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The pandemic’s psychological scars
swirly painting of faces and heads

(Homepage image) “What we needed to do for our physical health—quarantining, staying away from other people and social situations—even when that kind of avoidance is the right thing to do, it makes people more anxious,” says Elizabeth Turk-Karan of the Center for the Study and Treatment of Anxiety. What remains to be seen is how these emotions and many others will play out as the pandemic recedes.

The pandemic’s psychological scars

It’s been a long and uncertain road, with some groups shouldering a disproportionately greater burden of mental anguish from COVID-19. Yet now there’s a glimmer of hope. Has the page finally turned?

Michele W. Berger

Hospitalizations for eating disorder increased during pandemic
A mostly eaten apple in front of a mirror showing a whole, uneaten apple.

Hospitalizations for eating disorder increased during pandemic

Researchers can’t yet pinpoint definitive reasons, though they surmise it was a combination of factors, including stress, an outsized focus on weight gain and personal appearance, and maybe even symptoms of COVID-19 itself.

Michele W. Berger

Eating disorder hospitalizations doubled during COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows

Eating disorder hospitalizations doubled during COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows

Research co-led by the Perelman School of Medicine and Leonard Davis Institute found an increase in people hospitalized for eating disorders amid the pandemic. They attributed the rise to several factors, including delays in access to outpatient care, the closing of schools and colleges, and changes to the grocery shopping process.

Bill on magic mushrooms aims to make Pa. a national leader in psychedelic research

Bill on magic mushrooms aims to make Pa. a national leader in psychedelic research

William R. Smith, a psychiatry resident at Penn Medicine, commented on a new clinical trial exploring psilocybin’s effects on depression. “The trial is encouraging, being a larger sample of patients with a control group than earlier [treatment resistant depression] studies,” he said.

The Beat with Ari Melber

The Beat with Ari Melber

Thea Gallagher of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed the pandemic’s toll on mental health. Rather than forcing a confident, upbeat exterior to appease others, Gallagher recommends “being real and authentic, and talking about the struggles that you are having.”

As vaccination efforts continue, COVID-19 isn’t the most serious threat facing some Philadelphians. Consider gun violence

As vaccination efforts continue, COVID-19 isn’t the most serious threat facing some Philadelphians. Consider gun violence

Jaya Aysola and Lily Brown of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about the underreported effects of violence and poverty on Philadelphians’ mental health. “When someone is shot on my street, it might be something that neighbors come out of the house and actually see, or it’s on the news—it’s in the conscious awareness of a lot of people in the community,” Brown said. “In context, having a death from COVID-19, by all accounts it can be a horrific experience, but it’s not documented in the same way.”

Elon Musk says he has Asperger’s syndrome—but is Asperger’s still a diagnosis? Here’s what experts told us

Elon Musk says he has Asperger’s syndrome—but is Asperger’s still a diagnosis? Here’s what experts told us

David Mandell of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about why Asperger’s syndrome was removed from the DSM and incorporated into the diagnosis of autism. “Clinicians were not reliable in differentiating between Asperger's and autism,” he said. “Part of the reason for this is that the presentation of autistic people can change dramatically with age and over time.”

The immune link between a leaky blood-brain barrier and schizophrenia
A microscopic image of a neuron labeled in fluorescent colorful markers

A genetic condition known as 22q.11.2 deletion syndrome is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. A Penn Vet-led team found that a leaky blood-brain barrier, allowing inappropriate immune involvement in the central nervous system, may contribute to this or perhaps other neuropsychiatric conditions. (Image: Courtesy of Jorge Iván Alvarez)

The immune link between a leaky blood-brain barrier and schizophrenia

Research from the School of Veterinary Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia points to the involvement of the immune system the brain as a contributor to mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

Katherine Unger Baillie

The path to deeper connections, even amidst a pandemic
Headshots of two people. On the left is a person with glasses wearing a blazer, white shirt and blue tie. On the right is a person in a black blazer, black-and-white blouse and visible necklace. Both are smiling.

Edward Brodkin is co-director of the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence, director of the Adult Autism Spectrum Program, and an associate professor of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine. Penn alumna Ashley Pallathra is a clinical researcher and therapist pursuing her Ph.D. at The Catholic University of America. They co-wrote “Missing Each Other.” (Images: Christopher Descano)

The path to deeper connections, even amidst a pandemic

A new book from Penn’s Edward Brodkin and psychology doctoral candidate Ashley Pallathra focuses on the science and practice of attunement, the process by which people can most effectively connect to themselves and others.

Michele W. Berger

Anxiety in a post-COVID world
Newton’s cradle where one end swinging ball is a covid virus cell and the other is a content happy face.

Anxiety in a post-COVID world

A return to the next normal post-pandemic may trigger anxiety for people anticipating a more public-facing life after a year of isolation.