Dear Oprah: Those health guests may not be so healthful

Dear Ms. Winfrey:

ADHD gene may be the link to daydreaming

Attention deficit-hyperactive disorder includes difficulty with mental focus. People describe it as daydreaming or mind-wandering instead of...

Job stress hikes risk of heart disease for women

Stress takes a toll on women's heart health. A study released Sunday found that women who report high stress on the job have a 40% increased...

A look at four psychology fads

Now and then, a new psychology movement bursts onto the popular scene and shakes up the mental health establishment. Typically these efforts...

Introduction: Psychological fads

Now and then, a new psychology movement bursts onto the popular scene and shakes up the mental health establishment. Typically these efforts...

Acne medicine users at heightened suicide risk

People who take the acne medication isotretinoin -- perhaps best known by the brand-name Accutane -- have...

Happiness may depend, in part, on focus

Being happy apparently requires significant concentration skills. The authors of a study on happiness found that while daydreaming -- or...

Parents' stress filters down to kids, not that Mom and Dad notice

Parents' stress can take a toll on their kids. Ask children, not Mom and Dad, how they are affected by their parents' stress.

On Veterans Day, a salute to those who care for them

Caring for an ill or disabled person is the most loving, if not the most taxing, of vocations. And those who care for the nation's...

College football, Greeks and other tales of alcohol abuse

Alcohol policies surrounding football tailgating parties are common at many universities. Some schools ban...

Anti-bullying videos: More and more reassure gay youth that 'It Gets Better'

Kids (and sometimes their parents) may think they are the only ones being singled out by school bullies, but of course they're not.

Obesity rate will rise to 42% of the population based on contagion

Obesity rates in the United States, which some health experts have suggested may be stabilizing at about 34%, will continue to rise until at...

Treating people who intentionally swallow foreign objects can be costly, a study finds

Most hospitals have their share of weird cases, but Rhode Island Hospital may win some kind of prize for having an abundance of instances of...

Overdoing it a bit? This professor's class examines the psychology of overconsumption

Shop 'till you drop may not apply to e-shopping.

Mental illness stigma lingers even though people understand it's a brain disease

Public perception of mental illness and addiction has changed significantly -- and for the good -- in the...

What's it like to struggle with eating disorders? Portia de Rossi tells all in 'Unbearable Lightness'

Body Image 101: Like it or not, studies show attractive people have an edge in everything from being hired to being set free (yes, they...

A little superstitious? You're not alone

How would you like to see an honest-to-goodness witch flying by your place at midnight this Halloween? Just put your clothes on inside out,...

A look at the mind's natural shortcuts

Wray Herbert is thinking about your brain. He concludes that your thinking may be so ancient that you're making more mistakes than you'd...

Revenge may be all in the anticipation

"Sweet is revenge," Lord Byron wrote in "Don Juan" — and how could it be otherwise?

Doctors can be fired, and taught too

Last year, I fired a doctor.

The M.D.: When anger reaches the danger zone

There's nothing like a children's sporting event to rile people up. Confined to the sidelines, parents and coaches routinely scream at one...

YouTube channel tells gay teens: It gets better

Nick Wheeler once thought it was impossible to be gay and happy.

Tragic, teachable moment

Maybe it seems pointless to say now what a dedicated teacher Rigoberto Ruelas was.

Respecting a 'non-compliant' patient's choices

I saw Margaret recently. I was happy that she came in, as she was overdue for a visit. She is a delightful, middle-age woman who has been on...

Busy bodies, happy minds

With unemployment idling near 10%, the negative effect of job loss on mental health has assumed a sharp relevance. Losing work has been...

Social support network may add to longevity

The best medicine for a longer, healthier life may be the support of family and friends: That's the conclusion of an exhaustive July...

The 'contagion' of social networks

The old folk concept that our personal health behaviors rub off on those around us has received a staggering amount of scientific support of...

Health insurance options for those with preexisting condition

Amy Reiley had resigned herself to joining the ranks of the uninsured. The part-time L.A. resident and owner of a boutique cookbook...

Mental health parity act may affect your medical benefits

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, by some estimates, could affect the health coverage of approximately 113...