Behavioral Health

A gloved hand holds a COVID-19 Vaccination Record card. Blurred in the background are a closed needle, a vial of medication, and a sheet of paper that reads "COVID-19 Testing/Vaccination."

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.

Two women stopped binge eating after an implant started zapping their brains with electricity, a small study found

A study by Casey Halpern of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues found that electric shocks to the brain took away the cravings of two patients with binge eating disorder.

A shadowy figure walking away on a brick street.

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.

Pulses to their brains and two women’s binge eating went away

A pilot study led by Casey Halpern of the Perelman School of Medicine finds that deep brain stimulation can curb the urge to overeat.

Boost your happiness in just three minutes a day—really

A study from Martin Seligman of the School of Arts & Sciences found that writing down three good things that happened each day leads to long-term increases in happiness and decreases in depressive symptoms.

Five steps to take to become a morning person

Philip Gehrman of the Perelman School of Medicine says that people’s internal clocks are 30-40% dependent on genetic factors.

Speeding, hard braking, cellphones: Researchers look at teens’ unsafe driving behaviors

A study by Catherine McDonald of the School of Nursing and colleagues finds that risky behaviors are relatively common among teen drivers, including handheld cellphone use and speeding.

Rejoice in the end of daylight saving time

Katy Milkman of the Wharton School says that the autumn clock change can be reframed as a “windfall” which helps people kick-start a new habit.

Person sitting in the dark, leaning on a desk, staring at a cell phone. A coffee cup and pile of papers sit nearby.

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.

Word of the day: Circadian

Ilene M. Rosen of the Perelman School of Medicine is quoted from an article examining sleep cycles in order to define the word “circadian.”

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