Psychology

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Competing at a home Olympics is a rare opportunity for an athlete, bringing with it weighty expectations that can both inspire and paralyze.

Keira Knightley is to star alongside Austrian actor Christoph Waltz in a new film about the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, the moviepilot.de website reported Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Chronically itchy skin can take not only a physical toll but a psychological one as well, a new study suggests.

Assaults on Pope Benedict XVI and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi within two weeks show the danger of ostentatious displays of power and risk triggering copycat attacks, experts said.

More office workers expect to give than get gifts; don't mix alcohol with caffeine, study says. BETTER TO GIVE: Nearly half of office workers say they plan to get co-workers holiday gifts this year ? but only 36 percent expect a gift in return, according to a recent survey.

Hearing ends with prosecutor calling alleged Maui spy difficult to work with but competent. A Maui man accused of spying for China is difficult to work with and makes wild exaggerations but is legally able to stand trial, a federal prosecutor asserted Friday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If the stresses of college have put you at risk for high blood pressure, try transcendental meditation.

French first lady Bruni-Sarkozy tells TV show of her 8 years `body and soul' in psychoanalysis. During her years as a top model, French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy gave psychoanalysis nary a thought.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Survivors of childhood brain tumors often suffer lasting problems with memory and other "cognitive" functions, results of a study indicate.

Carla Bruni, the supermodel wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has told a new documentary she is in psychoanalysis but insists on sitting facing her analyst instead of lying on his couch.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung's Red Book to be published and displayed for first time, in NYC museum. The Red Book, an intricate 16-year record of Carl Jung's journey into his unconscious that has never been seen publicly, is going on display in an exhibit at a New York museum that coincides with publication of the volume, rendered in the Swiss psychoanalyst's elaborate calligraphy and richly hued paintings.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung's Red Book to be published and displayed for first time, in NYC museum. The Red Book, an intricate 16-year record of Carl Jung's journey into his unconscious that has never been seen publicly, is going on display in an exhibit at a New York museum that coincides with publication of the volume, rendered in the Swiss psychoanalyst's elaborate calligraphy and richly hued paintings.

New study finds jobless workers struggling to cope with psychological stress of recession. A new study finds that the recession has left many jobless workers struggling to cope with the psychological stress caused by becoming unemployed in a weak economy.

New study finds jobless workers struggling to cope with psychological stress of recession. A new study finds that the recession has left many jobless workers struggling to cope with the psychological stress caused by becoming unemployed in a weak economy.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Recent studies have shown that U.S. veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back with high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems. Now research suggests that deployment may be taking a toll on their kids, too: Children of U.S. service members deployed overseas may have an elevated risk of anxiety and other emotional difficulties.

Desai Òis clearly aware of the charges against him, has knowledge of the facts of the case and understands the role of the key players in the judicial system.Ó

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study of long-term cancer survivors suggests that a cancer history can nearly double the risk of serious psychological distress.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children with stressed-out parents may be more prone to developing asthma associated with environmental "triggers" such as high levels of traffic-related pollution and tobacco smoke, hints a study published today.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Not all children between the ages of 4 and 5 years old take daytime naps, and those who don't tend to exhibit worse psychosocial function.

With shoulders slumped and lips pursed between mutton-chop sideburns, David Ortiz is a hulking picture of frustration after recent strikeouts. The familiar picture hints at the psychological toll his slump has taken. And Ortiz may need more than an eye doctor to cure what ails him at the plate. Batting .196 with two home runs, the Red Sox designated hitter is experiencing what sports psychologists call a performance block. Did Ortiz stumble into the perfect storm of outside distractions, physical decline, and bad luck at the plate? Did last season's wrist injury leave lingering doubts in his head or deficiencies in his swing? Just what is he thinking? ``Just put down, `Papi stinks,' '' said Ortiz after he went 0 for 7 and left 12 men on base during a 12-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels last month. Those words raised red flags with sports psychologists and professional athletes whose careers were sidetracked by performance blocks. Simple, repetitive motions become impossible to exe