Blog

In an age where pharmaceutical drug use is off the charts, a thoughtful group of physicians are using a novel approach and advising their patients to “take a hike” — literally. Park prescriptions have been around since 2008, but the idea is now spreading more widely throughout the U.S. — and around the world — as obesity and mental health disorders have continued to climb. In a similar vein, doctors are also writing prescriptions for fruits, vegetables and other wholesome food, which...

Kristin Neff, associate professor of human development at the University of Texas and pioneer of research on self-compassion, believes that our society’s emphasis on achievement and self-esteem lies at the heart of much unnecessary and even counterproductive suffering. It is quite simply impossible to be better than everyone at all times. Yet research shows that when we lose, we tend to feel highly self-critical, adding to our misery. Faced with criticism, we become defensive and may feel...

One simple act of kindness has made college football player Travis Rudolph a "hero" in the eyes of a Florida mother. The Florida State University wide receiver was visiting Montford Middle School in Tallahassee on Tuesday, when he noticed a sixth grader eating lunch alone, according to the Tallahassee Democrat . "I saw him sitting there by himself and I got a plate of pizza and I asked him, can I sit with him, and he said, 'Sure, why not,' " Rudolph, 20, said. That little boy was Bo Paske, a...

Unfortunately, regardless of training received and degrees earned, parenting educators can't serve families and get reimbursed by public and private insurers for their services. In an effort to bring light to this issue, I wrote the attached paper with two colleagues at NC State. Our (unpublished) paper outlines research supporting parenting education services and their efficacy to improve individual and family health and long term wellbeing and community prosperity. We highlight the fact...

(Image credit: Trauma Informed Care Task Force of Greater Los Angeles) Human beings are the only creatures who can make themselves miserable. Other animals certainly suffer when they experience negative events, but only humans can induce negative emotions through self-views, judgments, expectations, regrets and comparisons with others. Because self-thought plays such a central role in human happiness and wellbeing, psychologists have devoted a good deal of attention to understanding how...

On any given day, you might find Chef D. Brandon Walker whipping up gourmet dishes like steak adobo, crepes, or house-made onion rings stuffed with steak. But what makes these beautifully plated meals extra special is that they’re not being served at a fine-dining restaurant; instead, they’re placed in front of homeless individuals at the Bread and Roses Café in Venice, California. Walker has been the executive chef of the sit-down restaurant run by the St. Joseph’s Center for the last...

There’s a new social media campaign for mental illness and this one is directed at men. While more women are diagnosed with mental health conditions, men die by suicide at a rate of nearly four times that of women. It is the seventh leading cause of death for American males while it’s the 14th for females, according to the Center for Disease Control. One of the reasons for this “gender paradox of suicidal behavior” is that men are less likely to seek help for psychological issues for fear of...

My daughter didn't sleep well one night this week. She was looking forward to seeing friends back at school. But there are so many new kids in her grade and she's heard there's lots more home work this year. One the way to school she said she was "exstressed" (excited plus stressed). Back to school time can be a busy and expensive time for many of us. Our kids may be sleeping less, struggling with homework demands and social pressures while trying to keep up with jobs, responsibilities or...

If you are like many teachers, social workers, or administrators in schools, you've been reading about the need for trauma informed care and trauma sensitive schools. Odds are you didn't need to read the research to know something that you were already seeing in your classrooms, school hallways, and community. Unfortunately reading about it, seeing the need, wanting to make changes, doesn't make the change happen. Five years ago, as the executive director of a school that needed to change, I...

William Clevenger remembers clearly when he began to believe he could regain control over his life: It was the moment last year that he mastered the rising trot while riding a dappled gray Percheron named Dakota. In the decade since Clevenger returned to the U.S. from Iraq, where he served three tours as a sergeant in the Marine Corps, he suffered from combat-induced hyper-vigilance. In 2006, he was diagnosed with adult leukemia and almost died. He became so depressed he had a hard time...

Betsy Levy Paluck has always been interested in how societies find ways to reject violence and prejudice. That curiosity led her to Princeton University, where she works as a researcher, and then to the halls of New Jersey's middle schools, to see whether social psychological theory could help students stamp out bullying and other forms of conflict. To make that happen, her research team relied on an unusual set of partners: students, including those identified by their classmates as...

Correctional administrators should focus on staff training, appropriate programming and facility conditions to ensure the safety and healthy development of girls locked up in adult jails and prisons, a new report says. While policymakers should do all they can to keep girls out of adult jails and prisons, some girls do end up in adult facilities and their needs must be met, said researchers from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency . Correctional staff play a key role in making sure...