September 2018

Researcher Keith Payne has found something surprising: When people flying coach are forced to walk past the pampered first-class flyers in the front of the plane, the likelihood of some sort of air rage incident rises sharply. In his 2017 book The Broken Ladder , Payne, a social psychologist at the University of North Carolina, argues that humans are hardwired to notice relative differences. When we’re reminded that we’re poorer or less powerful than others, we become less healthy, more...

(HealthDay)—American teens whose behavior, appearance or lifestyle do not conform to widely held views on what it is to be a "normal" male or female face a high risk for mental distress and drug abuse, new research warns. The findings were culled from a national survey exploring the psychological risk profiles of teens who described themselves as " gender nonconforming." The poll enlisted more than 6,000 students enrolled in high schools in three large urban school districts across...

The Department of Homeland Security announced a proposed rule on Friday that would penalize immigrants seeking permanent status who use public benefit programs such as food assistance and housing vouchers. Under the new policy, those who seek financial help could risk losing their chance at a green card. Already, the federal government can deny permanent resident status or admission to the United States to immigrants deemed a " public charge "—dependent on cash benefits such as Temporary...

Last weekend, I spent Saturday afternoon in Center City with a friend I hadn't seen in years, went for two long runs in Haddon Heights Park, and savored a Thai meal in Voorhees on Sunday with another good friend. I also attended three 12-step meetings, without which none of those other activities would have been possible — because I'd have died long ago. I'd be a casualty like the seven individuals who fatally overdosed last weekend in Philly's Kensington neighborhood, where dozens of...

CALL FOR CONFERENCE PRESENTERS The Community Resilience Initiative is pleased to present the 2019 Beyond Paper Tigers Fourth Annual Conference at the Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center in Pasco, WA. We invite professionals from various fields and organizations throughout the country to submit a presenter application on the topics related to healthy, resilient development in the face of chronic, toxic stress in urban and rural settings, inclusive of diversity and equity for particularly...

Imagine a 13-year-old in a sexual relationship with a 20-something friend of the family. The adult occasionally trades small sums of money for oral sex. The child grows up to be a promiscuous adult, particularly when it comes to oral sex. Unfortunately, this scenario is not difficult to imagine. But it’s worth considering the typical "script" that structures what comes to mind when you consider this scenario. What gender do you imagine the teenager to be? What gender the adult? And what...

Fiserv Forum already has a couple of concerts under its belt, and before long, it begins its primary purpose, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks. On Wednesday night, however, the new arena gets an unexpected use: It hosts an ambitious conference on the topic of healing, with well over a thousand participants expected to hear how to address the epidemic of psychological trauma that increasingly is seen as the root cause for a host of social ills — unemployment, mental illness, aggression, addiction,...

Religion and nature can both lead to awe, and turning to one or the other is a common coping strategy for the stress that might accompany an upcoming presentation, exam or performance. But an awe-inspiring experience can have negative consequences as well as benefits, according to a novel University at Buffalo-led study that uses cardiovascular responses to stress to take a broad look at awe and the critical role perspective plays when considering the effects of encountering awe. "We found...

Sharing a resource to support school/educator efforts. Not an educator? Share with one. https://mytraumainformedschool.com/aceing-your-parent-student-teacher-conference/

Ivan has an ACEs score of 8 and he's failing in most of his classes, described as "a lazy student who won't do the work." In fact, he lives with a troubled family struggling with mental health challenges. We adults must acknowledge the contradiction between the espoused views that all students deserve the chance to study hard and succeed, and the reality that so many students are traumatized by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), diminishing their capacity to achieve in school. Students...

Is there a link between differences in IQ test performance and the activity of certain genes? Researchers from Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin have shown that modifications in the structure of a specific gene have a negative impact on individual test performance. This suggests that environmentally-induced epigenetic changes to our genetic material have a greater impact on intelligence than previously thought. Results from this study have been published in Translational Psychiatry.

Disaster relief is most commonly thought of as providing food, water, and shelter to those affected by calamitous events beyond their control. But as communities in places like Texas and Puerto Rico are learning, disaster relief that only alleviates physical wants is not enough to put their communities back on their feet. After first responders have done their jobs to secure personal safety, an emotional recovery has to begin as well. [For more on this story by Rayne Ellis, go to...