APA Blogs
13 Results
Pet Robots Helping Dementia Patients
We increasingly hear of robots taking over humans’ jobs, but could robots fill in for dogs in pet therapy? Pet robots are increasingly being used in assisted living facilities and day care centers to help patients with dementia.
Air Pollution and Mental Health
Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health: the link between air pollution and health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are well established. Outdoor air pollution in cities and rural areas is estimated to cause more than 4 million premature deaths a year worldwide, primarily due to heart disease, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections. Recent research is also making a connection between air pollution and mental health conditions. A 2017 study from researchers at the University of Washington, for example, found that people who live in areas with high levels of air pollution report higher levels of psychological distress.
African Americans Face a Greater Risk of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia and it affects about one-third of adults age 85 and older in the U.S., but some populations are disproportionally impacted. For instance, African Americans are about twice as likely as whites to have Alzheimer’s or other dementias.