Publications - Stress

Depression Strikes Today's Teen Girls Especially Hard, by Patti Neighmond, NPR, Feb 13 2017.

“But a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics suggests many more teenage girls in the U.S. may be experiencing major depressive episodes at this age than boys...The findings are just the latest in a steady stream of research showing that women of all ages experience higher rates of depression compared to men, says psychologist and author Catherine Steiner-Adair. And no wonder, she says — despite gains in employment, education and salary, women and girls are still 'continually bombarded by media messages, dominant culture, humor and even political figures about how they look — no matter how smart, gifted, or passionate they are.' ”

Teen Stalking Victims at Higher Risk for Depression, Risky Behaviors, by Janice Wood, Psych Central, Nov 19 2016.

“A new study has found that 14 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys are victims of stalking. These teens are also more likely to report symptoms linked to depression, as well as risky behavior, including binge drinking and sexting, according to the study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. ”

Refugees Struggle with Mental Health Problems Caused by War and Upheaval, by Alison Abbott, Scientific American, Oct 11 2016.

“This is an informative research-supported article which explores the mental health conditions of a growing amount of refugees who are seeking asylum in various countries of Europe.  The article explores the challenges relating to making a new life, the stress of their upheaval and finding peace of mind.  ”

Are mental health issues more of a problem for immigrants than for others?, by Jack Doppelt, Immigrant Connect, Jun 12 2016.

“This is a blog-run information site for immigrants in the Chicago area.  This article discusses the many pitfalls both children and adults face as either first or second generation immigrants in terms of accessing proper mental health care.   ”

Be Kind, Unwind: How Helping Others Can Help Keep Stress In Check , by Vanessa Rancano, NPR, Dec 17 2015.

“The two-week study published this month in Clinical Psychological Science followed 77 adults ages 18 to 44. The results showed that those who helped others more in a day reported higher levels of positive emotion that day. Behavior also had an impact on how they responded to stress. On days when participants reported fewer instances of helping others than their average they had a more negative emotional reaction to stress; when they held elevators and opened doors more than usual, it sheltered them from the negative effects of stress –they reported no decrease in positive emotion that day and lower than their average negative response to stress. ”

When is keeping a secret bad for your health?, by David Martin and Michael Okwu, Aljazeera America, Dec 16 2015.

“Harboring secrets is more than a daily distraction, Pennebaker said. It can be bad for your health. 'We know when people have a traumatic experience and they don’t talk to other people about it, they are at greater risk for a variety of health problems,' he said, including high blood pressure, immune issues, more frequent colds and higher rates or progression of cancer — all markers of bodies under stress. In studying inmates, students and veterans, Pennebaker has found a simple prescription that can be life-changing: “expressive” writing. ”

Helping college students suffering from depression, anxiety and stress, by Springer Science+Business Media, Reuters , Apr 22 2015.

“Is it possible to prevent mental health problems in higher education students? The answer is "yes" according to a team of psychologists who conducted a careful, systematic review of 103 universal interventions involving over 10,000 students enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges and universities and graduate programs. They conclude that effective programs to prevent emotional distress and promote psychosocial assets warrant more widespread use. ”

Stress is 'barrier to feeling empathy for strangers', BBC , Jan 15 2015.

“In this study, researchers treated mice with a stress-blocking drug and watched their response when confronted with other mice in pain. They found that the mice became more empathetic and more compassionate to strangers, reacting in a way they would normally react to familiar mice. When the mice were put under stress, they showed less empathy towards other mice in pain. Tests in undergraduate students using the same drug showed exactly the same effect, the study said. ”

New Research Shows Why Some People Are More Vulnerable to Stress, by Janice Wood, Psych Central , Aug 2 2014.

“A new study may explain why some people are more vulnerable to stress and stress-related psychiatric disorders. ”

Why You Are So Stressed About Stress, by Anna Altman, New York Times , Jul 16 2014.

“NPR conducted a study about how stressed out we are as a country, and the results, released last week, show that one in four Americans reported feeling stressed in the last month and one in two has experienced a major stressful event in the last year. ”

In Texting Era, Crisis Hotlines Put Help at Youths’ Fingertips, by Leslie Kaufman, New York Times, Feb 4 2014.

“While counseling by phone remains far more prevalent, texting has become such a fundamental way to communicate, particularly among people under 20, that crisis groups have begun to adopt it as an alternative way of providing emergency services and counseling. Texting provides privacy that can be crucial if a person feels threatened by someone near them, counselors say. It also looks more natural if the teenager is in public. ”

Two stressed people equals less stress: Sharing nervous feelings helps reduce stress, ScienceDaily , Jan 29 2014.

“Does giving a speech in public stress you out? Or writing a big presentation for your boss? What about skydiving? One way to cope, according to a new study, is to share your feelings with someone who is having a similar emotional reaction to the same scenario. ”

Full Catastrophic Living, by John Kabat-Zin, Sep 24 2013.

Stress may be causing your cravings, by Amanda Enayati, CNN , May 23 2013.

“What do drug addicts, serial dieters and children from troubled homes have in common? More than you might think. Stress can play a pernicious role in triggering a vicious cycle that leaves these groups overwhelmed by uncontrollable impulses and distracted by negative feelings -- all of which may, in turn, spark subsequent cycles of relapse, bingeing and failure. Through a career that spans almost three decades, Rajita Sinha, psychologist and head of the Yale Stress Center, has sought to understand the processes underlying these stress cycles in hopes they may one day be prevented. ”

How Therapy Can Help in the Golden Years, by Abby Ellin, New York Times , Apr 22 2013.

“Marvin Tolkin was 83 when he decided that the unexamined life wasn't worth living. Until then, it had never occurred to him that there might be emotional "issues" he wanted to explore with a counselor. Though he wasn't clinically depressed, Mr. Tolkin did suffer from migraines and "struggled through a lot of things in my life"--the demise of a long-term business partnership, the sudden death of his first wife 18 years ago. He worried about his children and grandchildren, and his relationship with his current wife, Carole. ”