Visiting a 'Dental Fear' Clinic Can Help Improve a Child's Smile

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• January 20, 2022
• Full Page

If the sound of a dental drill sends shivers up your spine, you're likely in good company: Finnish researchers say that one of every two adults fear the dentist at least a little, while one in 10 are very afraid.

But the researchers added that a local dentistry program h...

Fear Keeps Some Cancer Patients From Getting COVID Vaccine

• Robert Preidt
• December 10, 2021
• Full Page

Cancer patients are at risk for serious COVID-19 illness, but some are still afraid to get vaccinated against the virus, new research shows.

Study authors surveyed nearly 200 high-risk cancer patients at the Mays Cancer Center in San Antonio, Texas. Only 56% said they'd ...

Omicron Latest Mental Blow to Americans Exhausted by Pandemic

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• December 8, 2021
• Full Page

First, the COVID-19 pandemic brought panic, with successive waves of infection and death, including the emergence this year of the Delta variant.

Then vaccines offered the promise of a recovery, with a speed -- and on a scale -- never before seen.

But now, the Omi...

Many Kids Separated From Families at U.S. Border Suffer PTSD

• November 18, 2021
• Full Page

Parents and children who were separated under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy have shown lasting psychological trauma -- even after being reunited, a new study finds.

Between 2017 and 2018, more than 5,000 children were separated from their...

Your Expectations Could Shape Your Odds for Vaccine Side Effects

• Robert Preidt
• November 8, 2021
• Full Page

When it comes to a COVID-19 shot, fear might be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A new study found that folks who worried about possible side effects after vaccination were more likely to actually experience those side effects.

Along with explaining why some people feel...

Picky Eating, Social Phobia Often Linked in College Students

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 7, 2021
• Full Page

Parents frazzled by their little ones' finicky food choices often sigh in exasperation, thinking: "They'll grow out of it by college."

Maybe not, suggests a new study from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Some young people continue their picky eating into early ad...

Parent's Words Key to Young Kids' Fears Around Vaccination

• Robert Preidt
• July 14, 2021
• Full Page

What's the best way to help your young child handle the stress of getting shots? New research claims that perfectly timed encouragement makes all the difference with vaccinations.

"What we found is that in the first minute after the needle, the more parents said coping-p...

Why Do Dogs Bark & Bite? Fear May Be Key

• Robert Preidt
• May 7, 2021
• Full Page

That growling dog may actually be terrified of you.

Fear and age-related pain are among the reasons why dogs are aggressive toward people, a new study suggests.

The findings could help two-legged folks better understand and prevent aggressive behavior, such as grow...

Needle Anxiety Behind J&J COVID Vaccine Reaction Clusters: Study

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• April 30, 2021
• Full Page

Anxiety was the cause of 64 vaccine reactions, including fainting, in people who got the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in early April at sites in five states, a new study finds.

Researchers led by Anne Hause of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pr...

You & Your Friends Are Vaccinated. So Why Is Socializing Again Scary?

• Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
• April 23, 2021
• Full Page

Heather Gould, a wedding planner in Sonoma, Calif., always had some social anxiety.

Before the pandemic, she'd feel queasy and think twice about going out. But Gould would power through, talking her way through industry events and client meetings without tipping off her ...

It's a Scream: Human Brains Alert to Positive Shrieks

• Robert Preidt
• April 16, 2021
• Full Page

Screams have different meanings, and you're likely to respond quicker to screams of joy than to those of anger or fear, a new study suggests.

Previous research has largely focused on screams triggered by alarm or fear.

In this study, a team from the University of Z...

Short Course of Psychotherapy Can Help Ease Panic Disorder

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• February 22, 2021
• Full Page

New research offers up hopeful news for the millions of people struggling with panic disorder. Two relatively brief types of psychotherapy can help alleviate the often-debilitating symptoms of this anxiety disorder.

Fully 70% of people showed improvements in panic disord...

Anti-Vaxxers Mounting Internet Campaigns Against COVID-19 Shots

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 29, 2021
• Full Page

People who are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine don't have to work hard to find internet rumors and theories that will fuel their fears regarding the vaccine's safety.

That's because anti-vaccine groups and individuals are working overtime to promote frighteni...

Dental Practices Rebound as U.S. Dentists Look Forward to COVID Vaccine

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• January 20, 2021
• Full Page

The coronavirus pandemic hit dental practices hard early in 2020, as COVID-19 fears kept millions of Americans from seeking routine oral health care.

But as dental offices have ratcheted up their safety measures, more patients have steadily been returning for checkups an...

Pandemic Is Tied to Big Rise in U.S. Heart Deaths

• Denise Mann
• January 12, 2021
• Full Page

In a finding that highlights another health consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, researchers report that the risk of dying from heart disease increased during the coronavirus lockdowns last spring, likely because people were too scared to go to the hospital.

But the ...

Coping With Anxiety, Fear During a Rocky Presidential Transition

• Dennis Thompson
• January 8, 2021
• Full Page

The nation is in a state of shock and outrage over Wednesday's riotous siege on the U.S. Capitol Building by supporters of President Donald Trump, and there could be still worse to come before the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

So, taking care of your...

Pandemic Fears Tied to Surge in Gun Sales in California

• Amy Norton
• October 20, 2020
• Full Page

Citing fears over violence and chaos, more than 100,000 Californians have bought guns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study estimates.

Researchers said the findings add to evidence that the U.S. pandemic has sparked firearm "panic-buying." Early on, feder...

COVID-19 Fears Stop Americans From Seeking Help for Heart Emergencies

• Robert Preidt
• August 10, 2020
• Full Page

Black and Hispanic Americans are much more likely than white people to avoid going to the hospital for heart attack or stroke symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, an online survey reveals.

More than half (55%) of Hispanics, 45% of Black people and 40% o...

COVID-19 Fears Had Sick, Injured Americans Avoiding ERs

• Steven Reinberg
• August 4, 2020
• Full Page

Visits to hospital emergency rooms fell off sharply in March when the COVID-19 pandemic started keeping people at home -- and a new study reports they never returned to normal.

"This is a case where public messaging appears to have worked too well," said researcher ...

Coronavirus Fears Kept Many Essential Workers at Home in April: Study

• E.J. Mundell
• July 9, 2020
• Full Page

Many more American workers caring for children, the sick or aged, as well as bus drivers, subway workers and those involved in food production took time off work in April -- probably due to fears of contracting COVID-19, a new government report finds.

In an analysis ...

COVID-19 Exacts Emotional Toll on Doctors

• Steven Reinberg
• June 2, 2020
• Full Page

In a possible harbinger of future mental health problems among doctors working during the coronavirus pandemic, new research shows the levels of depression, anxiety and fear jumped among young doctors in China treating COVID-19 patients.

Chinese and American researc...

An Expert's Guide to Fighting Coronavirus Stress

• Robert Preidt
• April 2, 2020
• Full Page

The new coronavirus is not just a physical health threat. The stress, anxiety, fear and isolation that go along with it also take a toll on your mental well-being.

"One of the basic tenets of how to manage your mental health in a crisis like this is to ensure that y...

How to Dispel Your Child's Fears About the New Coronavirus

• Kayla McKiski
• February 14, 2020
• Full Page

With stories about the new coronavirus outbreak flooding the media, it's easy to get scared. And if you're scared, your kids might be, too -- but they don't have to be.

Honesty and directness are key when talking to your child about this new virus, said Diane Bales, ...

Are You Just a Worrywart or Is It Something More?

• Len Canter
• September 17, 2019
• Full Page

Everyone goes through moments of worry, but for some people, anxiety takes over their lives. How can you tell if you're an average worrywart or if you might have an anxiety disorder? Your degree of distress is often a good indicator.

Normal anxiety typically comes fr...

AHA News: Younger Stroke Survivors More At Risk For Anxiety

• August 13, 2019
• Full Page

Anxiety is more than twice as common in younger stroke survivors, especially those who show symptoms of depression, than in older patients, according to a new study that recommends routine mental health screenings for survivors of all ages.

Anxiety is common after s...

Scientists Spot Brain Cells That Control Traumatic Memories

• Robert Preidt
• April 4, 2019
• Full Page

If you've ever been suddenly and unexpectedly reminded of a past trauma, you may wonder if those old fears will ever stop haunting you.

Now, neuroscientists say they've discovered a group of brain cells that control frightening memories, and they suggest that the fin...

Kids With Autism 'In Tune' With Mom's Feelings: Study

• Robert Preidt
• March 28, 2019
• Full Page

Children with autism may have trouble interpreting facial emotions in strangers, but research finds some are as "in-tune" with their mother's expressions as kids without autism.

The study included 4- to 8-year-olds with and without autism who viewed five facial expre...

AHA News: Many Women Plagued by Anxiety After Stroke

• February 7, 2019
• Full Page

Angie Read Doyal was unsure if she'd be the same after her stroke. So, when she felt ready to return to work after only seven weeks of intense physical, speech and occupational therapy, she was confident.

But that self-assurance quickly was undermined by severe anxi...

Movie Violence Doesn't Make Kids Violent, Study Finds

• Steven Reinberg
• January 18, 2019
• Full Page

Parents often worry that violent movies can trigger violence in their kids, but a new study suggests PG-13-rated movies won't turn your kids into criminals.

Researchers found that as PG-13 movies became more violent between 1985 and 2015, overall rates of murder and ...