Attachment theory sounds like a complicated concept, but when you’re a parent it can sometimes boil down to a crying, clinging child who does not want to be separated from you. Put simply, attachment theory explores the lasting psychological and emotional bonds between individuals. Developed by British psychologist John Bowlby and then expanded by scientist Mary Ainsworth, think of attachment theory as a lasting feeling of connectedness between human beings. Here, experts offer insights into its core principles, stages and attachment styles. Bowlby emphasized the significance of secure infant-caregiver attachments, proposing distinct stages in attachment formation. Ainsworth’s research introduced different attachment styles. Understanding attachment theory can help you navigate relationships and emotions with greater understanding and empathy. What is attachment theory? Attachment theory is explained in a video published by students from McMaster University, in Ontario, Canada. In the video, students explain that the theory of attachment was discovered by John Bowlby, a British psychologist, back in 1969. Bowlby was trying to comprehend the intense distress experienced by infants who had been separated from their parents. Bowlby believed that behaviors such as crying and searching were adaptive responses to separation from a primary attachment figure who provides support, protection and care. Bowlby attachment theory Bowlby’s theory of attachment, as outlined in a recent article published by Simply Psychology, highlights the importance of secure attachments between…  read on >  read on >

Ketamine may be an alternative to shock treatment for people with treatment-resistant major depression, a new study suggests. Currently, patients with major depressive disorder who don’t find a medication or therapy that works may undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as shock therapy. But researchers have also been studying intravenous ketamine — a powerful anesthetic that’s also long been used as an illicit ‘party’ drug — as a potential antidepressant. They say the results of a new study were surprising. “I have to say it was a wow,” said principal investigator Dr. James Murrough, director of the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. That isn’t to say that ketamine is superior to ECT, Murrough cautioned. This study wasn’t assessing that. What it does mean is that in this comparative effectiveness trial, “by the numbers ketamine performed very well,” Murrough said. The findings apply to patients who don’t have psychosis but have treatment-resistant major depression that has not been helped through two or three earlier medications. The main takeaway, Murrough said, is that for doctors treating these patients, ketamine is something they could consider as an alternative to ECT. “The take home from this study is there’s another option that’s in that conversation now that really wasn’t before in a meaningful way,”…  read on >  read on >

Only 13% of American adults understand the purpose of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline nearly a year after its widely publicized launch, a new survey from the Pew Charitable Trusts shows. “There is an opportunity and a need for state and local leaders to launch inclusive awareness campaigns in the months ahead,” lead researcher and Pew senior manager Tracy Velázquez said in a statement, CNN reported. “The federal government’s most recent investment into 988 shows a commitment to building a strong crisis care infrastructure in the country — one that is critically important, given the many people experiencing mental health and substance use issues,” Velázquez added. The 988 line began last year after it was changed from 1-800-273-TALK. It was previously called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Pew surveyed more than 5,000 adults in April, finding that once people knew about the 988 crisis line, about 7 in 10 said they were somewhat or highly likely to use it. Respondents also had some concerns about where calling the line might lead them. About 2 in 5 of those surveyed worried that calling 988 would lead to police arriving at their home, being forced to go to the hospital, being charged for services they couldn’t afford or having other people learn about the call. Race played a part in the results: Twice as many white…  read on >  read on >

About 7 in 10 American parents are concerned that social media trends related to appearance and editing apps and filters are harming their children’s body image, a new survey shows. Among those polled, about 69% of parents expressed worry about these editing apps and filters, which can completely change the look of someone’s face and body. This may make them appear to meet some supposed standard of beauty. Also, about two-thirds said that trends related to diet and exercise also had a negative influence, according to the survey results released May 23 by the On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health, from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. A young person’s feelings about their body can affect their mental health, said Erin McTiernan, a contributor to On Our Sleeves and a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s. “Those concerns are valid,” McTiernan said about parents’ strong response to the survey questions. “Social media has some great benefits for kids, especially in the areas of entertainment and social connection. But when it comes to body image, there are some things that we know can have a negative impact.” Making comparisons Children may compare themselves to these unrealistic standards or feel this is how they should be because of the numbers of “likes” they get on social media for a certain look, McTiernan said. “We know that…  read on >  read on >

For people who survive gunshot wounds, the trauma may leave mental scars that worsen with time, a new study finds. Among 87 adults treated for gun injuries at a Wisconsin trauma center, many had worsening symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression six months later. The findings, published May 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, come from one of the few studies that has tracked the long-term mental health of gunshot victims. For years, gun violence research was stymied in the United States after Congress suspended federal funding for it in 1996. That changed just a few years ago. “For a long time, we weren’t able to do firearms research, so we don’t really know a lot about these long-term outcomes,” said Dr. Peter Ehrlich, director of the pediatric trauma center at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Ehrlich, who was not involved in the new research, published a study last year that looked at the mental health of U.S. children and teenagers who’d sustained gun injuries — and the findings were similar. Of 1,450 kids injured by guns, 35% were newly diagnosed with a mental health condition in the year afterward — most often PTSD or substance abuse. That compared with 26% of U.S. kids who were injured in a motor vehicle crash. Ehrlich said that while the new study…  read on >  read on >

A subset of people may be at high risk for both psychiatric disorders and for using marijuana, based on their genetics, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Oslo in Norway have found that some of the genetic variants associated with cannabis use are also linked to psychiatric disorders. “These findings are important as they show that the complex links between cannabis use and these disorders may not only be caused by cannabis use itself, but could also be driven by shared genetic susceptibility,” lead co-author Nadine Parker said in a university news release. The rate of cannabis use is high among patients with disorders linked to psychosis, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Cannabis is a psychoactive drug that can sometimes produces psychotic-like symptoms, according to the study. “This study shows that there is a shared genetic basis underlying our susceptibility to both cannabis use and certain psychiatric disorders,” lead co-author Weiqiu Cheng said in the release. To study this, Parker, Cheng and their colleagues used advanced statistical modeling. They found that a majority of shared variants increased the risk of both cannabis use and developing either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Yet, there were some genetic variants with opposing effects that increased the risk of cannabis use while decreasing the risk of the two psychiatric disorders. In some parts of the world,…  read on >  read on >

A new study finds that while hydrocortisone on its own may not prevent death from sepsis, it can improve survival when combined with other steroids while eliminating the need for vasopressor drugs. Vasopressor medications help raise blood pressure when it’s so low that you can’t get enough blood to your organs. Doctor often deliver these drugs via an IV. “For the first time, the effects of hydrocortisone for the treatment of patients with septic shock could be studied by analyzing individual data from the main randomized trials published to date,” said researcher Dr. Romain Pirracchio, a professor of anesthesia at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “This study shows that if the effect of hydrocortisone on the mortality of septic shock is modest, this treatment makes it possible to spare the exposure of patients to vasopressor drugs and to prevent their complications,” he added in a UCSF news release. “The combination of fludrocortisone with hydrocortisone seems to provide a greater benefit in terms of survival.” Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It affects about 55 million people worldwide and causes 11 million deaths each year. Treatment can include recognizing it quickly, controlling the source of the infection, antibiotics, fluids, vasopressors and other therapies. Corticosteroids have been one of these therapies for septic shock…  read on >  read on >