Factitious disorder, more commonly known as Munchausen syndrome, is a mental health disorder in which people fake serious illness to gain sympathy, attention and support. A related disorder, Munchausen by proxy, or factitious disorder imposed on another, is a form of abuse in which caregivers make up or induce illness in their children. Psychiatrist Marc Feldman, MD, and psychologist Janet Cahill, PhD, discuss researchers’ evolving understanding of these disorders, how common they are, the phenomenon of “Munchausen by internet” where people lie to strangers online, and whether there are any effective therapies for these disorders. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

The lives of young adults look far different than they did a generation ago: The average age at which people marry and have children is higher than ever, and rising housing costs mean more young adults are living with parents. Laurence Steinberg, PhD, of Temple University, talks about how these changes are affecting the relationship between parents and their grown children, what young adults wish their parents understood about their lives, and how parents and adult children can resolve conflicts and build a strong relationship together. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

Congress and state legislators are considering laws to restrict teen social media use, and school districts are suing social media companies for harming kids’ mental health. Are parents and policy makers right to be so concerned? Jacqueline Nesi, PhD, of Brown University, talks about the research on social media and teens’ mental health, whether it’s possible to be addicted to social media, what teens themselves think about social media, and what parents can do to help their kids use social media in a healthy way. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

Researchers who study eating disorders sometimes call them the silent epidemic. Despite the stereotype that these disorders afflict only young white women, the truth is that they occur among people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, races, shapes and sizes. Cheri Levinson, PhD, of the University of Louisville, discusses myths about eating disorders, how our toxic diet culture combined with genetic vulnerability can spur eating disorders, what treatments are available, and how researchers are using new technologies to come up with more effective personalized treatments and expand access to care. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been a treatment option for people with major depression since it was approved by the FDA in 2008. Today, it is also used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety and for smoking cessation. Sarah “Holly” Lisanby, MD, director of the Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit at the National Institute of Mental Health, talks about how TMS works and recent advances in TMS treatment, as well as other brain stimulation treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy. Writer Diana Daniele also offers her perspective on how TMS helped her overcome treatment-resistant depression. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage.