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Archive for July, 2011

 

 

The Government’s reforms will shape the future of a generation of children with autism in England.

 

Children expect an education that sets them up for life.
Parents expect a system that works with, not against, them.
We expect the Government to listen, and to act.

 

Let’s work together. Let’s get it right. Take action now.

 

http://www.autism.org.uk/en-gb/get-involved/campaign-for-change/our-campaigns/great-expectations.aspx



Research has found that siblings of people with autism show a similar pattern of brain activity to that seen in people with autism when looking at emotional facial expressions (Spencer et al, 2011).

 

Richard Mills, Director of Research at The National Autistic Society (NAS), said:

 

Autism is highly heterogenous. This study does not answer all the questions on its causes; but it does give the scientific community the opportunity to further investigate what genes the ‘biomarker’ (in this case, reduced brain activity) affects, and possibly expand on our theories on the causes of autism. As such, we welcome its findings.

 

Dr Spencer’s study confirms the importance of genetic factors in some forms of autism. The findings appear to be consistent with other MRI and genetic studies in identifying brain regions and structures implicated in autism.

 

Importantly, this study finds a biomarker only in the response to emotions of one part of the brain – related to empathy. It does not suggest that siblings of people with autism will develop the condition or are at increased risk, though we already know there is a higher incidence of some forms of autism in subsequent children if one child in the family has autism.

 

The causes of autism are not yet understood but a combination of genetic and environmental factors are known to be very important. The NAS Centre for Autism will continue to work with the scientific community and professionals to share new information and research on important new autism topics, in order to promote understanding and expertise.

 

Anyone who has questions about autism, how to seek a diagnosis, or who simply needs some advice can contact our Autism Helpline on 0808 800 4104 (open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm).

 

You can read the full research report on the Autism Research Centre’s website.

 

Source:

http://www.autism.org.uk/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/biomarker-for-autism-discovered.aspx



Matthew Israel, Founder of Judge Rotenberg, Steps Down in Disgrace

By John M. Grohol, PsyD
Founder & Editor-in-Chief

 

We missed reporting this at the end of May when it happened, but I like to close the loop on stories we’ve discussed in the past, so I thought it relevant to mention here.

 

We’ve previously detailed how the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Canton, Mass. has a “treatment” for out-of-control children where electroconvulsive shocks are given in order to curb their behavior (ala BF Skinner). We’ve also noted the horror of the incident where a former patient was able to make a single phone call and cause the staff to shock two children in its care over 100 times.

 

Now, finally, the founder of the school, Matthew Israel, has agreed to step down from the Center in order to avoid prison time. In an agreement reached with the state’s Attorney General, he will be on probation for five years and the Center will be overseen by a court-appointed monitor.

 

 

Matthew Israel pleaded not guilty to the charges of obstructing justice by destroying evidence. The evidence he destroyed were copies of videotapes that detailed what happened in August 2007. He claimed, through his lawyer, that he thought the investigation was over and so was just being prudent in destroying the tapes (so they wouldn’t be leaked to the Internet).

 

Luckily, the state had copies:

 

Even though prosecutors were ultimately able to find a back-up copy of the destroyed tapes, Cunha said, there was enough evidence that the grand jury indicted Israel Friday on two counts related to misleading a witness and destroying evidence. Cunha said his office ultimately decided to offer Israel a pretrial probation agreement, in which Israel had to permanently end his tenure at the center, which he founded 40 years ago, and serve a five-year probationary term. If he complied, prosecutors would drop the case in five years.

 

If you’re not clear on what the Center does, here’s a brief description:

 

Israel’s center endorses an unorthodox behavioral-control method, in which more than half of the center’s 200 students wear electrodes attached to their skin, and staff members, armed with remote devices, can punish them with shocks for deviant behavior. Students generally have severe behavioral problems, including some with autism and intellectual disabilities.

 

Read in Full:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/07/12/matthew-israel-founder-of-judge-rotenberg-steps-down-in-disgrace/



By Jennifer Gibson, PharmD | Editor Shaheen E Lakhan

 

Friedrich Neitzsche once claimed that without music, life would be a mistake. Researchers in Norway claim that without music, art, or other cultural events, life may also be shorter and less satisfying. A new study, published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports that visiting museums, attending concerts, playing an instrument, and creating art are associated with happier lives. The investigators surveyed more than 51,000 adults to assess their leisure habits and cultural participation and their self-perceived health status and levels of depression and anxiety. Overall, there was a strong correlation between engaging in cultural activities and happiness. The association was not affected by socioeconomic status or educational level.

 

Read in Full:

http://brainblogger.com/2011/07/05/music-and-art-good-for-your-soul-and-your-lifespan/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GNIFBrainBlogger+%28Brain+Blogger%29



Article Date: 05 Jul 2011 – 2:00 PDT

 

A good night’s sleep is something we all value. Scientists tell us, and we know from experience, that it refreshes us, helps us perform better, and contributes significantly to health and happiness, especially in children. And yet, there are millions of us suffering from ongoing shortage of sleep.

 

According to the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM), sleep problems add up to a global epidemic that affects 45% of the world’s population.

 

“Insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), restless legs syndrome (RLS), and sleep deprivation significantly impact physical, mental and emotional health, in addition to affecting work performance and personal relationships,” they said, on the fourth annual World Sleep Day on Friday 18th March 2011, when health professionals from WASM and other organizations worldwide came together to deliver the message that sleep is a “human privilege that is often compromised by the habits of modern life”.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/230386.php



Article Date: 05 Jul 2011 – 3:00 PDT

 

While depression and anxiety have long been recognised as risk factors for heart disease, there is less certainty over the beneficial effects of a ‘positive’ psychological state, Now, following a study of almost 8000 British civil servants, researchers say that a satisfying life is indeed good for the heart.

 

The results of the study are published online today by the European Heart Journal.

 

The civil servants – who were all members of the Whitehall II study cohort in the UK with an average age of 49 years (2) – were questioned about seven specific areas of their everyday lives: love relationships, leisure activities, standard of living, job, family, sex, and one’s self. They were asked to rate their satisfaction in each domain on a scale of 1 (‘very dissatisfied’) to 7 (‘very satisfied’). Ratings for each domain were also combined to provide an average satisfaction score for their overall lives.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/230431.php



How the DSM Developed: What You Might Not Know

By Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S.
Associate Editor

 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is widely known as the bible of psychiatry and psychology.

 

But not many people know how this powerful and influential book came to be. Here’s a brief look at the DSM’s evolution and where we are today.

 

The Need for Classification

 

The origins of the DSM date back to 1840 — when the government wanted to collect data on mental illness. The term “idiocy/insanity” appeared in that year’s census.

 

Forty years later, the census expanded to feature these seven categories: “mania, melancholia, monomania, paresis, dementia, dipsomania and epilepsy.”

 

But there was still a need to gather uniform stats across mental hospitals. In 1917, the Bureau of the Census embraced a publication called the Statistical Manual for the Use of Institutions for the Insane. It was created by the Committee on Statistics of the American Medico-Psychological Association (now the American Psychiatric Association) and the National Commission on Mental Hygiene. The committees separated mental illness into 22 groups. The manual went through 10 editions until 1942.

 

Read in Full:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/07/02/how-the-dsm-developed-what-you-might-not-know/



We trawl the world’s journals so you don’t have to:

Neuropsychology of Prospective Memory (Neuropsychologia).

Translational models of prefrontal cortical function (Behavioural Neuroscience).

Personality and economics (Personality and Individual Differences).

Peter Lomas special issue (European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling). Lomas was an influential psychotherapist (read his Guardian obituary).

Elucidating the neural basis of the self (Neurocase).

Age and the Cultivation of Place (Journal of Aging Studies).

Origins of Ownership of Property (New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development).

[This post was compiled by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest.]

Source:

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2011/07/special-issue-spotter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BpsResearchDigest+%28BPS+Research+Digest%29



Internet dating and the science of fire starting

 

The New Yorker has a fantastic article about the psychology of online dating.

 

The piece explores how the big names of internet matchmaking attempt to strike up sparks between you and millions of other people and how they play off what attracts people in face-to-face encounters.

 

Psychology, maths and the economics of truth are used to bring people together, with each dating site having a different theory about how attraction works.

 

It is tempting to think of online dating as a sophisticated way to address the ancient and fundamental problem of sorting humans into pairs, except that the problem isn’t very old. Civilization, in its various guises, had it pretty much worked out. Society—family, tribe, caste, church, village, probate court—established and enforced its connubial protocols for the presumed good of everyone, except maybe for the couples themselves. The criteria for compatibility had little to do with mutual affection or a shared enthusiasm for spicy food and Fleetwood Mac. Happiness, self-fulfillment, “me time,” a woman’s needs: these didn’t rate. As for romantic love, it was an almost mutually exclusive category of human experience. As much as it may have evolved, in the human animal, as a motivation system for mate-finding, it was rarely given great consideration in the final reckoning of conjugal choice.

 

Read in Full:

http://mindhacks.com/2011/06/30/internet-dating-and-the-science-of-fire-starting/

Married Without Infidelities: Speaking Up for Monogamy

 

Are we too quick to forgive adultery?

How Your Most Intimate Relationships Can Be A Vehicle For Your Growth

 

Ondina Nandine Hatvany, MFT Updated: Jul 5th 2011

 

The old paradigm for couples was pretty simple: The man went to work, brought home the money and paid for the house, mortgage, etc. He was the provider of security and stability. The woman’s role was to cook, clean, raise the children and take care of the home. She was the provider of emotional nurturing and comfort. The roles were clearly defined and rigid. How many of us have parents who fit this model or at least strived to?

 

Now so much of this has changed. Women have jobs and careers, men may stay at home as the primary caregivers, and relationships run across a much broader spectrum than the old “He/She” model. For instance, now there are “He/ He” and “She/ She” models for couples. And there are couples who do not necessarily form a dyad. A “couple” could be in a committed triad relationship or be part of a larger poly community. There are numerous variations on these alternatives, and so it goes on. But what hasn’t changed much is that many relationships still run on unspoken contracts or implicit agreements regarding roles and expectations. When these contracts are broken, couples often get angry with each other and start pointing fingers.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=43746&cn=289

When Does Flirting Become Cheating? 9 Red Flags

 

By Therese J. Borchard
Associate Editor

 

According to psychologist Michael Brickey, author of Defying Aging and many other relationship experts, playful bantering or gentle flirting with someone outside of your marriage is harmless if proper boundaries remain intact. Those boundaries differ with each relationship, of course. What would be considered a violation in one marriage might be perfectly acceptable for another couple. Difference of opinions even occur within a marriage.

 

For example, I know a woman who recently asked her husband to either give her his Facebook password or close out his account after she found an email that he had sent to a former classmate that she found to be rather suggestive. He disagreed and thought it was perfectly appropriate.

 

Social media sites and online interaction are pushing this issue to dinner tables across the country — much more so than in the past. Katherine Hertlein, a licensed marriage and family therapist interviewed by DiscoveryNews.com, explains, “You don’t actually recognize that you’re growing closer to someone on the Internet because it just looks like you’re having a conversation, and that’s why I think it could be really seductive in some ways.”

 

Read in Full:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/07/06/when-does-flirting-become-cheating-9-red-flags/

Loving Others Without Loving Yourself: A Reconsideration

 

What kind of self-loathing is more destructive of relationships?

Breaking-Up: Should You Leave Or Can You Get the Change You Want?

 

Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT Updated: Jul 7th 2011

 

Is your relationship or marriage just, well, so-so? Maybe you’re not sure if you still love or ever loved your partner? Maybe he or she has many good traits – is kind, or generous, funny, or the sex is great. She’s gorgeous, or he showers you with kindness – but something is missing. Maybe your parents or friends think that he or she is great – that others would give their eye teeth for such a relationship. There’s more at stake if you have children together, but if not, how do you decide what’s the right thing to do? You tell your friends that you want a soul mate. They say you’re unrealistic. You say the romance is gone. They tell you that’s why Hollywood movies end when couples marry – romance doesn’t last. You want someone to connect with physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. You’re told your expectations are too high, that you’re lucky if you get one, or “He doesn’t hit you or drink. He has a job.” But you’re restless, or feel a vacuum instead of connection.

 

Take these steps:

 

1. Make an inventory. Assess your needs and prioritize them. Think of the four above categories and add financial, social, and more. This is very individual. To a feeling-type individual, sharing emotions is number one. Someone else values intellectual conversation, while another, shared interests, a travel companion, or financial stability. This is why no one can tell you what to do.

 

2. Consider which needs are your responsibility to yourself and not your partner’s. Make sure you’re not blaming your partner for your own unhappiness.

 

Read More:

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=43769&cn=289

Men Love To Cuddle, Women Love Sex More Over Time Global Research Says

 

Article Date: 07 Jul 2011 – 3:00 PDT

 

A new international, global study that included more than 1,000 couples from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Japan and Spain, found that tenderness is more important to men than to women overall. Also it was reported that men are more likely to admit to being happy in their relationship, but women are more likely to be satisfied with the sexual part of their partnerships as they view it over time. Basically, cuddling and caressing help boost satisfaction in long-term relationships, according to a new study of middle-aged and older couples who had been together for an average of 25 years.

 

Sexual satisfaction for both women and men was associated with frequent kissing and cuddling, sexual caressing by a partner, high sexual functioning, and frequent sex. What a revelation right?

 

Sexual satisfaction for women increased over time. Those who had been with their partner for less than 15 years were less likely to be sexually satisfied, but satisfaction increased significantly after 15 years. Both women and men were happier the longer they had been together and if they had higher levels of sexual functioning, the investigators found. Safe to assume than that it is not about the “fire,” but about the “glow.”

 

Interestingly enough for men, the report said that having had more sex partners in their lifetime was a predictor of less sexual satisfaction.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/230575.php

Men Can Improve Health to Improve Sex Life

 

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 7, 2011

 

It may be a common sense notion, but now research bolsters the link between unhealthy lifestyle choices and sexual dysfunction in men.

 

In a new study, Danish scientists found that weight problems, physical inactivity, high alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and hard drugs were associated with sexual dysfunctions in men.

 

The study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine also discovered that an unhealthy lifestyle is more common in persons who are sexually inactive.

 

Read in Full:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/07/07/men-can-improve-health-to-improve-sex-life/27528.html

How Much Should You Compromise for Your Relationship?

 

Your relationship should serve you, not the other way around


Article Date: 06 Jul 2011 – 9:00 PDT

 

Over two in five people in Ireland would not want to know if a loved one was experiencing depression according to findings in the 2011 Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer. Despite this, 93% of respondents agree that it is important that depression is discussed openly. However, when asked if they would find it difficult to discuss depression with their doctor 70% agreed.

 

The Barometer provides insights into Irish people’s attitudes towards mental health. This year’s research has illustrated that while people have become more aware of depression, they still do not have a clear understanding of what it is, and those who do experience it are reluctant to speak to a healthcare professional about it.

 

The research findings indicate that depression has become more visible over the past six years. In 2006 18% of those who personally had depression, or who had a family member with depression, said that many or some people would have been aware. This year that number has grown to 53% which may illustrate a greater degree of awareness around the condition.

 

Stigma continues to be an underlying issue with 60% of respondents saying that they consider depression to be stigmatising. Statistics in the research also revealed that almost a quarter (23%) of people believe that depression is not an illness but a “state of mind”. These findings indicate that while awareness of depression has grown, there is still a degree of ignorance around the condition.

 

Read in Full:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/230554.php