“Time to Stop Celebrating ‘Bad Moms'” Says Self-Proclaimed, “Bad Mom Pioneer.”

September 22, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

Kira Davis in The Federalist writes… I am O.G.bad mom, and have been for nearly 15 years now. I was bad mom before bad mom became acceptable. Letting the TV babysit my toddler for hours? Check. Takeout instead of a healthy, home-cooked meal? Check. Doing everything at the last minute? Check. Half-assing just about every part of motherhood? Check. I’ve never felt like I was acing this parenthood gig. When the “bad mom” bloggers started sharing honest portrayals of their shortcomings, I felt relieved.... Read more

New Study: Patient’s Environment May Determine Effectiveness of Antidepressants

September 21, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

It is an open secret in the mental health profession that although antidepressant do have an impact on depression, a large number of depressed patients get little to no relief from antidepressants. New research suggests a reason for that. It turns out that the effectiveness of antidepressants may depend strongly on the patient’s environment. The new study finds that antidepressants may not treat depression directly, but rather, makes the brain more amenable to change. If a patient’s environment is positive,... Read more

Over 500 Scholars Hold Press Conference to Promote Positive Value of Humane Vitae

September 20, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

Today, Catholic University of America held a press conference announcing the release of a document drafted by dozens of Catholic scholars and co-signed by over 500 theologians, social scientists, lawyers, physicians and other academics who endorsed the positive impact, value, and continued importance of Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s letter promoting a consistent, comprehensive, vision of sexual love. The new document announced today (click the link to review) is a direct response to about 130 dissident Catholic scholars, including Vatican-censured theologian, Fr. Charles... Read more

Can Christians Have “Healthy Shame” about the Body? (The Answer Isn’t What You Think).

September 19, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

Lisa Madrid Duffy posted a blog about the new sex ed curriculum published by the Pontifical Council for the Family. (And to be honest, before you ask, I haven’t had a chance to thoroughly review it yet. That said, although I understand there are some who have expressed concerns, my cursory view is that it is probably more appropriate than any other off-the-rack sex-ed program that exists, but stay tuned for more when I get a moment). SHAME , SHAME,... Read more

Major New Research Finds 40% of US Kids Are Poorly Attached–Middle Class Families Included.

September 15, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

–New study reveals why parenting is THE social justice issue of our time.– In a study of 14,000 U.S. children, 40 percent lack strong emotional bonds — what psychologists call “secure attachment” Written by researchers from Columbia University and the London School of Economics and Political Science, the report uses data collected by the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative U.S. study of 14,000 children born in 2001. The researchers also reviewed more than 100 academic studies. Their... Read more

You Don’t Need a “Trigger Warning.” You need Treatment.

September 14, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

H/T NYTimes. According to Harvard Psychologist, Dr. Richard McNally… Proponents of trigger warnings are deeply concerned about the emotional well-being of students, especially those with trauma histories. Yet lost in the debate are two key points: Trauma is common, but P.T.S.D. is rare. Epidemiological studies show that many people are exposed to trauma in their lives, and most have had transient stress symptoms. But only a minority fails to recover, thereby developing P.T.S.D. Students with P.T.S.D. are those most likely... Read more

The Two Shall Become One: Married People Become BIOLOGICALLY Similar, New Study Says.

September 13, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, University of Michigan researcher Shannon Mejia and her team looked at health indicators from 1,568 married couples across the United States. The couples were separated into two groups: those who had been married for about 20 years, and those who had been married for about 50 years. Overall, Mejia found that the couples had striking similarities in kidney function, total cholesterol, and grip strength. Mejia and her fellow researchers... Read more

Surprising (Negative) Effects of The Pill on Behavior, Dating, and Marriage

September 12, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

I am working on a project about some of the lesser-known effects of the birth control pill on a woman’s psychological, relational, and behavioral well being. I came across some fascinating, high-quality research I thought I’d share a bit of what I found so far. Although the psychological and behavioral impact of hormonal contraceptives has been a largely understudied area until recently, a review of scholarly research-to-date in the journal, Evolutionary Psychology, found significant cause for concern. The author states, “Women who use HCs... Read more

Every Child Left Behind: “Smart” Atheism or “Stupid” Faith?

September 8, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

Catholic children as young as 10 years old are renouncing God and quitting Church, claims a new study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown. According to lead researcher, Dr. Mark Gray, children are finding that faith is “incompatible” with what they are learning in school, and the older the child becomes, the more this is the case. According to Gray, “this is a generation that is struggling with faith in ways that... Read more

Relationship Problems? Be Careful Who You Talk To!

September 6, 2016 By Rachael Popcak and Dr. Gregory Popcak

New research in the Journal of Personal and Social Relationship shows that talking to your best friend about your relationship problems may very well lead to even bigger relationship problems! According to the authors of the study, There appears to be link between discussing problems with your partner and greater romantic love. This could mean that discussing problems strengthens feelings of love. Of course, it could also be that couples who are more in love are more likely to discuss problems... Read more