Psychological Summaries MBPsS

There’s long been a debate about whether social media is ‘addictive’ but here, Christine Looser (a behavioral scientist in social psychology and neuroscience) explains why it is unsurprising that using it may make us feel so good because it is consistently giving us social cues and positive feedback.

Did you know that oxytocin may be stimulating dopamine release during social interactions? Hence, this may be occurring in online interactions, too. We are social beings after all, seeking social interactions.

What are your thoughts?

Interested in psychedelic trials? Read below if you’re not familiar with the literature:

James Rucker runs the Psychedelic Trials Group at King’s College London. He told me:

- The majority of these trials are not yet multi-centred (meaning they risk the potential for bias from their very passionate teams who realllly want to prove they work). Results from trials that have been done by researchers across multiple centres have found findings are not as strong (aka the results of psilocybin may be warped by small scale trials and influence from small teams)
- The trials are in their very early stages and it is not even clear what the standard dose is. We can make no clear scientific claims about this yet.
- There are also trials that are showing psilocybin has the same outcomes as the placebo control. So it is clear more work needs to be done to understand dosage, the mechanisms at play, and so on.

SO, with that in mind, consume any media with a cautious and critical mind. But, just because the evidence isn’t there, doesn’t mean it won’t be - watch this space! Podcast episode out soon.

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Best known for leading the discovery of the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine in depressed patients, Dr Krystal is a world leader in psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and computational neuroscience and studies the neurobiology and treatment of disorders at Yale School of Medicine.

According to research at children as young as 3 have admitted they are unhappy with how they look. They also hold more positive attitudes towards people in smaller bodies.

These attitudes are thought to arise from 3 main influences in society (according to the sociocultural theory): the media, parents, and peers. They all impact us to make us feel a certain way about our bodies. What are your thoughts? 💭

NEW PODCAST out now with exploring the research base into yoga and it’s (potential) impacts on mental health and illness, inflammation, and more. Hope you enjoy 💙

It’s common for people to think they’re good at reading others and understanding emotions, but much of the research would suggest people are often not.

🎧 Zorana Pringle, Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Creativity and Emotions lab at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

Does anyone else feel that the people around you are more divided than ever?

I loved speaking with .han.ren about the intersection between politics and mental health. It’s so important to educate ourselves on matters (from both sides of an argument) and to continue learning even when we find it uncomfortable

Up to 30% of the population of those being treated for depression are thought to have treatment resistance. This has led to Research into other areas of medicine - particularly the use of psychedelics, which may have different mechanisms to SSRI’s. These trials are early and small, looking currently at an appropriate dose to test. There is no conclusive evidence as to how or why they work but it’s an exciting area that is growing rapidly.

James Rucker runs the Psychedelic Trials Group at King’s College London.

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The health of our gut can play a role in our mood, brain function, immune system, inflammation and more. Likewise, stress can alter our gut microbiota and reduce diversity.

Ted Dinan - Professor of Psychiatry at University College Cork

Are the multivitamins on our supermarket shelves potent enough to support our brain health?

No one vitamin has been shown to be a “magic bullet.” The most benefit from taking vitamins has been found from consuming the full breadth of essential vitamins and minerals –30 in all— often at doses considerably higher than 100% of the RDA.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel taking multivitamins is effective in supporting your health? Comment below and save/ share this post 💙

NEW PODCAST - COLD WATER IMMERSION, curse or cure?

When it comes to cold water immersion, much of the evidence is anecdotal - the weakest form of evidence that exists. There is so much discussion around the positive benefits of wild swimming, but what factors are really at play: being in beautiful nature, the swimming itself, who you’re with, the cold-shock response? The truth is that there is very little *conclusive* evidence about these variables having been studied experimentally.

Prof Mike Tipton MBE works in human and applied physiology. He explains the potential dangers of cold water swimming, but we also explore the future directions of research and potential variables at play in the cold-shock response on immunity, inflammation, and much more. We don’t know how *long* it is safe to be exposed to cold water. In fact, research has shown that being exposed to it for too long can have negative impacts on immunity.

This said, just because the evidence doesn’t yet exist, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it if you enjoy it. However, please do so in a controlled and safe environment so you do not put yourself at risk. Happy listening!