Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) plans to end reimbursement for mental-health services delivered by limited licensed clinicians working under supervision beginning in 2027, a move that mental-health providers warn could tighten already strained access to care across the state. The insurer confirmed that, once the policy takes effect, outpatient clinics will no longer […]
Passive aggression and schadenfreude often surface in everyday interactions, yet the two concepts describe distinct psychological phenomena. Passive aggression is a pattern of indirect behavior that obstructs, delays or quietly undermines another person, while schadenfreude is the private emotion of pleasure that arises when someone else experiences disappointment, humiliation or loss. Although both can be […]
Historian Stephanie Coontz, a long-time analyst of family patterns, returns to center stage with “For Better and Worse,” due from Viking in 2026. The volume traces the historic roots of contemporary marriage and explains why, despite expanding legal equality, gender segregation in the workplace remains pronounced in many of today’s most progressive nations. Drawing on […]
Health professionals are increasingly urging the public to view alcohol problems as a continuum that ranges from mild risk to severe dependence, replacing the long-held idea that people are either “normal drinkers” or “alcoholics.” This perspective, grounded in criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), reframes how individuals […]
Planning a wedding can amplify stress for anyone, but brides who experience panic attacks face a distinct challenge: controlling sudden waves of extreme fear while standing at the center of attention. About six million U.S. adults live with panic disorder, and roughly 40 million meet criteria for an anxiety disorder each year, according to data from the […]
Resilient communities tend to grow out of strong interpersonal networks that cut across age, gender, and socioeconomic lines. Current research and local examples suggest that when residents know and trust one another, rumors and false narratives struggle to gain traction. In the United States, however, participation in common gathering spots—often called “third places”—has been falling, […]
Frequent contact and shared routines can forge close friendships, but those bonds often weaken when the context that sustained them disappears, according to a body of psychological and sociological research. Experts say the natural fading of relationships created at work, university or other transitional settings does not negate their significance, highlighting the concept of “chapter […]
NEW YORK — British-American author Ben Markovits focuses on the psychological pressures that surface between ages 40 and 65 in his forthcoming novel, “The Rest of Our Lives,” scheduled for publication by S/S Summit Books in 2025. The story follows Tom Layward, a law professor from Scarsdale, New York, who embarks on a cross-country trip […]
Older adults who practice traditional martial arts may experience improvements in brain health, emotional well-being, and social connection, according to a recent literature review conducted by researchers at the School of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, Dalian University of Technology in China. Comprehensive review focuses on aging The team—Yong Jiang, Pengsong Li, Yulong Yang, Liqing Liu, […]
A routine practice borrowed from urban planning is gaining attention as a low-cost way to enhance personal and collective well-being. Known as a “walk audit,” the method involves moving slowly through familiar places—such as a home, office, school, or community facility—and evaluating how layout, signage, lighting, and other design elements influence comfort, health, and resilience. […]
A brief, paced-breathing exercise known as “modulation” is emerging as a low-cost tool for reducing anxiety and restoring focus during demanding workdays, recent clinical findings show. The technique requires no special equipment, takes only a few minutes, and appears to calm the central nervous system more predictably than either stimulant “hustle” culture or complete withdrawal […]
Many people living with eating disorders plan to begin treatment only when they feel completely prepared or when outside pressures, such as school or work, subside. Mental-health clinicians caution that postponing care rarely produces the hoped-for convenience. Instead, waiting frequently allows the disorder to grow more entrenched, increasing physical, emotional, and social costs that can […]