An estimated one in four couples in developing countries encounter difficulties trying to conceive. In the United States, more than 7 million women have undergone …
Tag: mental health
Living with a partner boosts your health
Partners help. They help with daily activities like dishwashing and dog-walking, but they also provide the all-valuable emotional support needed to cope with everything from …
No time for a vacation? Take a break without leaving the office
When you're tired, overworked and stressed out, a good vacation can be just what the doctor ordered. The catch is that it's not always easy …
Exposure to nature helps quash depression – so enjoy the great outdoors
Walking is good for your health. But walking somewhere natural is even better, according to a new Stanford-led study. Study participants who walked in a …
Not just for kids: A discussion of play and why we all need to do it
All work and no play makes everyone a dull boy. Recognizing this, the California-based National Institute for Play focuses on shining light on the importance of the practice of play …
Brain cell spheres in a lab dish mimic human cortex, Stanford study says
Mental disorders like autism and schizophrenia are notoriously difficult to study at the molecular level. Understandably, people are reluctant to donate pieces of living brain …
Women’s health experts tackle mood disorders and sexual assault
Earlier this week I reported from the Women’s Health Forum, held on Monday for the sixth year running. The hardest part about attending the event was deciding …
Inside the brain of optogenetics pioneer Karl Deisseroth
"Lighting the brain," a recent New Yorker profile, offers insight into the brain of Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, the well-known innovator of both optogenetics and …
Genetic testing, autism, and “fixing” the pathological body
How do we know what is pathological, versus what is normal? It seems obvious until you start thinking philosophically, which was the goal of a …
Exploring links between domestic violence, depression and reproductive health
It's no surprise that domestic violence has effects that ripple outward in a victim's life, beyond physical traces of abuse. Research into just what those …
New frontiers for psychiatric illness
I started my recent conversation with Stanford psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, with the March 24 crash of the Germanwings aircraft. The pilot, …
Study links air pollution with anxiety; calls it a “leading global health concern”
I often find that natural spaces and fresh air have a calming, balancing effect, and judging by the cultural association between relaxation and the outdoors, …
An oasis of peace in “the 500 channel universe”: Research on mindfulness and depression
Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association issued a feature on mindfulness and depression, highlighting research that suggests mindfulness is an effective way to ameliorate …
Examining how fathers’ postpartum depression affects toddlers
Postpartum depression doesn't only affect moms, and new research shows that fathers who suffer from it have just as great an effect on their kids …
Women who have a stillbirth are more likely to experience long-term depression, study shows
Any serious loss requires grieving time, and the birth of stillborn child is no exception. However, a recent study suggests that women who have experienced …
Cells from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia may provide clues about the disease
As a medical student, Sergiu Pasca was frustrated when he learned about the treatments available for mental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. "We can …