Category Archives: Abnormal Psychology

Articles on Abnormal Psychology – the scientific study of aberrant patterns of thought, emotion and behavior.

Surprising Biological Markers of Autism

biological markers of autism

Autism is a disorder which impacts greatly upon a baby’s ability to mature and acquire normal social skills; the condition causes children to communicate in odd speech patterns such as speaking repetitively or echoing the speech of others. For some time scientists believed that autism could only be detected when a child had grown old enough to be able to speak with others. However recent studies conducted by researchers at the University of Kansas have suggested that autism may soon be detectable even before a child learns the alphabet. Continue reading

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Police Officers and Stress Related Health Problems

police and stress related health problemsThere is no doubt that policing is an extremely dangerous job. Policemen are regularly involved in perilous situations that might result in the deaths of the persons they are trying to serve, the deaths of the persons they are trying to stop or even the loss of their own lives. However recent research is now highlighting the fact that the inherent dangers associated with the job do not solely lurk out in the streets.

John Violanti, Ph.D., a research associate professor at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, is leading an experiment to study the correlation between the stress of being a police officer and the occupation’s psychological and health related outcomes. The assumption that the exposure to death, the exposure to human suffering and the high demands experienced by police officers in the line of duty contribute to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic ailments prompted the initiation of the five year experiment known as the buffalo cardio- metabolic occupational police stress (BCOPS) study. Dr. Violanti insists that this is the first police population based research to test such an association. Continue reading

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5 Shocking Mental Health Treatments From the Past

shocking mental health treatments

Though often left out of textbooks and lectures, history is filled with innumerable events and activities ranging from the improbable to the downright weird. From Catherine the Great’s alleged affair with one of her horses to the dung beetle charms worn by the ancient Egyptians, human behavior hasn’t always been what we have come to expect. And when individuals broke from normalcy, perhaps due to being afflicted with mental illnesses, they were often subjected to various “treatments” with the aim of alleviating their afflictions. In many cases however, these remedies were often weird enough to make bedding a horse seem like a perfectly natural thing to do. Continue reading

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Is Your Job Killing You? – Infographic

stress managementStress is an inevitable part of day to day life and the workplace is just one of its many sources. But even so, you can learn to keep stress levels in check. There have been numerous studies which confirm that stress on the job can wreak havoc on your general health. In fact, frequent headaches and heart palpitations are signs that your job could be slowly killing you.

People who are chronically stressed are more likely to develop heart disease, insomnia, digestive problems, obesity and a decline in mental health. Chronic stress has been linked to depression, anxiety and memory problems. Do not be afraid to take a few days off from your job if you feel that you have been working too hard and are too stressed out. Coming back to work when fresh in body and mind can make all the difference. Continue reading

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Full Recovery From Schizophrenia? Post #2 – Is Schizophrenia Really a Brain Disease?

schizophrenia and the human brain

In spite of over a hundred years of research and many billions of dollars spent, we still have no clear evidence that schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders are the result of a diseased brain. Continue reading

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