Plogging fitness trend sees runners picking up litter

Joggers are picking up litter in a fitness trend that has come to the UK from Sweden. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Debut novelist reveals how sickle cell disease inspired her book

Debut novelist Adebayo Ayobami reveals how sickle cell disease inspired her book. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'He started going blue so we had to give CPR'

Alec Brown saved his baby son's life using recently-acquired CPR skills. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Ruaridh Brown: Father saves baby son's life with CPR

Just weeks after taking a first aid course, Alec Brown had to put his new skills into practice on his son. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'The NHS treatment that caused my cancer'

Thousands want answers after being infected with hepatitis C and HIV from contaminated blood products. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'Hiding at the back of the gym crying'

Craig Toley reveals how he dealt with a cancer diagnosis as men are urged to talk more about the illness. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Five things you might be surprised affect weight

Why do some struggle more to lose weight than others? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Health bosses criticise visa rules for doctors

Health bosses warning patients are facing delays and rotas going unfilled because of cap on non-EU workers. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

A Gym Thing: The play with weighty issues

A Gym Thing is a play, set during an hour-long workout, which tackles the body-image disorder "bigorexia". via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Nigeria’s deadly codeine cough syrup epidemic

With thousands in Nigeria addicted to codeine cough syrup, BBC Africa goes undercover to investigate. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Bra tattoo changed woman's life after breast cancer

A 69-year-old breast cancer survivor gets her confidence back after having a bra tattoo. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Sugar tax revolt: Meet the Ribena stockpilers

Some people hate the new Ribena so much, they've started to stockpile the last "classic" bottles. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'Don't panic' over medicines' link to dementia, says expert

Patients are being warned not to stop taking prescribed drugs but to consult their doctor. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'Six-fold benefit' from primary school mental health counselling

Investing in mental health help for primary school children will boost the future economy, a study says via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Dementia risk linked to some medicines

Up to two million people in England take anticholinergics, for depression and Parkinson's disease. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Fake cancer causes belief 'rife', research suggests

Drinking from plastic bottles, food additives and microwave ovens are just some that people believe. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Can we trust BMI to measure obesity?

Our fat calculator has thrown up a range of questions from people on body mass index. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

London Marathon: How to run in the heat

This London Marathon may break the record for the hottest yet, so how do you run in the heat? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

HPV: Would you know if you had the virus?

What is the human papillomavirus and how do you know if you have it? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Girl has leg reattached backwards after cancer surgery

Amelia Eldred who lost her limb to bone cancer has rare procedure which could allow her to dance again. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Colchester mother creates bottle-feeding support group

Parents who feed their babies formula milk are often made to feel inadequate, according to a mother. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

How much sugar in cereal do children eat?

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tests just how much sugar we are eating for breakfast. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Bereaved mothers in Milton Keynes helped by support group

A support group for bereaved mothers who are once again pregnant is making all the difference. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Woman calls for government to rethink plastic straws policy

Ellie Simpson, who has cerebral palsy, said the government had not given proper consideration to people with disabilities. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

New ban on epilepsy drug in pregnancy

Valproate will no longer be given to girls and women of childbearing age unless they sign a consent form. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Crossing Divides: How running is uniting old and young

Vivian combines exercise with tackling loneliness through regular runs to visit her 'coach' Dennis. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

The female boxer with cerebral palsy

Kate Farley has cerebral palsy, but that doesn't stop her packing a punch in the ring - on her knees. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

How bacteria are changing your mood

Scientists think "mood microbes" are a new frontier for improving the health of the brain. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Listening to your heartbeat can help with your feelings

“I wish I could feel happy or excited” - Tom is trying a new treatment that could help people with autism to better recognise their emotions. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

US soldier gets world's first penis and scrotum transplant

The wounded veteran who received the organ transplant says he feels "finally more normal". via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Boy recovering well after five-organ transplant

Jay Crouch has two new kidneys, a liver, pancreas and small bowel and is learning how to eat. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

£6m pledge for children of alcoholics

The government funding will go towards mental health services and outreach programmes for parents. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Ex-MP Tessa Jowell first to donate data to medical database

Former Culture Secretary Baroness Tessa Jowell hopes better cancer treatments can be developed. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'In six days I'll lose my voice forever'

Lonnie's tongue is about to be removed. What will he say to loved ones with his final words? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Gestational diabetes an 'epidemic'

Experts say more screening is needed to tackle the disease, which affects pregnant women. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Top tips on getting through hot weather with hay fever

With the temperature rising, here are our top tips in reducing your hay fever-induced tears. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'I lost legs and part of my face after a dog scratch'

Dr Jaco Nel lost both his legs and all of the fingers on one hand after contracting sepsis. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'World's worst' super-gonorrhoea man cured

The patient had a lucky escape say doctors, but now two more cases have been discovered. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Corrie actor: 'Amazing response’ to OCD storyline

Actor Colson Smith hopes the show has done its bit to help raise awareness. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'Theme park therapy' helps son to come alive, says mum

Robbie has the mental age of a two-year-old and is normally quiet and withdrawn. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

First double face transplant patient 'well' in France

The first person in the world to receive two facial transplants is recovering in a Paris hospital. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Frenchman gets 'third face' in new transplant

Jérôme Hamon is the first patient to have two facial transplants and says he is doing well. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Does vaginal seeding boost health?

Does vaginal seeding expose babies to good bacteria or is it too dangerous? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

How 'ninja polymers' are taking on the killer superbugs

Is the fusion of biology and technology speeding us towards a synthetic future? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Breastfeeding: Abergavenny mums share nursing images online

The images are intended to start conversations about the difficulties nursing mothers can face. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Rhys's top tips for living with ADHD

Rhys Sinclair was diagnosed with ADHD when he was seven years old. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

European women twice as likely to be blonde as men, study says

Women from European descent are twice as likely to be naturally blonde as men, a new study suggests. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Ketamine has 'fast-acting benefits' for depression

A study treating depressed patients with the drug via a nasal spray saw "significant improvements". via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

The paramedic couple who mostly collect bodies

Mariela and her husband work as paramedics in one of the most violent cities in Mexico. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Genes behind deadly heart condition found, scientists say

Genes are found that cause a heart disease that kills 50% of victims within five years. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Late risers at increased risk of early death, study finds

Night owls are 10% more likely to have premature deaths than early risers, a study says. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

A solution to one of America’s biggest problems

Who will care for the soaring number of elderly Americans? One place has found a creative answer. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Good bacteria: Why I put my poo in the post

How analysing faeces could unlock the secrets of good health. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'I lost seven stone to save my liver'

Frances Carroll needed sticks to walk any distance when she was a size 22. Now she's a fitness instructor. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Going through the menopause at 11 years old

Amanda was 11 years old when she started experiencing symptoms of early menopause. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Why some cancers are 'born to be bad'

Breakthrough explains why some cancers are far more deadly than others. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Chinese baby born four years after parents' death

A surrogate mother gave birth as the biological parents had frozen embryos before they died in a car crash. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Anti-abortion campaigner: 'We will continue to hold vigils'

One campaigner says a 100m "buffer zone" at a London abortion clinic will not be a deterrent. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

WHO and UNICEF issue new guidance to promote breastfeeding in health facilities globally

WHO and UNICEF today issued new ten-step guidance to increase support for breastfeeding in health facilities that provide maternity and newborn services. Breastfeeding all babies for the first 2 years would save the lives of more than 820 000 children under age 5 annually.

The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding underpin the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, which both organizations launched in 1991. The practical guidance encourages new mothers to breastfeed and informs health workers how best to support breastfeeding. via WHO news Read More Here..

Exercise benefits to the brain 'may be passed on'

A study in mice found that physical and mental exercise in adults improved offspring's learning ability. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

NHS heart bypass surgery waiting times double in Wales

Heart surgery patients in Wales see the average waiting time rise from 43 days to 79. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

YouTube star prompts conversation about social anxieties

Social anxiety is like 'falling down the rabbit hole of endless what ifs' says one suffer in a candid online debate. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

WHO concerned about suspected chemical attacks in Syria

WHO is deeply alarmed by reports of the suspected use of toxic chemicals in Douma city, East Ghouta.

According to reports from Health Cluster partners, during the shelling of Douma on Saturday, an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals. In particular, there were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed. via WHO news Read More Here..

Woman's jaw regrown by 9cm in UK first operation after cancer

Val Blunden's jaw has been reconstructed by "stretching" her own tissue and bone around a frame. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Brain injuries increase dementia risk, study finds

An analysis found people who had brain injuries were 24% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Why do people enjoy taking part in chilli-eating contests?

Chilli-eating competitions are proving popular in the UK, despite potential risks. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Child amputees get new sport prosthetics fund

A mother's campaign has led to government funding that gives hope to child amputees. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Nearly one billion people in Africa to be protected against yellow fever by 2026

Nearly one billion people will be vaccinated against yellow fever in 27 high-risk African countries by 2026 with support from WHO, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and more than 50 health partners.

The commitment is part of the Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) in Africa strategy, which was launched by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and partners at a regional meeting in Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday (10 April). via WHO news Read More Here..

More than half your body is not human

Human cells make up only 43% of the body's total cell count, while the rest are microscopic colonists. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Record number of organ donors in 2017

Last year also saw the highest year-on-year increase in donors in the UK for 28 years. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Facebook Science: How Facebook Breaks Effect Stress and Wellbeing

Inadvertently, in the wake of recent Facebook data harvesting scandals, Elon Musk and Brian Acton spurring on Facebook users to #DeleteFacebook in past weeks and the resulting Facebook breaks could (potentially) do some good for the average users stress levels. While differences between being deleted, deactivated, or abandoned have yet to be explored, new research is the first to report that the average user can relieve physiological measures of stress by taking a break from Facebook—at least in the short-term.

Findings from a 2013 survey in the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, posit that 61% of current Facebook users reported taking a “Facebook vacation,” in which they voluntarily stopped using Facebook for several weeks or more. Moreover, 20% of adults reported having once used Facebook but that they no longer did so.

In a study that was just published in the Journal of Social Psychology, researchers in Australia investigated how taking a Facebook break (i.e., abstaining from using Facebook) effects stress and wellbeing. They recruited 138 active Facebook users and split them into two groups: the Facebook use as normal and five-day Facebook break groups.

Taking a break from Facebook lowered levels of salivary cortisol (a stress biomarker) after just five days. Yet despite this physiologically stress-relieving effect, users taking a Facebook break reported feeling lower levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing than users that continued Facebook use as normal (as measured by subjective reports from the users).

These seemingly contradictory effects are consistent with the general love-hate feelings about Facebook that may typify most active users, exemplified by “I’m done with Facebook” posts one minute and regular selfies and check-ins the next—its a super social tool with tonnes of obvious benefits, but often feels taxing, addictively time-wasting, forces social comparison, lowers self-esteem, and can be an information overload.

Its important to remember that Facebook users in this study were not users that had reached Facebook breaking point and desired a Facebook vacation themselves. They were essentially “cut off” from Facebook for the purpose of the experiment, with the researchers reasoning that subjective feelings of life-satisfaction and well-being were lowered by removing a currently desired means of contact and connection with others, despite the break lowering stress levels by other means.

At first glance, two other Facebook break studies may seem to contradict the reduced wellbeing observed from taking a Facebook break. They reported that subjects reported feeling increased wellbeing when taking a Facebook break over a one-week (study 1) or two-week (study 2) period, particularly for the heaviest Facebook users.

The 5-day break in the newly published cortisol study was perhaps too short to observe the decline in subjective wellbeing previously reported from longer periods of regular Facebook use. Moreover, the Facebook break was also over a weekend, which is typically a wellbeing booster and may have counteracted negative effects of regular Facebook use.

It is also important to note that the participants were recruited based on a willingness to give up Facebook for five days (and not naturally occurring Facebook vacations), and may have over-selected for people already overburdened by Facebook and seeking a good reason to have a Facebook break. However, this didn’t seem to be the case as only a handful of users reported that they expected the Facebook break to be a pleasant experience—the majority of the participants did not think a Facebook break would be a nice experience. As one participant speculated:

I will probably feel…upset as my social life will be totally stopped if I cannot use Facebook and
cannot find my friends in Facebook, I will also feel like left behind as I will not be able to know
what has happened with my Facebook friends in the coming five days.

Many participants (unprompted) expressed happiness that they could get back onto Facebook again because they felt so cut off. Naturally occurring Facebook breaks, on the other hand, may come with better improvements in stress levels that coincide with improved wellbeing because the break is truly desired and needed.

This may also be why the self-reports of stress were not significantly affected (statistically speaking), despite a trend towards reporting lower stress, where their negative perceptions about being cut off from Facebook (e.g., “I’m disconnected!”) influenced their perceived stress.

Additionally, a moderator effect was found when participants were divided on the basis of Dunbar’s number, 150—the number of individuals with whom Dunbar suggested that any one person can maintain stable relationships with. Those with 150 or fewer friends showed a decline in cortisol, whether they took a break or continued to use Facebook as usual. However, the small number of participants who actually had fewer than 150 friends prevented them from having sufficient power to fully test these effects.

To really get to the bottom of all this, researchers should be asking what happens to cortisol levels (and subjective stress and wellbeing) when people are disconnected from Facebook for much longer periods (e.g., months), the mechanisms involved, and to what extent naturally occurring cyclical patterns of Facebook activity occur (where stress from Facebook builds, users disconnect and go cold turkey, and then return as their desire to feel connected again builds).

The amounting evidence supports that taking short breaks from Facebook could be beneficial to both mental and physical health due to the significant role of stress and the HPA axis in mental and physical disorders. This is particularly beneficial for people who heavily use the platform or experience too much social comparison and envy that harms their wellbeing.

Soon, research will likely tell us how long the breaks should be and how often and under what circumstances they should occur to get the most out of being both connected and disconnected from Facebook and perhaps social media use in general. Science can’t yet say with confidence the ways that deleting facebook and the #DeleteFacebook movement could impact users health and wellbeing, but it certainly suggests taking a #FacebookBreak if your #donewithfb. Maybe consider taking a Facebook break for lent next year.

References

Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., Shablack, H., Jonides, J., & Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook use predicts declines in subject well-being in young adults. PLOS ONE, 8(8), e69841-e69841. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069841

Pew Internet and American Life Project (2013). What teens said about social media, privacy, and online identity. Pew Internet. http://www.pewinternet.org/Commentary/2013/May/Focusgroup-highlights.aspx, accessed on January 5, 2017.

Tromholt, M. (2016). The Facebook experiment: Quitting Facebook leads to higher levels of well-being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19, 661-666.

Vanman, E., Baker, R., & Tobin, S. (2018). The burden of online friends: the effects of giving up Facebook on stress and wellbeing. The Journal Of Social Psychology. doi:10.1080/00224545.2018.1453467

Image via geralt/Pixabay.

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Finding the Right Way to Use Ketamine for Depression

Many studies have shown ketamine to be a promising treatment for those suffering from severe depression, but figuring out how to safely administer the drug has been a challenge for researchers. One hopeful delivery method was a nasal spray device because of its ease-of-use and the fact that it is less invasive than other methods such as injection.

But a new Australian study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology reveals some unexpected problems with the nasal spray method. In particular, the study shows the unpredictable nature of intranasal ketamine tolerance from one person to the next.

Lead author Professor Colleen Loo at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), who is based at Black Dog Institute, states:

It’s clear that the intranasal method of ketamine delivery is not as simple as it first seemed. Many factors are at play when it comes to nasal spray ketamine treatments. Absorption will vary between people and can fluctuate on any given day within an individual based on such things as mucous levels in the nose and the specific application technique used.

The pilot trial aimed to analyze the effectiveness of repeated doses of ketamine through an intranasal device amongst 10 volunteers with severe depression, ahead of a larger randomized controlled trial.

First, the participants were given extensive training in proper self-administration techniques before receiving either a course of eight ketamine treatments or an active control over a period of four weeks, under supervision at the study center.

Following the observation of each patients’ initial reaction to the nasal spray, the dosages were adjusted to include longer time intervals between sprays.

However, the trial had to be put on hold after testing with five participants resulted in unexpected problems with tolerability. Side effects included high blood pressure, psychotic-like effects, and motor incoordination which left some participants unable to continue to self-administer the spray.

Professor Colleen Loo commented:

Intranasal ketamine delivery is very potent as it bypasses metabolic pathways, and ketamine is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. But as our findings show, this can lead to problems with high peak levels of ketamine in some people causing problematic side effects. Other recent studies have questioned whether changes to ketamine’s composition after being metabolised into derivative compounds may actually deliver useful therapeutic effects. It remains unclear whether ketamine nasal sprays can be safely relied upon as a treatment for patients with severe depression.

Previous research led by Loo last year revealed the success of ketamine’s antidepressant effects in elderly patients when delivered in repeated doses, which were adjusted on an individual basis and given by the subcutaneous method (injections under the skin):

Our prior research has shown that altering the dose on an individual patient basis was important. However, we wanted to see if a simpler approach using a set dose of ketamine for all people and administered by nasal spray could work just as well in this latest pilot. More research is needed to identify the optimal level of ketamine dosage for each specific application method before nasal sprays can be considered a feasible treatment option.

The researchers are now recruiting participants for the world’s largest independent trial of ketamine to treat depression, to determine the safety and effects of repeated dosing using subcutaneous injections.

This guest article appeared on PsychCentral.com: Ketamine Nasal Spray for Depression Runs Into Problems and was originally posted on Psych Central by Traci Pedersen.

References

Gálvez V, Li A, Huggins C et al. Repeated intranasal ketamine for treatment-resistant depression – the way to go? Results from a pilot randomised controlled trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2018;32(4):397-407. doi:10.1177/0269881118760660.

Image via ThorstenF/Pixabay.

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100 years of chemical weapons

From chlorine to novichok, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon takes us through the history of chemical weapons. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Prostate cancer: Four in 10 cases diagnosed late, charity says

A report by the charity Orchid found 37% of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in the late stages. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Long NHS waits: My child flew to Turkey for op

Fourteen-year-old girl had to go abroad for spinal surgery because of delays in Northern Ireland. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

NI delays led to patient's spinal surgery in Turkey

In Northern Ireland, 14,000 people are waiting more than a year to receive treatment, compared to 1,800 in England. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Cardiff teen goes to Germany for scoliosis surgery on spine

Erin Morgan-Ring is the third Welsh child to go abroad for the operation which is not available on the NHS. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

UK soft drink sugar tax starts, but will it work?

Half of manufacturers cut sugar content with ministers calling it a good start in fight against obesity. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Sugar Tax: George Osborne says it should include milk drinks

George Osborne says if he was still Chancellor he would have expanded the sugar tax. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Victoria actor on being conceived by a sperm donor

ITV Victoria actor Jordan Waller has told BBC Radio 5 live he was conceived via a sperm donor. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

WHO at 70 - working for better health for everyone, everywhere

On 7 April, World Health Day, the World Health Organization marks its 70th anniversary. Over the past 7 decades, WHO has spearheaded efforts to rid the world of killer diseases like smallpox and to fight against deadly habits like tobacco use.

This year, World Health Day is dedicated to one of WHO’s founding principles: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” via WHO news Read More Here..

Family sues doctor who 'used his sperm' to impregnate patient

A woman sues a fertility doctor after a genealogy website test result showed him to be her father. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Will paying more for alcohol and fizzy drinks make us healthier?

Unhealthy drinks are about to get more expensive - in the hope that we will make "better" choices. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Disabled passengers: 'Don’t even think about going to the toilet'

Wheelchair user Jemma Collins recalls how her dream holiday ended in disaster. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Alice Liveing: How can office workers be more active?

Personal trainer and blogger Alice Liveing investigates how office workers can keep fit. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Brain back-up firm Nectome loses link to MIT

MIT severs ties with a start-up attempting to copy people's memories when they die. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

The doctor who really feels his patients' pain

For Dr Joel Salinas, music creates colours, numbers have personalities and another person's pain feels almost like his own. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Unspoken UK Punjabi alcohol problem

Alcohol consumption is glamorised across different aspects of Punjabi culture and shame stops many seeking the help that they need. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Birth trauma mother 'wanted to die'

A woman traumatised by being ignored during labour had lengthy physical and mental problems. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Breaking the period taboo in Pakistan

Wasma Imran and Mahin Khan founded the Recircle Cup, to help those who cannot afford sanitary towels in Pakistan. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

How Amsterdam is reducing child obesity

Rising rates of childhood obesity are a global problem - but in Amsterdam they are falling. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

'One-stop shops' set to speed up cancer diagnosis

The aim is to stop patients from being referred for several tests for different forms of the illness. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Syphilis patient calls for public debate as cases rise

One patient says he's been embarrassed by a disease he thought belonged in the Middle Ages. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

How parents' arguments really affect their children

It is normal for parents to argue, but the way rows affect children varies greatly. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Dementia patient to show she can run London Marathon

Sue Strachan, who has early onset dementia, wants to show it's possible to live well with the disease. via BBC News - Health Read More Here..

Blonde Vs Brunette Science: More #metoo for Blondes?

Blonde women are arguably the most sexually objectified and stereotyped women, but could this equate to more #metoo scenarios for blondes? Women often report experiencing increased attention and harassment from strangers as a given when going blonde. With an increased level of sexual attention and harassment, do women with blonde hair (from the bottle or not) have a greater risk of sexual assault than brunettes?

My First Day as a First-Time Blonde…

Yesterday I was a brunette. Using the magical powers of bleach I am now a first-time “blonde” (#silverhairtrend). It’s only hair…right? I immediately learned my error the moment I exited the hairdressers!

The streets feel different: there is definitely more regular catcalling, definitely more leering, I’m definitely approached more, and the creep/stalker factor definitely went up a very hefty notch. I mean, being a woman (#metoo), unwanted sexual attention is certainly not unusual, but at this frequency (#nonstop) and extra level of invasiveness…really?

I had no idea that blonde women have it this bad.

Why? Is it just me? Or do all blondes get harassed more on the street…and beyond? Should I be brushing up on my Krav Maga? Is it time to invest in my first pepper spray? If in doubt, research!

What Research Says…

Question 1: Are Blondes Stereotyped as Sex Objects? Sources say YES!

There are no statistics released regarding hair color and rates of harassment or sexual assault. One thing research has made clear is that blonde women are more sexually objectified than brunettes, i.e., reduced to a sexual object, rather than being seen as a full person. Similarly, research strongly demonstrates that the greater the sexual objectification the less deserving of respect a woman is considered to be.

In the brain, women that are more sexually objectified are considered less human and are more likely to be processed by the male brain like a toaster or a sheep than a human! (The reverse relationship hasn’t been found in women’s brains, the tendency demonstrated thus far is to process sexually objectified men as human beings, not objects or animals).

As reported in both qualitative research and popular media, women who have been on both sides of the peroxide bottle before commonly report more encounters with strangers where they feel to be treated more like an object, are presumed to be dumber, receive less respect, are taken less seriously, and receive aggression more readily than when they are brunettes. You can feel it, it’s palpable.

Tired of being a sexual object in the workplace, accomplished CEO Eileen Carey says that she made the decision to dye her blonde hair darker to fend off unwanted sexual attention, to be taken more seriously, allowing her to be perceived as the strong business leader that she is.

She is not alone. This ‘going brunette to escape the blonde stereotype’ trend is echoed in a qualitative study of the challenges facing female undergraduate engineering students. One student refused to return to blonde hair from fear of negative treatment from her male peers:

I don’t want to go back to being a blonde because I feel like I’m getting enough grief as it is as a woman. I feel like honestly, a woman with blonde hair, they just take you like a stereotypical Barbie. I feel like the brunette gives me a little more power. They [male peers] seem to take me more serious.

Question 2: Are Blondes harassed more by strangers? Initial sources say YES!

Empirical research exists on what makes blondes more attractive. For example, one study has shown that men (on average) judge women with blonde hair to be ‘significantly’ younger- and healthier-looking. Findings from other studies include blonde women being perceived as more popular and less intelligent (especially platinum blondes) than brunettes (i.e., the dumb blonde stereotype). But research asking if or why blonde women are sexually harassed, abused, or assaulted more is nearly nonexistent. At least for peer-reviewed research.

Although certainly not highly controlled experiments, some modern-day superwomen have come to science’s rescue with their own blonde Vs brunette experiments.

One such woman is Devin Lytle, a lifetime-long brunette, she dyed her hair platinum blonde to conduct her own set of social experiments. As generally echoed in more hardcore science, she was seen as more attractive, got more tinder swipes, and was viewed as sweeter and less uptight than her native brunette alter ego. Importantly, this seemed to come hand in hand with getting more catcalls on the street (three as a blonde and zero as a brunette, despite wearing the exact same outfit).

Hayley Quinn, another natural brunette, did three social experiments using a blonde wig (a chivalry test, a tinder test, and a street attractiveness test). She couldn’t even get started with street experiments without being approached as a blonde. Although there was no “catcalling experiment” per se, her personal experience was that:

I love being a brunette, it’s easier and nicer. But if you want to go blonde we can definitely say that blondes might not have more fun, but they definitely get noticed more, definitely get approached more, and definitely get judged more.

Some very early research from the 1980s supports our DIY scientists, concluding that objectified women—and by extension, blondes in particular—are subject to more sexual harassment, sexual coercion, and unwanted sexual attention in public spaces by strangers. Today, in research settings, the tendency towards female harassment has been shown to intensify simply by showing men videos that objectify women—which is not rare for blondes in popular media.

Question 3: Does the objectification and dehumanization of blondes increase risk of sexual assault? It does for objectified women generally, why not blondes!?

Although context is always king, it’s safe to say that the blonde woman stereotype is THE most sexually objectifying and therefore most dehumanizing of all the hair color stereotypes. But is this dehumanization a prelude to violence and increased risk of sexual assault?

Research undoubtedly shows that dehumanization as a consequence of sexual objectification has dire consequences. This is pretty evident in research on rape perceptions, where sexual objectification increases victim blaming and diminishes rapist blame in cases of stranger rape. Just like a torturous death of an animal can be seen as less torturous if the animal is considered to be for food, the sexual assault of a woman is seen as less of an assault if the woman is considered to be for sex—like blondes—making them more vulnerable to violence.

Research holds that men with hostile or aggressive views toward women are more likely to objectify. In reverse, if a man tends to view women more like animals or objects they are more likely to be sexually aggressive towards women. The latest study showed that sexual objectification increases physical aggression toward women without provocation (i.e., even if there is no negative behaviour that could provoke aggression, if you’re seen as a sex object, aggression towards you is generally higher). It doesn’t look good for blondes.

Although currently there is no direct research exploring causal relationships between women’s hair color, associated stereotypes, and rates of harassment or assault, connecting the dots between the early evidence makes it clear we would be “very blonde” not to do so.

What I say…

For me, I LOVE my new hair, I do look younger and more healthy—when you are dealing with health problems this is priceless! Although I am understandably annoyed by this extra unwanted attention, perhaps naively, having always consider myself a tough woman that has fought off men, saving both myself and others from assault, I am not (and refuse to be) more scared because of my change in hair color. Naive or not, I cannot help but worry for women who may not have the devictimizing confidence I carry like a weapon or that fear they can’t defend themselves. Women having to dye their hair darker to feel safer around strangers is not ok.

I truly didn’t expect that going blonde would instil a strong desire to break a potentially dangerous stereotype. Although the interplay between the media misrepresentation of blondes and evolutionary engrained perceptions of fertility and youth likely drive the painting of all blonde haired women with the same sexually objectifying and dehumanizing dye brush, we as women still have the means to take some of that power back. And I plan to do just that.

References

Awasthi B. From Attire to Assault: Clothing, Objectification, and De-humanization – A Possible Prelude to Sexual Violence?. Front Psychol. 2017;8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00338.

Bernard P, Loughnan S, Marchal C, Godart A, Klein O. The Exonerating Effect of Sexual Objectification: Sexual Objectification Decreases Rapist Blame in a Stranger Rape Context. Sex Roles. 2015;72(11-12):499-508. doi:10.1007/s11199-015-0482-0.

Bratanova B, Loughnan S, Bastian B. The effect of categorization as food on the perceived moral standing of animals. Appetite. 2011;57(1):193-196. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2011.04.020.

Cikara M, Eberhardt J, Fiske S. From Agents to Objects: Sexist Attitudes and Neural Responses to Sexualized Targets. J Cogn Neurosci. 2011;23(3):540-551. doi:10.1162/jocn.2010.21497.

Fairchild K, Rudman L. Everyday Stranger Harassment and Women’s Objectification. Soc Justice Res. 2008;21(3):338-357. doi:10.1007/s11211-008-0073-0.

Fitzgerald L, Shullman S, Bailey N et al. The incidence and dimensions of sexual harassment in academia and the workplace. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 1988;32(2):152-175. doi:10.1016/0001-8791(88)90012-7.

Galdi S, Maass A, Cadinu M. Objectifying Media. Psychol Women Q. 2013;38(3):398-413. doi:10.1177/0361684313515185.

Sorokowski P. Attractiveness of Blonde Women in Evolutionary Perspective: Studies with Two Polish Samples. Percept Mot Skills. 2008;106(3):737-744. doi:10.2466/pms.106.3.737-744.

Swami V, Barrett S. British men’s hair color preferences: An assessment of courtship solicitation and stimulus ratings. Scand J Psychol. 2011;52(6):595-600. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9450.2011.00911.x.

Vaes J, Paladino P, Puvia E. Are sexualized women complete human beings? Why men and women dehumanize sexually objectified women. Eur J Soc Psychol. 2011;41(6):774-785. doi:10.1002/ejsp.824.

Vasquez E, Ball L, Loughnan S, Pina A. The object of my aggression: Sexual objectification increases physical aggression toward women. Aggress Behav. 2017;44(1):5-17. doi:10.1002/ab.21719.

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Different Coping Styles May Cause, Prevent, or Treat OCD

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) tend to fall back on maladaptive coping strategies such as rumination and thought suppression, according to new research; even though adaptive coping skills such as acceptance and problem-solving could improve their quality of life.

Unfortunately, many OCD patients tend to lack those adaptive coping skills while in the throes of the disorder, according to a new German study published in the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research.

OCD is a complex psychological condition in which the patient suffers from persistent unwanted thoughts and high levels of anxiety. The disorder can lead to a severe reduction in one’s quality of life.

For the study, the researchers compared the behavior of 60 patients with OCD to a group of 110 people with depression as well as a control group of 1,050 adults. All participants completed anonymous online surveys in which they reported their medical and psychological histories, along with their levels of compulsivity and abilities to cope in specific situations.

Participants also answered a questionnaire that covered different adaptive and maladaptive coping styles that one might use to deal with difficult situations.

The participants also completed the Maladaptive and Adaptive Coping Styles Questionnaire (MAX) that had been recently developed by the researchers. This questionnaire measures coping styles using three dimensions: maladaptive coping (thought suppression, rumination), adaptive coping (problem-solving, acceptance), and avoidance.

Participants gave information about the coping strategies they use against their OCD symptoms such as problem-solving and rumination, as well as other coping styles that have recently been adopted in therapy, such as acceptance and suppression.

People with OCD were found to possess more maladaptive coping skills than all of the other participants, including those suffering from depression. They also possessed fewer functional skills to help them cope and adapt. Those who lacked adaptive coping skills were more likely to have poor insight into their condition and a resistance to symptoms.

As put by the study leader, Dr. Steffen Moritz from the University Hospital Hamburg in Germany:

Patients with OCD are characterized by both more maladaptive coping and less adaptive coping relative to controls. Coping skills are important for many aspects of daily life beyond mental health.

Teaching children skills such as how to cope with bullying at school, poor performance or problems with their parents, for example, in the framework of general cognitive preventative treatment and resilience training in school, may help children to better deal with emotional turmoil and challenging situations during adolescence.

It may also prevent the progression of a vulnerability to later obsessive-compulsive disorder or depression as well as other disorders.

Although the findings highlight some of the skills that patients with OCD lack, Moritz says further research is needed to find out to what extent improving such coping skills during childhood and adolescence through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or similar interventions may indeed improve an OCD patient’s quality of life.

This guest article appeared on PsychCentral.com: Many OCD Patients Tend to Use Poor Coping Strategies and was originally posted on Psych Central by Traci Pedersen.

Reference

Moritz, S., Fink, J., Miegel, F., Nitsche, K., Kraft, V., Tonn, P., & Jelinek, L. (2018). Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder is Characterized by a Lack of Adaptive Coping Rather than an Excess of Maladaptive Coping. Cognitive Therapy And Research, 1–11. doi:10.1007/s10608-018-9902-0

Image via aleksandra85foto/Pixabay.

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India's Gorakhpur hospital: The night the children died

Did lack of oxygen really cause the deaths of 30 children in one night at an Indian hospital? via BBC News - Health Read More Here..