Research Paper Topic Help (America & Psychology)?

Question by Jennifer ———-: research paper topic help (america & psychology)?
I need to write a 10 page research paper on something in psychology, but it also has to relate to america. I’m having a hard time. All ideas are appreciated

Best answer:

Answer by norcekri
Why are we polarizing politically?
Why do we continue to support fast food that makes us fat?
How does a professional sport become popular?

Answer by Elbie
1.) Americans are stressed, but we’re getting used to it: By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY
Americans’ stress is down for the first time in five years and at its lowest point since 2007, finds an audit of self-reported stress to be released today. The USA’s average stress level in 2011 was 5.2 on a 10-point scale, down from 6.2 in 2007, says the survey by the American Psychological Association. But that doesn’t mean we’re not feeling stressed — 39% of those surveyed say their stress rose last year; 17% say it dropped; and 44% say it stayed the same. So why the decrease? The economic climate has improved little and stressors remain the same as in past years: Money is cited as a concern by 75% of respondents. Two-thirds cite work stress. And more than half say they struggle with relationships or health problems. What’s different, experts say, is the way we approach stress and what it means to be under stress. This decline in reported stress, they add, is likely because stress has become the new normal for life in the USA. “People have been under so much stress in the past few years that they’ve “adapted to it,” says physician Paul Rosch, “We have more or less accepted it as a way of life, and it’s not a new or novel source of complaint, compared to a couple of years ago. But that doesn’t negate its prevalence.” Stress had been rising every year since the APA started tracking it in 2007. But the newest survey of 1,226 adults ages 18 and older not only found the average ranking down to 5.2, but the percentage reporting extreme stress — 8, 9 or 10 on the scale — dropped from 32% to 22%. And 27% of adults say their stress has decreased in the past five years. For the entire article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/medical/health/medical/mentalhealth/story/2012-01-11/Americans-are-stressed-but-were-getting-used-to-it/52485486/1

2.) CDC: Antidepressant use skyrockets 400% in past 20 years: By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY
Use of antidepressant drugs has soared nearly 400% since 1988, making the medication the most frequently used by people ages 18-44, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Doctors who prescribe some popular antidepressants should monitor their patients closely for warning signs of suicide, especially when they first start the pills or change a dose. 11% of Americans ages 12 years and older took antidepressants during the 2005-08 study period, the authors write. They add that though the majority of antidepressants were taken to treat depression, the drugs also can be used for anxiety disorders and other conditions. Mental-health professionals not associated with the survey cited several reasons as possible explanations for the spike:
•The struggling economy and the record number of layoffs and home foreclosures. “These drugs can be very helpful for people who need them,” says Elaine Ducharme, a psychologist and public educator in Connecticut for the American Psychological Association. “People should expect to be depressed after a layoff. They should not be put on a drug, though, unless they have an acute problem.”
•Ad campaigns waged by pharmaceutical companies citing benefits of the drugs.
•Families who might be reimbursed by health insurance companies for a prescription but may delay getting therapy from a mental-health professional because of the cost of treatment.
In fact, less than one-third of Americans taking one antidepressant and less than one-half of those taking multiple antidepressants have seen a mental-health professional in the past year, the report shows. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/health/story/2011-10-19/CDC-Antidepressant-use-skyrocketed-in-past-20-years/50826442/1

3.) Suicide attempts higher for veterans on campus
WASHINGTON – College students who served in the military have a suicide attempt rate six times higher than the average college student, suggests research presented today at a meeting of the American Psychological Association. It found students who are veterans also report thinking about suicide or planning their death at significantly higher rates. Researchers with the National Center for Veterans’ Studies at the University of Utah surveyed 525 veterans, average age 26. Almost all (98%) had been deployed in either Iraq or Afghanistan and 58% to 60% reported experiencing combat.
Nearly half (46%) of the 415 men and 110 women studied reported having had suicidal thinking sometime in their lives; 20% had suicidal thoughts with a plan. That compares to 2010 data from the American College Health Association, which showed 6% of college students reported seriously considering suicide. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/medical/health/medical/mentalhealth/story/2011/08/Suicide-attempts-higher-for-veterans-on-campus/49808298/1

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