Monitor on Psychology - December 2011 - (Page 15)

Snapshots of some of the latest peer-reviewed research within psychology and related fields. brief In n Prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive therapy are similarly effective at reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, finds research from Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem. The researchers found that patients who had either of those therapies immediately following a traumatic event showed fewer symptoms of PTSD at a five-month follow-up than patients who took antidepressants or a placebo. Patients who started prolonged exposure therapy five months after their trauma reduced their PTSD symptoms as much as patients who began therapy immediately after their trauma. (Archives of General Psychiatry, Oct. 3) n People may use marijuana to cope with the effects of trauma, according to a study led by Florida State University researchers. The researchers analyzed data from 5,672 respondents to the National Comorbidity Survey and found that people who had symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were more likely to have used cannabis, and more likely to use it daily. This correlation stood up even when researchers accounted for demographics and the presence of other disorders. This and related findings suggest that people may self-medicate with marijuana to control symptoms of PTSD, such as sleeplessness and hypervigilance. (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, September) For direct links to these articles, click on the journal names. Photos.com Women who drank four cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression, a large study finds. n Drinking coffee could lower women’s risk for depression, suggest data from the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, a longitudinal study of 50,793 nurses that includes self-reports on caffeine consumption. Women in the study who drank four cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression or prescribed antidepressants over a 10-year period than women who drank one cup of coffee or less a week. While more research is needed to determine whether coffee drinking may contribute to depression treatment or prevention, say the researchers, the findings support a possible protective effect and are consistent with an earlier study that found suicide risk is lower among people with higher coffee consumption. (Archives of Internal Medicine, Sept. 26) DeceMber 2011 • Monitor on psychology 15 http://www.photos.com http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/archgenpsychiatry.2011.127 http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/adb/25/3/554.html http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/adb/25/3/554.html http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/171/17/1571 http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/171/17/1571

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - December 2011

Monitor on Psychology - December 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Willpower Pioneer Wins $100,000 Grawemeyer Prize
Single-Sex Schooling Called Into Question by Prominent Researchers
Maternal Depression Stunts Childhood Growth, Research Suggests
For Boys, Sharing May Seem Like a Waste of Time
Good News for Postdoc Applicants
In Brief
Treatment Guideline Development Now Under Way
Government Relations Update
Psychologist Named Va Mental Health Chief
The Limits of Eyewitness Testimony
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Deconstructing Suicide
Questionnaire
A Focus on Interdisciplinarity
A Time of ‘Enormous Change’
The Science Behind Team Science
Good Science Requires Good Conflict
A New Paradigm of Care
Speaking of Education
Science Directions
New Labels, New Attitudes?
Psychologist Profile
Early Career Psychology
Unintended Consequences
Better Options for Troubled Teens
Saving Lives, One Organ at a Time
New Journal Editors
APA News
Division Spotlight
Guidelines for the Conduct of President-Elect Nominations and Elections
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - December 2011