Emotional Health

Smartphone Apps Provide Support with Anxiety, PTSD

An app called Anxiety Coach is among several mental-health intervention and support programs that you can access via your smartphone, US News reported May 2. Apps offer ease of use and privacy for people with a wide range of mental-health issues. Anxiety Coach was developed by the Mayo Clinic and provides a list of to-do [...]

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Kava Extract Can Reduce Anxiety, Study Says

Xanax isn’t the only answer to chronic anxiety: a new study finds that an extract from the kava plant can help treat the disorder, LiveScience reported May 20. Researchers found that people who took kava extract for six weeks reported significantly more improvement in their anxiety symptoms than those given a placebo. By the end [...]

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Angry Outbursts Raise Risk of Heart Attack

We’ve all heard the saying about being so angry you’ll burst a blood vessel, but researchers say the real danger of rage may be to your heart. Reuters reported May 14 that researchers found that coronary patients who reported flying into a rage during the past year were twice as likely to have had their [...]

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What Stresses Moms Out? Dads More Than Kids

The average U.S. mother rates her own stress level at 8.5 out of 10, with husbands more of a stress factor in their lives than children, according to a Today.com survey. Part of the problem is that many women see their husbands’ behavior as not fundamentally different from that of their children. Mothers also say [...]

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Depression May Contribute to Dementia

People who are depressed in later life are more likely to develop dementia, according to a review of multiple studies on the two diseases. The New York Times reported May 1 that research on about 50,000 people conducted over a median span of five years found that depressed people over age 50 had twice the [...]

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A Dozen Mood Damaging Habits You Need to Avoid

Lack of exercise isn’t just bad for your body, it can also negatively affect your mental health, Health.com reported May 7. Traumatic life events can’t be avoided, but you can do something about poor habits that could be setting you up for depression or other mental-health problems, including: Avoiding exercise, which can boost positive brain [...]

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For Most Moms, Pressure is Often Self-Imposed

There’s plenty of real stress involved with parenting, but a survey finds that most mothers admit that most of the pressure they feel comes from within themselves, not other mothers. A Today.com survey of more than 7,000 mothers found that 75 percent say that their self-imposed stress is worse than that from external sources, and [...]

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More Americans Die from Suicide Than Auto Accidents

The suicide rate among middle-aged Americans has risen sharply in recent years, particularly among men in their 50s, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The New York Times reported May 2 that the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose 30 percent between 1999 and [...]

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Hawaii the Least Stressed State; West Virginia Worst for Stress

Hawaii remain much more “aloha” and “mahalo” than “Hawaii Five-O” — the 50th state remains first in an annual ranking of the least-stressed states from the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index. Asked whether they felt stressed yesterday, just 32.1 percent of Hawaii residents said yes. Other low-stress states included Louisiana, Mississippi, Iowa, and Wyoming. West Virginia [...]

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Sketching a Portrait of Bad Body Image

A recent experiment conducted by the makers of Dove brand soap and body products demonstrates how many women have a far less flattering assessment of their own looks than that offered by complete strangers. Today reported April 17 that the Real Beauty Sketches project featured professional sketch artists produce a pair of portraits for each [...]

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