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Brain researcher: Here’s why the pandemic came as a surprise to us

The brain’s two systems make it difficult for us to understand dangers we haven’t actually experienced.

Older men don’t talk enough about sex

Women do so much of the talking that men become mute, according to Elsa Mari Almås, a professor and couple therapist.

Financial worries gave Norwegians symptoms of PTSD when the pandemic hit the country

Worrying about losing your income is extremely stressful, says researcher.

Why does therapy for mental illness work?

Psychoanalysis. Cognitive behavioural therapy. Compassion-based therapy. People use countless forms of therapy for mental illness. Why do they all work equally well?

Quiet people suffer without being seen

A surprisingly large portion of the population may suffer from a personality disorder that very few have heard of.

Brain researcher: It’s difficult to separate the physical and mental when it comes to our brains

Emotions, mental ailments, brain diseases: Everything happens in the brain. Technological advances have given us new perspectives on how the brain works, according to Norwegian brain researchers.

Norwegians almost three times as likely to suffer from symptoms of depression after the lockdown in March

As several countries in Europe prepare for new lockdowns, studies are emerging on the effects of the first wave.

Why do we condemn, blame and stigmatize people who have experienced something traumatic?

OPINION: Some trauma victims are met with negative social reactions when they tell others about what they have experienced. Why does this happen?

Why do jihadists cry?

Norwegian researcher has collected hundreds of stories about terrorists crying over the past decade. For it appears that terrorists shed quite a few tears when they are together. But why?

Social media “likes” and comments lead to poorer self-esteem

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Girls who “like” and comment on what others post on social media develop a worse self-image over time. Posting on your own profile doesn’t have the same effect.

Preferring to be social on social media rather than face-to-face is not deviant. It’s the new normal.

OPINION: Are you secretly dreading the day when social distancing is just a vague memory? When you once again have to physically interact with other people, whether you like them or not? Chances are you are not a social deviant or a freak, but a representative of the new normal.

How long does sex normally last before climaxing?

For sure not all night, in case you might have thought so.

Mum drinking just a little too much led to behavioural problems in children

This doesn’t only apply to mothers with alcohol abuse issues. A Norwegian study shows that merely a slightly elevated alcohol consumption in mothers of toddlers can lead to more behavioural problems in children.

What if psychological disorders don’t have any underlying cause?

Traditionally, both researchers and practicing psychologists have searched for the root cause of mental disorders: The trauma. The genes. The biochemistry that causes symptoms of anxiety or depression. But what if the symptoms are the actual disease?

Online therapy: Many more people can get help with the fear of public speaking

Many people who suffer from social anxiety don’t dare to contact a psychologist. As a consequence, the people who struggle the most are the least likely to get help. A new study shows that online therapy is as effective as face-to-face therapy.

This is how they treat obsessive-compulsive disorder — in 4 days

Gerd Kvale and Bjarne Hansen have had great success with their four-day treatment programme for obsessive-compulsive disorder. They think the general trend towards shorter treatment programmes is long overdue.

We should spend more time studying successful psychopaths, says forensic psychiatrist Randi Rosenqvist

Upon retiring, forensic psychiatrist Randi Rosenqvist talks to ScienceNorway.no about abnormalities in the brains of psychopaths, how it would be interesting to study successful psychopaths, and why she doesn’t actually like the term psychopaths.

Suicide researcher is more optimistic than in a long time

Youth who repeatedly injure themselves, think about suicide or try to commit suicide have not always received the right treatment. Now scientists are beginning to better understand what helps.

Should children be allowed to choose teams in gym class?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Or should the teacher do it? We ask the experts.

Norway builds top athletes through not focusing on winning

Athletes and trainers who are most concerned with their overall development rather than results are the ones who often do the best, research suggests.

Why are we more concerned about someone seeing us fall on our face than whether it hurt?

ASK A RESEARCHER: Avoiding social pain is often more important than avoiding physical pain, according to psychology researcher.

Why do schizophrenia patients die earlier than other people?

The average life expectancy of Norwegians with schizophrenic disorders is 62 years. If you also have a drug problem, it goes down to 47 years. “It’s difficult to understand why this isn’t prioritized by the health services,” says a veteran psychiatric researcher.

People are less afraid of flying now than in the 1980s

Despite several recent major accidents and terrorist attacks, Norwegians are less afraid of flying than they were 30 years ago. The biggest risk from flying comes from our imagination, one researcher says.

Teaching students to go easier on themselves

A two-week long course on self-compassion made university students less depressed and improved their mental health.

What makes a hunter pull the trigger—or refrain?

It’s more than the size of the antlers that makes Norwegian red deer hunters decide to shoot, researchers have found.

Anorexics misjudge their own reflection

When a girl diagnosed with anorexia views herself in the mirror she acquires a less correct impression of how she looks than when she simply relies on her memory of her body.

How are we affected by colours?

Does the colour of the room really affect our mood? And If so, is the effect universal?

What causes spring fever?

Is it a pure biological response that makes us lustier and happier in the spring? Or is it just because we think we’re supposed to feel that way?

Children feel unsafe in Norwegian asylum centres

They come seeking safety and protection, but some children and adolescents who have come to Norway in a quest for asylum feel unsafe, a recent survey shows.

Psychology today – is it making our personalities impersonal?

Researcher wonders if neuropsychology research is improving our understanding of the brain but worsening our understanding of what it means to be human.

Feigning illness to gain attention

Intentional physical injury and unconscious motivation are key elements in people with a factitious disease.

Stories from the unemployed

Some unemployed people alternate between complaining about their situations and claiming that they choose not to work.

Insecure people find it hard to hold jobs

Insecure and frightened people often end up on the dole – living on disability pensions. Dishonest and manipulative people retain their jobs, according to a new Norwegian study.

Happiness is not simply satisfaction

A psychology professor thinks our struggles and commitments – our engagement – make us happier with our lives.

Jailhouse rock gives convicts feeling of freedom

“The music becomes a way of dealing with jail existence. But it can also help in managing a life outside,” says a researcher who has studied the effect of rocking behind bars.

How to avoid the pitfalls of job interviews

A new study shows that an employer’s gut feelings often decide who gets a job. Researchers were flies on the wall as five companies recruited staff.

High risk of suicide attempts among patients with schizophrenia

One out of two schizophrenia patients has hurt him- or herself or tried to commit suicide. A new study has identified risk factors, and they turn out to be different for women and men.

Tough Special Forces don’t strut their stuff

The Norwegian Armed Forces Special Operations Forces are not Rambos. They need to be team players with ample communication skills – otherwise, lives can be at stake.

Youths harmed by others' terrifying experiences

A study shows that youngsters can develop post-traumatic stress symptoms from incidents they have only been exposed to through the media. The risk increases if the person has been subject to violence or abuse in early life.

How bosses can shed prejudice

Companies risk letting the best job applicants pass by when they pigeonhole them through bias. But there are methods for escaping such mental straitjackets.

Suicide linked to loneliness in childhood

Boys who have spent large parts of their childhood in loneliness are exposed to a higher risk of suicide in later life, according to Swedish study.

Headmaster can halt bullying

Bullying is less of a problem in schools with principals or headmasters who have the confidence of their pupils and teachers. The head of the school can set the standard for acceptable behaviour.

Motivated employees equal satisfied customers

Employees who have fun at their jobs perform better than those who are driven by bonuses and commissions. This leads to more satisfied customers, a new study shows.

Managers should know more about emotions

Organizational psychologist calls for a more playful and caring leadership. This may give the employees confidence to make a greater effort.

Breivik wants to be researched

The Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik has contacted several researchers with a request to be interviewed. But they are hesitant about taking him up on his offer.

Utøya survivors too often clam up

Survivors of the mass murder of young people at a summer camp by a Norwegian right-wing terrorist nearly three years ago can be reluctant to talk about their traumas, partly out of consideration for their families and friends. The ones who refrain from seeking social support experience more anxiety and depression.

Talking can help heal crash victims

Patients admitted to casualty wards are less prone to develop post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression if followed up with nurse-led therapeutic interventions.

Personality traits important in male fertility

Neurotic men are now more likely to be childless than other men. This wasn’t the case just a few decades ago.

Abandoned teens may be likely school dropouts

“I was left with the feeling that the adult world had betrayed them,” says a researcher who interviewed school dropouts.

Predicting depression among older women

Scientists have discovered that low levels of a particular molecule in the brain can be used to predict depression in elderly women.

Antidepressants for pets

People are not the only users of antidepressants. A spike in sales of “happy pills” for animals is being seen in Sweden.

Pregnancies can alter eating disorders

A pregnancy can entail either a risk or a hope for women with eating disorders. Many get rid of the disease for long time. For others, pregnancy is the beginning of their problems.

An 8th grader’s multitasking goes awry

Teens are good at multitasking, but learn less while they’re doing it.

Problem behaviour from impaired vision

Pupils diagnosed with ADHD, learning difficulties or dyslexia could in some cases simply suffer from impaired vision.

Subjective childbirth experiences determine trauma risk

A woman’s subjective experience of giving birth has more impact on her mental condition afterwards than any real complications occurring in the delivery room.

Stress-coping strategies can save teens from becoming suicidal

A clear link between suicide attempts and task-oriented coping was found in a new study that followed suicidal and nonsuicidal teenagers into early adulthood.

Girls are given less ADHD medication

Boys are much more frequently prescribed drugs against ADHD than girls. As it’s often construed as a male malady, there could be a tendency to underdiagnose the disorder among girls.

Heart attacks strike the spouse too

The surviving spouse is worse afflicted when the husband or wife died from a heart attack, than if they died of other causes. The spouse suffers also when their partner survives the infarct.

Two-year limit for parental bliss

Our happiness and well-being increase when we have children – but only for a while. After two years, most of us are back at the same level of happiness we had before the kids came along.

Drug users in prison want treatment

Drug users are massively overrepresented in Norwegian prisons, but there are few drug treatment programmes.

Believe in yourself and your skin might improve

New research reveals a link between skin health and how strongly we believe in ourselves and our abilities. People with low self-efficacy are more likely to be plagued by itches than people with high self-efficacy.

Can we blame the brain?

A Frenchman led a perfectly normal life for years, but a brain scan later revealed that his skull was nearly hollow. Neuroscientists use this as an extreme example of how misleading it can be to link brain images to behavior.

Mental health problems worsen with cosmetic surgery

Plastic surgery does little to alleviate mental health problems. In some cases, the new look even worsens symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Food intolerance is linked to different disorders

Are you convinced you can’t handle dairy products, bread or fruit? Our own perceptions of having a food intolerance appear to link closely to diagnoses such as irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.

To vent or not to vent anger

Our genes, upbringing and culture determine how much we express our positive and negative emotions.

How much of a workaholic are you?

Norwegian researchers have developed a new tool enabling you to find out how hard it is for you to leave your work behind. Test yourself here.

Breivik displayed at least six of eight warning signs

Anders Behring Breivik’s conduct prior to his murderous terrorist attack on 22 July 2011 conforms to the type of behaviour that can identify people who pose a threat to society.

Police learn how to shoot in cyberspace

The firearms training simulator, with a bit of personality and experience, can help police recruits learn how to handle critical situations.

The cost of changing your mind

People tend to be less satisfied with a decision if they arrived at it after changing their minds – even if the outcome is the same.

Analogue text still the best learning tool

Old fashioned printed text on paper gave best results in a new study of learning tools, but multimedia tools also proved effective. Schools need to know more about the different learning tools, says researcher.

Terror victims will get research protection

Norwegian authorities want to minimise future trauma for victims of the massacre on 22 July last year by coordinating all research on the terrorist attacks through a national body.

Calming the fears of expectant mothers

A pregnant woman’s psychological problems do not pass on pre-natally to their offspring as behavioural problems. A mum’s mental health issues that last for years, however, do have an impact on their children’s behaviour.

The illusion of light constricts pupils

Which of the figures below is brightest in the middle? Maybe when your brain plays tricks on you it isn’t a mistake, but rather a sort of improvement on reality.

Does photographic memory exist?

Can some people glance at a picture or read a page of a book and later have total recall of all the details and information?

With kids in the house, mothers are less satisfied

A mother’s life satisfaction and relationship satisfaction goes downhill in the first years following pregnancy and birth, according to a new study of more than 67,000 women.

Mental robustness wards off woes

Being mentally robust can help against illnesses and decrease absences from work.

Less specific memories after a trauma?

Maybe your strongest memory from childhood is an angry outburst from your mom or dad. Or perhaps your clearest recollection is your first kiss?

Unmarried couples are no worse off psychologically

The mental health of Norwegian cohabitants is equal to that of married couples. This contrasts with US research that indicates that such partners tend to be more depressed.