Brain Matters
Blog

The holiday season brings gatherings, traditions, and celebration — but it can also amplify feelings of stress and loneliness. For many, the season can stir up painful memories, financial pressures, or reminders of loss.

For many parents, the day a child leaves for college marks a major milestone — a moment of immense pride, tinged with a deep sense of loss. After years of routines, school drop-offs, shared dinners, and late-night check-ins, the house may suddenly feel quieter — even unfamiliar.

Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, a world expert on ADHD, suggests ADHD is not an “attention deficit” per se, but rather, more of a regulatory disorder, often reflected in difficulty shifting gears between tasks, particularly those that are highly engaging vs. those that are routine. He offers advice on how parents and teachers can work with the child to maximum benefit.

Starting with problems faced by psychiatric patients, Dr. Akira Sawa and colleagues conduct research in the lab that seeks to bring solutions back to the clinic—a process known as “reverse translation.”

Social media has transformed the way we connect, communicate, and consume information. It can foster community, amplify voices, and provide support — but it also poses risks to mental health.