14/12/2012

news...

Spent lots of today doing uni work...realised it must be lunchtime when reading 'piecemeal' in an academic paper made me hungry...



On another note, got past 1000 page views yesterday - woop! For all the people that keep telling me they 'regularly stalk my blog' or 'checked out my blog' thank you! Keep reading and I'll try to keep filling it with interesting things. Any feedback welcomed :)

07/12/2012

CBT - it works?!

The BBC is about 6 steps behind everyone else again...or perhaps I was just getting ahead of myself, must assume I thought it was already taken as read that CBT can reduce depression...but then I'm a psychology faithful and lack the cynicism I'm sure to gain with age. So, have a read, and I'll research further on CBT and what is actually known about its power to work.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20625639

Does losing Asperger's mean losing children?

I've blogged before about the DSM-5. Due to be published in May 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders remains central to discussion in psychological, medical and political (well maybe not, but it should be) spheres. It's important because subtle changes in how mental disorders are diagnosed can change the lives of children and adults everywhere.
One of the most widely discussed changes is losing the description of 'Asperger's Disorder' from the manual. It was described in the previous edition of the Manual as impairment in social interaction and restricted or stereotyped patterns of behaviour that impair important areas of functioning, without presence of language delay or cognitive development delay. This has been an important area of diagnosis for many people, allowing access to 'Statements' and appropriate treatment and assistance.

But in the last few years, alongside the terms 'autism' and 'Asperger's', the term 'Autistic Spectrum Disorder' has begun to be used. It has become widely accepted that the disorder is a spectrum, with differing cognitive abilities, levels of impairment and characteristics fitting into different areas of the spectrum, united by a triad of impairments. This diagnosis will be in the new DSM and in some ways proves very useful - recognising the degree of coherency across the spectrum, that help is needed for all children who fall on the spectrum however high or low functioning, and the fluidity needed in diagnosis and treatment.

But there are fears that this change in diagnosis will allow children and young people with Asperger's to 'slip through the net'. There are fears it will lead to under (or over) diagnosis. Parents are literally terrified their children will lose the services they really need - just because their cognitive functioning is average or above. This is a political issue and, whether the changes in the DSM-5 are right or wrong, politicians, policy makers, parents and people everywhere need to sit up and listen. Because people with autism may not seem 'typical', but autism is not rare. You may not be able to see Asperger's on someone's face, but Asperger's is not invisible.

Losing Asperger's from the DSM-5 is a bureaucratic change really. It's a consolidation of diagnostic terminology and a modernisation of the way we think about autism. But for some people it means losing their children's support and safety-net. Does losing Asperger's mean losing children?

Read that? Wondered why I keep repeating myself on my blog? Read up and realise, these issues aren't going anywhere: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/12December/Pages/Aspergers-dropped-from-mental-health-manual-DSM-5.aspx

The DSM controversy continues...

http://www.bps.org.uk/news/dsm5-approved-controversy-continues

more to follow...

24/10/2012

Capuchin monkeys reject unfair pay

Thank you bio anth lecture for bringing this gem into my life. Don't be so naive as to say only humans have a concept of ethics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8mynrRd7Ak

28/09/2012

Off to study psychology, sociology, anthropology and some other wonderful things for the first time ever! Could not be more excited. Wish me luck lovely reader people :)

21/09/2012

Brain Science

That's more than enough politics for one day, have a healthy dose of brain science to round off the evening :) Scientists at the Allen Institute for brain Science in Seattle have been investigating the 'genetic blueprint' of the human brain, and have found some very interesting findings.

Here is the report on the BBC, to get you warmed up!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19674768

And the press release from the Allen Institute:
http://www.alleninstitute.org/Media/documents/press_releases/2012_0919_PressRelease_Nature_AllenHumanBrainAtlas.html

And while most of this site utterly baffles me (do let me know if you can make any sense of all the genetic stuff) this MRI explorer tool is pretty cool:
http://human.brain-map.org/mri_viewers/data

Scandal - an excuse for a cuppa?

Scandal: it's everywhere right now.

Sure, as of yet no British paper has actually published the topless photos of our beloved Catherine Middleton, but with all the discussion, front-page spreads and prime-spots on news programmes, we're not exactly giving her gracious privacy. It's a scandal because it brings into question, for the umpteenth time this year, privacy and the nature of the press. It also brings the monarchy back into the spotlight, and raises questions on how we expect them to behave and how they can expect to be treated.

Sure, we don't actually live in or have a say in the governing of America, but with comments such as Republican senate candidate Todd Akin's 'Legimate Rape' and his no-exceptions stance on abortion, the Brits are quick as ever to express horror and disbelief and stir up a scandal from across the Atlantic. With American views on healthcare, prison services and welfare systems differing vastly from the vague consensus in England, almost any political statement rapidly becomes a scandal. This was seen recently in Romney's controversial and famous, secretly filmed '47%' speech in which he accused 47% of the country of making themselves victims and expecting the government to provide healthcare, food and accommodation when they cannot do so for themselves. While the scandal in America lies in the 'writing-off' of 47% of voters, for me at least it is found in the assumption that it is in any way wrong to assume the government will provide basic necessities for its citizens in their time of need. That is a scandal. Are these not human rights?

Sure, no-one really believed for a second the Libdems would actually be in power any time in the forseeable future, let alone scrap tuition fees if they were, but the fact that Nick Clegg was photographed publicly signing a comedy-sized pledge instantly brought the party's integrity into question and was something he should have known he'd regret forever. It somehow manages to be a scandal again now, years on, because Clegg has finally come out and apologised, in typical political fashion, not for breaking the promise but for making a promise it was impossible to keep. Great. Throw a satirical auto-tune youtube video into the mix and let the deputy prime-minister allow it to be released as a charity single, and suddenly the public is oh-so confused as to quite how the Libdems have come out of this particular scandal.

In typical British fashion, scandals become crude cartoons and excuses for gossip over a good old cuppa. They fill our newpapers and newsrooms, they are humanized through comedy programmes and radio shows and now, with the growth of the media-generation, they spread like wild-fire via facebook and twitter. But what makes a piece of news truly scandal worthy? Why do we care quite so much what comes out of an American politician's mouth? What about Kate's topless shots make the story deserving of headline news for weeks after the event when wars are going on? What about Cleggy's video is making thousands, if not millions, of teenagers spread the word regardless of their blossoming political loyalties?

Is it that these scandals bring something light-hearted to our big scary world? Is it that we enjoy have a giggle while internally philosophising about the underlying issues? Is it just a human hunger for naked pictures and politicians making fools of themselves? Perhaps it's all of the above. Perhaps it's that we're psychologically proven (see the TED video of Sophie Scott somewhere on this very blog) to be united in laughter. Or perhaps it's just that in an anything but clear cut political world, where no-one keeps their promises and no-one is held accountable, we crave a scandal so we can actually feel we have an opinion that matters, a say in the future, and a real understanding of our complicated hierarchical society.

The Lucifer Effect - Prof Zimbardo

I'm currently reading 'The Lucifer Effect' by Professor Phil Zimbardo. I say currently, but unfortunately due to a crazily busy year and my constant need to read fiction too, I've been reading it for rather a long time. However, it is an absolute must-read for *any* budding psychologist, sociologist, politician or current public policy professional or politician. It is groundbreaking, frightening and very very truthful. As you can probably tell, I'm itching to give it the full review it deserves, but that will have to wait until the last page is finally turned...which due to my continued business may not be for a while. But hey, pick it up and start it and maybe you'll finish at the same time as me!

P.s I bet your copy won't be signed by the great Zimbardo himself :D

14/09/2012

Psychologist - Comes in Waves


I found this via Vaughan Bell's post on the blog 'Mind Hacks'. Psychologist is an instrumental dubstep fusion maestro...apparently. But what makes this relevant, I hear you cry. Well, other than being a really beautiful and confusing video, in a recent interview Psychologist gave a lovely answer to questioning on the reason behind his name.


What’s behind the name?
Literally, Psychologist means ‘one who studies the soul’, we think of it as a scary word in our harsh-sounding, Germanic language, but it actually means something really beautiful. I also like that it is ambiguous as to whether it’s me studying my own soul, or yours, or you studying my soul, or me asking you to study your own. It’s like a big impossible object that goes around and around.

Credit to I-D magazine, and Mind Hacks.

29/08/2012

Designer Babies?

To me, choosing the sex of your own baby is pretty alarming, frightening and frankly unethical. But I can't exactly tell you why I think this. As is the case in the UK, I can understand the legality in sex changing if the foetus appears to be suffering from a sex-specific disorder or genetic disease. But what I can't even begin to understand is parents apparently 'flocking' to America to engineer their babies' gender. It's not like I'm against sex-changes or transgender individuals in adulthood, but for me there's something wrong about changing the sex of a baby apart from in very exceptional, and life-threatening circumstances. Perhaps it seems an admission that the baby would have been loved more if science and nature happened to turn out one way rather than the other.
This should certainly spark some discussion. Let me know your thoughts, by commenting here or on facebook!
http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/gender-selection-ivf-treatment-uk-couples-sex-baby.html

18/08/2012

Get Psychologising Again!

I'm back. I promise. I've started trawling the web for new sources of accessible psychology-related pieces to refill my blog now I've got my grades (yay! I can finally move on with my life, knowing my ambitions are still possible and even, dare I say it, probable!). So sit back, relax and prepare for a stream of psychology MADNESS. Oh and, if you like, share with your friends :)

First up, a very interesting article on the possible effects of having lights on at night, and possible links to clinical depression: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/07/24/keep-the-tv-or-computer-on-at-night-youre-at-greater-risk-for-depression/42184.html

Secondly, a little bit of tumblr mayhem for your delectation, on the theme of mental health and filled with discussion, interesting articles and of course memes: http://fiuactiveminds.tumblr.com/page/2

An interesting debate on whether healthcare systems have a right to deny major operations (here, a heart transplant) to individuals with autism, or any mental issue, due to concerns over the effect that drugs such as steroids may have on behaviour: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/after-adult-autistic-son-denied-heart-transplant-pennsylvania-woman-seeks-to-reverse-decision/2012/08/17/db4778aa-e834-11e1-9739-eef99c5fb285_story.html
and check out the real debate on the national autistic society's facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/NationalAutisticSociety

That's all for now folks! For anyone interested, keep an eye on news on the NAS (National Autistic Society), BPS (British Psychological Society) and Mind (Mental Health Charity) websites. Be aware of all things psychological, give me a share if you like my thinking and don't forget - I'm always up for discussion: comment,ask me a question or simply reblog. It's good to be back and psycholo-geeking!

13/08/2012

Growing Children

Great new programme on BBC 4 exploring childhood development. Starting with autism, it's well-made, well-researched and well-worth-a-watch!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01lyczl

Did you see it? Let me know your thoughts!

27/06/2012

A Leavers' Ball

Busy preparing for our leavers' ball tonight. My nails are pink, ablutions have been taking place since this morning, new make-up has been purchased, new shoes ready...and the dress, hanging clothed in it's plastic protector, ready to be bundled into the waiting taxi with trepidation and excitement.
Why is so much emotion pinned on that 'leavers' prom' that has taken over every American High School? Why are even we, in rural England, convinced we have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, and even really act a certain way on our 'prom' night? For us, the American traditions have certainly been toned down - I doubt any limos will pull into the drive of the venue, people other than those in relationships have not fallen over themselves to find dates, and there will be minimal matching of ties and corsages...or corsages at all. But there's still something about that last bash as a school group, that last party our parents get us ready for, that last night of limbo - half a child, half an adult.
 It's been several years since alcohol was introduced into the minds and livers of most of the year, so it's not like tonight is the first opportunity for a drunken loss of inhibitions. No, a leavers' ball is something beyond all that. It marks an end, and a new beginning. It marks a celebration, and a goodbye. It is a night spent with all those people we really love, and all those we kinda hate but may never see again. It's the end of 2, or 7 or even 15-odd years with the same people. And that's strange. But to cover up all the emotion that could be wrapped up in that one night, to mask the fear of the future and the regret of losing our safety net, our security and our home for the last years - we dress head to toe in gorgeousness, we curl and straighten and spray our hair, we dress, and dance and drink so we can't think about what tonight really represents....

Goodbye everything we've ever known.

Hello big scary future.


That's gotta be psychology, right?

24/06/2012

OCD, think again?

It is probably fair to say that OCD is a mental disorder not often talked about. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say it is often talked about, but not as a serious and potentially disabling mental disorder. Taunts of 'stop being so OCD' or 'that's a bit OCD' are common amongst many groups of young people, especially when someone of a somewhat anxious or precise disposition is present.
So what is OCD really? Mind describe it as an anxiety disorder which combines 'obsession' - a repeated unwanted thought or urge, with 'compulsion' - a repetitive activity you feel you have to do. Common obsessions include fear of contamination, imagining doing harm and excessive doubts. Common compulsions include ordering and arranging, washing and focusing on a number. Far from being very clean or organised in the way you go about day to day life, OCD can be a frightening and intrusive disorder than controls day-to-day living.
The treatment? Well, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) has been seen to have significant positive effects, and some medication including particular antidepressants, but these can have unpleasant side-effects and withdrawal symptoms.

Here's an interesting article from our friends at the BPS on the condition:
http://www.bps.org.uk/news/dr-heather-sequeira-cpsychol-ocd
So far from being a playfully tossed around adjective describing the tidy, anxious or precise, OCD is a real and significant part of people's lives. From the fictional Emma Pillsbury on the programme Glee to the 2% of British people living with the condition - it's real and scary and something perhaps we should appreciate a little more before we retort 'stop being so OCD' quite so loudly...

BPS and the DSM


The British Psychological Society has more to say on the matters being debated to do with the publishing of the DSM-5. For more information, check out my article on The Periodical: http://theperiodical.info/2012/06/10/the-dsm-5-stop-ignoring-mental-illness/ - do leave a comment if you have any thoughts, it is important that such issues provoke debate.
Dr David Murphy, Chair of the Society’s Professional Practice Board, says:
The Society applauds the American Psychiatric Association for engaging in this level of public consultation, and we welcome some of the changes from the previous iteration, such as the deferment of the decision to include the category of ‘attenuated psychosis syndrome’  and to recommend further research.
However we continue to have serious concerns about many aspects of the framework. In our response we have argued that the categorical framework of DSM-V is flawed in that it fails to take account of the evidence for the dimensional spectrum of psychiatric symptoms such as low mood, hearing voices, unusual beliefs etc in the general population.
We have also highlighted significant concerns about lowering of diagnositic thresholds and the validity ‘catch all’ diagnostic categories that exist within DSM-V such as ‘ADHD not elsewhere classified’, which we are concerned have poor inter rater reliability.
We are concerned that both of these aspects lead to the risk of overdiagnosis and thereby potentially unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment with medication.

18/06/2012

Autism in Pictures

The beautiful photos of the shortlist and winners of the National Autistic Society photographic competition. They are all amazing, they all have a story - and they all encapsulate such dignity, adventure and promise.

16/06/2012

To be fair...

With all this talk of mental illness and its lack of helpful or truthful publicity, I think it is important to note that on Thursday, the Commons was filled with debate on the very issue. And very interesting it looks too, at superficial first glance (cannot wait until I have time to actually *read* and *appreciate* these things!)
Be sure to check out the actual debate, by clicking the link 'commons debate on mental health' on the BPS link below :)

Enjoy, readers with freedom, time and thirst for knowledge on your hands. I'll be joining you soon!
http://www.bps.org.uk/news/society-president-welcomes-mps-new-openness-about-mental-health-problems

12/06/2012

No more humdrum natureVsnurture!


For all of you interested in epigenetics, the links between our environment and the expression of our genome, and the factors shaking up our ever so ancient and hum-drum natureVsnurture debate, check out something new from KCL - they've developed software (which apparently is freely available...I'm intrigued) which, through use of classic twin-studies, maps places in the country where different traits are effected more by the environment or genetics. It's pretty complex - but one thing this great report from KCL talks of is how classroom behavioural problems showed an 'environmental hotspot' in London - there the trait was caused far more by the environment than by genes when compared to other regions. There could be many explanations but one that makes sense is the great variation of household income in London - this could well have an impact on the appearance of genetically controlled behavioural issues. Check out the link - it's fascinating!

TEDx - Ami Klin: a new way to diagnose autism.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ami_klin_a_new_way_to_diagnose_autism.html

An interesting talk. I found some of it a little uncomfortable, but the message of the last 3 minutes or so is clear and concise - this is not a matter of 'curing' autism. Even early screening, diagnosis and intervention will not and should not necessarily do that. This is a matter of intervening early and making a change in children's lives, so that autistic individuals can grow up without such profound disabilities and isolation in certain areas. It's a controversial issue, because how much being autistic is a part of who you are is rightly contested - however if breakthroughs that Dr Klin is really only hinting at here could make a difference for the well-being and social engagement of individuals, then they are breakthroughs that are urgently needed. As he rightly pointed out, while autism currently has huge societal costs, autistic individuals can also give a great deal back - not only in their unique way of looking in the world - but in jobs and work we all expect of 'neurotypical' members of society. In a predictable and defined environment, as Dr Klin points out, they can be efficient and studious workers. Breakthroughs are needed so caregivers can begin helping children before they even reach those telling 'symptoms' that appear around the second year of age and can progress to engaged and happy members of the community.

10/06/2012

The DSM-5 - Stop Ignoring Mental Illness


My brand new article, hot off the press at The Periodical - a brilliant news/current affairs/columns/science-filled site owned, designed and filled by young people from across the country. 

In the public eye mental illness is dramatized, romanticised and sometimes even ostracised. All too often leaving people shunned from society, disregarded and disrespected, mental illness is just one more of the many reasons our press must be called into question. The problem, in this case however, runs much deeper than our tabloids and online bulletins.  To call it a fundamental misunderstanding would be incorrect, because even in the professional sphere, where the greatest understanding is held, there is constant debate and controversy over the status, description and diagnosis of mental disorders.  At a time when the BBC has recently reported a rise in depression and anxiety cases in young people (even extending to the under fives) and the British Psychological Society (BPS) has reported a significant jump in mental illness-related absence from work, found by the manufacturers’ body EEF, it is certainly true that mental illness demands and deserves a key focus in the public sphere. However, what recent months are seeing is a turn away from the real illnesses and a rise in debate, bureaucracy and factionalism.

The reason? An important development is happening in the world of psychology and psychiatry. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is undergoing a total overhaul and an extensive re-writing, editing and peer-review process, with dramatic outcomes for new and long-established disorders alike. For those in the mental health profession, lecturers or young psychology enthusiasts like me, this is a hugely exciting and important move. It is a chance to redefine the disorders collecting dust and criticism, it is a chance to prevent people with previously undefined disorders falling through the safety net and it is a chance to raise the profile of the profession that directly deals with our well-being and psychological health. I’m painfully aware, however, that a large proportion of young people, or in fact people in general, have not even heard of the DSM, let alone stopped to consider the effects of replacing  ‘autistic disorder’, ‘Asperger’s disorder’ and ‘Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified’ with the arguably more succinct and accurate ‘autistic spectrum disorder’.

Yet this, along with several other issues, is at the heart of real controversy. The frightening truth is that this one book, published by one association in America, is the difference between services or no services for people across the globe. Parents of children with Asperger’s, for example, are worried that this change in definition will mean their high-functioning and high-achieving child may miss out on the help and support they require. The editing of the DSM is designed to make psychiatrists’ jobs easier, and make diagnosis more accurate and helpful – yet people are panicking over the effects. While it is easy to say that health professionals have everyone’s best intentions at heart, when you consider the effects of the economic greed machine that is drugs companies and perhaps rather less cynically note the lack of concrete visual evidence in so many mental disorders, you begin to think that parents have every right, and indeed every need, to worry. There are so many fine, or even dotted, lines so take into account – work by Baron-Cohen has argued the nature of Asperger’s as an example of the ‘extreme male brain’; so what is to stop every somewhat obsessive and shy man from being included in the diagnosis?

Once the drafting phase began, criticism came thick and fast, attacking all areas of the edits. According to ‘Psychology Today’, disorders (like binge eating, minor cognitive disorder and the very controversial ‘pre-psychotic risk syndrome’) were too common, leading to unnecessary service use and grief for ‘neurotypical’ patients.  According to the BPS, some edits (including to ADHD, ‘delusional disorder’ and schizophrenia) encouraged over-medicalisation of disorders where other forms of treatment could be effective. Time Magazine noted the lack of distinction between clinical depression and the standard grieving progress after bereavement. This issue, like the issue with autism, has been discussed at great length in the press, public and private homes. Extended grieving after bereavement is normal and not usually treatable as such, yet bereavement can also lead to longer-term mental health issues that need proper diagnosis and treatment.
Following the torrents of anger and confusion – both in the professional and public domain, the American Psychiatric Association has amended some of the areas under fire. Footnotes have been added to distinguish between bereavement related depression and more conventional and unexplained depression. Some debated disorders have even been removed from the upcoming publication. Perhaps most importantly, the DSM-5 has been reopened for public addition and comment. It is monumental that such a document, and one traditionally relatively furtive and enclosed, has reacted to public opinion, has listened to professional criticism and is changing accordingly.

But the issues are anything but neatly ironed out. The worry remains for parents of affected children, the state of limbo remains for patients on the debated and reforming edge of diagnosis and the anger will remain for as long as the DSM appears to be economically driven, modernising for the sake of it, or simply ‘out of touch’. The fields of psychiatry and psychology depend so entirely and fairly exclusively on the DSM, and will continue to do so in May 2013 when the DSM-5 is finally published. While these fields are long entangled in controversy, confusion and frustration and are so often portrayed to be failing their patients, they are services that have and always will be incredibly important. They may not fix visible wounds, they may not always categorise and define individuals as precisely as hoped and they certainly fail to please all the parents, patients and public fora they encounter – but they aim and so often succeed in helping those members of our community this ‘man-up-and-deal-with-it’ society entirely neglects. Amongst the exciting wait for the DSM, the factional infighting and the furious debate, what this writer is really trying to portray is this: for just a few short months psychiatry and psychology will get nothing but bad press, but perhaps the underlying issue is that without such monumental changes at the centre of mental health, mental illness would get no real press at all.

You've read the whole article. Impressive! Now don't forget to support The Periodical.info and check out all the latest articles on everything from the monarchy to dubstep, diabetes to religion. Ooh and any problems/issues raised from this article? Leave a comment here or at the Periodical for some debate!

08/06/2012

Happy 50th Birthday NAS!

The National Autistic Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! An amazing society, doing so much for people on the autistic spectrum, their families, carers and health professionals.
Fascinating timeline of their 50 ground-breaking years here:
http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/21729/Our-story-so-far/#!date=1941-07-06_19:59:14!

Considering doing a '50 years' themed fundraising type thing in the summer, as suggested on the NAS website...with lots of '50' things. Perhaps get 50 people together...busk for 50 minutes...sell 50 cakes...walk 50 miles...comment any suggestions :)

06/06/2012

I KNOW ABOUT OBJECT PERMANENCE, DAD.

Oh object permanence. You crack me up. Courtesy of the ever-funny psychologystudentplatypus.tumblr.com :D

04/06/2012

Childcare, the flip side.

A week or two ago I posted a link to a BBC article with the revelation that childcare is too expensive. Well here's the flip side - apparently one in four childcare providers are making a loss. There's something seriously wrong here. I can't help but remark on the fact that on the BBC articles, the same three children are playing in the same water tray....the same children whose parents are struggling to pay their childcare and whose carers are struggling to live on the wage they receive. It's not right. But where's the solution?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18300026

30/05/2012

''The happiest days of your life''

'The happiest days of your life' have never been the plain sailing care-free days they are painted to be. Childhood, and especially adolescence is never an entirely easy time - yes children don't usually have to worry about paying the mortgage, getting to work on time, or bringing up little'uns and holding a marriage together, but for little people little problems mean big, big deals. For any happy, healthy child that first fall out with out 'bestest ever friend' is the end of the world. For any happy-go-lucky little tot losing a favourite toy, not getting a favourite food or a rainy day is enough to deeply, and I believe quite genuinely, upset them. However, throw into the mix broken marriages, drink and money problems amongst parents, and early exposure to death, disease and disaster on TV and in computer games...and you have children with seriously big concerns. I'm not attributing serious mental health issues to what thousands of children go through every day. All I'm saying is, it's really no surprise that our children aren't as happy as we want them to be - childhood isn't easy, and it certainly isn't getting any easier.

Here, via the BPS (as usual) is a new report from the BBC on rising cases of anxiety and depression in children - right down to under 5s. It's almost shocking, almost unsurprising - but either way it's sad. While we're all so busy debating what diagnosis means, and why we should or shouldn't be giving mental-illness patients drugs...this report really begs the question why are we letting this continue, what are we going to do about it and when will we sit up and listen?

Childhood will never be easy. It's a time of physical and emotional development that naturally leads to confusion, discontent and volatility. Modern life doesn't make it any easier. But this is a real issue, happening now. While the news, and our minds focus on the depression should we not be worrying about the depression in our children...

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18251582)

28/05/2012

DSM-5 Update

Am currently attempting to research the DSM-5 (see below) in more detail. The APA DSM-5 has its own website, where you can find detail of all the disorders and amendments to be included in the revised edition as planned: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx

Also, following my mention in my previous post, and due to my particular interest in autism and ASD, here are the specific revisions to the ASD diagnosis: http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94#
Very interesting for me to see the actual language used in a book that, hopefully, I will use for the entirety of my professional life. Also, check out the 'Rationale' tab as it shows why the proposed changes are being made, and importantly the streamlining of the 'triad of impairments' . There is also a tab to compare the revision the the DSM-IV.

I am aware few people will be interested in this to the extent I am. However, these are significant changes being made to the diagnostic process of a hugely researched and yet little understood disorder which affects around 1 in 100 people. It's important. And it's interesting. Read up :)

26/05/2012

Vaccination - Safety, Science and The Social Contract.

Today I read an article in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) about whether childhood vaccines should be made mandatory. It's such a fascinating and important issue that I'd really love to do it justice with a full-blown article. However, a few thoughts will have to do for now.

The article was a for and against piece. Both mentioned standard examples - the notable decrease in coverage for the MMR jab after the reported (and quickly publicly, medically and completely rejected) link to childhood autism, and the subsequent rise in the spread of measles; the use of mandatory vaccination in America and the reasons that wide-spread vaccination is important. Neither side denied that - when you vaccinate your child, you're not just protecting your child, you are improving the nationwide coverage and helping development of herd immunity - the level of coverage of developed immunity at which those without protection are still at only negligible risk. This is what makes is a sociological issue and not just a medical one. It's not just a decision about health, and it's certainly not a private or personal decision - it's a decision for society as a whole.
Some other interesting points were raised. As an example of an alternative to making vaccination mandatory Australia was depicted. Financial incentives are used there for people who choose to vaccinate their children. However, those people declared as conscientious objectors are also given the incentives. I understand the arguments for preventing coercion, and that with regards to vaccination it's not those who understand and have publicly declared their objection that are the largest concern - it's those who don't know, don't care and so put their own children and those they come into contact with at significant risk. However, if incentives are given to those who haven't vaccinated their child, surely it is no longer a true incentive.
Points debated were whether making vaccination mandatory was necessary and whether it is a choice or public responsibility to vaccinate children.  The significance of 'school entry' being the target age for compulsory jabs was also contested. One side argues that this is older than the age at which many diseases pose the greatest threat, and therefore defeats the point of having a vaccine. The other side argues that this is the age at which an un-vaccinated child becomes a risk to those around them.
It's a complex and moral issue, as well as a scientific one. I personally cannot help but think that herd immunity is such an important benefit to society that we should give up a little freedom of choice in order to achieve it. It's rather like Rousseau's Social Contract (1762) - we give up some of our personal freedom in order to fall into the protective clutches of an organised society. And as long as that society protects us and we can trust it, it's a sacrifice very much worth making.
Postscript: I know I go on and on about it, but it's got to be said; this is an issue from a medical journal - it is at the very core of medicine and science and always will be. Yet it's also intensely social, moral, philosophical and psychological by nature - because it strays into areas of free will, free choice, freedom and liberty, protection of the young generation and where the government's role is in raising our own children. If psychology or sociology is denied the right to be a science, we are denying the relevance of real life in issues such as these. The effect of the MMR-autism issue reveals so clearly how science, belief and opinion can be so easily confused, to the detriment not only of science but of the people it affects. A vaccination is a chemical, but if only one person takes it - the effect is minimal. 
I know not everyone will agree on the issues I've raised here, leave a comment - I'll be happy to reply. 

22/05/2012

The DSM must tread carefully...

This is a momentous year. Aside from the Olympics coming to London, and the Queen's Jubilee, this is a big year for science, psychology and human kind. This year is the year that the DSM-5 comes into its final stages of drafting, writing, peer-review and then final publishing due in 2013. The DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and this will be the fifth edition. It's a big deal, because our understanding of mental disorders has increased dramatically since the DSM-IV was published in 1994. For example, previously separate disorders autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and PDD-NOS will now all be under the diagnosis of 'autistic spectrum disorder'. While some worry this will 'leave people out' and lose the diagnosis parents sometimes have to battle for, it is a development very much in line with psychology and psychiatry and our understanding of autism as a whole.
The DSM-5 has already attracted large amounts of controversy, before it is even published. The problem lies, as it so often does in the fields of psychology and psychiatry, in where the line between science and statistics, humanity and understanding is drawn. Psychology is largely not a study of particles, chemicals, empirical knowledge and tick-box answers (though all these things come in, as it is a scientific discipline) but instead a study of people. People are anomalous, individual and strange. Sure, symptoms can be measured and observed, categorised and defined - but the same feeling can make one man cry and another barely flinch, the same event can make one run to friends and another retreat to isolation, and, importantly, we all use language differently. Could one man's 'depression' be another's 'bad day, bad week, bad year'? Similarly, should we be diagnosing as mental illnesses such things that many people count as everyday life - is shyness an illness? What is an illness? These are philosophical issues, but ones important to such a fundamentally human science. The DSM has a job to do (Vaughan Bell's discussion of this was the inspiration for this entry) - it needs to make diagnosis distinct and clear, widely applicable and widely observable. It needs to be enabling rather than disabling, giving patients access to treatment, and crucially solutions. But the DSM also needs to stay faithful to the fact that psychiatry is a human science, and while certain illnesses demand certain drugs, treatments or allowances, there is no 'tick-box' for emotion, sensation, description and subjectivity.
I will forever stand by the scientific nature of psychology - though it is often looked down on, both by those in the more 'scientific' field of psychiatry and Joe Bloggs on the Street. I believe that Psychology is the most important science, because it is the science of us. Philosophy, drug development, chemistry, medicine and 'hard sciences' are all valid, necessary and true in many respects, but psychology does not deserve to be shelved next to homoeopathy or astrology. It's science; it's diagnostics, and most importantly, it's solutions. However, if psychology is bullied too far down the labelling road, and diagnostics forced to lie only in the observable and categorical - then this science will surely lose its relevance, importance and unique nature.
We must all be on our guard to defend our favourite science. We must all remember and appreciate the reality of mental illnesses - even those we cannot see. And just like the press, the researchers and Joe Bloggs on the street,  the DSM must tread carefully.


Interested? Read Vaughan Bell's Article on the DSM-5: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2012/05/22/what-is-the-bible-of-psychiatry-supposed-to-do-the-peculiar-challenges-of-an-uncertain-science/
Check out the DSM-5's very own website: http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
And keep your eyes and ears peeled over the coming months!

21/05/2012

Childcare Costs, a revelation at last...

Funny that...I came to exactly this conclusion when I conducted a project on governmental provision of childcare for an essay competition last year. No, I didn't win...but I was ahead of the BBC!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18141076

28/04/2012

Sophie Scott - Laughter: Love, Joy and Language


An amazing video from a TEDx conference at Imperial. Sophie Scott, a cognitive neuroscientist from UCL tackles the issues of laughter as a social stimulus, cultural bridge and contagious bodily function! Incredibly interesting and hilarious, check it out - it'll take 13 mins of your time and you'll learn a lot :)

19/04/2012

Louis Theroux - Extreme love: Autism

This programme was just on BBC2 - and is really worth a watch!

Love this :)

Great example of using modern methods in education and psychology. If the 'young generation' are so hooked on technology, become their true selves online, and tweet and re-tweet what they really want to say - why not exploit that to the benefit of educational and scientific progression?

Dr Maria Kontogianni is a lecturer in psychology at the Nottingham Trent University - she has a particular interest in using social media to engage her students - exploring the psychology of teaching psychology :)

And how did I hear about it? A new email arrived in my online inbox, a link to the BPS's online research digest, which had links to various online sources of psychological interest. Sure the online ether can be dangerous, revealing too much about yourself is foolish, and it is definitely addictive - but hey, it's not just the future, it's the present - and maybe it can be that brave new world everyone talks of?


p.s it involves a tweeting cat involved in a conspiracy theory. CHECK THIS OUT.

17/04/2012

The Politics of Male Psychology

Interesting article on the BPS website showing a link, yet again, between psychology and politics - this time with regards to upper body strength in males.

14/04/2012

Childhood - changing for the worse?

You can fill a child's life up with 'playdates', the latest toys and trips to zoos, museums and activity programmes...but as the trends in raising children shift towards 'tiger parenting' and cushioning every fall, do children get the chance to learn to be truly self-reliant, contemplative and inquisitive?

The consumerist society we are surrounded by dictates that 'good' parents will buy the latest games console, the biggest plastic play-castle or the doll able to simulate the most bodily functions (seriously, ew!) But are the best toys not those that need imagination to give them shape? A plastic playset is just a plastic playset...but an old table cloth sets the scene for sledging for toys, dressing up, tea parties, tents and hide and seek.

Should children be organised, endlessly social and infinitely stimulated creatures? Or should they learn to find happiness in the little things, enjoy the natural world and learn to love themselves over their toys?

The BBC, the National Trust and Ribena all have a say on the matter - what are your thoughts?

13/04/2012

Apparently we're now panic buying stamps. Seriously, hasn't anyone heard of email?

12/04/2012

Dead trees to the rescue?




I've blogged about global warming and enviropsychology before, but here's some fantastic new research. French psychologist Nicolas Gueguen has shown that the presence of dead plants increases people belief and awareness of global warming.


60 Participants were asked to fill out a current affairs questionnaire, which included four questions questioning the validity or evidence of global warming. The questionnaires were identical, as were the rooms - apart from one big difference. Half the participants were in the presence of a luscious green small tree, the others were joined by a convincingly dead version of the same plant. A follow up control study was later conducted, in which no tree was present in the room.

The result? Those with a live tree in the room exhibited no difference to the control study, but those with the dead plant showed significantly more belief in global warming.

It should be noted that no participant realised the aim of the study. Gueguen has concluded that perhaps the sight of a dead tree triggered subconscious thoughts of conditions linked to global warming - such as extreme weather, drought and famine.

The implications? Its been suggested that dead trees could be placed in public toilets to attempt to reduce water consumption...and that a picture of a dead tree could be used in awareness-raising environmental campaigns.
Could it not be rolled out everywhere? Would dead trees not encourage recycling if pasted onto the side of rubbish-bins, could they not help prevent litter if plastered onto telegraph poles...could they reduce petrol-wasting driving if hanging from the rear-view mirror?

It might sound laughable. It might sound sinister or childish. But if the consciousness of a country can't make a big enough change, then is it not time to tap into the subconscious?

Psychology once again showing the versatility, wide-ranging relevance and forward-thinking tendencies that make it a truly modern science!

11/04/2012

Just stumbled across this site, haven't had much chance to check it out yet - but seems like an awesome current affairs hub with a psychological angle, made by a group of PHD students. :) http://theanchor.ie/

09/04/2012

Check out my article about educational segregation on The Periodical, a brilliant new style of blog created and filled by young people: http://theperiodical.info/2012/04/09/the-monster-in-the-milk-cartons-the-growing-issue-of-educational-segregation/

08/04/2012

Epigenetics - taking genetics one step further...

Epigenetics is the study of changes in DNA and gene expression which can be passed between generations but are not caused by the DNA sequence- i.e our outside environment can effect the histone proteins and non-DNA structure of our genome, causing differences in genetic expression which could affect our children too.

This is a very new and comparatively unexplored area of biology and genetic study, but one that could influence all of science in the future.

It certainly shakes up the psychologists' old nature/nurture debate!

Courtesy of the University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Centre - the coolest site ever - incredibly informative, complete with the chance to 'lick a baby rat', virtually change the epigenome of a fluorescing cell, and watch videos on the basics, twin-studies and effects on the brain. An absolute must-see for scientists, psychologists and students wanting worthy procrastination!

03/04/2012

Very comprehensive government document on autism that I just found (while researching governmental provision for people with ASD)...

02/04/2012

World Autism Awareness Day


Today, the 2nd April, is World Autism Awareness Day.

Maybe you already knew that Autism is a Spectrum Condition, characterised by a 'triad of impairments':
  1. Difficulty with social communication
  2. Difficulty with social interaction
  3. Difficulty with social imagination;
Maybe you already knew that autism affects around 1 in 100 people - that's over half a million people in the UK;

Maybe you already knew that around 88,000 school aged children in the UK have been diagnosed with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) and that the vast majority attend mainstream schools;

Maybe you know, or work with, or are someone on the autistic spectrum;

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, as established by resolution 62/139 of the United Nations on December 18th 2007. The aim? Simply to raise awareness, to raise the profile of a developmental disorder which could go un-noticed, under-appreciated and un-provided-for. The aim is also to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention.

Today I'll set you a challenge. Turn those 'maybe's into 'yes's. Spread the awareness - turn your facebook blue, find out a little more about the work of heroes in the area such as Uta Frith and Simon Baron-Cohen...or simply be a little more aware of autism.

Check out The Independent's Autism day supplement: http://np.netpublicator.com/netpublication/n72246359

to find out more.

01/04/2012

The 'Petrol Panic' - playing with our psychology?


The last couple of weeks have seen considerable worry about the possibility of approaching fuel tanker strikes. Organised by the trade union Unite, the strike is over disputed issues on safety and 'terms and conditions'. While the media is full to to the brim with hyperbole and hysteria one BBC article answers the factual issues at hand.

But the problem here is not the strike at all. A shortage of petrol would indeed be incredibly inconvenient and in some cases unpleasant, but contingency plans lie in place both to provide petrol to those members of society fulfilling roles in vital services, and even to intensively train the army and navy to take the place of striking tanker drivers. So why the worry?

Psychologeek has been exceedingly careful to avoid words such as 'crisis', 'panic' and 'insanity'. The problem is, the media have widely adopted these words. Psychologeek searched the web for articles to use as an example and found almost every source began with 'strikes have sparked panic buying this week'. This article is especially extreme, repeatedly including 'madness', 'chaos' and the need to bring back 'sanity'. But where did such extreme reactions come from?
There is much debate on the place of the government in inciting such worry. They have been accused of sending mixed messages, and in the case of Francis Maude even of directly encouraging the use of jerry-cans to collect and store extra fuel.

By using words such as 'panic' and 'madness', an image of collective and crowd degradation of sanity is formed. Crowd psychologist John Drury explores use of such phrases here. The explanation so often used in the media is the loss of sanity and clear thought, and the beginning of 'deindividuation' that takes place in crowds and collective situations, causing a loss of individual rationality. But research has moved on from Le Bon's theories. As John Drury talked of in his article, and as Dr Cliff Stott speaks of on the BBC news, deindividuation is no longer at the forefront of crowd psychology. It has been replaced by Cliff Stott and Stephen Reicher's Elaborated Social Identity Model. The model outlines not a loss of individuality, but a merging of separate identities, without a loss of rationality. The model also leads to thoughts that perhaps sometimes police, and here government and media, behaviour can lead to 'panic' and rioting.

What the psychologists are now saying is that in the 'petrol panic' case unrolling currently, people are acting very much selfishly and indeed, therefore, individually. They are also acting logically as they realise they need petrol to go about their daily lives.

The problem at hand is not really the petrol strike. It is unclear whether it will even happen, and will surely pass without too much of a hitch to our smooth-running society. (perhaps, charmingly the solution lies in the problem). The real issue here is inconsistency in government advice and as seen so often, new psychological advances being ignored in favour of the sensationalist approaches that can be taken with outdated, disproved theories.

Don't panic over petrol. Stop and think, just for a minute, who is playing with your psychology?

31/03/2012

Old Blog post #4 - The Kaiser Chiefs saw it coming...can psychology explain it?

August 2011

Today I read an interesting blog article on the recent London Riots and the nature of crowd psychology. Despite people’s personal opinions on the usefulness, relevance and academic standing of the subject, suddenly psychology seems really very important. If we can begin to understand why these apparently random riots took place, perhaps a solution or method of prevention could be found.
Psychologist Clifford Stott’s ideas were discussed in this article. He researches the inter-reactions between police and crowds. An interesting point is raised as to how policing in events such as these should be carried out - because the reality is many youths would not have intended to commit any real crime and were on the streetsbecause everyone else was. But suddenly police action and use of batons/crowd control made this an us vs them scenario, and the rioters are united against the police and public order.
This is the Elaborated Social Identity Model and essentially means that while you may feel no personal connection to the group of people around you (in a classroom, on a train) if you are threatened or affected as a group (be it an attack or a mere traffic-jam) you feel instantly affiliated to those around you.
While the London Riots have been labelled as the first ‘networked riots’, psychologeek is asking, did these invisible ties come fromthe world of facebook and the internet,or were they the result of a crowd of disconnected youths connecting to protect themselves from perceived threat?

Old Blog post #3 - A Conundrum Courtesy of Kohlberg

July 2011

Lawrence Kohlberg spent many years developing the findings and theories of other psychologists such as Piaget on the subject of moral development. To test his theories, he devised a number of dilemmas for his subjects. Have a go at the most famous, I will add discussion of the findings at a later date :)

Heinz and the Druggist
Heinz’s wife is near death due to cancer. The doctor believes there is one drug, recently discovered by a biochemist, which may be able to save her. The drug is pricey to produce - costing $200 for a course of treatment, however the biochemist is charging $2,000 for this amount. Heinz tries many forms of fundraising and borrowing to raise the money, but cannot gather more than $1,000. Heinz goes to the biochemist, asking him for a reduced price or to let him pay at a later date, however the biochemist stubbornly sticks to his price. An act of desperation, Heinz breaks into the biochemist’s lab and steals some of the drug.

Was Heinz justified in his action? If so, why? If not, why not?

Old blog post #2 - Mindfulness: Positive Psychology for Children?

October 2011

Today I read about Mindfulness in schools. Funnily enough, today I also walked past a sign for ‘mindfulness continuum movement’ and laughed. While the term (which is actually a concept from Buddhism - part of the eightfold noble path) has been adopted loosely into Western culture and media, Mindfulness has also been developed as a cognitive therapy. Now they are wondering if it should be used in schools.
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy was developed by Segal, Williams and Teasdale in 2002 and is supposed to be affective in reducing frequency and severity of relapse into depression. It involves concentrating on breathing and other actions in a mindful way, avoiding ‘auto-pilot’ or being dismissive. The aim is not to clear the mind, but to note each thought and let it pass without judgement.

Last year a study took place in two schools in Cambridge. Huppert and Johnson delivered a course of 4 x 40 minute classes to boys aged 14 or 15. The boys were also encouraged to practice Mindfulness at home. The results were recorded through online questionnaires using various psychological scales. The study concluded that there was a ‘significant increase in well-being’ amongst the students, and that the more individual practice was done the more benefit was seen. Importantly, students with ‘low emotional stability’ received the greatest benefit.

So is mindfulness a good idea for schools? It is suggested that it could be used as young as pre-school age and would give children the coping-skills necessary to avoid anxiety and depression at a later stage. It is noted that the teachers must also be trained and experienced in Mindfulness.

When I was at primary school we did ‘brain gym’. Every morning we would go through a series of physical exercises followed by a period of quiet reflection sitting in a specific pose…and lots of sipping water. If there were benefits and what they were is hard to know, but certainly the routine allowed a feeling of security that helped us to cope with the day. At a school where I volunteer, on the teachers say-so heads go down on desks…and silence attempts to fall… usually unsuccessfully…
Would Mindfulness actually help children? Would children accept Mindfulness, or dismiss it like I did today walking past the sign? Tough questions, but worth thinking about.

I hate to have an empty blog, so I'll share my personal highlights from my old page.
#1 'The police are the public, and the public are the police' - November 2011

An interesting sentiment. If the Police are ordinary people with a place in society and a role to protect the public, does the public have a duty to protect itself and its society and to police the community?
Psychologeek has read two very interesting and contrasting documents on the August London riots in the last couple of weeks. First Cliff Stott and Steve Reicher’s ‘Mad Mobs and Englishmen?’ and today the Executive Summary of The Riots, Communities and Victims Panel’s officially sanctioned report on the riots.

In some ways there in consensus between the two. Both agree that ‘Stop and Search’ policies need to be addressed in many areas in London, especially disadvantaged areas. Young people feel this process is happening too often, unfairly and with disrespectful treatment and bias. It was seen that this was part of growing tension between some communities in London and the police.
Similarly, both agree on the part played by the death of Mark Duggan on the 4th August 2011. Police protocol was seen to have broken down, with no commission of a Family Liaison Officer or sufficient information being given to family. What began as a peaceful protest sparked violence in the community.
Both agree that there are many reasons behind the riots; that there were many different groups of people taking part - some opportunists hoping for the latest gadget dictated by our consumerist society, some people engaging in anti-police rioting as a culmination of generations of mistrust and anger, and some joining in because it was suddenly okay to rebel against ‘the machine’.

However there is dispute. What was the part played by the police in the causing of the riots? ‘Mad Mobs and Englishmen’ argues that the tension between communities and police was a significant factor leading to the riots and police control methods must be carefully reviewed (and that water cannons and plastic bullets should not have even been considered). The report argues that many people rioted because it was seen that the police were not keeping control, could not be trusted and therefore rebellion was possible. It has been said that the panel found great feelings of abandonment in affected communities and are in favour of tougher policing.
Psychologeek would argue that both of the above may well be true with regards to attitudes to police, as different people interpreted events differently.

The police force cannot necessarily be expected to have a contingency plan of large enough scale to tackle such a huge eruption of disorder, and many members of the force showed incredible bravery to protect the public. Certainly, however, all literature on the riots calls into question policing in this country - where is the line between public and police, and can a happy medium be found so anti-police riots are not considered and the police can be trusted to protect us when disorder does occur?

welcome :)

Psychologeek is new to blogspot. It's all part of a quest for the right place on the online ether for the tale psychologeek has to tell. I want to talk about things that matter, in a way that means everyone can understand. I want to help make psychology more accessible, while keeping it firmly in the realm of the scientific. I want to talk about politics, without getting too political. I want to explore society, crowd psychology, individuals, classic psychologists, new ideas and my own psychological discoveries. If you're reading this, you're interested enough to see past the pretension and flouncy language. This means you're keen to find out more about the most important science there is. welcome :)