APA Blogs
217 Results
Loneliness Across Age Groups: New Guidelines Offer Suggestions for Social Connection
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in America. The report emphasizes the importance of social connections — relationships with friends, family, colleagues, and community members — as a key aspect of public health, and notes that “far too many Americans lack social connection in one or more ways.” Loneliness and isolation can have significant physical and mental health impacts, including increased risk for heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression and dementia.
Narcolepsy: An Overwhelming Need to Sleep
Fatigue and sleepiness are common, especially among people with mental health conditions. However, narcolepsy is more than just being tired. People with narcolepsy experience periods of an irrepressible need to sleep or lapsing into sleep (“sleep attacks”) multiple times within the same day.
Supporting the Mental Health of Family Caregivers
About one in four U.S. adults, an estimated 63 million people, are family caregivers, an increase of nearly 50% from a decade ago, according to a recent report, Caregiving in the US 2025 from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.
To Be in the Moment
That is exactly what meditation and mindfulness have afforded me: the luxury to recognize and be present for these little moments. It turns out that these little moments where I notice my attention and can be fully present for the things that matter are the goal of meditation and mindfulness.
Do Genes, Environment or Other Factors Increase Alcohol Use Disorder Risk More?
Problematic alcohol use is a major public health concern with significant individual, family and societal impacts. It is estimated that alcohol use disorder impacts more than one in 10 adults in the U.S. each year. Both genetic factors and environmental factors (living conditions, education, experiences, etc.) contribute to the risk of alcohol use disorder. A new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry finds that environmental factors, everyday circumstances and experiences, have significantly greater influence on the risk for developing alcohol use disorder than genetics alone.