Psychology Around the Net: December 16, 2017

Has cabin fever struck you yet this winter?

Find out ways to beat it, plus the latest on a new scientist-created version of oxytocin, how orange light therapy might help mental illness symptoms, why global teamwork might be helpful for psychological studies, and more in this week’s Psychology Around the Net!

How to Beat Cabin Fever When You’re Stuck Inside This Winter: Try a couple — or all — of these ideas for combating cabin fever (or, in some of our cases, the funk that comes along with shorter days and less sunshine).

Can Teamwork Solve One Of Psychology’s Biggest Problems? Psychologist Christopher Chartier has launched the “Psychological Science Accelerator” based on the idea that if psychological studies happen at the same time in multiple labs around the world, we’ll be able to get larger data sets from a more diverse pool of subjects compared to studies done in one place.

Phone Addiction Is Real — and So Are Its Mental Health Risks: It’s probably no surprise that that many of us feel addicted to our phones and their associated pastimes, like social media, and it’s also probably no surprise that this addiction can lead to mental health troubles; however, it might be surprising to know just how deep those troubles can go.

Scientists Create New ‘Love Hormone’ That They Say Could Treat Mental Illness: Scientists have created a new version of oxytocin, the “love hormone,” and they hope it will prove effective at treating mental health conditions such as anxiety and schizophrenia, as well as helping us understand the role of oxytocin in health.

First Trimester ADHD Drug Exposure Increases Risk for Congenital Heart Defects: New research shows an association between intrauterine exposure to methylphenidate during pregnancy and a small increased risk for cardiac malformations; the research did not show an association with amphetamines. According to Krista F. Huybrechts, PhD, from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, this is important research for pregnant women and women of reproductive age to consider when looking at different treatment options for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Can Orange Light Help Patients With Mental Illness? Researchers at an emergency psychiatric center in Norway are testing out orange light as a way to manage mental illness, especially in patients with bipolar disorder.

from World of Psychology https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2017/12/16/psychology-around-the-net-december-16-2017/