Beliefs are convictions of reality that we accept as true. They provide us with the basic mental scaffolding to understand and engage meaningfully in our world. Beliefs remain fundamental to our behavior and identity but are not well understood.
Delusions, on the other hand, are fixed, usually false, beliefs that are strongly held but not widely shared. In previouswork, we proposed that studying delusions provides unique insights into the cognitive nature of belief and its dysfunction.
Based on evidence from delusions and other psychological disciplines, we offered a tentative five-stage cognitive model of belief formation.
Kids and teens can make some pretty hairbrained choices sometimes. But when a kid's choice is to engage in a TikTok challenge that threatens their life, psychiatrists can struggle to understand if it was just an exasperating poor choice born out of impulsivity and immaturity or something darkerβan actual suicide attempt.
In a Viewpoint published today in JAMA Psychiatry, two psychiatrists from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Memphis raise the alarm about the dangers and complexities of TikTok challenges. They're an "emerging public health concern" for kids, the psychiatrists write, and they're blurring the lines between unintentional injuries and suicide attempts in children and teens.
The child and adolescent psychiatrists Onomeasike Ataga and Valerie Arnold say that their psychiatry team first saw injuries from TikTok challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the trend has continued since the pandemic eased. Over recent years, they've seen children and teens hospitalized from a variety of challenges, including the "blackout challenge," in which participants attempt to choke themselves until they pass out; the "Benadryl challenge," in which participants ingest a large amount of the allergy medicine to get high and hallucinate; and the "fire challenge," in which participants pour a flammable liquid on their body and light it on fire. In these cases, the psychiatry team is sometimes called in to help assess whether the children and teens had an intent to self-harm. It's often hard to determineβand thus hard to decide on treatment recommendations.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). A game of creativity and imagination, D&D lets players weave their own narrative, blending combat and roleplaying in an immersive gaming experience. And now, psychologists and therapists are working to turn it into a tool by exploring its potential benefits as a group therapy technique.
Research is still in progress to determine if there are links between playing D&D and enhanced empathy and social skills, but the real-life impact of D&D therapy is slowly gaining traction as staff of counseling practices that have embraced D&D group therapy say they are witnessing these benefits firsthand.
βIt seems particularly useful in combating the effects of social isolation and improving both interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills (problem-solving),β explained Gary Colman, the chairman of Game Therapy UK, a registered charity staffed by volunteer professionals who are developing evidence-based therapeutic gaming projects. βIn practical terms, it can also be used for a range of purposes, including modeling positive behavior and teaching soft social skillsΒ and basic educational skills, including language and numeracy.β
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). A game of creativity and imagination, D&D lets players weave their own narrative, blending combat and roleplaying in an immersive gaming experience. And now, psychologists and therapists are working to turn it into a tool by exploring its potential benefits as a group therapy technique.
Research is still in progress to determine if there are links between playing D&D and enhanced empathy and social skills, but the real-life impact of D&D therapy is slowly gaining traction as staff of counseling practices that have embraced D&D group therapy say they are witnessing these benefits firsthand.
βIt seems particularly useful in combating the effects of social isolation and improving both interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills (problem-solving),β explained Gary Colman, the chairman of Game Therapy UK, a registered charity staffed by volunteer professionals who are developing evidence-based therapeutic gaming projects. βIn practical terms, it can also be used for a range of purposes, including modeling positive behavior and teaching soft social skillsΒ and basic educational skills, including language and numeracy.β
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions of people globally. While feeling anxious occasionally is a normal response to stress, those with anxiety disorders experience excessive and persistent worry or fear that can interfere with daily activities. Recognizing the symptoms and understanding the different types of anxiety disorders is crucial forβ¦
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Stress is an inevitable part of life, but managing it effectively is crucial for maintaining mental and physical health. Stress management refers to a wide range of techniques aimed at controlling a personβs levels of stress, especially chronic stress, to improve everyday functioning. Chronic stress can lead to serious health problems, including mental health disordersβ¦
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In the realm of personal development, self-help books have stood the test of time as invaluable resources for those seeking to improve their lives, foster personal growth, and manage challenges more effectively. These books offer a range of perspectives and tools, enabling readers to enhance their mental, emotional, and sometimes even physical state. As an expert in Self-Help and Personalβ¦
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