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• In Hamilton County, four children were killed by their mother’s boyfriend. In a “Cincinnati Enquirer” article about the topic, Michael Borack, PhD, said the phenomenon of boyfriend killers isn’t that uncommon nationally. “…The recent rash is probably coincidental rather than a new problem. These are abusive, controlling, depending, jealous men who are in the process of losing control of their female partner in some fashion,” said Dr. Borack.
• Back to school…and back to homework! But how much homework is too much? James Brush, PhD, provided some advice to “The Cincinnati Enquirer.” He said that homework in first and second grades should be to practice a learned skill and to practice bringing something home to return to return to school the next day. He also said a child in the early grades should not have more than 20 minutes of homework. “If a child in elementary school is regularly spending hours each night on homework, something is wrong and a conference with the teacher and/or school psychologist should be initiated by the parent,” he said.
• Daniel Davis, PhD, provided insight about the relationship between song lyrics and sex in a “Columbus Dispatch” article. “The intensity and number of today’s sexually explicit songs, the visual description of lyrics in music videos and the un-involvement of parents can have a great negative influence on young people,” said Dr. Davis. “The more you see and hear it, the more usual it becomes. The more usual it becomes, the more likely it is to happen.”
• Video game addiction is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Daniel Davis, PhD, and Marty Traver, PhD, were asked to speak about this topic in a “Columbus Dispatch” called “Hooked: about video game addiction.” “When clients started talking about gaming, I thought they meant gambling,” said Dr. Traver. They attribute the influx to the popularity of a new generation of games that thrusts youth with altered identities into a fantasyland filled with adventure and relationships.
• College students face many pressures. But The Ohio State University has numerous resources to help its students deal with juggling all aspects of their busy lives. Louise Douce, PhD, was quoted in an “OSU Lantern” article about the psychological services the Ohio State University provides to its students. “Our main goal is to help students remove barriers in being able to be productive, especially those pertaining to depression, anxiety, relationships and academic concerns,” said Dr. Douce about Counseling and Consultation Services. “We have workshops on test anxiety, individual and couples counseling and a mental skills for stress management every quarter.”
• Kurt Jensen, PsyD, was featured in a “Canton Repository” article on June 11 titled, “Tornado victims keep an eye on the sky.” Dr. Jensen said it’s natural for people who have been part of a natural disaster to become vigilant. “I wouldn’t say it’s good or bad, but very normal,” he said. “Hyper-vigilance can lead to a better outcome if a storm arises.” And for the most part, the overwhelming majority will recover from a disaster, usually with no professional assistance. They will recover by relying on family, friends and the support they get from those around them.
• Brad Lander, PhD, was quoted in a “Columbus Dispatch” article about the shortage of drug and alcohol dependency counselors in the state. “We’re going to have a lot of experience people gone,” said Dr. Lander. “We’re looking at a critical manpower shortage coming up.”
• David Lowenstein, PhD, was featured on 610 WTVN and Sunny 95 (Columbus) to talk about violence in school.
• Kathleen Mack, PsyD, was featured on Channel 9 (Cincinnati area) in May about repairing the relationship between mothers and daughters.
• Noreen Palmer, MA, gave her opinion on the angry black woman stereotype to “Upscale Magazine” in an article called “Sisters with Attitude: The Angry Black Female Strike Again.” Ms. Palmer said, “Black females are in the same category scientifically as everyone else. Based upon studies, we are not happier or angrier than anyone else.” She feels that the root of the sweeping perception may arise from cultural factors. Observers may see two black women in a passionate exchange and assume it is negative.
• A “Dayton Daily News” article titled “Experts say more people are turning to pets for emotional intimacy,” examines the question, should there be a limit to the length one goes to spoil their most beloved pet? Larry Pendley, PhD, said technology is the main reason people are starting to spoil their pets. “People are just not as intimate and as personal meeting their needs as they were 20 years ago because of the Internet,” he said. Dr. Pendley said that cats and dogs fulfill that need.
• Army Colonel Kathy Platoni, PsyD, was featured in a “Washington Post” piece and an October 9, 2006 “U.S. News and World Report” article about how the army provides care for psychological trauma. Once, after seven soldiers were killed over two days in a pair of roadside bomb attacks in October, she was taken directly to the scene to debrief troops still in shock. "The highest compliment a soldier ever paid me was when I got back to Georgia and one of them said, 'Ma'am, last time I saw you, you were face down in the dirt,' " Dr. Platoni told the “Post.” "We were out there living with them, going through what they were going through and trying to help them get through it."
• How should parents help their children deal with fears after a plane crash? Janet Schultz, PhD, told the “Cincinnati Enquirer” that “it needs to be talked about, but it needs to be put into perspective.” Dr. Schultz also recommended that parents should limit what younger children watch on TV about tragedies.
• Craig Travis, PhD, was interviewed by NBC-4 (Columbus) about why people believe in angels. Dr. Travis also was quoted in “DaySpa” magazine in an article about seasonal affective disorder.

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