What gives rise to sadism? While sadistic behavior (i.e., harming others for pleasure) is well-documented, past empirical research is nearly silent regarding the psychological factors behind it. We help close this gap by suggesting that boredom plays a crucial role in the emergence of sadistic tendencies. Across 9 diverse studies, we provide correlational and experimental… Continue reading On the relation of boredom and sadistic aggression.
Category: Psychiatry
A novel peripheral biomarker for depression and antidepressant response
In contrast to healthy controls, the heterotrimeric G protein, Gsalpha (Gsα) is ensconced predominantly in lipid rafts in subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD) resulting in impaired stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. In this small proof-of-concept study, we examined the hypothesis that translocation of Gsα from lipid rafts toward a more facile activation of adenylyl cyclase… Continue reading A novel peripheral biomarker for depression and antidepressant response
Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial
Highlights•Over 12 weeks, loving-kindness meditation buffered telomere attrition. •Telomere length decreased in the mindfulness group and the control group. •The loving-kindness group showed less telomere attrition than the control group. AbstractCombinations of multiple meditation practices have been shown to reduce the attrition of telomeres, the protective caps of chromosomes (Carlson et al., 2015). Here, we… Continue reading Loving-kindness meditation slows biological aging in novices: Evidence from a 12-week randomized controlled trial
Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
Major life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, affect psychological and physiological health. Social support, or the lack thereof, can modulate these effects. The context of the COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to better understand how dogs may provide social support for their owners and buffer heightened symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and… Continue reading Depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
Digital Interventions for the Treatment of Depression:A Meta-Analytic Review
The high global prevalence of depression, together with the recent acceleration of remote care owingto the COVID-19 pandemic, has prompted increased interest in the efficacy of digital interventions forthe treatment of depression. We provide a summary of the latest evidence base for digital interventionsin the treatment of depression based on the largest study sample to… Continue reading Digital Interventions for the Treatment of Depression:A Meta-Analytic Review
Benefit of human moderate running boosting mood and executive function coinciding with bilateral prefrontal activation
Running, compared to pedaling is a whole-body locomotive movement that may confer more mental health via strongly stimulating brains, although running impacts on mental health but their underlying brain mechanisms have yet to be determined; since almost the mechanistic studies have been done with pedaling. We thus aimed at determining the acute effect of a… Continue reading Benefit of human moderate running boosting mood and executive function coinciding with bilateral prefrontal activation
Comparing daily physiological and psychological benefits of gratitude and optimism using a digital platform.
Gratitude and optimism are positive psychological dispositions associated with beneficial outcomes. To examine their associations with physiological and psychological experiences in daily life, we examined data from an Ecological Momentary Assessment study (N = 4,825), including blood pressure, heart rate, and reports of stress, health behaviors, and thoughts. Trait gratitude and trait optimism both predicted… Continue reading Comparing daily physiological and psychological benefits of gratitude and optimism using a digital platform.
Lithium Treatment in the Prevention of Repeat Suicide-Related Outcomes in Veterans With Major Depression or Bipolar DisorderA Randomized Clinical Trial
Suicide and suicide attempts are persistent and increasing public health problems. Observational studies and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials have suggested that lithium may prevent suicide in patients with bipolar disorder or depression. Objective To assess whether lithium augmentation of usual care reduces the rate of repeated episodes of suicide-related events (repeated suicide attempts, interrupted… Continue reading Lithium Treatment in the Prevention of Repeat Suicide-Related Outcomes in Veterans With Major Depression or Bipolar DisorderA Randomized Clinical Trial
The Self in the Mind’s Eye: Revealing How We Truly See Ourselves Through Reverse Correlation
Is there a way to visually depict the image people “see” of themselves in their minds’ eyes? And if so, what can these mental images tell us about ourselves? We used a computational reverse-correlation technique to explore individuals’ mental “self-portraits” of their faces and body shapes in an unbiased, data-driven way (total N = 116… Continue reading The Self in the Mind’s Eye: Revealing How We Truly See Ourselves Through Reverse Correlation
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