UMass Psychological Services Center

04/22/2020

UMass Psychological Services Center's cover photo

04/22/2020

Psychological Services Center | UMass Amherst

COVID-19 UPDATE: Our presence on Facebook has been quiet for some time. We have continued to provide psychotherapy via Zoom for current clients since the beginning of April. We will begin to accept new clients for limited tele-psychology services beginning June 1. Our therapist trainees continue to receive excellent supervision from our outstanding faculty of licensed psychologists, also via Zoom as we practice social distancing. For more information about our services please visit our website at: https://www.umass.edu/psc/

12/22/2015

The PSC will be closed for holiday break starting December 23rd and will reopen on January 4th.

11/13/2015

UMass Psychological Services Center's cover photo

11/13/2015

UMass Psychological Services Center

01/16/2015

CORRECTION: Training in WISC-V and Q-Interactive

CORRECTION: Training in WISC-V and Q-Interactive http://conta.cc/1yssHXe

Please join us for a training on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®-Fifth Edition, presented by Peter Entwhistle, Ph.D.  Dr. Entwhistle is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and an expert in the Wechsler test series. The training will be at UMass Amherst (location TBD) on Friday March 13th.  Re…

01/16/2015

Training in WISC-V and Q-Interactive

Training in WISC-IV and Q-Interactive http://conta.cc/1DKwXG9

Please join us for a training on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®-Fifth Edition, presented by Peter Entwhistle, Ph.D.  Dr. Entwhistle is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and an expert in the Wechsler test series. The training will be at UMass Amherst (location TBD) on Friday March 13th.  Re…

09/10/2014

Opportunity for parents with hyperactive young children

Opportunity for parents with hyperactive young children http://conta.cc/ZgjPHg

I would like to alert you about a research opportunity and parent training program free of charge taking place at UMass Amherst. This study will be exploring how hyperactive young children's brains process emotion.  We are looking for children aged 4 to 7 who have difficulties with hyperactivity to…

05/19/2014

Is your child’s therapy a waste of time?

Some good thoughts here.

If your child is getting mental health treatment, you may want a second opinion!

05/05/2014

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Schools

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Schools http://conta.cc/1kv0ZlP

04/24/2014

Recurrent violence linked to substantially higher rates of mental disorders in post-conflict communities

In the aftermath of war, communities who continue to experience repeated violence could have a major escalation in rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe distress, suggests new research. Investigators conducted a survey in 2004 to …

04/23/2014

Depressed? Researchers identify new anti-depressant mechanisms, therapeutic approaches

Breakthroughs that could benefit people suffering from depression are being made by researchers. A team of physician-scientists has identified a major mechanism by which ghrelin (a hormone with natural anti-depressant properties) works inside the …

04/23/2014

Almost one-third of Canadian adults have experienced child abuse

Almost one-third of adults in Canada have experienced child abuse -- physical abuse, sexual abuse or exposure to intimate partner (parents, step-parents or guardians) violence in their home. As well, child abuse is linked to mental disorders and …

04/22/2014

Life stressors trigger neurological disorders, researchers find

When mothers are exposed to trauma, illness, alcohol or other drug abuse, these stressors may activate a single molecular trigger in brain cells that can go awry and activate conditions such as schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and some …

04/21/2014

Mental illness not usually linked to crime, research finds

In a study of crimes committed by people with serious mental disorders, only 7.5 percent were directly related to symptoms of mental illness, according to new research. Researchers analyzed 429 crimes committed by 143 offenders with three major types …

04/20/2014

Treating depression in Parkinson's Disease patients: New research

Interesting new information has been found from a study on depression and neuropsychological function in Parkinson's disease. the study, which assessed cognitive function in depressed and non-depressed patients with PD, found that the dopamine …

04/18/2014

Impact of childhood bullying still evident after 40 years

The negative social, physical and mental health effects of childhood bullying are still evident nearly 40 years later, according to new research. The study is the first to look at the effects of bullying beyond early adulthood. Just over a quarter of …

04/18/2014

Intravenously administered ketamine shown to reduce symptoms of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder

For the first time, evidence that a single dose of IV-administered ketamine was associated with the rapid reduction of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with chronic PTSD was demonstrated in a proof-of-concept, randomized, double …

04/17/2014

'Brain training' overcomes tics in Tourette syndrome, study finds

Children with Tourette Syndrome (TS) may unconsciously train their brain to more effectively control their tics. Teenagers diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS) were slower than their typically developing peers when asked to perform a task that …

04/17/2014

Atypical brain connectivity associated with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder in adolescents appears to be associated with atypical connectivity in the brain involving the systems that help people infer what others are thinking and understand the meaning of others' actions and emotions. The ability to …

04/17/2014

Teenagers who have had a concussion also have higher rates of suicide attempts

Teenagers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion are at 'significantly greater odds' of attempting suicide, being bullied and engaging in a variety of high-risk behaviors, a new study has found. They are also more likely to …

04/16/2014

Collaborative care model manages depression, anxiety in patients with heart disease

A telephone-based collaborative care model helped manage depression and anxiety, and improved health-related quality of life in patients with heart disease. Depression following acute cardiac conditions is common and generalized anxiety and panic …

04/15/2014

Domestic abuse linked to mental health problems in new mothers

Domestic abuse is closely linked to postpartum mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, in mothers, new research confirms. The research also found that specific types of abuse are associated with specific …

04/11/2014

Perception that eating disorders women's problem delays men getting help

The widespread perception that only women have eating disorders is preventing men with these problems from getting the help and support they need, indicates a small study. Estimates suggest that around 1 in 250 women and 1 in 2000 men in the UK have …

04/11/2014

Intranasal ketamine confers rapid antidepressant effect in depression

The first controlled evidence has been released showing that an intranasal ketamine spray conferred an unusually rapid antidepressant effect –- within 24 hours —- and was well tolerated in patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. …

04/10/2014

Researchers search for earliest roots of psychiatric disorders

A single molecular mechanism in the developing brain has been identified that sheds light on how cells may go awry when exposed to a variety of different environmental insults. The findings suggest that different types of stressors prenatally …

04/10/2014

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder May Reflect a Propensity for Bad Habits

Two new studies shed light on the propensity for habit formation in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These studies suggest that a tendency to develop habits, i.e., the compulsive component of the disorder, may be a core feature of the disorder …

04/09/2014

Genetic predisposition to liking amphetamine reduces risk of schizophrenia, ADHD

Genetic variants associated with enjoying the effects of d-amphetamine -— the active ingredient in Adderall -— are also associated with a reduced risk for developing schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), report …

04/08/2014

Surprising truth about obsessive-compulsive thinking

People who check whether their hands are clean or imagine their house might be on fire are not alone. New global research shows that 94 percent of people experience unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images and/or impulses. The study people on six …

04/08/2014

DNA modifications measured in blood signal related changes in the brain

Researchers say they have confirmed suspicions that DNA modifications found in the blood of mice exposed to high levels of stress hormone — and showing signs of anxiety — are directly related to changes found in their brain tissues. Scientists say …

04/07/2014

One in three intensive care survivors develop depression that typically manifests as physical sympto

A third of intensive care patients develop depression that typically manifests as physical, or somatic, symptoms such as weakness, appetite change, and fatigue, rather than psychological symptoms, according to one of the largest studies to …

04/01/2014

Depression, anxiety linked to poor diabetes management among Mexican Americans

Rates of diabetes are unusually high among Mexican-Americans who live near the U.S. Mexico border and new research finds that those dealing with depression and anxiety in this population are less likely to properly manage their diabetes. “Given the …

03/31/2014

Anti-anxiety drugs, sleeping pills linked to risk of death

Anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills have been linked to an increased risk of death, according to new research. The large study shows that several anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) drugs or hypnotic drugs (sleeping pills) are associated with a doubling in …

03/28/2014

Integrating mental health services in pediatric practices feasible, effective, study finds

Brief behavioral and mental health programs for children can be effectively provided within pediatric practices as an alternative to being referred to a community specialist, researchers have found. "Treating both physical and behavioral health in …

03/27/2014

Inspiration linked to bipolar disorder risk

Inspiration has been linked with people at risk of developing bipolar disorder for the first time in a study. For generations, artists, musicians, poets and writers have described personal experiences of mania and depression, highlighting the unique …