Interventions target bullies, victims, and bystanders.

Although Americans sometimes dismiss it as a childhood rite of passage, bullying in school is now recognized as a form of aggression that may have long-lasting psychological ramifications — for both victims and perpetrators. In response, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) revised its policy statement about preventing youth violence to include, for the first time, information about how to recognize and address bullying.

Bullying takes many forms. It can be subtle and psychological (such as spreading rumors or excluding someone), verbal (making threats or demeaning someone), or physical (slamming someone against the ...

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A study of women at different stages of menopause found that a slight cognitive lag occurs in late perimenopause, but it is temporary.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that adolescents be screened for depression when the systems to diagnose and treat them are available.

Q. I often lie and hurt important people in my life. Should I seek help?

A. This question has taken on great importance after the sentencing of Bernard Madoff to 150 years in prison. The fraudulent money manager, who cheated thousands of investors out of billions of dollars in an enormous "Ponzi scheme," perpetrated a deception that was hugely harmful. In the end, however, his lying did not work out very well for him either.

Of course, nobody tells the truth all the time and, fortunately, few lies are as harmful as Madoff's. Some lies are benign, like bending the ...

Why psychotherapy may be a better first choice than medication.

Constant and often debilitating worry — usually about routine events — is the defining feature of generalized anxiety disorder. Although it is one of the most common types of mental illness affecting people ages 60 and older, generalized anxiety disorder is often dismissed or overlooked in this population.

More than mood is affected. Anxiety in the elderly increases the risk of physical disability, memory problems, and reduced quality of life — as well as increasing the risk of death. And generalized anxiety disorder seldom occurs alone. Up to 90% ...

A combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication works best.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by some type of compensatory action to avoid weight gain. Researchers estimate that one to three women out of 100 will develop bulimia nervosa at some point in their lives. In men, the rate of diagnosis is only about one-tenth the rate in women.

Although many Americans overeat by consuming too many calories per day (which helps explain why more than one in three are obese), binge eating involves consuming extreme amounts of food within a restricted time ...