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Researchers have discovered a brain abnormality in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that may help predict which patients are most likely to respond to treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), according to a study published online in Brain Imaging and Behavior.

“The hemodynamic response function (HRF) represents the transfer function linking neural activity with the functional MRI (fMRI) signal, modeling neurovascular coupling,” wrote Jamie Feusner, MD, professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences, and coauthors. “Since HRF is influenced by non-neural factors, to date it has largely been considered as a confound or has been ignored in many analyses.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online communication increased considerably, causing an increase in burnout. Apps, such as Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, and Cisco Webex were key in keeping the educational, economic, and health sectors alive and ongoing during the pandemic.

“Prolonged time facing screens, tablets, and smart devices increases stress and anxiety,” said lead author of the study Nour Mheidly. “Mental health stressors resulting from extensive online communication can add to other stressors related to quarantine time and lockdown to eventually lead to exhaustion and burnout.

With winter on the horizon, it’s getting darker earlier each day, and temperatures are slipping. Seasonal affective disorder could hit particularly hard this year, especially after months of social distancing and limited contact with family or large groups. “Our emotional winter is coming,” said Jaime Blandino, a clinical psychologist and cofounder of Thrive Center for Psychological Health in Decatur, Georgia.

Seasonal affective disorder, also known by its apt acronym, SAD, is a form of depression that some people get for a few months each year, most commonly during the late fall and winter months, as the days shorten. It can linger until the following spring or summer. Although less common, SAD can also appear in the summer months and go away as the season changes.

The negative effects of helicopter-parenting on children are well documented. Research shows it can lead to psychological distress, narcissism, poor adjustment, alcohol and drug use and a host of other behavioral problems in young adults ages 18 to 25. But why do some parents teach their children to fish and others feed their children fish? Helicopter moms and dads hover over their children—taking care of tasks children could do themselves such as cooking, cleaning, or paying bills—removing obstacles, solving problems or overseeing every aspect of a child’s life. But why are some parents driven to overly focus on their kids? Could the perfection and anxiety that makes some employees top-notch workers backfire when they employ those same tactics to parenting? And could your own career success that you want for your children do more harm than good?