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(https://www.psypost.org/feeling-connected-to-nature-may-ease-mental-health-struggles-after-losing-a-loved-one/) Feeling connected to nature may ease mental health struggles after losing a loved one
Dec 20th 2024, 08:00

A study of individuals who experienced the death of a loved one due to COVID-19 found that complicated grief following such a loss can lead to adverse mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety. However, feelings of connectedness to nature were found to mitigate this link, potentially serving as a protective factor. The findings were published in the (https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091138) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Complicated grief is a prolonged and intense form of grief that persists for an extended period, interfering with an individual’s ability to function in daily life. It goes beyond typical bereavement, involving persistent yearning or longing for the deceased, difficulty accepting the loss, and feelings of disbelief or emotional numbness. People experiencing complicated grief may feel stuck in their mourning, preoccupied with memories of their loved one, or unable to engage in activities they once enjoyed. This condition can also lead to physical symptoms, social withdrawal, and an increased risk of depression and anxiety.
The 2021-2022 COVID-19 pandemic claimed 2.6 million lives worldwide, leaving a profound impact on their loved ones. In the United States, it is estimated that each COVID-19 death left, on average, nine people bereaved. While most of these individuals experienced general grief—a normal, non-pathological response to bereavement—some went on to develop complicated grief, which adversely affected their mental health over time.
Study authors Madison Schony and Dominik Mischkowski sought to better understand the association between grief—particularly complicated grief—and mental health. They also investigated whether a person’s relationship with nature (e.g., time spent in nature, feelings of connectedness, or residential greenness) could influence the link between grief and mental health.
The study included 153 participants who had lost a close loved one to COVID-19 during the 2021-2022 pandemic. Participants were recruited via mTurk, Research Match, and grief group pages on Facebook and Reddit. Of the participants, 109 were women, and the average age was 42 years.
Participants completed an online survey assessing complicated grief (using the Brief Grief Questionnaire), general grief (using the Bereavement Experience Questionnaire), anxiety (using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener), depression (using the PROMIS Short Form v1.0 Depression 8a), and connectedness to nature (using the Connectedness to Nature Scale). They also estimated the amount of time they spent in nature. The researchers evaluated residential greenness using participants’ postal codes and satellite images of land surfaces.
The results showed that individuals experiencing higher levels of grief reported more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. These associations were especially pronounced for those with complicated grief. Interestingly, participants with higher levels of grief also reported spending more time in nature.
Further analyses revealed that feelings of connectedness to nature attenuated the link between complicated grief and depression. For individuals with low or moderate levels of connectedness to nature, more severe symptoms of complicated grief were associated with more intense symptoms of depression. However, for individuals with strong feelings of connectedness to nature, the severity of complicated grief did not correlate with depression symptom severity. A similar pattern was observed with anxiety, though the connection between anxiety and complicated grief was weaker, rather than entirely absent, in those with strong feelings of connectedness to nature.
“We thus conclude that a sense of feeling connected to nature—not simply spending more time in nature or being surrounded by nature—may serve an important role in the mental health status of people experiencing complicated grief, perhaps because CN [connectedness with nature] replenishes general belonging when someone significant has passed away,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the relationship between nature experiences and grief. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a small online sample during a rare historical event – a worldwide pandemic and in the context of the way societies reacted to it. Results might not be the same in other historical periods or on samples more representative of the general population.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091138) Feeling Connected to Nature Attenuates the Association between Complicated Grief and Mental Health,” was authored by Madison Schony and Dominik Mischkowski.

(https://www.psypost.org/psychology-study-uncovers-a-surprising-fact-about-mansplaining/) Psychology study uncovers a surprising fact about “mansplaining”
Dec 20th 2024, 06:00

Can women be mansplainers, too? New research published in (https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976241268630) Psychological Science shows that “unresponsive advice,” often linked to mansplaining, can harm women’s self-perception. Surprisingly, the negative effects—feeling less respected, powerful, and listened to—occurred regardless of the advisor’s gender.
The study was motivated by widespread anecdotal accounts of mansplaining, a term that describes condescending or patronizing explanations often directed at women, particularly in the form of generic and unsolicited advice. Researchers Erik Santoro (a postdoctoral research scholar at Columbia Business School) and Hazel Rose Markus (the Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and co-author of (https://amzn.to/4gpNRiR) Clash!) aimed to empirically investigate how receiving unresponsive advice affects women’s self-perceptions and interpersonal dynamics.
“This work was initially motivated by reading accounts of women being ‘mansplained to’ when getting advice (see (https://medium.com/female-founders-lead-the-way/manvising-5dbeb38c5ab8) here and (https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a26989153/how-to-give-advice-to-a-woman/) here), as well as Hazel’s experiences and those of her women colleagues,” the researchers told PsyPost. “We wanted to explore the effects on women of receiving this type of ‘unresponsive’ advice – which we defined as being unsolicited, generic, and prescriptive. Importantly, we wanted to understand whether, and how, unresponsive advice might perpetuate a broader hierarchy in which men tend to be afforded more status and respect than women in the United States.”
The researchers conducted five studies involving more than 4,000 female participants based in the United States. The methodologies combined imagined scenarios, real-time text-based interactions, and surveys.
For their initial study, the researchers recruited 404 women through Amazon Mechanical Turk, with an average age of 39 years. The participants were asked to imagine a personal problem, such as a relationship breakup, and envision a male friend responding in one of two ways. In one condition, the male friend provided unresponsive advice (e.g., offering unsolicited and generic suggestions), while in the other condition, he asked responsive, open-ended questions. After imagining the interaction, participants rated how they felt about their sense of respect, power, trust, and size of self during the interaction.
The results revealed that women felt less respected, less powerful, less trusting, and diminished in size of self when receiving unresponsive advice compared to responsive questions. These findings highlighted the negative impact of unresponsive communication and set the stage for investigating these dynamics in more realistic settings.
In their second study, the researchers aimed to replicate and extend the findings of Study 1 by testing the effects of unresponsive advice in real-time conversations. The sample for Study 2 included 431 women participants, also recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
The women were paired with male conversation partners for live text-based discussions about stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The male participants were instructed to provide either unresponsive advice or responsive, open-ended questions, following carefully crafted scripts to ensure consistency in their responses. For instance, an example of unresponsive advice was: “You’re probably feeling stressed because of the news and social media. You should take breaks from watching or listening to news stories.”
The findings mirrored those of Study 1: women felt less respected, less powerful, less trusting, and smaller in size of self when receiving unresponsive advice compared to responsive questions. This live interaction study reinforced the idea that unresponsive advice negatively impacts women’s self-perceptions in real-time settings.
To investigate whether the gender of the advice giver moderated the effects of unresponsive advice on women’s self-perceptions, Santoro and Markus then recruited a large sample of 1,835 women participants through Prolific. The participants were asked to imagine a professional scenario in which they received either unresponsive advice or responsive, open-ended questions from an equal-rank coworker of a specified gender—either a man (Ryan) or a woman (Sarah). They then rated their feelings of respect, power, size of self, and stereotype threat, as well as their perceptions of gender equality.
The results showed that unresponsive advice negatively affected women’s feelings of respect, power, trust, and size of self, regardless of the gender of the advice giver. However, unresponsive advice from men uniquely heightened stereotype threat, leading women to feel more aware of and concerned about their gender in the interaction.
“We initially thought women would feel less respected, powerful and trusting when receiving unresponsive advice from men than from women,” Santoro and Markus told PsyPost. “But unsolicited, generic and prescriptive advice had similar negative effects on these outcomes regardless of whether it was from men or from women.”
“What was unique to women getting unresponsive advice from men was that women felt greater anticipated stereotype threat – or the perception that one is being seen through the lens of a pervasive group stereotype. In our work, this meant that women were aware of and concerned about gender when receiving this type of advice from men, but not when receiving it from women.”
To isolate the negative effects of unresponsive advice more precisely, the researchers conducted a fourth study in which they compared unresponsive advice to responsive advice (rather than to responsive questions). The sample for this study consisted of 1,619 women participants, recruited through Prolific.
The participants were asked to imagine a workplace scenario in which they received advice from a coworker (either Ryan or Sarah) in one of two styles: unresponsive advice (unsolicited, generic, and prescriptive) or responsive advice (solicited, specific, and tailored to the participant’s concerns). Participants then rated their feelings of respect, power, size of self, sense of belonging, and stereotype threat.
The results demonstrated that unresponsive advice led to significantly lower levels of respect, power, size of self, and belonging compared to responsive advice. Additionally, unresponsive advice from male coworkers heightened stereotype threat, replicating the findings from Study 3. These results confirmed that the unresponsive nature of the advice itself, rather than a comparison to questions, was responsible for the negative outcomes.
For their fifth and final study, the researchers sought to explore the interpersonal consequences of unresponsive advice. They recruited 1,750 women participants through Prolific, with 1,619 responses included after exclusions. The participants imagined a workplace scenario similar to that in Study 4, where they received either unresponsive or responsive advice from a coworker (Ryan or Sarah). Participants then rated their likelihood of seeking advice from men and women coworkers in the future, as well as their perceptions of the advice giver’s typical behavior.
The findings showed that unresponsive advice reduced women’s likelihood of seeking advice from male coworkers in the future. Women were also less likely to approach female coworkers if they had received unresponsive advice from a woman. These results suggested that unresponsive advice erodes trust and communication in professional relationships, regardless of the gender of the advice giver.
“Though this project focuses on one popular cultural phenomenon, it is part of a larger concern with how status is maintained and communicated in society,” Santoro and Markus said. “A phenomenon like mansplaining is one in which a person in an interaction experiences themself as lesser or one down. This experience can likely be identified in other types of interactions and across other social identities including race and ethnicity or social class. And so, mansplaining during advice is part of a larger set of conversational or interactional practices that can maintain existing social divisions, hierarchies, and stereotypes.”
The findings emphasize the importance of responsive communication, particularly in advice-giving contexts. Tailored, solicited advice or open-ended questions that validate and acknowledge the recipient’s concerns can foster respect, trust, and empowerment. By contrast, unresponsive advice—even when well-intentioned—can leave recipients feeling unheard and undervalued.
But, as with all research, there are some limitations. “One important caveat is that our findings are limited to our sample: U.S.-based women,” the researchers noted. “Studying men and those outside of the gender binary will also be important. Only one of our studies involved a live interaction; the other studies involved imagined or recalled interactions. We hope to do more live interaction studies with behavioral outcomes in the future. A final caveat is that we did not study other features associated with mansplaining during advice such as a condescending tone of voice.”
“One long-term goal is to study how mansplaining during advice might influence women’s motivation and achievement in school and work, especially if, as our data suggests, women receive unsolicited, generic and prescriptive advice more often from men,” Santoro and Markus added. “A second long-term goal is to understand why people give this type of advice, and in particular, why some men (and some women) give it. Importantly, we don’t assume ill intent on the part of people giving this advice. In fact, the advice in our studies was not overtly negative.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976241268630) Is Mansplaining Gendered? The Effects of Unsolicited, Generic, and Prescriptive Advice on U.S. Women,” was published November 25, 2024.

(https://www.psypost.org/new-research-reveals-the-double-edged-effects-of-essentialist-beliefs-on-political-bias/) New research reveals the double-edged effects of essentialist beliefs on political bias
Dec 19th 2024, 18:00

Recent research published in the (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01461672241283862) Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin sheds light on the role of belief systems in shaping partisan prejudice in the United States. The study reveals that while believing political ideologies are unchangeable (trait essentialism) reduces prejudice toward opposing parties, viewing political partisans as fundamentally different (social essentialism) has the opposite effect. These findings, based on six studies involving over 2,200 participants, highlight how these belief systems interact with blame attributions to drive political prejudice.
Partisan prejudice—negative attitudes and hostility toward members of the opposing political party—has escalated sharply in recent decades. This trend has far-reaching consequences, influencing not just voting behavior but also personal relationships, hiring decisions, and social cohesion. With political polarization at an all-time high, researchers sought to understand how cognitive frameworks like essentialist beliefs about political ideology and partisanship contribute to prejudice.
Essentialism refers to the belief that certain traits or characteristics are unchangeable and inherent. In this study, researchers focused on two types of essentialism: trait essentialism, which pertains to individual political ideologies, and social essentialism, which applies to groups such as political parties. They hypothesized that these two belief systems might predict prejudice in opposite ways. While trait essentialism could reduce prejudice by diminishing personal blame for political beliefs, social essentialism might amplify prejudice by reinforcing group stereotypes and animosity.
“I was motivated by the growing partisan prejudice and its far-reaching consequences beyond politics, affecting everyday life from relationships to workplaces. By examining how beliefs about the unchanging nature of political ideology and partisanship might exacerbate or mitigate prejudice, I hoped it might offer a promising approach to address this growing societal divide,” explained study author Crystal L. Hoyt of the University of Richmond.
The research team conducted six studies with a total of 2,231 participants, including Democrats and Republicans from diverse backgrounds. The studies employed surveys, experimental manipulations, and statistical analyses to explore the relationships between essentialist beliefs, blame attributions, and partisan prejudice.
Participants completed questionnaires measuring their levels of trait and social essentialism. For example, trait essentialism items assessed beliefs about the biological and immutable nature of political ideology, such as agreeing with statements like “Your political orientation is something that you can’t change.” Social essentialism was measured by agreement with statements like “Knowing that someone belongs to a particular political party tells us a lot about that person’s character.”
The researchers also assessed partisan prejudice through measures of negative emotions, trait evaluations, and warmth toward members of the opposing party. In addition, participants answered questions about how much they blamed opposing partisans for political strife and whether they attributed malicious intent to them.
To examine the impact of media messaging, the researchers exposed participants to articles emphasizing either the genetic basis of political ideology (intended to increase trait essentialism) or the shared values between Democrats and Republicans (designed to reduce social essentialism). A control group received no intervention.
Across all six studies, participants who believed that political ideologies are fixed and unchangeable (trait essentialism) were more likely to attribute political beliefs to uncontrollable factors like genetics. This reduced their tendency to blame individuals for their political views, resulting in lower levels of partisan prejudice.
In contrast, those who endorsed social essentialism—believing that Democrats and Republicans are fundamentally and inherently different—were more likely to stereotype opposing partisans and attribute negative characteristics and malicious intent to them. This heightened their levels of prejudice.
The researchers found that blame plays a key role in mediating the effects of essentialist beliefs on prejudice. For trait essentialism, the reduced attribution of responsibility for political beliefs helped to mitigate prejudice. Conversely, social essentialism was linked to increased prejudice by amplifying blame for political strife and fostering perceptions of malicious intent.
“While trait essentialism—the belief that political ideology is unchanging—and social essentialism—the belief that Republicans and Democrats are fundamentally different—are positively associated, they differentially predict partisan prejudice,” Hoyt told PsyPost. “Trait essentialism is linked to lower prejudice, while social essentialism predicts greater prejudice, with blame playing a central role in these relationships.”
The researchers also found evidence that media messaging can influence essentialist beliefs and prejudice. Participants who read an article emphasizing the genetic underpinnings of political ideology reported higher levels of trait essentialism and, subsequently, lower levels of prejudice. On the other hand, an article promoting shared values between Democrats and Republicans successfully reduced social essentialism, leading to lower prejudice levels. Importantly, these effects were indirect, mediated by changes in essentialist beliefs.
Interestingly, the link between trait essentialism and reduced prejudice was stronger among Democrats than Republicans. This finding suggests that the impact of essentialist beliefs on prejudice may vary depending on political and cultural context.
“Media messaging has the potential to reduce partisan prejudice,” Hoyt said. “Messages that emphasize shared values between Republicans and Democrats can decrease social essentialist beliefs, fostering more positive attitudes across party lines.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672241283862) Partisan Prejudice: The Role of Beliefs About the Unchanging Nature of Ideology and Partisans,” was authored by Crystal L. Hoyt, Jeni L. Burnette, and Meghan Moore.

(https://www.psypost.org/bidirectional-relationship-found-between-post-traumatic-stress-and-loneliness-in-teens/) Bidirectional relationship found between post-traumatic stress and loneliness in teens
Dec 19th 2024, 16:00

In a study published in the (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032724009315) Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers discovered a bidirectional relationship between loneliness and posttraumatic stress among U.S. adolescents.
Adolescence is a pivotal stage of development, often marked by increased vulnerability to both (https://www.psypost.org/massive-meta-analysis-finds-loneliness-has-increased-in-emerging-adults-in-the-last-43-years/) loneliness and mental health challenges such as posttraumatic stress (PTS). (https://www.psypost.org/loneliness-linked-to-cognitive-decline-in-older-adults-study-finds/) Research indicates that (https://www.psypost.org/depressed-and-lonely-students-gain-fewer-emotional-and-physiological-benefits-from-social-interactions/) loneliness, a distressing experience stemming from perceived deficiencies in social relationships, is particularly common during adolescence and linked to adverse outcomes, including emotional distress and health risk behaviors.
Similarly, exposure to traumatic events is widespread among adolescents, with many experiencing symptoms of PTS, which can disrupt emotional and social functioning. While studies have examined these phenomena independently, there has been little exploration of how they influence one another over time.
Motivated by the lack of longitudinal research on this link, Andrew Stickley and colleagues sought to uncover whether loneliness and PTS are interconnected in adolescents.
The study was conducted as part of a broader longitudinal project designed to explore mental health factors among adolescents in the New Haven, Connecticut public school system. Surveys were administered to students across 17 public middle and high schools, including alternative and bilingual programs, during regular school hours in two waves separated by one year.
Loneliness was assessed using a single-item question adapted from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), asking students to rate how often they felt lonely in the past 30 days. Responses ranged from “not true” to “certainly true,” and those answering “certainly true” were categorized as lonely. PTS symptoms were measured using the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI), a validated 20-item self-report scale that evaluates the frequency of PTS symptoms on a scale from 0 (“never”) to 4 (“most of the time”). The CPTS-RI generates a total score reflecting symptom severity, ranging from mild to very severe.
The surveys were available in both English and Spanish. Demographic data, including socioeconomic status (SES) and gender, were also collected, with SES measured by eligibility for free or reduced-cost lunch programs.
The findings revealed a bidirectional association between loneliness and PTS in adolescents. At baseline, nearly one-third of participants reported some degree of loneliness, with females significantly more likely than males to report feelings of loneliness. Similarly, most students exhibited PTS symptoms in the “mild” range, with a smaller proportion experiencing moderate to severe symptoms. Girls consistently reported higher PTS scores than boys at both time points.
The path analysis showed that loneliness at baseline predicted increased PTS symptoms one year later, even after controlling for initial PTS levels and other covariates. This association, while statistically significant, was modest (β = 0.06). Conversely, PTS symptoms at baseline more strongly predicted loneliness one year later (β = 0.19), suggesting that the influence of PTS on subsequent loneliness was greater than the reverse. An additional analysis revealed gender differences, with girls who had higher baseline PTS scores experiencing a more pronounced increase in loneliness over time compared to boys.
A notable limitation is the use of a single-item measure for loneliness, which might have underestimated its prevalence, especially among boys.
The research, titled “(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032724009315) Loneliness and Posttraumatic Stress in U.S. Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study,” was authored by Andrew Stickley, Johan Isaksson, Roman Koposov, Mary Schwab-Stone, Tomiki Sumiyoshi, and Vladislav Ruchkin.

(https://www.psypost.org/women-exhibit-less-manipulative-personality-traits-in-more-gender-equal-countries/) Women exhibit less manipulative personality traits in more gender-equal countries
Dec 19th 2024, 14:00

A new study exploring how gender equality relates to Machiavellianism—a personality trait characterized by manipulation, exploitation, and deceit—has revealed a surprising trend: countries with higher gender equality tend to exhibit larger differences between men’s and women’s scores on this trait. While men’s Machiavellian tendencies remained stable regardless of national gender equality, women were less likely to endorse such traits in more egalitarian societies.
The findings have been published in the (https://doi.org/10.21827/ijpp.10.41854) International Journal of Personality Psychology.
The study sought to address a longstanding question in psychology: why do men consistently score higher on Machiavellianism than women? Previous research has shown this pattern is persistent across cultures, yet the factors contributing to the gap remain unclear.
The researchers behind the new study hypothesized that cultural and societal structures, particularly gender equality, might influence the magnitude of this difference. Building on the concept of the “(https://www.psypost.org/exploring-the-gender-equality-paradox-new-research-uncovers-surprising-trends/#google_vignette) gender equality paradox,” which posits that greater equality can sometimes amplify psychological and behavioral differences between men and women, the researchers aimed to test whether this phenomenon extended to Machiavellianism.
“As a psychologist specializing in moral psychology and intergroup relations, I was motivated to explore whether gender differences stem from societal factors (e.g., gender equality) or reflect something more fundamental. This question is central to understanding the roles of evolution and culture in shaping personality,” said study author Dan Confino of Geneva University.
The study analyzed data from 56,936 adults across 48 countries. Participants completed the MACH-IV scale, a widely used questionnaire for assessing Machiavellianism, where higher scores indicate a greater endorsement of manipulative and self-serving behaviors. Researchers also collected demographic information, including participants’ sex, age, and country of residence, which was determined via their IP address.
To measure gender equality, the researchers used two indices: the Gender Inequality Index from the United Nations and the Global Gender Gap Index from the World Economic Forum. These indices evaluate a range of factors, including access to education, political representation, economic participation, and healthcare, to quantify the level of gender equality in each country.
The findings confirmed that men consistently scored higher than women on Machiavellianism across all 48 countries. However, the size of the difference varied significantly depending on a country’s level of gender equality. In nations with greater equality, the gap was wider, driven by a decrease in women’s Machiavellianism scores rather than any change in men’s.
In countries with lower levels of gender equality, women tended to score higher on Machiavellianism, potentially reflecting an increased reliance on manipulative strategies to navigate restrictive or resource-scarce environments. By contrast, in more gender-equal societies, women’s scores dropped, suggesting that increased access to resources and opportunities may reduce the perceived need for such tactics. Men’s scores, however, remained largely unaffected by changes in gender equality, highlighting a potential difference in how societal structures influence Machiavellian traits across genders.
“Intuitively, one might expect that increasing gender equality would reduce differences between men and women. However, this study demonstrates just the opposite,” Confino told PsyPost.
These results align with the gender equality paradox, which has previously been observed in other psychological domains, such as personality traits and career preferences. The paradox suggests that as societies become more egalitarian, men and women may feel freer to express their intrinsic tendencies, leading to larger sex differences rather than diminishing them.
However, the study did not directly investigate the mechanisms underlying the observed patterns. While the results suggest that increased gender equality reduces women’s reliance on Machiavellian tactics, the reasons for this shift are not entirely clear. Potential explanations include greater access to resources, reduced societal pressures to conform to manipulative behaviors, or shifts in cultural norms around femininity and masculinity. Future studies could incorporate experimental designs or longitudinal data to clarify these processes.
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.21827/ijpp.10.41854) National gender equality and sex differences in Machiavellianism across countries,” was authored by Dan Confino, Paolo Ghisletta, Gijsbert Stoet, and Juan M. Falomir-Pichastor.

(https://www.psypost.org/building-muscle-strength-and-mass-may-help-reduce-depression-risk-study-suggests/) Building muscle strength and mass may help reduce depression risk, study suggests
Dec 19th 2024, 12:00

Building muscle might do more than improve physical health — it could also help protect against depression. A study published in the (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032724011972) Journal of Affective Disorders has found that adults with stronger grip strength and greater muscle mass were less likely to experience depression. The findings suggest that targeting muscle development through exercise may be an effective strategy to improve mental health.
Depression is a widespread mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide, characterized by persistent sadness, reduced energy, and difficulty finding pleasure in previously enjoyable activities. It is a leading cause of disability and places a significant burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Despite advancements in treatments like therapy and medication, many patients experience recurrent episodes, underscoring the need for better preventive strategies.
Muscle mass and strength are known to decline with age and can also be affected by lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity. While previous studies have suggested a potential connection between muscle health and depression, the results have been inconsistent, possibly due to differences in study design and measurement methods. The new study, led by Linjie Qiu of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, aimed to clarify this relationship by analyzing a large, nationally representative dataset from the United States.
The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a large-scale program that collects health information from participants across the United States. The study focused on data collected between 2011 and 2014. After excluding participants who were under 18 years old, pregnant, or missing key data, the final analysis included 4,871 individuals.
Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a widely used tool for measuring depressive symptoms based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. Scores on the PHQ-9 range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. Participants with scores of 10 or higher were classified as having depression.
Muscle mass was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, a precise method for determining the lean mass of the arms and legs. Grip strength, a common measure of muscle strength, was assessed with a dynamometer, which measures the maximum force a person can exert with their hands. Each participant performed the grip test three times with each hand, and the researchers used the highest combined score for analysis.
The study revealed a clear negative association between both muscle strength and muscle mass and the likelihood of depression. For every 5-kilogram increase in grip strength, the likelihood of depression decreased by about 5.7%. Participants in the highest quartile of grip strength had a 39.9% lower risk of depression compared to those in the lowest quartile.
Similarly, for every 1-kilogram increase in appendicular lean mass, the likelihood of depression decreased by about 5.5%. Participants in the highest quartile of muscle mass had a 44.1% lower risk of depression compared to those in the lowest quartile.
The researchers also found that these associations were stronger in certain subgroups. For example, the relationship between muscle strength and depression was particularly pronounced in individuals aged 40 to 59, likely due to the natural decline in muscle mass that begins around age 30. Similarly, the link between muscle mass and depression was stronger in men and in individuals with a healthy body mass index.
Interestingly, the study identified potential non-linear trends in the data. For grip strength, there appeared to be a threshold effect: once participants exceeded a certain level of strength, the protective effect against depression plateaued.
The researchers controlled for a range of other factors that could influence the results, including age, gender, race, marital status, education, income, physical activity levels, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, and diabetes. But as with all research, there are some caveats to consider. Because the data were collected at a single point in time, the researchers could not determine whether low muscle mass and strength cause depression or whether depression leads to reduced muscle health. Longitudinal studies that track participants over time are needed to clarify this relationship.
Future studies could also explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between muscle health and depression. For example, physical activity is known to promote the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports brain function and mood regulation. Understanding these mechanisms could inform targeted interventions.
“In summary, our study found that lower appendicular lean mass (ALM) and grip strength are associated with an increased likelihood of developing depression,” the researchers concluded. “This finding may inform public health policy makers and clinicians that enhancing muscle mass and strength through exercise could help prevent and mitigate depression. However, further large-scale prospective studies are required to validate our findings.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.07.139) Associations of muscle mass and strength with depression among US adults: A cross-sectional NHANES study,” was conducted by Linjie Qiu, Yan Ren, Jixin Li, Meijie Li, Wenjie Li, Lingli Qin, Chunhui Ning, Jin Zhang, and Feng Gao.

(https://www.psypost.org/ritalin-on-the-road-adhd-drug-methylphenidate-improves-driving-performance/) Ritalin on the road: ADHD drug methylphenidate improves driving performance
Dec 19th 2024, 10:00

A recent study conducted in Australia found that a 10 mg dose of methylphenidate improved participants’ driving performance in a simulated driving task. The medication reduced lane weaving and speed variation, while eye movements remained almost unaffected. The research was published in the (https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811241286715) Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which adversely impacts daily functioning. It is most often diagnosed at the start of school, as these symptoms are considered disruptive in the classroom context. ADHD symptoms can persist into adulthood, leading to detrimental consequences in various areas of life.
In adulthood, ADHD symptoms can significantly impair driving performance. Individuals with ADHD may struggle to sustain attention, manage distractions, and inhibit inappropriate responses. This can lead to difficulties such as missing road signs, reacting slowly to hazards, or engaging in impulsive driving behaviors like speeding or risky overtaking.
One medication widely used to treat ADHD is methylphenidate. It works by increasing levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, thereby enhancing focus, attention, and impulse control. While generally effective, methylphenidate can cause side effects such as insomnia, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate.
Study author Blair Aitken and his colleagues sought to investigate the acute effects of a 10 mg dose of methylphenidate on driving performance while simultaneously monitoring eye movements in a simulated driving environment. A dose of 10 mg is generally considered low and corresponds to the initial dosage typically prescribed at the beginning of therapy. This low dose was deemed appropriate for studying the effects on individuals with minimal prior exposure to the drug.
The study involved 25 healthy adults, 16 of whom were male. Participants ranged in age from 23 to 47 years. Eligibility criteria included holding a valid driver’s license, having at least 4,000 kilometers of driving experience per year, and being in good general health.
Each participant completed two experimental sessions, scheduled at least a week apart to minimize any residual effects of the drug. In one session, participants received a 10 mg dose of methylphenidate (Ritalin®). In the other session, they were given an identical-looking capsule containing no active ingredients (placebo). Participants were unaware of whether they had received methylphenidate or the placebo.
Eighty-five minutes after taking the drug, participants were required to drive for 40 minutes in a simulator. Their task was to maintain a steady position in the left lane at a constant speed of 100 km/h, occasionally performing overtaking maneuvers due to traffic conditions. The driving scenario replicated a 105-km four-lane highway with standard Australian road markings and signage. A camera mounted on the simulator’s dashboard tracked participants’ eye movements.
Each session lasted approximately three hours. Participants were compensated with $50 and a transportation voucher. Prior to testing, they were instructed to fast for two hours, avoid caffeine for 12 hours, and abstain from alcohol and nicotine for 24 hours to minimize confounding effects.
The results showed that participants under the influence of methylphenidate exhibited less lane weaving and maintained a more stable speed. Reduced lane weaving was noticeable after 30 minutes of simulation, while more stable speed control emerged at the 40-minute mark. Additionally, participants moved the steering wheel less between 10 and 20 minutes into the session but showed increased steering activity between 30 and 40 minutes when on methylphenidate.
Participants did not report perceiving any subjective differences between the sessions with methylphenidate and placebo. However, after the driving task, participants who had taken the placebo reported feeling slightly sleepier than those who had taken methylphenidate. Differences in eye movements between the two conditions were minimal.
“This study demonstrated that an acute 10mg dose of methylphenidate demonstrated protective effects against performance degradation commonly observed during prolonged, monotonous driving, evidenced by improvements in vehicle control and speed maintenance relative to placebo. The limited changes in broader ocular metrics suggest that while methylphenidate enhances specific aspects of cognitive function, it does not universally improve visual scanning efficiency,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the effects of methylphenidate on driving performance. However, it is important to note that the driving simulation used was relatively simple, featuring a highway with relatively few vehicles. This simplicity may explain the absence of significant effects on eye movements. Results may differ in more complex driving situations.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811241286715) Driving performance and ocular activity following acute administration of 10mg methylphenidate: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study,” was authored by Blair Aitken, Luke A Downey, Serah Rose, Thomas R Arkell, Brook Shiferaw, and Amie C Hayley.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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