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Behavioral Health
Restricted abortion access linked to increased suicide risk in young women
Research from the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia determined that this association exists for women of reproductive age, findings that hold potential clinical, policy, and ethical implications.
Gay men and trauma
At Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, gay men struggling with trauma and its effects have access to care that is inclusive and accepting of all patients.
Abandoned house repairs reduced nearby gun violence
Installing working windows and doors, cleaning trash, and weeding at abandoned houses led to safety improvements and should be considered in efforts to create healthy communities, according to researchers from University of Pennsylvania and Columbia.
A link between social environment and healthy brains in wild rhesus macaques
Research from Penn, Arizona State University, the National Institute of Mental Health, and elsewhere finds that on the island of Cayo Santiago, female monkeys with a higher social status had younger, more resilient molecular profiles.
Unpacking barriers to COVID-19 vaccination in Latino communities
A study from Penn Nursing and others finds that for Latino or Hispanic populations in the U.S. four main barriers come into play: access to health care services, money, immigration concerns, and misinformation.
Despite lower crime rates in 2020, risk of victimization grew
Research out of Penn and the Naval Postgraduate School found that early in the pandemic the possibility of getting robbed or assaulted in a public place in the U.S. jumped by 15% to 30%, a rate that has stayed elevated since.
The language of loneliness and depression, revealed in social media
By analyzing Facebook posts, Penn researchers found that words associated with depression are often tied to emotions, whereas those associated with loneliness are linked to cognition.
Where political views and fundamental beliefs intersect
Research from The Penn Primals Project debunks the idea that conservatives think the world is more dangerous than liberals, findings with implications for future research and productive political debate.
The allure of fad diets, and why they fail
In a new book, Penn nutritional anthropologist Janet Chrzan and Kima Cargill of the University of Washington, Tacoma, explain the cultural, social, and psychological fixation on fad diets and why they don’t typically succeed.
Twitter gives conservative news greater visibility than liberal content
This bias held even in the context of a social justice movement with left-leaning goals, according to research from Sandra González-Bailón of the Annenberg School for Communication and colleagues.
In the News
Best CPAP alternatives
Richard Schwab of the Perelman School of Medicine says that obstructive sleep apnea causes breathing to pause during sleep when something like the tongue or relaxed throat muscles blocks the airway.
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This day of silence brings a fresh start for Bali’s new year
Mathias Basner of the Perelman School of Medicine says that human bodies interpret noise as a stressor, which can initiate increased levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in the blood.
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Struggling to keep your New Year’s resolutions? Here’s how to keep yourself on track
According to a 2012 study conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine, 65% of dieters return to their pre-diet weight within three years and only 5% of people who lose weight on a restrictive diet, such as liquid or no-carb, manage to keep the weight off.
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Many believe suicide rates increase in December. Research shows it’s the opposite. Here’s why
A study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the winter holiday months typically have lower daily suicide rates than the rest of the year, with December showing the lowest incidences of suicides of the year.
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Millennials and Gen Xers might be the unluckiest caregivers in history. Here’s how their crisis is affecting every workplace
A report by Mary Naylor of the School of Nursing found that many employed caregivers miss work, reduce their work hours, refuse promotions, or leave the workforce altogether to meet family responsibilities.
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Is that food ultra-processed? How to tell
Christina A. Roberto of the Perelman School of Medicine compares ultra-processed and less-processed versions of several common foods, including oatmeal and crackers.
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