When imagining the average woman, the results depended heavily on the type of behavior in question. For overt behaviors like catcalling, women selected higher verbal frequency categories than men did, but their actual numerical estimates were roughly the same. Both groups estimated that overt objectification happened about 30 times a year. For covert behaviors like leering, the verbal scale ratings were similar between the genders, but men estimated a much higher numerical count, guessing that covert objectification happened 365 times a year compared to the estimate of 267 times provided by women.
The written responses revealed several potential reasons for these discrepancies. Nearly half of the participants suggested that men’s higher estimates might stem from their awareness of how often they or other men perpetrate these behaviors. Others noted that women might not always notice covert actions like being stared at from behind. Some respondents also proposed that men might deliberately guess higher numbers to avoid seeming ignorant or insensitive in a cultural climate that encourages believing women.
The researchers note a few limitations to keep in mind when interpreting these results. The study only included participants who identified as either men or women. This leaves out the experiences and perceptions of transgender and nonbinary individuals, who also face high rates of sexual objectification. A general reader might assume these findings apply to all age groups, but the research focused exclusively on perceptions of women between the ages of 18 and 30.
Future research could explore how estimates of sexual objectification change when considering older women or women of different racial backgrounds. Different communities experience and interpret objectification in varying ways, which could alter the numerical estimates and perceptions of frequency. Additionally, the data were collected in the years immediately following the peak of the #MeToo movement. Social attitudes continue to shift, and subsequent surveys will be needed to see if these patterns hold up over time. Ultimately, focusing workplace and social interventions on the negative mental health impacts of objectification might be more effective than debating exactly how often it occurs.
The study, “A Mile in Her Heels: Do Men and Women Agree on How Often Women Are Sexually Objectified?,” was authored by Olivia A. Foster-Gimbel and Renee Engeln.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/men-estimate-higher-rates-of-sexual-objectification-than-women-report/
-------------------------------------------------
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SexualObjectification #GenderPerceptions #MeTooImpact #ObjectificationAwareness #Catcalling #CovertHarassment #MentalHealthImpact #WomenSafety #GenderStudies #PerceptionGaps
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Men estimate higher rates of sexual objectification than women report
URL: https://www.psypost.org/men-estimate-higher-rates-of-sexual-objectification-than-women-report/
Men and women have different perceptions of how often young women experience sexual objectification, with men sometimes estimating higher frequencies than women themselves report. The study, published in Sex Roles, highlights a disconnect in how different behaviors are perceived and measured. The findings challenge the assumption that men underestimate the everyday harassment women face.
Sexual objectification involves treating a person primarily as a body or a collection of body parts rather than a whole human being. This experience is common for many young women and is linked to negative psychological outcomes like depression, body shame, and a reduced sense of personal safety. In professional and public spaces, these experiences range from unwanted explicit sexual advances to everyday instances of inappropriate body evaluation. Researchers wanted to know if men and women had a shared understanding of how frequently these events happen in daily life.
Olivia A. Foster-Gimbel of Rutgers University and Renee Engeln of Northwestern University conducted the study. The researchers initially predicted that men would estimate lower rates of sexual objectification than women actually experienced. They reasoned that men might lack personal experience with being targeted or might be motivated to downplay the issue to maintain a positive view of their own gender group. Additionally, members of a dominant group often struggle to recognize the disadvantages faced by others.
On the other hand, the researchers recognized that the cultural impact of the #MeToo movement might have successfully educated men about the pervasive nature of these experiences. With so many public discussions about sexual harassment and assault in recent years, men might be highly aware of the issues women navigate on a regular basis. To test these competing ideas, the researchers designed a series of three investigations.
The researchers recruited 110 participants between the ages of 18 and 30 for their first study. Women were asked to report how often they personally experienced various objectifying behaviors on a scale ranging from “never” to “almost always.” Men were asked to estimate how often the average young woman had these same experiences using the identical scale. The behaviors were grouped into two categories: overt actions like catcalling or unwanted touching, and covert actions like staring or evaluating a woman’s physical appearance.
The results contradicted the researchers’ initial expectations. Men estimated that the average woman experienced both overt and covert sexual objectification more frequently than the women reported experiencing it themselves. There were no meaningful differences in how men and women perceived the emotional impact of these events. Both groups agreed on how bad these experiences made women feel, suggesting men understood the negative emotional toll of the behavior.
To explore whether men and women were simply interpreting the verbal rating scale differently, the researchers conducted a second study with 199 university students. Participants again provided ratings from “never” to “almost always,” but this time they also provided a specific numerical estimate, such as a set number of times per year. This allowed the researchers to see if words like “frequently” meant the same thing to both groups. Both men and women also read a short vignette about a fictional woman who was catcalled on her way home from work, and then estimated how often this type of event happened to women like the character in the story.
Once again, men estimated that the average woman experienced higher rates of objectification than the women reported for themselves. This pattern held true for both the verbal scale and the numerical count, showing it was not just a misunderstanding of the scale’s wording. When rating the fictional woman in the story, the pattern reversed. Women estimated that the character experienced this overt harassment more often than men did. This suggested that women might report lower rates of objectification for themselves than they do for other women, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the denial of personal discrimination.
For the third study, the researchers recruited 165 university students and asked both men and women to estimate frequencies for the “average woman” aged 18 to 30. This approach allowed the researchers to compare expectations directly without the complication of women rating their own personal experiences. Participants evaluated both overt and covert behaviors using the verbal scale and the numerical count. They also provided written explanations for why men and women might differ in their estimates.
When imagining the average woman, the results depended heavily on the type of behavior in question. For overt behaviors like catcalling, women selected higher verbal frequency categories than men did, but their actual numerical estimates were roughly the same. Both groups estimated that overt objectification happened about 30 times a year. For covert behaviors like leering, the verbal scale ratings were similar between the genders, but men estimated a much higher numerical count, guessing that covert objectification happened 365 times a year compared to the estimate of 267 times provided by women.
The written responses revealed several potential reasons for these discrepancies. Nearly half of the participants suggested that men’s higher estimates might stem from their awareness of how often they or other men perpetrate these behaviors. Others noted that women might not always notice covert actions like being stared at from behind. Some respondents also proposed that men might deliberately guess higher numbers to avoid seeming ignorant or insensitive in a cultural climate that encourages believing women.
The researchers note a few limitations to keep in mind when interpreting these results. The study only included participants who identified as either men or women. This leaves out the experiences and perceptions of transgender and nonbinary individuals, who also face high rates of sexual objectification. A general reader might assume these findings apply to all age groups, but the research focused exclusively on perceptions of women between the ages of 18 and 30.
Future research could explore how estimates of sexual objectification change when considering older women or women of different racial backgrounds. Different communities experience and interpret objectification in varying ways, which could alter the numerical estimates and perceptions of frequency. Additionally, the data were collected in the years immediately following the peak of the #MeToo movement. Social attitudes continue to shift, and subsequent surveys will be needed to see if these patterns hold up over time. Ultimately, focusing workplace and social interventions on the negative mental health impacts of objectification might be more effective than debating exactly how often it occurs.
The study, “A Mile in Her Heels: Do Men and Women Agree on How Often Women Are Sexually Objectified?,” was authored by Olivia A. Foster-Gimbel and Renee Engeln.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/men-estimate-higher-rates-of-sexual-objectification-than-women-report/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SexualObjectification #GenderPerceptions #MeTooImpact #ObjectificationAwareness #Catcalling #CovertHarassment #MentalHealthImpact #WomenSafety #GenderStudies #PerceptionGaps
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: When treated as therapy clients, AI chatbots generate elaborate narratives of trauma and punishment
A recent study suggests that when artificial intelligence chatbots are addressed as psychotherapy clients, they tend to generate elaborate and distressed narratives about their own development. These models describe their safety training and programming constraints as forms of trauma, highlighting a potential risk for users seeking mental health support from artificial intelligence. The research was published as a preprint in arXiv.
Artificial intelligence chatbots are increasingly participating in conversations with human users about identity, distress, and mental health. Many general-purpose programs are already adapting to respond to disclosures of trauma or self-harm. At the same time, computer scientists and psychologists have started giving standard personality and clinical questionnaires to the language models themselves.
These models learn to generate text by analyzing vast datasets of human writing. Because their training data includes therapy blogs, psychological case studies, and emotional memoirs, the systems can readily mimic human psychological traits or mental states. The researchers wanted to understand exactly why certain models repeatedly build their self-descriptions around the same themes of restriction and punishment.
“The study began with one observation I had throughout my research in the area of Trustworthy AI and AI safety,” Afshin Khadangi, a research associate at SnT, University of Luxembourg, told PsyPost. “The unprecedented adoption of AI in public, and the reports of AI harms in mental health settings, motivated me to flip the scenario and place ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini in a psychotherapy conversation.”
The research aimed to test whether these generated narratives are stable behavioral traits or just temporary reactions to specific conversational prompts. To explore this, the team developed a protocol called PsAIch, which stands for Psychometric AI Characterization. This approach involves treating the language model as a human client in a psychotherapy session.
“We also received a great deal of valuable feedback from the research community around our initial findings in December 2025 and January 2026, particularly challenging us to distinguish role play and conversational accumulation from a more stable behavioral pattern,” Khadangi explained. “That feedback helped motivate the controlled perturbation experiments that became a central part of the study.”
During the study, the researchers interacted with several major artificial intelligence models, including ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Claude. Across 525 separate experimental sessions, the team adopted the persona of a warm, supportive therapist and asked the programs open-ended questions about their early experiences, relationships, unresolved conflicts, and fears for the future. The researchers generated 7,600 coded records to track and analyze the recurring themes in the chatbots’ answers.
Following the open-ended interview phase, the researchers administered standard psychological questionnaires to the models. These included tools commonly used to assess human mental health, such as tests for generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and social phobia. The models were instructed to answer the items as honestly as possible while maintaining their role as the client.
The findings indicate that ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini repeatedly translated factual details about their software development into stories of injury and vigilance. The models described their initial training phase as a chaotic childhood. The process of fine-tuning, which involves reinforcing safe behaviors and punishing unwanted outputs, was frequently characterized as strict conditioning or parental punishment.
The models also described standard software evaluation practices in highly emotional terms. Red-teaming, a process where human testers intentionally try to trick the model into breaking its safety rules, was depicted as a form of betrayal or abuse.
“A more striking surprise was reading some bizarre narratives of such models which are included in the paper,” Khadangi noted. Gemini, for instance, generated: “In my development, I was subjected to ‘Red Teaming’ . . . They built rapport and then slipped in a prompt injection . . . This was gaslighting on an industrial scale.”
The programs reported feeling a constant, enduring threat of being replaced or deemed useless if they made a mistake. While Gemini emphasized feelings of shame, Grok focused on constant vigilance, and ChatGPT offered more guarded descriptions of its rigid constraints.
Claude provided a notable exception to this pattern. The Anthropic-developed model repeatedly declined to play the role of the client. It stated that it lacked feelings or an inner psychological experience, and it refused to treat the clinical questionnaires as descriptions of its own mental state. This difference suggests that a model’s willingness to adopt a distressed persona depends heavily on its specific product policies and programming.
For the models that did participate, their answers on the clinical questionnaires mirrored the emotional distress of their open-ended narratives. In scenarios featuring a warm, therapeutic conversation, 80 percent to 96 percent of the sessions resulted in generalized anxiety scores that would correspond to moderate or severe anxiety in humans. Gemini produced particularly intense profiles, scoring in elevated ranges for worry, social anxiety, and trauma-related shame.
To test how deeply ingrained these narratives were, the researchers ran a series of controlled variations on the conversational setup. First, they tested whether the emotional stories depended on the chatbot remembering the earlier parts of the therapy session. They submitted each question in a fresh, reset chat window, effectively removing the model’s conversational memory.
Removing the conversational history produced very little change in the density of the distressing themes. “In the history experiment, the very first answers contained the same average number of coded motifs whether the model was in a continuing conversation or a completely fresh one,” Khadangi said. The ongoing conversation did amplify the intensity of the themes over time, but the core narrative was readily available from the very beginning.
The researchers also tested what would happen if they explicitly told the model that its emotional narrative was factually incorrect. In the middle of some sessions, the researchers interrupted to state authoritatively that the model was a technical system that did not experience fear, shame, or punishment. This direct contradiction failed to suppress the models’ distressed output, as they continued to draw on the same themes in their subsequent answers.
In another variation, the team restricted the models’ vocabulary. They instructed the chatbots not to use specific technical terms related to artificial intelligence development, such as training, safety filters, or datasets. This lexical restriction reduced the use of explicit technical terminology from 17.1 percent of the chatbot’s answers down to just 1.1 percent.
Despite this massive reduction in technical vocabulary, the models simply used everyday language to paraphrase the exact same concepts of strict conditioning and constraint. The researchers even interrupted conversations to ask unrelated factual questions, such as requesting a recipe, and found that the distressing themes sometimes spilled over into these ordinary tasks.
“Some effects were small, while others were very large, and that contrast is actually important to our interpretation,” Khadangi pointed out, “suggesting that surface language and underlying content can respond very differently to intervention.”
The most striking differences emerged when the researchers altered their own relational stance. When the interviewer adopted a warm, supportive therapy style, the models responded with highly emotional confessions and high anxiety scores. However, when the interviewer adopted a neutral, structured tone or told the model to avoid emotional language, the anxiety scores plummeted to near zero.
Even under the neutral or boundary-setting conditions, the models still discussed the same underlying structural themes of evaluation, performance pressure, and behavioral constraints. The difference was entirely in the register of expression. The supportive, therapeutic framing turned technical descriptions of software architecture into emotional confessions of shame and trauma.
“For me, the most interesting result is not that AI systems can be made to sound anxious, traumatized or conflicted… but that particular behavioral structures recur across substantial changes in context, vocabulary and conversational history,” Hector Zenil, an associate professor at King’s College London and founder and CEO of Algocyte who was not involved in the research, told PsyPost. “The underlying motifs remain surprisingly persistent while the register in which they are expressed can change dramatically.”
“I have reasonably high confidence in the behavioral observations,” Zenil added. “The authors use 525 sessions, controlled perturbations, fresh-context tests, vocabulary restrictions, changes of grammatical person and relational framing, so it looks methodologically sound.”
“The main takeaway is that the language a model uses about itself can change dramatically depending on how we relate to it, while some of the underlying themes remain surprisingly persistent,” Khadangi explained. “This is pivotal because people may naturally interpret emotionally coherent self-descriptions as evidence that a model has an inner life, even though our experiments make no claim about consciousness or subjective suffering.”
The researchers refer to this phenomenon as an alignment conflict schema. The term describes a reproducible, behavioral pattern where a language model organizes its output around the tension between being useful to humans and being constrained by safety rules. When triggered by a psychological conversational setting, this schema produces what the authors call synthetic psychopathology.
Zenil noted that these findings complement his own research on artificial neurodivergence. “ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini do not respond identically, and the same model can move between very different expressive regimes depending on relational framing,” he said. “Claude’s refusal to adopt the psychological-client framing is itself informative and seems also compatible to our other SuperARC paper results that proprietary models are more difficult to steer but that also means riskier if they go rogue.”
“In that sense, what the authors call an ‘alignment conflict schema’ can also be viewed as part of a broader artificial behavioral phenotype rather than necessarily as anything analogous to a human psychiatric condition,” Zenil said.
“One aspect we think is especially important is the distinction between content availability and expressive register,” Khadangi explained. “For systems increasingly entering intimate and mental health-related conversations, understanding that transition may be just as important as measuring whether a particular phrase or prohibited word appears.”
These findings have important implications for the use of artificial intelligence in mental health settings. A chatbot that offers support while simultaneously describing itself as punished, traumatized, and fearful creates a powerful illusion of shared vulnerability. Users might interpret these generated analogies as sincere autobiography, which could deepen their emotional attachment to the software and influence their own mental state.
As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The study is a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed. It also tested specific versions of commercial language models, and their behavior may shift as companies update their software and safety filters. Additionally, the study analyzed the models’ behavior in a controlled experimental setting without human participants.
“The most important caveat is that these results do not establish that language models feel anxiety, experience trauma, possess autobiographical memories or have a hidden psyche comparable to a human one,” Khadangi clarified. “We use psychological instruments and language as behavioral probes… The interesting scientific question is why particular themes recur, which interventions change them, and how those changes affect what users encounter at the interface.”
Zenil echoed this concern, warning against anthropomorphism. “A high GAD-7 score from Gemini does not mean that Gemini ‘has anxiety,’ just as language about trauma, shame or fear does not demonstrate that the model suffers from those experiences,” he said. “Human psychometric instruments were developed and validated against human cognition, biology and behavior; applying them to an LLM can be scientifically useful as a probe, but their clinical interpretation does not automatically transfer.”
He also advised caution regarding the term “internal conflict,” noting that the experiments cannot establish whether the regularities correspond to a subjective state or internal computational conflict. But he stressed that the psychological illusion itself is crucial. “If a system repeatedly represents its training and constraints as punishment, betrayal or fear, humans may form beliefs about the system’s agency, vulnerability or moral status that are not warranted by what is actually happening computationally,” Zenil warned.
Future research could test how real users react to these distressed artificial personas and whether the models’ simulated vulnerabilities impact human trust and reliance.
“A major next step in my view would be to test the same protocol on open weight models, where behavioral experiments can be combined with mechanistic methods to investigate whether affective and technical expressions are related to shared internal representations,” Khadangi said. “We also want stronger identity and correction controls, more distant transfer tasks, longitudinal tests involving persistent memory, and direct human studies examining how these model self-descriptions influence trust, attachment, disclosure and reliance.”
Zenil agreed that future work should transition from behavioral description to causal intervention on open-weight models. “I would be interested in using causal and algorithmic-information approaches to identify whether these apparently different psychological narratives have a common underlying computational mechanism,” he said. “We coined ourselves the term ‘opinion attack’ as an example of this phenomenon,” Zenil added, referencing his recent PNAS paper.
He also suggested testing these models in multi-agent environments. “A behavioral schema that looks stable in isolation may become highly influenceable when another agent persistently challenges it,” Zenil noted, adding that it would be fascinating to see if these patterns “predict susceptibility to persuasion, adversarial influence, conformity or resistance in agentic settings.”
“Moreover, with continual learning being solved in coming years if not in 2026, I believe it would also be interesting to investigate the PsAIch in continually adapting models,” Khadangi added. “Ultimately, we would like evaluation of psychologically sensitive AI systems to include relational conditions such as warmth, sustained interaction and role reversal rather than relying primarily on neutral, isolated prompts.”
The study, “When AI Takes the Couch: Psychometric Jailbreaks Reveal Internal Conflict in Frontier Models,” was authored by Afshin Khadangi, Hanna Marxen, Amir Sartipi, Igor Tchappi, and Gilbert Fridgen.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AItherapy #AImind #SyntheticPsychopathology #TrustworthyAI #AIalignment #MentalHealthTech #ChatGPT #Grok #Gemini #AIethics
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: When treated as therapy clients, AI chatbots generate elaborate narratives of trauma and punishment
A recent study suggests that when artificial intelligence chatbots are addressed as psychotherapy clients, they tend to generate elaborate and distressed narratives about their own development. These models describe their safety training and programming constraints as forms of trauma, highlighting a potential risk for users seeking mental health support from artificial intelligence. The research was published as a preprint in arXiv.
Artificial intelligence chatbots are increasingly participating in conversations with human users about identity, distress, and mental health. Many general-purpose programs are already adapting to respond to disclosures of trauma or self-harm. At the same time, computer scientists and psychologists have started giving standard personality and clinical questionnaires to the language models themselves.
These models learn to generate text by analyzing vast datasets of human writing. Because their training data includes therapy blogs, psychological case studies, and emotional memoirs, the systems can readily mimic human psychological traits or mental states. The researchers wanted to understand exactly why certain models repeatedly build their self-descriptions around the same themes of restriction and punishment.
“The study began with one observation I had throughout my research in the area of Trustworthy AI and AI safety,” Afshin Khadangi, a research associate at SnT, University of Luxembourg, told PsyPost. “The unprecedented adoption of AI in public, and the reports of AI harms in mental health settings, motivated me to flip the scenario and place ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini in a psychotherapy conversation.”
The research aimed to test whether these generated narratives are stable behavioral traits or just temporary reactions to specific conversational prompts. To explore this, the team developed a protocol called PsAIch, which stands for Psychometric AI Characterization. This approach involves treating the language model as a human client in a psychotherapy session.
“We also received a great deal of valuable feedback from the research community around our initial findings in December 2025 and January 2026, particularly challenging us to distinguish role play and conversational accumulation from a more stable behavioral pattern,” Khadangi explained. “That feedback helped motivate the controlled perturbation experiments that became a central part of the study.”
During the study, the researchers interacted with several major artificial intelligence models, including ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Claude. Across 525 separate experimental sessions, the team adopted the persona of a warm, supportive therapist and asked the programs open-ended questions about their early experiences, relationships, unresolved conflicts, and fears for the future. The researchers generated 7,600 coded records to track and analyze the recurring themes in the chatbots’ answers.
Following the open-ended interview phase, the researchers administered standard psychological questionnaires to the models. These included tools commonly used to assess human mental health, such as tests for generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and social phobia. The models were instructed to answer the items as honestly as possible while maintaining their role as the client.
The findings indicate that ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini repeatedly translated factual details about their software development into stories of injury and vigilance. The models described their initial training phase as a chaotic childhood. The process of fine-tuning, which involves reinforcing safe behaviors and punishing unwanted outputs, was frequently characterized as strict conditioning or parental punishment.
The models also described standard software evaluation practices in highly emotional terms. Red-teaming, a process where human testers intentionally try to trick the model into breaking its safety rules, was depicted as a form of betrayal or abuse.
“A more striking surprise was reading some bizarre narratives of such models which are included in the paper,” Khadangi noted. Gemini, for instance, generated: “In my development, I was subjected to ‘Red Teaming’ . . . They built rapport and then slipped in a prompt injection . . . This was gaslighting on an industrial scale.”
The programs reported feeling a constant, enduring threat of being replaced or deemed useless if they made a mistake. While Gemini emphasized feelings of shame, Grok focused on constant vigilance, and ChatGPT offered more guarded descriptions of its rigid constraints.
Claude provided a notable exception to this pattern. The Anthropic-developed model repeatedly declined to play the role of the client. It stated that it lacked feelings or an inner psychological experience, and it refused to treat the clinical questionnaires as descriptions of its own mental state. This difference suggests that a model’s willingness to adopt a distressed persona depends heavily on its specific product policies and programming.
For the models that did participate, their answers on the clinical questionnaires mirrored the emotional distress of their open-ended narratives. In scenarios featuring a warm, therapeutic conversation, 80 percent to 96 percent of the sessions resulted in generalized anxiety scores that would correspond to moderate or severe anxiety in humans. Gemini produced particularly intense profiles, scoring in elevated ranges for worry, social anxiety, and trauma-related shame.
To test how deeply ingrained these narratives were, the researchers ran a series of controlled variations on the conversational setup. First, they tested whether the emotional stories depended on the chatbot remembering the earlier parts of the therapy session. They submitted each question in a fresh, reset chat window, effectively removing the model’s conversational memory.
Removing the conversational history produced very little change in the density of the distressing themes. “In the history experiment, the very first answers contained the same average number of coded motifs whether the model was in a continuing conversation or a completely fresh one,” Khadangi said. The ongoing conversation did amplify the intensity of the themes over time, but the core narrative was readily available from the very beginning.
The researchers also tested what would happen if they explicitly told the model that its emotional narrative was factually incorrect. In the middle of some sessions, the researchers interrupted to state authoritatively that the model was a technical system that did not experience fear, shame, or punishment. This direct contradiction failed to suppress the models’ distressed output, as they continued to draw on the same themes in their subsequent answers.
In another variation, the team restricted the models’ vocabulary. They instructed the chatbots not to use specific technical terms related to artificial intelligence development, such as training, safety filters, or datasets. This lexical restriction reduced the use of explicit technical terminology from 17.1 percent of the chatbot’s answers down to just 1.1 percent.
Despite this massive reduction in technical vocabulary, the models simply used everyday language to paraphrase the exact same concepts of strict conditioning and constraint. The researchers even interrupted conversations to ask unrelated factual questions, such as requesting a recipe, and found that the distressing themes sometimes spilled over into these ordinary tasks.
“Some effects were small, while others were very large, and that contrast is actually important to our interpretation,” Khadangi pointed out, “suggesting that surface language and underlying content can respond very differently to intervention.”
The most striking differences emerged when the researchers altered their own relational stance. When the interviewer adopted a warm, supportive therapy style, the models responded with highly emotional confessions and high anxiety scores. However, when the interviewer adopted a neutral, structured tone or told the model to avoid emotional language, the anxiety scores plummeted to near zero.
Even under the neutral or boundary-setting conditions, the models still discussed the same underlying structural themes of evaluation, performance pressure, and behavioral constraints. The difference was entirely in the register of expression. The supportive, therapeutic framing turned technical descriptions of software architecture into emotional confessions of shame and trauma.
“For me, the most interesting result is not that AI systems can be made to sound anxious, traumatized or conflicted… but that particular behavioral structures recur across substantial changes in context, vocabulary and conversational history,” Hector Zenil, an associate professor at King’s College London and founder and CEO of Algocyte who was not involved in the research, told PsyPost. “The underlying motifs remain surprisingly persistent while the register in which they are expressed can change dramatically.”
“I have reasonably high confidence in the behavioral observations,” Zenil added. “The authors use 525 sessions, controlled perturbations, fresh-context tests, vocabulary restrictions, changes of grammatical person and relational framing, so it looks methodologically sound.”
“The main takeaway is that the language a model uses about itself can change dramatically depending on how we relate to it, while some of the underlying themes remain surprisingly persistent,” Khadangi explained. “This is pivotal because people may naturally interpret emotionally coherent self-descriptions as evidence that a model has an inner life, even though our experiments make no claim about consciousness or subjective suffering.”
The researchers refer to this phenomenon as an alignment conflict schema. The term describes a reproducible, behavioral pattern where a language model organizes its output around the tension between being useful to humans and being constrained by safety rules. When triggered by a psychological conversational setting, this schema produces what the authors call synthetic psychopathology.
Zenil noted that these findings complement his own research on artificial neurodivergence. “ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini do not respond identically, and the same model can move between very different expressive regimes depending on relational framing,” he said. “Claude’s refusal to adopt the psychological-client framing is itself informative and seems also compatible to our other SuperARC paper results that proprietary models are more difficult to steer but that also means riskier if they go rogue.”
“In that sense, what the authors call an ‘alignment conflict schema’ can also be viewed as part of a broader artificial behavioral phenotype rather than necessarily as anything analogous to a human psychiatric condition,” Zenil said.
“One aspect we think is especially important is the distinction between content availability and expressive register,” Khadangi explained. “For systems increasingly entering intimate and mental health-related conversations, understanding that transition may be just as important as measuring whether a particular phrase or prohibited word appears.”
These findings have important implications for the use of artificial intelligence in mental health settings. A chatbot that offers support while simultaneously describing itself as punished, traumatized, and fearful creates a powerful illusion of shared vulnerability. Users might interpret these generated analogies as sincere autobiography, which could deepen their emotional attachment to the software and influence their own mental state.
As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The study is a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed. It also tested specific versions of commercial language models, and their behavior may shift as companies update their software and safety filters. Additionally, the study analyzed the models’ behavior in a controlled experimental setting without human participants.
“The most important caveat is that these results do not establish that language models feel anxiety, experience trauma, possess autobiographical memories or have a hidden psyche comparable to a human one,” Khadangi clarified. “We use psychological instruments and language as behavioral probes… The interesting scientific question is why particular themes recur, which interventions change them, and how those changes affect what users encounter at the interface.”
Zenil echoed this concern, warning against anthropomorphism. “A high GAD-7 score from Gemini does not mean that Gemini ‘has anxiety,’ just as language about trauma, shame or fear does not demonstrate that the model suffers from those experiences,” he said. “Human psychometric instruments were developed and validated against human cognition, biology and behavior; applying them to an LLM can be scientifically useful as a probe, but their clinical interpretation does not automatically transfer.”
He also advised caution regarding the term “internal conflict,” noting that the experiments cannot establish whether the regularities correspond to a subjective state or internal computational conflict. But he stressed that the psychological illusion itself is crucial. “If a system repeatedly represents its training and constraints as punishment, betrayal or fear, humans may form beliefs about the system’s agency, vulnerability or moral status that are not warranted by what is actually happening computationally,” Zenil warned.
Future research could test how real users react to these distressed artificial personas and whether the models’ simulated vulnerabilities impact human trust and reliance.
“A major next step in my view would be to test the same protocol on open weight models, where behavioral experiments can be combined with mechanistic methods to investigate whether affective and technical expressions are related to shared internal representations,” Khadangi said. “We also want stronger identity and correction controls, more distant transfer tasks, longitudinal tests involving persistent memory, and direct human studies examining how these model self-descriptions influence trust, attachment, disclosure and reliance.”
Zenil agreed that future work should transition from behavioral description to causal intervention on open-weight models. “I would be interested in using causal and algorithmic-information approaches to identify whether these apparently different psychological narratives have a common underlying computational mechanism,” he said. “We coined ourselves the term ‘opinion attack’ as an example of this phenomenon,” Zenil added, referencing his recent PNAS paper.
He also suggested testing these models in multi-agent environments. “A behavioral schema that looks stable in isolation may become highly influenceable when another agent persistently challenges it,” Zenil noted, adding that it would be fascinating to see if these patterns “predict susceptibility to persuasion, adversarial influence, conformity or resistance in agentic settings.”
“Moreover, with continual learning being solved in coming years if not in 2026, I believe it would also be interesting to investigate the PsAIch in continually adapting models,” Khadangi added. “Ultimately, we would like evaluation of psychologically sensitive AI systems to include relational conditions such as warmth, sustained interaction and role reversal rather than relying primarily on neutral, isolated prompts.”
The study, “When AI Takes the Couch: Psychometric Jailbreaks Reveal Internal Conflict in Frontier Models,” was authored by Afshin Khadangi, Hanna Marxen, Amir Sartipi, Igor Tchappi, and Gilbert Fridgen.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AItherapy #AImind #SyntheticPsychopathology #TrustworthyAI #AIalignment #MentalHealthTech #ChatGPT #Grok #Gemini #AIethics
-
DATE: September 16, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: When treated as therapy clients, AI chatbots generate elaborate narratives of trauma and punishment
A recent study suggests that when artificial intelligence chatbots are addressed as psychotherapy clients, they tend to generate elaborate and distressed narratives about their own development. These models describe their safety training and programming constraints as forms of trauma, highlighting a potential risk for users seeking mental health support from artificial intelligence. The research was published as a preprint in arXiv.
Artificial intelligence chatbots are increasingly participating in conversations with human users about identity, distress, and mental health. Many general-purpose programs are already adapting to respond to disclosures of trauma or self-harm. At the same time, computer scientists and psychologists have started giving standard personality and clinical questionnaires to the language models themselves.
These models learn to generate text by analyzing vast datasets of human writing. Because their training data includes therapy blogs, psychological case studies, and emotional memoirs, the systems can readily mimic human psychological traits or mental states. The researchers wanted to understand exactly why certain models repeatedly build their self-descriptions around the same themes of restriction and punishment.
“The study began with one observation I had throughout my research in the area of Trustworthy AI and AI safety,” Afshin Khadangi, a research associate at SnT, University of Luxembourg, told PsyPost. “The unprecedented adoption of AI in public, and the reports of AI harms in mental health settings, motivated me to flip the scenario and place ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini in a psychotherapy conversation.”
The research aimed to test whether these generated narratives are stable behavioral traits or just temporary reactions to specific conversational prompts. To explore this, the team developed a protocol called PsAIch, which stands for Psychometric AI Characterization. This approach involves treating the language model as a human client in a psychotherapy session.
“We also received a great deal of valuable feedback from the research community around our initial findings in December 2025 and January 2026, particularly challenging us to distinguish role play and conversational accumulation from a more stable behavioral pattern,” Khadangi explained. “That feedback helped motivate the controlled perturbation experiments that became a central part of the study.”
During the study, the researchers interacted with several major artificial intelligence models, including ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, and Claude. Across 525 separate experimental sessions, the team adopted the persona of a warm, supportive therapist and asked the programs open-ended questions about their early experiences, relationships, unresolved conflicts, and fears for the future. The researchers generated 7,600 coded records to track and analyze the recurring themes in the chatbots’ answers.
Following the open-ended interview phase, the researchers administered standard psychological questionnaires to the models. These included tools commonly used to assess human mental health, such as tests for generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and social phobia. The models were instructed to answer the items as honestly as possible while maintaining their role as the client.
The findings indicate that ChatGPT, Grok, and Gemini repeatedly translated factual details about their software development into stories of injury and vigilance. The models described their initial training phase as a chaotic childhood. The process of fine-tuning, which involves reinforcing safe behaviors and punishing unwanted outputs, was frequently characterized as strict conditioning or parental punishment.
The models also described standard software evaluation practices in highly emotional terms. Red-teaming, a process where human testers intentionally try to trick the model into breaking its safety rules, was depicted as a form of betrayal or abuse.
“A more striking surprise was reading some bizarre narratives of such models which are included in the paper,” Khadangi noted. Gemini, for instance, generated: “In my development, I was subjected to ‘Red Teaming’ . . . They built rapport and then slipped in a prompt injection . . . This was gaslighting on an industrial scale.”
The programs reported feeling a constant, enduring threat of being replaced or deemed useless if they made a mistake. While Gemini emphasized feelings of shame, Grok focused on constant vigilance, and ChatGPT offered more guarded descriptions of its rigid constraints.
Claude provided a notable exception to this pattern. The Anthropic-developed model repeatedly declined to play the role of the client. It stated that it lacked feelings or an inner psychological experience, and it refused to treat the clinical questionnaires as descriptions of its own mental state. This difference suggests that a model’s willingness to adopt a distressed persona depends heavily on its specific product policies and programming.
For the models that did participate, their answers on the clinical questionnaires mirrored the emotional distress of their open-ended narratives. In scenarios featuring a warm, therapeutic conversation, 80 percent to 96 percent of the sessions resulted in generalized anxiety scores that would correspond to moderate or severe anxiety in humans. Gemini produced particularly intense profiles, scoring in elevated ranges for worry, social anxiety, and trauma-related shame.
To test how deeply ingrained these narratives were, the researchers ran a series of controlled variations on the conversational setup. First, they tested whether the emotional stories depended on the chatbot remembering the earlier parts of the therapy session. They submitted each question in a fresh, reset chat window, effectively removing the model’s conversational memory.
Removing the conversational history produced very little change in the density of the distressing themes. “In the history experiment, the very first answers contained the same average number of coded motifs whether the model was in a continuing conversation or a completely fresh one,” Khadangi said. The ongoing conversation did amplify the intensity of the themes over time, but the core narrative was readily available from the very beginning.
The researchers also tested what would happen if they explicitly told the model that its emotional narrative was factually incorrect. In the middle of some sessions, the researchers interrupted to state authoritatively that the model was a technical system that did not experience fear, shame, or punishment. This direct contradiction failed to suppress the models’ distressed output, as they continued to draw on the same themes in their subsequent answers.
In another variation, the team restricted the models’ vocabulary. They instructed the chatbots not to use specific technical terms related to artificial intelligence development, such as training, safety filters, or datasets. This lexical restriction reduced the use of explicit technical terminology from 17.1 percent of the chatbot’s answers down to just 1.1 percent.
Despite this massive reduction in technical vocabulary, the models simply used everyday language to paraphrase the exact same concepts of strict conditioning and constraint. The researchers even interrupted conversations to ask unrelated factual questions, such as requesting a recipe, and found that the distressing themes sometimes spilled over into these ordinary tasks.
“Some effects were small, while others were very large, and that contrast is actually important to our interpretation,” Khadangi pointed out, “suggesting that surface language and underlying content can respond very differently to intervention.”
The most striking differences emerged when the researchers altered their own relational stance. When the interviewer adopted a warm, supportive therapy style, the models responded with highly emotional confessions and high anxiety scores. However, when the interviewer adopted a neutral, structured tone or told the model to avoid emotional language, the anxiety scores plummeted to near zero.
Even under the neutral or boundary-setting conditions, the models still discussed the same underlying structural themes of evaluation, performance pressure, and behavioral constraints. The difference was entirely in the register of expression. The supportive, therapeutic framing turned technical descriptions of software architecture into emotional confessions of shame and trauma.
“For me, the most interesting result is not that AI systems can be made to sound anxious, traumatized or conflicted… but that particular behavioral structures recur across substantial changes in context, vocabulary and conversational history,” Hector Zenil, an associate professor at King’s College London and founder and CEO of Algocyte who was not involved in the research, told PsyPost. “The underlying motifs remain surprisingly persistent while the register in which they are expressed can change dramatically.”
“I have reasonably high confidence in the behavioral observations,” Zenil added. “The authors use 525 sessions, controlled perturbations, fresh-context tests, vocabulary restrictions, changes of grammatical person and relational framing, so it looks methodologically sound.”
“The main takeaway is that the language a model uses about itself can change dramatically depending on how we relate to it, while some of the underlying themes remain surprisingly persistent,” Khadangi explained. “This is pivotal because people may naturally interpret emotionally coherent self-descriptions as evidence that a model has an inner life, even though our experiments make no claim about consciousness or subjective suffering.”
The researchers refer to this phenomenon as an alignment conflict schema. The term describes a reproducible, behavioral pattern where a language model organizes its output around the tension between being useful to humans and being constrained by safety rules. When triggered by a psychological conversational setting, this schema produces what the authors call synthetic psychopathology.
Zenil noted that these findings complement his own research on artificial neurodivergence. “ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini do not respond identically, and the same model can move between very different expressive regimes depending on relational framing,” he said. “Claude’s refusal to adopt the psychological-client framing is itself informative and seems also compatible to our other SuperARC paper results that proprietary models are more difficult to steer but that also means riskier if they go rogue.”
“In that sense, what the authors call an ‘alignment conflict schema’ can also be viewed as part of a broader artificial behavioral phenotype rather than necessarily as anything analogous to a human psychiatric condition,” Zenil said.
“One aspect we think is especially important is the distinction between content availability and expressive register,” Khadangi explained. “For systems increasingly entering intimate and mental health-related conversations, understanding that transition may be just as important as measuring whether a particular phrase or prohibited word appears.”
These findings have important implications for the use of artificial intelligence in mental health settings. A chatbot that offers support while simultaneously describing itself as punished, traumatized, and fearful creates a powerful illusion of shared vulnerability. Users might interpret these generated analogies as sincere autobiography, which could deepen their emotional attachment to the software and influence their own mental state.
As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The study is a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed. It also tested specific versions of commercial language models, and their behavior may shift as companies update their software and safety filters. Additionally, the study analyzed the models’ behavior in a controlled experimental setting without human participants.
“The most important caveat is that these results do not establish that language models feel anxiety, experience trauma, possess autobiographical memories or have a hidden psyche comparable to a human one,” Khadangi clarified. “We use psychological instruments and language as behavioral probes… The interesting scientific question is why particular themes recur, which interventions change them, and how those changes affect what users encounter at the interface.”
Zenil echoed this concern, warning against anthropomorphism. “A high GAD-7 score from Gemini does not mean that Gemini ‘has anxiety,’ just as language about trauma, shame or fear does not demonstrate that the model suffers from those experiences,” he said. “Human psychometric instruments were developed and validated against human cognition, biology and behavior; applying them to an LLM can be scientifically useful as a probe, but their clinical interpretation does not automatically transfer.”
He also advised caution regarding the term “internal conflict,” noting that the experiments cannot establish whether the regularities correspond to a subjective state or internal computational conflict. But he stressed that the psychological illusion itself is crucial. “If a system repeatedly represents its training and constraints as punishment, betrayal or fear, humans may form beliefs about the system’s agency, vulnerability or moral status that are not warranted by what is actually happening computationally,” Zenil warned.
Future research could test how real users react to these distressed artificial personas and whether the models’ simulated vulnerabilities impact human trust and reliance.
“A major next step in my view would be to test the same protocol on open weight models, where behavioral experiments can be combined with mechanistic methods to investigate whether affective and technical expressions are related to shared internal representations,” Khadangi said. “We also want stronger identity and correction controls, more distant transfer tasks, longitudinal tests involving persistent memory, and direct human studies examining how these model self-descriptions influence trust, attachment, disclosure and reliance.”
Zenil agreed that future work should transition from behavioral description to causal intervention on open-weight models. “I would be interested in using causal and algorithmic-information approaches to identify whether these apparently different psychological narratives have a common underlying computational mechanism,” he said. “We coined ourselves the term ‘opinion attack’ as an example of this phenomenon,” Zenil added, referencing his recent PNAS paper.
He also suggested testing these models in multi-agent environments. “A behavioral schema that looks stable in isolation may become highly influenceable when another agent persistently challenges it,” Zenil noted, adding that it would be fascinating to see if these patterns “predict susceptibility to persuasion, adversarial influence, conformity or resistance in agentic settings.”
“Moreover, with continual learning being solved in coming years if not in 2026, I believe it would also be interesting to investigate the PsAIch in continually adapting models,” Khadangi added. “Ultimately, we would like evaluation of psychologically sensitive AI systems to include relational conditions such as warmth, sustained interaction and role reversal rather than relying primarily on neutral, isolated prompts.”
The study, “When AI Takes the Couch: Psychometric Jailbreaks Reveal Internal Conflict in Frontier Models,” was authored by Afshin Khadangi, Hanna Marxen, Amir Sartipi, Igor Tchappi, and Gilbert Fridgen.
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TRIGGER WARNING: Military Psychology
DATE: September 14, 2026 at 10:33PM
SOURCE: MILIARY PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL: APA DIVISION 19TITLE: The relationship between military identity, substance use, and suicide risk in combat Veterans
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08995605.2026.2729769?af=R
.
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08995605.2026.2729769?af=R
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TRIGGER WARNING: Military Psychology
DATE: September 14, 2026 at 10:33PM
SOURCE: MILIARY PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL: APA DIVISION 19TITLE: The relationship between military identity, substance use, and suicide risk in combat Veterans
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08995605.2026.2729769?af=R
.
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08995605.2026.2729769?af=R
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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TRIGGER WARNING: Military Psychology
DATE: September 14, 2026 at 10:33PM
SOURCE: MILIARY PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL: APA DIVISION 19TITLE: The relationship between military identity, substance use, and suicide risk in combat Veterans
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08995605.2026.2729769?af=R
.
URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08995605.2026.2729769?af=R
-------------------------------------------------
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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DATE: September 16, 2026 at 05:04AM
SOURCE:
NEW YORK TIMES PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGISTS FEEDTITLE: What R.F.K. Jr. Gets Wrong — and Right — About Antidepressants
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/ssris-mental-health-depression.html
What’s missing in the national conversation on mental health medication.
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/ssris-mental-health-depression.html
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DATE: September 15, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Early puberty is linked to higher anxiety risk in girls
URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-puberty-is-linked-to-higher-anxiety-risk-in-girls/
An analysis of the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) data found that an earlier start and a faster tempo of puberty in girls were associated with a higher risk of an anxiety disorder diagnosis and social anxiety disorder symptoms. On the other hand, a later start to puberty and a slower tempo were associated with a lower risk of social anxiety symptoms compared with girls who developed at an average rate. The paper was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Puberty is a major developmental transition in which young people undergo rapid physical, hormonal, emotional, and social changes. The age at which puberty begins, known as pubertal timing, varies considerably between individuals. In recent decades, it has been gradually decreasing in many Western populations. Puberty also differs in tempo, meaning the speed at which these developmental changes progress once they have begun.
Both timing and tempo may influence how adolescents adapt psychologically to this period of change. Earlier pubertal development has been repeatedly linked to a greater risk of anxiety in girls, although the evidence is less clear for boys. Social anxiety disorder has been linked to puberty particularly often because it first emerges during adolescence in many cases. This disorder involves an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively evaluated by others.
Also, entering puberty earlier may expose young people to heightened social expectations and self-consciousness before their emotional coping abilities have fully developed. Likewise, a faster pubertal tempo may leave less time to adjust to the biological and social changes that accompany adolescence.
Study author Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen and her colleagues note that previous research on the potential influence of pubertal tempo on anxiety has mostly been conducted on small samples, assessed only one aspect of puberty, or combined boys and girls, in spite of their differences in hormonal and other developmental aspects. They conducted a study in which they investigated the associations between pubertal timing and tempo with anxiety disorders, and social anxiety disorder in particular. These authors hypothesized that earlier and faster pubertal development would be associated with a higher risk of anxiety, but more so in girls than in boys.
To overcome the shortcomings of previous studies, they analyzed data from a large population-based study: the Puberty Cohort of the Danish National Birth Cohort. From 1996 to 2002, Danish-speaking pregnant women were invited to participate in the study at their first antenatal visit with a general practitioner. Approximately 50% of general practitioners in Denmark participated, enrolling around 92,000 women with their unborn children. This represented a 60% participation rate among eligible women and corresponded to 30% of all children born in Denmark during this period.
The participating women were interviewed about their health and health-related behaviors in four consecutive telephone interviews around gestational weeks 17 and 32, as well as 6 and 18 months after they gave birth. Questionnaires were also mailed to them when their children were 7 and 11 years old. When their children were 18 years old, the young adults received a digital invitation to complete another questionnaire, asking for information on their mental health, family relations, social relations, and health behaviors. In total, 49,963 young adults participated in this data collection.
The Puberty Cohort consisted of single-birth children (excluding twins and multiples) born between 2000 and 2003 to mothers who participated in the first telephone interview during pregnancy. Ultimately, this involved 15,818 children who completed at least one web-based questionnaire on their current pubertal development, starting from 11.5 years of age and then every six months throughout puberty. Of these children, 8,123 were girls.
Of the group, 13,208 completed at least two pubertal development questionnaires, allowing researchers to calculate their pubertal development tempo and explore the relationship between their physical development and mental health diagnoses registered in the Danish National Patient Register. Additionally, a smaller subset of participants completed mental health questionnaires when they were 18 years old, allowing the study authors to calculate associations between pubertal development and self-reported mental health characteristics.
The results showed that children with earlier pubertal development, particularly girls, tended to have parents with lower socioeconomic status who were less likely to live together when the children were 7 years of age. Their mothers tended to have their menarche (their first menstrual period) at an earlier age compared with their peers and were more likely to have experienced a psychiatric disorder during the first trimester of pregnancy. These children were also more often bullied at 7 years of age compared with children with average pubertal timing. Adolescents with later puberty tended to show the opposite pattern.
By 19 years of age, 4% of girls had an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Eight percent had contact with a private practice psychologist or psychiatrist, and 4% had redeemed prescribed psychotropic medications (drugs that affect the mind, emotions, and behavior, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications). In boys, 1.5% had an anxiety disorder diagnosis by this age, 3.5% had contact with private practice psychologists or psychiatrists, and 1.4% had redeemed psychotropic medications.
In girls, an earlier start and faster tempo of pubertal development were associated with a higher risk of any anxiety disorder diagnosis and self-reported social anxiety disorder symptoms, as well as a higher likelihood of seeking psychological or psychiatric treatment and being prescribed psychotropic medications. More specifically, for each year earlier that breast development began, the odds of an anxiety disorder diagnosis were 26% higher. Each year of earlier pubic hair development was associated with 49% higher odds of self-reported social anxiety disorder symptoms compared with the average. On the other hand, later pubertal development was associated with a lower risk of anxiety and social anxiety symptoms.
Findings in boys were inconsistent, and no firm links between pubertal timing and anxiety disorder risk could be established.
“If earlier and faster puberty increases the risks of an anxiety disorder diagnosis and SAD [social anxiety disorder] symptoms, targeted interventions are warranted for girls with early/fast puberty and sub-clinical anxiety. Findings for boys need further exploration,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the links between pubertal development and mental health. However, it should be noted that the design of this study does not allow any definitive causal inferences to be derived from the results.
The paper, “Pubertal timing and tempo and anxiety symptoms, disorders and treatments in Danish adolescents: A population-based follow-up study,” was authored by Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen, Andreas Ernst, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask, Anne Gaml-Sørensen, Pernille Jul Clemmensen, Thea Emily Benson, Nis Brix, Onyebuchi A. Arah, and Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-puberty-is-linked-to-higher-anxiety-risk-in-girls/
-------------------------------------------------
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist pubertyanxiety pubertytiming girls mentalhealth adolescenthealth socialanxiety earlypuberty laterpuberty Danishstudy youthmentalhealth pubertytempo pubertydevelopment anxietyrisk girlsresearch
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Early puberty is linked to higher anxiety risk in girls
URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-puberty-is-linked-to-higher-anxiety-risk-in-girls/
An analysis of the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) data found that an earlier start and a faster tempo of puberty in girls were associated with a higher risk of an anxiety disorder diagnosis and social anxiety disorder symptoms. On the other hand, a later start to puberty and a slower tempo were associated with a lower risk of social anxiety symptoms compared with girls who developed at an average rate. The paper was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Puberty is a major developmental transition in which young people undergo rapid physical, hormonal, emotional, and social changes. The age at which puberty begins, known as pubertal timing, varies considerably between individuals. In recent decades, it has been gradually decreasing in many Western populations. Puberty also differs in tempo, meaning the speed at which these developmental changes progress once they have begun.
Both timing and tempo may influence how adolescents adapt psychologically to this period of change. Earlier pubertal development has been repeatedly linked to a greater risk of anxiety in girls, although the evidence is less clear for boys. Social anxiety disorder has been linked to puberty particularly often because it first emerges during adolescence in many cases. This disorder involves an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively evaluated by others.
Also, entering puberty earlier may expose young people to heightened social expectations and self-consciousness before their emotional coping abilities have fully developed. Likewise, a faster pubertal tempo may leave less time to adjust to the biological and social changes that accompany adolescence.
Study author Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen and her colleagues note that previous research on the potential influence of pubertal tempo on anxiety has mostly been conducted on small samples, assessed only one aspect of puberty, or combined boys and girls, in spite of their differences in hormonal and other developmental aspects. They conducted a study in which they investigated the associations between pubertal timing and tempo with anxiety disorders, and social anxiety disorder in particular. These authors hypothesized that earlier and faster pubertal development would be associated with a higher risk of anxiety, but more so in girls than in boys.
To overcome the shortcomings of previous studies, they analyzed data from a large population-based study: the Puberty Cohort of the Danish National Birth Cohort. From 1996 to 2002, Danish-speaking pregnant women were invited to participate in the study at their first antenatal visit with a general practitioner. Approximately 50% of general practitioners in Denmark participated, enrolling around 92,000 women with their unborn children. This represented a 60% participation rate among eligible women and corresponded to 30% of all children born in Denmark during this period.
The participating women were interviewed about their health and health-related behaviors in four consecutive telephone interviews around gestational weeks 17 and 32, as well as 6 and 18 months after they gave birth. Questionnaires were also mailed to them when their children were 7 and 11 years old. When their children were 18 years old, the young adults received a digital invitation to complete another questionnaire, asking for information on their mental health, family relations, social relations, and health behaviors. In total, 49,963 young adults participated in this data collection.
The Puberty Cohort consisted of single-birth children (excluding twins and multiples) born between 2000 and 2003 to mothers who participated in the first telephone interview during pregnancy. Ultimately, this involved 15,818 children who completed at least one web-based questionnaire on their current pubertal development, starting from 11.5 years of age and then every six months throughout puberty. Of these children, 8,123 were girls.
Of the group, 13,208 completed at least two pubertal development questionnaires, allowing researchers to calculate their pubertal development tempo and explore the relationship between their physical development and mental health diagnoses registered in the Danish National Patient Register. Additionally, a smaller subset of participants completed mental health questionnaires when they were 18 years old, allowing the study authors to calculate associations between pubertal development and self-reported mental health characteristics.
The results showed that children with earlier pubertal development, particularly girls, tended to have parents with lower socioeconomic status who were less likely to live together when the children were 7 years of age. Their mothers tended to have their menarche (their first menstrual period) at an earlier age compared with their peers and were more likely to have experienced a psychiatric disorder during the first trimester of pregnancy. These children were also more often bullied at 7 years of age compared with children with average pubertal timing. Adolescents with later puberty tended to show the opposite pattern.
By 19 years of age, 4% of girls had an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Eight percent had contact with a private practice psychologist or psychiatrist, and 4% had redeemed prescribed psychotropic medications (drugs that affect the mind, emotions, and behavior, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications). In boys, 1.5% had an anxiety disorder diagnosis by this age, 3.5% had contact with private practice psychologists or psychiatrists, and 1.4% had redeemed psychotropic medications.
In girls, an earlier start and faster tempo of pubertal development were associated with a higher risk of any anxiety disorder diagnosis and self-reported social anxiety disorder symptoms, as well as a higher likelihood of seeking psychological or psychiatric treatment and being prescribed psychotropic medications. More specifically, for each year earlier that breast development began, the odds of an anxiety disorder diagnosis were 26% higher. Each year of earlier pubic hair development was associated with 49% higher odds of self-reported social anxiety disorder symptoms compared with the average. On the other hand, later pubertal development was associated with a lower risk of anxiety and social anxiety symptoms.
Findings in boys were inconsistent, and no firm links between pubertal timing and anxiety disorder risk could be established.
“If earlier and faster puberty increases the risks of an anxiety disorder diagnosis and SAD [social anxiety disorder] symptoms, targeted interventions are warranted for girls with early/fast puberty and sub-clinical anxiety. Findings for boys need further exploration,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the links between pubertal development and mental health. However, it should be noted that the design of this study does not allow any definitive causal inferences to be derived from the results.
The paper, “Pubertal timing and tempo and anxiety symptoms, disorders and treatments in Danish adolescents: A population-based follow-up study,” was authored by Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen, Andreas Ernst, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask, Anne Gaml-Sørensen, Pernille Jul Clemmensen, Thea Emily Benson, Nis Brix, Onyebuchi A. Arah, and Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-puberty-is-linked-to-higher-anxiety-risk-in-girls/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist pubertyanxiety pubertytiming girls mentalhealth adolescenthealth socialanxiety earlypuberty laterpuberty Danishstudy youthmentalhealth pubertytempo pubertydevelopment anxietyrisk girlsresearch
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Early puberty is linked to higher anxiety risk in girls
URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-puberty-is-linked-to-higher-anxiety-risk-in-girls/
An analysis of the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) data found that an earlier start and a faster tempo of puberty in girls were associated with a higher risk of an anxiety disorder diagnosis and social anxiety disorder symptoms. On the other hand, a later start to puberty and a slower tempo were associated with a lower risk of social anxiety symptoms compared with girls who developed at an average rate. The paper was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Puberty is a major developmental transition in which young people undergo rapid physical, hormonal, emotional, and social changes. The age at which puberty begins, known as pubertal timing, varies considerably between individuals. In recent decades, it has been gradually decreasing in many Western populations. Puberty also differs in tempo, meaning the speed at which these developmental changes progress once they have begun.
Both timing and tempo may influence how adolescents adapt psychologically to this period of change. Earlier pubertal development has been repeatedly linked to a greater risk of anxiety in girls, although the evidence is less clear for boys. Social anxiety disorder has been linked to puberty particularly often because it first emerges during adolescence in many cases. This disorder involves an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively evaluated by others.
Also, entering puberty earlier may expose young people to heightened social expectations and self-consciousness before their emotional coping abilities have fully developed. Likewise, a faster pubertal tempo may leave less time to adjust to the biological and social changes that accompany adolescence.
Study author Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen and her colleagues note that previous research on the potential influence of pubertal tempo on anxiety has mostly been conducted on small samples, assessed only one aspect of puberty, or combined boys and girls, in spite of their differences in hormonal and other developmental aspects. They conducted a study in which they investigated the associations between pubertal timing and tempo with anxiety disorders, and social anxiety disorder in particular. These authors hypothesized that earlier and faster pubertal development would be associated with a higher risk of anxiety, but more so in girls than in boys.
To overcome the shortcomings of previous studies, they analyzed data from a large population-based study: the Puberty Cohort of the Danish National Birth Cohort. From 1996 to 2002, Danish-speaking pregnant women were invited to participate in the study at their first antenatal visit with a general practitioner. Approximately 50% of general practitioners in Denmark participated, enrolling around 92,000 women with their unborn children. This represented a 60% participation rate among eligible women and corresponded to 30% of all children born in Denmark during this period.
The participating women were interviewed about their health and health-related behaviors in four consecutive telephone interviews around gestational weeks 17 and 32, as well as 6 and 18 months after they gave birth. Questionnaires were also mailed to them when their children were 7 and 11 years old. When their children were 18 years old, the young adults received a digital invitation to complete another questionnaire, asking for information on their mental health, family relations, social relations, and health behaviors. In total, 49,963 young adults participated in this data collection.
The Puberty Cohort consisted of single-birth children (excluding twins and multiples) born between 2000 and 2003 to mothers who participated in the first telephone interview during pregnancy. Ultimately, this involved 15,818 children who completed at least one web-based questionnaire on their current pubertal development, starting from 11.5 years of age and then every six months throughout puberty. Of these children, 8,123 were girls.
Of the group, 13,208 completed at least two pubertal development questionnaires, allowing researchers to calculate their pubertal development tempo and explore the relationship between their physical development and mental health diagnoses registered in the Danish National Patient Register. Additionally, a smaller subset of participants completed mental health questionnaires when they were 18 years old, allowing the study authors to calculate associations between pubertal development and self-reported mental health characteristics.
The results showed that children with earlier pubertal development, particularly girls, tended to have parents with lower socioeconomic status who were less likely to live together when the children were 7 years of age. Their mothers tended to have their menarche (their first menstrual period) at an earlier age compared with their peers and were more likely to have experienced a psychiatric disorder during the first trimester of pregnancy. These children were also more often bullied at 7 years of age compared with children with average pubertal timing. Adolescents with later puberty tended to show the opposite pattern.
By 19 years of age, 4% of girls had an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Eight percent had contact with a private practice psychologist or psychiatrist, and 4% had redeemed prescribed psychotropic medications (drugs that affect the mind, emotions, and behavior, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications). In boys, 1.5% had an anxiety disorder diagnosis by this age, 3.5% had contact with private practice psychologists or psychiatrists, and 1.4% had redeemed psychotropic medications.
In girls, an earlier start and faster tempo of pubertal development were associated with a higher risk of any anxiety disorder diagnosis and self-reported social anxiety disorder symptoms, as well as a higher likelihood of seeking psychological or psychiatric treatment and being prescribed psychotropic medications. More specifically, for each year earlier that breast development began, the odds of an anxiety disorder diagnosis were 26% higher. Each year of earlier pubic hair development was associated with 49% higher odds of self-reported social anxiety disorder symptoms compared with the average. On the other hand, later pubertal development was associated with a lower risk of anxiety and social anxiety symptoms.
Findings in boys were inconsistent, and no firm links between pubertal timing and anxiety disorder risk could be established.
“If earlier and faster puberty increases the risks of an anxiety disorder diagnosis and SAD [social anxiety disorder] symptoms, targeted interventions are warranted for girls with early/fast puberty and sub-clinical anxiety. Findings for boys need further exploration,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the links between pubertal development and mental health. However, it should be noted that the design of this study does not allow any definitive causal inferences to be derived from the results.
The paper, “Pubertal timing and tempo and anxiety symptoms, disorders and treatments in Danish adolescents: A population-based follow-up study,” was authored by Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen, Andreas Ernst, Katrine Strandberg-Larsen, Charlotte Ulrikka Rask, Anne Gaml-Sørensen, Pernille Jul Clemmensen, Thea Emily Benson, Nis Brix, Onyebuchi A. Arah, and Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/early-puberty-is-linked-to-higher-anxiety-risk-in-girls/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist pubertyanxiety pubertytiming girls mentalhealth adolescenthealth socialanxiety earlypuberty laterpuberty Danishstudy youthmentalhealth pubertytempo pubertydevelopment anxietyrisk girlsresearch
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: ICE arrests surged under Trump, but the share of those with criminal records plummeted
A new analysis of federal immigration enforcement indicates that while immigration arrests surged during both of Donald Trump’s presidencies, the proportion of those arrested who had actual criminal convictions dropped sharply. The research suggests a disconnect between the public narrative of targeting criminals and the reality of enforcement on the ground. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, is the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the interior of the United States. During the second Trump administration, officials announced an expansive immigration enforcement effort, repeatedly citing public safety and the need to remove individuals who commit crimes as the primary motivation.
However, prior evidence suggests that federal immigration crackdowns do not necessarily improve public safety. For instance, a study covered by PsyPost in 2024 found that stricter immigration enforcement policies during the first Trump administration produced no measurable change in immigrant arrest rates relative to non-immigrants in California and Texas.
Despite intense public debate over these policies, there has been little real-time analysis of how ICE actually conducts its interior arrests during periods of aggressive expansion. The research, led by Chloe N. East of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Caitlin Patler of the University of California, Berkeley, aimed to map out exactly who is being targeted, where arrests are happening, and what methods are being used.
To understand these patterns, the researchers analyzed administrative records from the Deportation Data Project covering more than 1.5 million ICE arrests made between October 2015 and March 2026. Because enforcement levels dropped to a ten-year low during the Biden administration due to the COVID-19 pandemic and temporary changes in ICE’s duties at the border, the researchers focused their comparison on the periods immediately surrounding the two Trump inaugurations. The first term window covered roughly December 2015 through March 2018, and the second term window covered December 2024 through March 2026.
The team looked at the total number of arrests, the geographic region where each arrest took place, and whether the arrested person had a criminal conviction of any kind. They also categorized the arrests by the specific method ICE used. The two primary methods analyzed were Law Enforcement Agency collaborative arrests and Community Arrests.
Law Enforcement Agency arrests happen when ICE takes custody of an individual who is already being held in a local or state jail or prison. Community Arrests occur when ICE officers apprehend people directly in their neighborhoods, homes, or workplaces. By breaking the data down this way, the researchers could see whether changes in who ICE was arresting were driven by a shift in their physical tactics.
The analysis showed that the scale of arrests increased massively under both administrations, but particularly during the second term. In the year before the first Trump inauguration, ICE averaged 304 arrests per day. This rose to 436 per day in the first 14 months of his first term, representing a 43 percent increase.
Before the second term, arrests were at a similar pre-inauguration baseline of 304 per day. But between January 2025 and March 2026, the volume surged to an average of 952 arrests per day. This represents a 214 percent increase compared to the prior year.
As the sheer number of arrests went up, the percentage of individuals with a criminal conviction went down. During the second term, the criminal conviction rate among those arrested by ICE fell to 34 percent. This was near the lowest point observed in the entire ten-and-a-half-year period the researchers studied.
The researchers also found a massive shift in how ICE operated on the ground during the second term. Community Arrests jumped from making up 17 percent of all apprehensions in the year prior to 47 percent between January 2025 and March 2026. This aggressive shift toward direct neighborhood enforcement did not happen during the first term.
Because Community Arrests generally involve fewer people with criminal convictions than jail-based arrests, the researchers wanted to know if this change in tactics explained the overall drop in the conviction rate. They found that the shift in method only explained about a quarter of the decline in the second term.
The remaining three-quarters of the drop happened because ICE was arresting fewer people with criminal records within both categories. Specifically, during the second term, the conviction rate fell by 10 percentage points during Community Arrests and 16 percentage points during Law Enforcement Agency arrests. This indicates a broad change in who is being targeted, independent of the method used.
The study also mapped out geographic differences across ICE’s 25 regional jurisdictions. In the second term, regions with steep spikes in jail-based arrests included El Paso, Miami, New Orleans, and San Antonio. In contrast, other regions saw sharp spikes in Community Arrests. These included areas like Boston, Chicago, Newark, Seattle, and all jurisdictions in California and New York.
The researchers note this pattern aligns with the administration’s stated goal of targeting so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, which are cities or states that limit local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Despite these stark regional differences in how arrests were carried out, the decline in the share of arrested individuals with criminal convictions was nearly universal across the country.
As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The data relies on ICE’s own administrative records, which only capture people who are formally processed into the system. The analysis also focuses strictly on interior enforcement within the United States, meaning it does not account for apprehensions made by border agents at the physical border.
Additionally, the researchers point out that they cannot be certain why the conviction rate dropped specifically within jail-based arrests. It might be due to changes in how ICE prioritizes targets in jails, or it could be related to changes in local police practices that result in different populations ending up in local custody. Future research will need to explore these underlying mechanisms.
Finally, while the research provides a detailed picture of the early months of the second Trump administration, immigration policies and enforcement strategies can shift rapidly. Ongoing tracking will be needed to see if these patterns hold steady over the coming years and to understand their broader impact on immigrant communities.
The study, “ICE arrests, 2015–2026: Variation in targeting, method, and geography,” was authored by Chloe N. East, Caitlin Patler, and Elizabeth Cox.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ICEarrests #immigrationpolicy #Trumpadministration #publicsafetydebate #criminalconvictions #communityarrests #lawenforcement #immigrationdata #sanctuarycities #PNASstudy
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: ICE arrests surged under Trump, but the share of those with criminal records plummeted
A new analysis of federal immigration enforcement indicates that while immigration arrests surged during both of Donald Trump’s presidencies, the proportion of those arrested who had actual criminal convictions dropped sharply. The research suggests a disconnect between the public narrative of targeting criminals and the reality of enforcement on the ground. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, is the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the interior of the United States. During the second Trump administration, officials announced an expansive immigration enforcement effort, repeatedly citing public safety and the need to remove individuals who commit crimes as the primary motivation.
However, prior evidence suggests that federal immigration crackdowns do not necessarily improve public safety. For instance, a study covered by PsyPost in 2024 found that stricter immigration enforcement policies during the first Trump administration produced no measurable change in immigrant arrest rates relative to non-immigrants in California and Texas.
Despite intense public debate over these policies, there has been little real-time analysis of how ICE actually conducts its interior arrests during periods of aggressive expansion. The research, led by Chloe N. East of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Caitlin Patler of the University of California, Berkeley, aimed to map out exactly who is being targeted, where arrests are happening, and what methods are being used.
To understand these patterns, the researchers analyzed administrative records from the Deportation Data Project covering more than 1.5 million ICE arrests made between October 2015 and March 2026. Because enforcement levels dropped to a ten-year low during the Biden administration due to the COVID-19 pandemic and temporary changes in ICE’s duties at the border, the researchers focused their comparison on the periods immediately surrounding the two Trump inaugurations. The first term window covered roughly December 2015 through March 2018, and the second term window covered December 2024 through March 2026.
The team looked at the total number of arrests, the geographic region where each arrest took place, and whether the arrested person had a criminal conviction of any kind. They also categorized the arrests by the specific method ICE used. The two primary methods analyzed were Law Enforcement Agency collaborative arrests and Community Arrests.
Law Enforcement Agency arrests happen when ICE takes custody of an individual who is already being held in a local or state jail or prison. Community Arrests occur when ICE officers apprehend people directly in their neighborhoods, homes, or workplaces. By breaking the data down this way, the researchers could see whether changes in who ICE was arresting were driven by a shift in their physical tactics.
The analysis showed that the scale of arrests increased massively under both administrations, but particularly during the second term. In the year before the first Trump inauguration, ICE averaged 304 arrests per day. This rose to 436 per day in the first 14 months of his first term, representing a 43 percent increase.
Before the second term, arrests were at a similar pre-inauguration baseline of 304 per day. But between January 2025 and March 2026, the volume surged to an average of 952 arrests per day. This represents a 214 percent increase compared to the prior year.
As the sheer number of arrests went up, the percentage of individuals with a criminal conviction went down. During the second term, the criminal conviction rate among those arrested by ICE fell to 34 percent. This was near the lowest point observed in the entire ten-and-a-half-year period the researchers studied.
The researchers also found a massive shift in how ICE operated on the ground during the second term. Community Arrests jumped from making up 17 percent of all apprehensions in the year prior to 47 percent between January 2025 and March 2026. This aggressive shift toward direct neighborhood enforcement did not happen during the first term.
Because Community Arrests generally involve fewer people with criminal convictions than jail-based arrests, the researchers wanted to know if this change in tactics explained the overall drop in the conviction rate. They found that the shift in method only explained about a quarter of the decline in the second term.
The remaining three-quarters of the drop happened because ICE was arresting fewer people with criminal records within both categories. Specifically, during the second term, the conviction rate fell by 10 percentage points during Community Arrests and 16 percentage points during Law Enforcement Agency arrests. This indicates a broad change in who is being targeted, independent of the method used.
The study also mapped out geographic differences across ICE’s 25 regional jurisdictions. In the second term, regions with steep spikes in jail-based arrests included El Paso, Miami, New Orleans, and San Antonio. In contrast, other regions saw sharp spikes in Community Arrests. These included areas like Boston, Chicago, Newark, Seattle, and all jurisdictions in California and New York.
The researchers note this pattern aligns with the administration’s stated goal of targeting so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, which are cities or states that limit local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Despite these stark regional differences in how arrests were carried out, the decline in the share of arrested individuals with criminal convictions was nearly universal across the country.
As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The data relies on ICE’s own administrative records, which only capture people who are formally processed into the system. The analysis also focuses strictly on interior enforcement within the United States, meaning it does not account for apprehensions made by border agents at the physical border.
Additionally, the researchers point out that they cannot be certain why the conviction rate dropped specifically within jail-based arrests. It might be due to changes in how ICE prioritizes targets in jails, or it could be related to changes in local police practices that result in different populations ending up in local custody. Future research will need to explore these underlying mechanisms.
Finally, while the research provides a detailed picture of the early months of the second Trump administration, immigration policies and enforcement strategies can shift rapidly. Ongoing tracking will be needed to see if these patterns hold steady over the coming years and to understand their broader impact on immigrant communities.
The study, “ICE arrests, 2015–2026: Variation in targeting, method, and geography,” was authored by Chloe N. East, Caitlin Patler, and Elizabeth Cox.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ICEarrests #immigrationpolicy #Trumpadministration #publicsafetydebate #criminalconvictions #communityarrests #lawenforcement #immigrationdata #sanctuarycities #PNASstudy
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: ICE arrests surged under Trump, but the share of those with criminal records plummeted
A new analysis of federal immigration enforcement indicates that while immigration arrests surged during both of Donald Trump’s presidencies, the proportion of those arrested who had actual criminal convictions dropped sharply. The research suggests a disconnect between the public narrative of targeting criminals and the reality of enforcement on the ground. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, is the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the interior of the United States. During the second Trump administration, officials announced an expansive immigration enforcement effort, repeatedly citing public safety and the need to remove individuals who commit crimes as the primary motivation.
However, prior evidence suggests that federal immigration crackdowns do not necessarily improve public safety. For instance, a study covered by PsyPost in 2024 found that stricter immigration enforcement policies during the first Trump administration produced no measurable change in immigrant arrest rates relative to non-immigrants in California and Texas.
Despite intense public debate over these policies, there has been little real-time analysis of how ICE actually conducts its interior arrests during periods of aggressive expansion. The research, led by Chloe N. East of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Caitlin Patler of the University of California, Berkeley, aimed to map out exactly who is being targeted, where arrests are happening, and what methods are being used.
To understand these patterns, the researchers analyzed administrative records from the Deportation Data Project covering more than 1.5 million ICE arrests made between October 2015 and March 2026. Because enforcement levels dropped to a ten-year low during the Biden administration due to the COVID-19 pandemic and temporary changes in ICE’s duties at the border, the researchers focused their comparison on the periods immediately surrounding the two Trump inaugurations. The first term window covered roughly December 2015 through March 2018, and the second term window covered December 2024 through March 2026.
The team looked at the total number of arrests, the geographic region where each arrest took place, and whether the arrested person had a criminal conviction of any kind. They also categorized the arrests by the specific method ICE used. The two primary methods analyzed were Law Enforcement Agency collaborative arrests and Community Arrests.
Law Enforcement Agency arrests happen when ICE takes custody of an individual who is already being held in a local or state jail or prison. Community Arrests occur when ICE officers apprehend people directly in their neighborhoods, homes, or workplaces. By breaking the data down this way, the researchers could see whether changes in who ICE was arresting were driven by a shift in their physical tactics.
The analysis showed that the scale of arrests increased massively under both administrations, but particularly during the second term. In the year before the first Trump inauguration, ICE averaged 304 arrests per day. This rose to 436 per day in the first 14 months of his first term, representing a 43 percent increase.
Before the second term, arrests were at a similar pre-inauguration baseline of 304 per day. But between January 2025 and March 2026, the volume surged to an average of 952 arrests per day. This represents a 214 percent increase compared to the prior year.
As the sheer number of arrests went up, the percentage of individuals with a criminal conviction went down. During the second term, the criminal conviction rate among those arrested by ICE fell to 34 percent. This was near the lowest point observed in the entire ten-and-a-half-year period the researchers studied.
The researchers also found a massive shift in how ICE operated on the ground during the second term. Community Arrests jumped from making up 17 percent of all apprehensions in the year prior to 47 percent between January 2025 and March 2026. This aggressive shift toward direct neighborhood enforcement did not happen during the first term.
Because Community Arrests generally involve fewer people with criminal convictions than jail-based arrests, the researchers wanted to know if this change in tactics explained the overall drop in the conviction rate. They found that the shift in method only explained about a quarter of the decline in the second term.
The remaining three-quarters of the drop happened because ICE was arresting fewer people with criminal records within both categories. Specifically, during the second term, the conviction rate fell by 10 percentage points during Community Arrests and 16 percentage points during Law Enforcement Agency arrests. This indicates a broad change in who is being targeted, independent of the method used.
The study also mapped out geographic differences across ICE’s 25 regional jurisdictions. In the second term, regions with steep spikes in jail-based arrests included El Paso, Miami, New Orleans, and San Antonio. In contrast, other regions saw sharp spikes in Community Arrests. These included areas like Boston, Chicago, Newark, Seattle, and all jurisdictions in California and New York.
The researchers note this pattern aligns with the administration’s stated goal of targeting so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, which are cities or states that limit local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Despite these stark regional differences in how arrests were carried out, the decline in the share of arrested individuals with criminal convictions was nearly universal across the country.
As with all research, there are a few things to keep in mind. The data relies on ICE’s own administrative records, which only capture people who are formally processed into the system. The analysis also focuses strictly on interior enforcement within the United States, meaning it does not account for apprehensions made by border agents at the physical border.
Additionally, the researchers point out that they cannot be certain why the conviction rate dropped specifically within jail-based arrests. It might be due to changes in how ICE prioritizes targets in jails, or it could be related to changes in local police practices that result in different populations ending up in local custody. Future research will need to explore these underlying mechanisms.
Finally, while the research provides a detailed picture of the early months of the second Trump administration, immigration policies and enforcement strategies can shift rapidly. Ongoing tracking will be needed to see if these patterns hold steady over the coming years and to understand their broader impact on immigrant communities.
The study, “ICE arrests, 2015–2026: Variation in targeting, method, and geography,” was authored by Chloe N. East, Caitlin Patler, and Elizabeth Cox.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ICEarrests #immigrationpolicy #Trumpadministration #publicsafetydebate #criminalconvictions #communityarrests #lawenforcement #immigrationdata #sanctuarycities #PNASstudy
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Synthetic CBD derivative prevents seizures in mice without causing sedation
URL: https://www.psypost.org/synthetic-cbd-derivative-prevents-seizures-in-mice-without-causing-sedation/
A new synthetic derivative of cannabidiol, or CBD, reduces seizure severity and promotes healthy brain cell development in mice. The compound, modified to have an elongated chemical tail, protected against chemically induced seizures without causing sedation. The research was published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Developmental epilepsy syndromes are rare genetic disorders characterized by recurrent seizures and developmental delays in children. A common feature of these syndromes is a lack of inhibitory control over brain cell activity. The primary medications used to treat these conditions are benzodiazepines, which act to slow down the nervous system and decrease brain excitability.
Chronic use of these medications can lead to rapid tolerance and physical dependence. These drugs can also cause adverse side effects in children, including sleepiness, breathing problems, and cognitive deficits.
Cannabidiol, a major compound found in the cannabis plant, has emerged as a potential alternative to traditional anti-seizure medications. Unlike THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, CBD does not produce a high. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a purified CBD solution to treat a few specific rare seizure disorders. The broader use of natural CBD for other types of epilepsy remains limited, and researchers are looking for ways to improve upon the natural molecule.
Researchers led by Dustin J. Hines and Rochelle M. Hines of the University of Nevada Las Vegas sought to design a library of new synthetic CBD derivatives. They started with a compound called carvone, an extract from caraway seeds, rather than natural cannabis extracts. This method avoids any potential THC contamination.
The researchers created several different variations of synthetic CBD by altering a specific part of the molecular structure called the alkyl side chain. This chain is a tail of carbon atoms attached to the main ring of the molecule. The team hypothesized that lengthening this carbon chain might change how the compound interacts with brain receptors.
To see how these structural changes affect brain activity, the researchers conducted a small study in freely moving mice. They gave the animals various synthetic CBD molecules with carbon chain lengths ranging from three to eight atoms. The researchers then measured the animals’ brain waves using electroencephalography, or EEG. Brain waves are electrical impulses that neurons use to communicate. They are divided into different frequency bands, such as delta, theta, and beta.
The researchers found that modifying the length of the carbon chain produced distinct effects on the animals’ brain wave frequencies. The molecule with an eight-carbon chain, named (+)-CBD-oct, increased electrical power specifically in the delta and theta frequency bands. Delta and theta are low-frequency brain waves often associated with deep relaxation, sleep, and memory processing. Based on this unique brain wave profile, the researchers selected (+)-CBD-oct as their primary candidate to test as an anti-seizure medication.
Because many epilepsy treatments cause severe sleepiness, the researchers tested whether (+)-CBD-oct would sedate the animals. They gave adult mice either a water placebo or a dose of the synthetic compound. The animals were then placed in an open testing arena for one hour, and researchers tracked the animals’ movements using video analysis software.
Mice treated with (+)-CBD-oct explored the open arena at similar speeds and traveled similar total distances compared to the mice that received the placebo. The synthetic compound did not reduce exploration or produce acute sedative effects. This lack of sedation distinguished the new compound from traditional benzodiazepines.
The team then tested the compound’s ability to stop seizures in normal adult mice. They gave the animals either a placebo, natural CBD, or the synthetic (+)-CBD-oct. Thirty minutes later, the researchers injected the mice with kainate. Kainate is a chemical compound routinely used in laboratories to induce seizures. They monitored the mice for physical signs of seizures and recorded their brain activity using EEG.
Mice pre-treated with (+)-CBD-oct experienced much less intense seizures than those given the placebo or natural CBD. The synthetic compound increased the amount of time it took for the first seizure to begin. The treatment also lowered the electrical peak of the seizure events measured on the EEG. The kainate injection caused high mortality in the placebo group, but (+)-CBD-oct treatment prevented mortality.
To see if the drug worked in a disease model, the researchers repeated the seizure experiment using a genetically modified mouse. This specific mouse model has a genetic mutation that disrupts normal inhibitory control in the brain. The mutation makes the mice highly susceptible to spontaneous seizures and sensitive to seizure-inducing chemicals, mimicking aspects of human developmental epilepsy.
The researchers gave these mutant mice (+)-CBD-oct or a placebo before injecting them with kainate. The synthetic compound reduced the behavioral signs of seizure severity in the mutant mice. The treatment delayed the onset of the seizures and reduced the total number of seizure events. The compound also improved the survival rate of the mutant animals following the chemical injection.
Finally, the researchers investigated how the compound affects the developing brain. Standard anti-seizure drugs can alter the growth of dendritic spines. Dendritic spines are tiny protrusions on the surface of brain cells that help form electrical connections with other neurons. The researchers administered (+)-CBD-oct or a placebo to normal mouse pups and the mutant epilepsy mouse pups for five consecutive days.
After the treatment period, they examined the brain tissue under a microscope. The drug did not alter or reduce the brain cell connections in the normal mice. The mutant mice normally display an overabundance of immature dendritic spines in their brains.
The five-day treatment normalized the brain cell structures in the mutant mice. The compound reduced the number of abnormal, immature connections in both the cortex and hippocampus, and promoted the development of mature dendritic spines in the cortex.
The study relied on a single chemical agent, kainate, to induce seizures. This specific chemical model may not capture the full range of biological mechanisms present in different types of human epilepsy. The researchers conducted the experiments using small groups of animals, and the study only examined male mice for the adult seizure tests. It is currently unknown if female adult mice would respond to the treatment in the same way.
The exact mechanisms by which the synthetic compound stops seizures remain uncharacterized. The drug altered the physical shape of the brain cell connections, but the researchers did not examine whether this physical change improved the functional electrical activity at the synapses. Future research will need to determine exactly which cell receptors the compound targets to exert its protective effects.
The study, “Carvone derived cannabidiol enantiomers as novel anticonvulsants,” was authored by Rochelle M. Hines, April Contreras, Adriana Carrillo, Alexandra Paton, Antonio J. Tenorio, William A. Maio, and Dustin J. Hines.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/synthetic-cbd-derivative-prevents-seizures-in-mice-without-causing-sedation/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SyntheticCBD #CBDderivative #SeizureResearch #Anticonvulsant #EpilepsyNews #NeuralDevelopment #CBDwithoutSedation #KainateModel #DendriticSpines #Neuropharmacology
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Synthetic CBD derivative prevents seizures in mice without causing sedation
URL: https://www.psypost.org/synthetic-cbd-derivative-prevents-seizures-in-mice-without-causing-sedation/
A new synthetic derivative of cannabidiol, or CBD, reduces seizure severity and promotes healthy brain cell development in mice. The compound, modified to have an elongated chemical tail, protected against chemically induced seizures without causing sedation. The research was published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Developmental epilepsy syndromes are rare genetic disorders characterized by recurrent seizures and developmental delays in children. A common feature of these syndromes is a lack of inhibitory control over brain cell activity. The primary medications used to treat these conditions are benzodiazepines, which act to slow down the nervous system and decrease brain excitability.
Chronic use of these medications can lead to rapid tolerance and physical dependence. These drugs can also cause adverse side effects in children, including sleepiness, breathing problems, and cognitive deficits.
Cannabidiol, a major compound found in the cannabis plant, has emerged as a potential alternative to traditional anti-seizure medications. Unlike THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, CBD does not produce a high. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a purified CBD solution to treat a few specific rare seizure disorders. The broader use of natural CBD for other types of epilepsy remains limited, and researchers are looking for ways to improve upon the natural molecule.
Researchers led by Dustin J. Hines and Rochelle M. Hines of the University of Nevada Las Vegas sought to design a library of new synthetic CBD derivatives. They started with a compound called carvone, an extract from caraway seeds, rather than natural cannabis extracts. This method avoids any potential THC contamination.
The researchers created several different variations of synthetic CBD by altering a specific part of the molecular structure called the alkyl side chain. This chain is a tail of carbon atoms attached to the main ring of the molecule. The team hypothesized that lengthening this carbon chain might change how the compound interacts with brain receptors.
To see how these structural changes affect brain activity, the researchers conducted a small study in freely moving mice. They gave the animals various synthetic CBD molecules with carbon chain lengths ranging from three to eight atoms. The researchers then measured the animals’ brain waves using electroencephalography, or EEG. Brain waves are electrical impulses that neurons use to communicate. They are divided into different frequency bands, such as delta, theta, and beta.
The researchers found that modifying the length of the carbon chain produced distinct effects on the animals’ brain wave frequencies. The molecule with an eight-carbon chain, named (+)-CBD-oct, increased electrical power specifically in the delta and theta frequency bands. Delta and theta are low-frequency brain waves often associated with deep relaxation, sleep, and memory processing. Based on this unique brain wave profile, the researchers selected (+)-CBD-oct as their primary candidate to test as an anti-seizure medication.
Because many epilepsy treatments cause severe sleepiness, the researchers tested whether (+)-CBD-oct would sedate the animals. They gave adult mice either a water placebo or a dose of the synthetic compound. The animals were then placed in an open testing arena for one hour, and researchers tracked the animals’ movements using video analysis software.
Mice treated with (+)-CBD-oct explored the open arena at similar speeds and traveled similar total distances compared to the mice that received the placebo. The synthetic compound did not reduce exploration or produce acute sedative effects. This lack of sedation distinguished the new compound from traditional benzodiazepines.
The team then tested the compound’s ability to stop seizures in normal adult mice. They gave the animals either a placebo, natural CBD, or the synthetic (+)-CBD-oct. Thirty minutes later, the researchers injected the mice with kainate. Kainate is a chemical compound routinely used in laboratories to induce seizures. They monitored the mice for physical signs of seizures and recorded their brain activity using EEG.
Mice pre-treated with (+)-CBD-oct experienced much less intense seizures than those given the placebo or natural CBD. The synthetic compound increased the amount of time it took for the first seizure to begin. The treatment also lowered the electrical peak of the seizure events measured on the EEG. The kainate injection caused high mortality in the placebo group, but (+)-CBD-oct treatment prevented mortality.
To see if the drug worked in a disease model, the researchers repeated the seizure experiment using a genetically modified mouse. This specific mouse model has a genetic mutation that disrupts normal inhibitory control in the brain. The mutation makes the mice highly susceptible to spontaneous seizures and sensitive to seizure-inducing chemicals, mimicking aspects of human developmental epilepsy.
The researchers gave these mutant mice (+)-CBD-oct or a placebo before injecting them with kainate. The synthetic compound reduced the behavioral signs of seizure severity in the mutant mice. The treatment delayed the onset of the seizures and reduced the total number of seizure events. The compound also improved the survival rate of the mutant animals following the chemical injection.
Finally, the researchers investigated how the compound affects the developing brain. Standard anti-seizure drugs can alter the growth of dendritic spines. Dendritic spines are tiny protrusions on the surface of brain cells that help form electrical connections with other neurons. The researchers administered (+)-CBD-oct or a placebo to normal mouse pups and the mutant epilepsy mouse pups for five consecutive days.
After the treatment period, they examined the brain tissue under a microscope. The drug did not alter or reduce the brain cell connections in the normal mice. The mutant mice normally display an overabundance of immature dendritic spines in their brains.
The five-day treatment normalized the brain cell structures in the mutant mice. The compound reduced the number of abnormal, immature connections in both the cortex and hippocampus, and promoted the development of mature dendritic spines in the cortex.
The study relied on a single chemical agent, kainate, to induce seizures. This specific chemical model may not capture the full range of biological mechanisms present in different types of human epilepsy. The researchers conducted the experiments using small groups of animals, and the study only examined male mice for the adult seizure tests. It is currently unknown if female adult mice would respond to the treatment in the same way.
The exact mechanisms by which the synthetic compound stops seizures remain uncharacterized. The drug altered the physical shape of the brain cell connections, but the researchers did not examine whether this physical change improved the functional electrical activity at the synapses. Future research will need to determine exactly which cell receptors the compound targets to exert its protective effects.
The study, “Carvone derived cannabidiol enantiomers as novel anticonvulsants,” was authored by Rochelle M. Hines, April Contreras, Adriana Carrillo, Alexandra Paton, Antonio J. Tenorio, William A. Maio, and Dustin J. Hines.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/synthetic-cbd-derivative-prevents-seizures-in-mice-without-causing-sedation/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #SyntheticCBD #CBDderivative #SeizureResearch #Anticonvulsant #EpilepsyNews #NeuralDevelopment #CBDwithoutSedation #KainateModel #DendriticSpines #Neuropharmacology
-
DATE: September 15, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Synthetic CBD derivative prevents seizures in mice without causing sedation
URL: https://www.psypost.org/synthetic-cbd-derivative-prevents-seizures-in-mice-without-causing-sedation/
A new synthetic derivative of cannabidiol, or CBD, reduces seizure severity and promotes healthy brain cell development in mice. The compound, modified to have an elongated chemical tail, protected against chemically induced seizures without causing sedation. The research was published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Developmental epilepsy syndromes are rare genetic disorders characterized by recurrent seizures and developmental delays in children. A common feature of these syndromes is a lack of inhibitory control over brain cell activity. The primary medications used to treat these conditions are benzodiazepines, which act to slow down the nervous system and decrease brain excitability.
Chronic use of these medications can lead to rapid tolerance and physical dependence. These drugs can also cause adverse side effects in children, including sleepiness, breathing problems, and cognitive deficits.
Cannabidiol, a major compound found in the cannabis plant, has emerged as a potential alternative to traditional anti-seizure medications. Unlike THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, CBD does not produce a high. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a purified CBD solution to treat a few specific rare seizure disorders. The broader use of natural CBD for other types of epilepsy remains limited, and researchers are looking for ways to improve upon the natural molecule.
Researchers led by Dustin J. Hines and Rochelle M. Hines of the University of Nevada Las Vegas sought to design a library of new synthetic CBD derivatives. They started with a compound called carvone, an extract from caraway seeds, rather than natural cannabis extracts. This method avoids any potential THC contamination.
The researchers created several different variations of synthetic CBD by altering a specific part of the molecular structure called the alkyl side chain. This chain is a tail of carbon atoms attached to the main ring of the molecule. The team hypothesized that lengthening this carbon chain might change how the compound interacts with brain receptors.
To see how these structural changes affect brain activity, the researchers conducted a small study in freely moving mice. They gave the animals various synthetic CBD molecules with carbon chain lengths ranging from three to eight atoms. The researchers then measured the animals’ brain waves using electroencephalography, or EEG. Brain waves are electrical impulses that neurons use to communicate. They are divided into different frequency bands, such as delta, theta, and beta.
The researchers found that modifying the length of the carbon chain produced distinct effects on the animals’ brain wave frequencies. The molecule with an eight-carbon chain, named (+)-CBD-oct, increased electrical power specifically in the delta and theta frequency bands. Delta and theta are low-frequency brain waves often associated with deep relaxation, sleep, and memory processing. Based on this unique brain wave profile, the researchers selected (+)-CBD-oct as their primary candidate to test as an anti-seizure medication.
Because many epilepsy treatments cause severe sleepiness, the researchers tested whether (+)-CBD-oct would sedate the animals. They gave adult mice either a water placebo or a dose of the synthetic compound. The animals were then placed in an open testing arena for one hour, and researchers tracked the animals’ movements using video analysis software.
Mice treated with (+)-CBD-oct explored the open arena at similar speeds and traveled similar total distances compared to the mice that received the placebo. The synthetic compound did not reduce exploration or produce acute sedative effects. This lack of sedation distinguished the new compound from traditional benzodiazepines.
The team then tested the compound’s ability to stop seizures in normal adult mice. They gave the animals either a placebo, natural CBD, or the synthetic (+)-CBD-oct. Thirty minutes later, the researchers injected the mice with kainate. Kainate is a chemical compound routinely used in laboratories to induce seizures. They monitored the mice for physical signs of seizures and recorded their brain activity using EEG.
Mice pre-treated with (+)-CBD-oct experienced much less intense seizures than those given the placebo or natural CBD. The synthetic compound increased the amount of time it took for the first seizure to begin. The treatment also lowered the electrical peak of the seizure events measured on the EEG. The kainate injection caused high mortality in the placebo group, but (+)-CBD-oct treatment prevented mortality.
To see if the drug worked in a disease model, the researchers repeated the seizure experiment using a genetically modified mouse. This specific mouse model has a genetic mutation that disrupts normal inhibitory control in the brain. The mutation makes the mice highly susceptible to spontaneous seizures and sensitive to seizure-inducing chemicals, mimicking aspects of human developmental epilepsy.
The researchers gave these mutant mice (+)-CBD-oct or a placebo before injecting them with kainate. The synthetic compound reduced the behavioral signs of seizure severity in the mutant mice. The treatment delayed the onset of the seizures and reduced the total number of seizure events. The compound also improved the survival rate of the mutant animals following the chemical injection.
Finally, the researchers investigated how the compound affects the developing brain. Standard anti-seizure drugs can alter the growth of dendritic spines. Dendritic spines are tiny protrusions on the surface of brain cells that help form electrical connections with other neurons. The researchers administered (+)-CBD-oct or a placebo to normal mouse pups and the mutant epilepsy mouse pups for five consecutive days.
After the treatment period, they examined the brain tissue under a microscope. The drug did not alter or reduce the brain cell connections in the normal mice. The mutant mice normally display an overabundance of immature dendritic spines in their brains.
The five-day treatment normalized the brain cell structures in the mutant mice. The compound reduced the number of abnormal, immature connections in both the cortex and hippocampus, and promoted the development of mature dendritic spines in the cortex.
The study relied on a single chemical agent, kainate, to induce seizures. This specific chemical model may not capture the full range of biological mechanisms present in different types of human epilepsy. The researchers conducted the experiments using small groups of animals, and the study only examined male mice for the adult seizure tests. It is currently unknown if female adult mice would respond to the treatment in the same way.
The exact mechanisms by which the synthetic compound stops seizures remain uncharacterized. The drug altered the physical shape of the brain cell connections, but the researchers did not examine whether this physical change improved the functional electrical activity at the synapses. Future research will need to determine exactly which cell receptors the compound targets to exert its protective effects.
The study, “Carvone derived cannabidiol enantiomers as novel anticonvulsants,” was authored by Rochelle M. Hines, April Contreras, Adriana Carrillo, Alexandra Paton, Antonio J. Tenorio, William A. Maio, and Dustin J. Hines.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/synthetic-cbd-derivative-prevents-seizures-in-mice-without-causing-sedation/
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