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Tag: Mental Health

Dog Therapy

Posted January 2, 2021 by Guest Contributor

[A service dog, with yellow lab features, stands at the side of a pool with it's harness on while sniffing the forehead of it's handler who is in the pool.]

Mental health awareness in the United States has become less taboo throughout the decade, as people young and old, become more comfortable talking about their mental health. Since 40 million adults in the US are diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 18 million adults suffer from depression, those who are dealing with their diagnosis are trying new approaches for coping with their disorders. While the traditional route of therapy and prescription medication to manage a mental health disorder works for many, the use of therapy dogs has proven as an effective method to improve mental health…

Can Animal Crossing make you happier?

Posted October 31, 2020 by Kelsey Guenther

[image showing three animal crossing characters in the town square.]

“Animal Crossing: New Horizons” was released on March 20th, 2020 and has since become a cultural phenomenon. Although the game itself has been praised by critics, some suggest that its success is partially attributable to its being released during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these trying times, many people have been affected by anxiety and  loneliness stemming from, for example, social isolation and/or loss of work.

4 Go-To Skills to Support Your Mental Health During COVID–19 (and Beyond)

Posted May 23, 2020 by Alexandra Moussa-Tooks

[calm-woman-in-lotus-pose-meditating-after-awakening-at-home]

We’re living in a very stressful time due to the sweeping, global effects of the COVID–19 pandemic. Although much of the focus has been on physical health, mental health is equally important during these times. Broad feelings of uncertainty, job loss, fear, and drastic changes to our normal schedules and activities take a toll on our mental well-being. Below are four of the skills that I have relied on to maintain and support my mental health during COVID–19, though their utility extends to any time I’m experiencing stress in my life…

Building Wakanda: a graduate student’s journey into sports psychology

Posted February 22, 2020 by Lana Ruck

A profile of DeJon Purnell in celebration of Black History Month In the USA, sports are important, period. But many of us are aware that America’s cultural obsession with sports is not without its downsides. Still, I know people who are fine with 2020’s Super Bowl mascots (among other things; see The Onion’s recent Tweet),… Read more »

Conflating mental illness with the supernatural and occult

Posted June 22, 2019 by Alexandra Moussa-Tooks

Roll of movie tickets.

Disclaimer: Spoilers for the film Hereditary present throughout this piece! I have seen hundreds of horror films; in fact, I even began my graduate school personal statement on the topic. As a shameless horror fan, I am often asked, with perplexed and disgusted looks, “Why?” I am fascinated by the psychological processes —decision making, sensory… Read more »

From Classroom to Community: IU clinical psychology students launch their careers through local internship

Posted May 21, 2019 by Lana Ruck

Colorful hands reaching towards each other

In 2015, IU’s Department of Psychology and Brain Science (PBS) began a Clinical Psychological Science Certificate program for undergraduates, through which students interested in clinical psychology can learn the foundations of the field, participate in PBS research, and gain internship experience with local community partners. Although many departments offer internships, the main goal of the… Read more »

What music does to your brain: A neuroscientist’s perspective

Posted April 2, 2019 by Taylor Woodward

An artist’s rendition of a brain, in which a large number of musical notation marks are arranged to form the silhouette of an anatomically accurate human brain.

Why do we like music? Music is interwoven into almost every aspect of our lives. We hear it at the grocery store and in every single video we watch. We listen to it when we exercise, and we pay boatloads of money to go see our favorite artists in concert. We love all kinds of… Read more »

Winter makes me SAD: The biological story behind seasonal affective disorder and its potential treatments

Posted March 5, 2019 by Kat Munley

A barren hillside with a few large boulders and trees scattered in the background. The trees pictured have no leaves, and there are a few small patches of grass growing on the side of the hill. The sky above is overcast, and no visible sunlight is shining through the clouds.

As fall transitions into winter, all animals, including humans, must acclimate to colder weather, shorter days, and less sunlight. In many northern latitudinal regions across the globe, winter is often characterized by overcast skies and snowy days, in which little to no sunlight reaches life on the ground. Colloquially, some people report having the “winter… Read more »

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative: A brief look

Posted January 1, 2019 by Alexandra Moussa-Tooks

Image depicting the RDoC framework including 5 current domains of research which can be analyzed across neural and behaviorally based units of analysis. An arrow spanning the graphic indicates the importance on neurodevelopment, from conception, across all levels of research. Moreover, a green sphere encompassing the units of analysis represents the importance of environmental factors in our understanding and measurement of these constructs.

Even for non-researchers, it is important to be informed about the various initiatives that change the way we do science and, ultimately, the way scientists choose to spend government dollars. In the wake of the 10-year anniversary of RDoC’s inception [1], I would like to unpack this commonly misunderstood acronym that is popping up in… Read more »

An open letter to BRAVO TV regarding the misrepresentation of schizophrenia

Posted December 11, 2018 by Alexandra Moussa-Tooks

Woman in White Bed Holding Remote Control While Eating Popcorn

Dear BRAVO TV, I have been a regular viewer of your series of shows entitled “The Real Housewives of [Insert City Here because, truthfully, I watch them all]” since it first aired in 2006 featuring Orange County. As a student of psychology, I love watching the housewives – seeing how other people engage in various… Read more »

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