Virtual reality explosions, anti-American insults, and smells of smoke and foreign spices will be part of a new therapy program to help servicemen and women recover from their wartime experiences. Sounds such as explosions and gunfire have long been part of therapy programs for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But smells have rarely been included even though they can elicit flashbacks and anxiety in s ...

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, a group of German investigators presents new data on role of patient treatment preferences in the outcome of depression. This study demonstrates that patients’ relative preference for medication versus psychotherapy should be considered when offering a treatment to depressed patients because receiving the preferred treatment conveys an additional and ...

When psychotherapy helps someone get better, what does that change look like in the brain? This was the question a team of Canadian psychological scientists set out to investigate in patients suffering from social anxiety disorder. Their findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association of Psychological Science. ...

University of Granada researchers have developed a pioneer intervention program aimed at 3 year-old children, that helps to prevent antisocial behavior in adulthood. In its first year of implementation, the program - named "Aprender a convivir" (Learning to live together) - achieved that 90% of participating children interacted more actively with their peers, and that 86% reduced symptoms such as anxiety/de ...

An intensive lifestyle intervention program designed to achieve and maintain weight loss improves diabetes control and cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to four-year results of the Look AHEAD study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are published in the Sept. 27, 20 ...

A leading scientific journal in Pakistan, The Journal of Management & Social Science,* recently published a paper titled "A New Role for the Military: Preventing Enemies from Arising-Reviving an Ancient Approach to Peace," indicating that the military application of the Transcendental Meditation technique has merit. The paper discusses how militaries worldwide could use the Transcendental Meditation® and TM ...

Hypnosis can help alleviate the pain and suffering experienced by women being treated for breast cancer, according to a study by a University at Buffalo School of Social Work professor. The randomized trial measured pain and suffering, frequency of pain, and degree of constant pain among 124 women with metastatic breast cancer, according to Lisa D. Butler, associate professor in UB's School of Social Work, ...

What is psychotherapy? Psychotherapy, also known as "talk therapy" or "psychological treatment," is a way to treat people with a mental disorder by helping them understand their illness. It teaches people strategies and gives them tools to deal with stress and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy helps patients manage their symptoms better and function at their best in everyday life. Sometimes ps ...

There is an increasing awareness of the role that mental health support and self-help groups play in recovery from mental illnesses. Mental health support and self-help groups, historically considered as an alternative to traditional mental health treatment, are now recognized as partners in the continuum of mental health care*. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)** gathers information that c ...

In a long term follow up (median = 11 years) study, researchers* report that women with breast cancer who received group therapy (i.e., psychological treatment in a group format) versus those in an assessment only group (n = 227) experienced statistically significant improvements life expectancy 11 years after diagnosis. Group therapy consisted of 8-12 participants and 2 psychologists with an overall focus ...