America’s financial crises is fueling chronic stress and limiting some people’s ability to think clearly, control emotions and regulate bodily functions in a healthy manner. University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Associate Professor Josh Klapow, Ph.D., says now is the time to take control of emotions and better regulate the mind-body stress response.

Policing is dangerous work, and the danger lurks not on the streets alone. The pressures of law enforcement put officers at risk for high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide, University at Buffalo researchers have found through a decade of studies of police officers.

An estimated 35.1 million Americans live in “food insecure” households, meaning that at some time during the previous year they were unable to obtain or were uncertain of having enough food to fulfill their basic needs. Consequently, many of those people seek aid from federal sources including the Food Stamp Program.

The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) has found that more people are turning to traditional acupuncture to alleviate symptoms caused by the emotional strains of everyday life. A recent survey reveals that the tolls of the 21st century are affecting younger people with under-40s seeking traditional acupuncture treatment for emotional issues such as depression, stress and anxiety.

People with fragile X syndrome, as well as those who carry the gene, are likely to have additional conditions that include attention problems and anxiety, according to a study by researchers at RTI International. The study, published in the Aug. 15 issue of American Journal of Medical Genetics, surveyed more than 1,000 parents of children who either had fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, or were a carrier of the disease.

It is the storm damage that people often don’t talk about–mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder that strike in the wake of a catastrophic experience. Post-trauma mental conditions are one of many mental disorders that affect some 57.7 million Americans in any given year, according to the

During tough financial times, many people try to demonstrate their value at work by working harder and longer. But, if you don’t also make time to take care of yourself, success may come at a hefty cost: your health. “Many people feel like they have to push themselves to unhealthy levels in order to succeed. But high-pressure jobs and long hours take a real toll on your immediate and future health,” says George Griffing, M.D.

Long-term survivors of adult cancers are almost twice as likely to report psychological distress severe enough to cause moderate to serious problems functioning in social, work or school situations, compared to the general population, according to a large, national study presented September 24, 2008, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

Everyone gets stressed, even babies. Now, it appears how infants respond to stress is linked to if they have a particular form of a certain gene, according to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Just as significantly, researchers say they have also found that good parenting - as early as within the first year of a child’s life - can counter the effect the gene has in babies who initially do not respond well to stressful situations.

Family members may experience post-traumatic stress as many as six months after a loved one’s stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco.