Psychiatry News and Research

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Psychiatry is the treatment, study and prevention of mental disorders.

Prenatal training may reduce postpartum depression risk in women with previous births

Researchers have shown that prenatal training may reduce the risk of postnatal depression in women, - but only if they have previously had a baby. This surprising finding is presented for the first time at the ECNP Congress in Munich.

9 Oct 2026

Study finds both the liver and brain drive distinct symptoms of rare genetic epilepsy

A recent study from Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals that both the liver and brain contribute pathways to differing symptoms of the same rare inherited disorder.

9 Oct 2026

Study identifies a link between specific brain circuits and anxiety in adolescents

Adolescence is a sensitive period for brain development and mental health, though the connection between the two is not fully understood.

9 Oct 2026

Cyberbullying acts as an extension of in-person school violence

A new study of 4,200 adolescents revealed that cyberbullying rarely occurs in isolation; it almost always functions as an extension of physical and verbal aggression already present in the school environment.

9 Oct 2026

Hyponatremia risk varies among individual second-generation antipsychotic drugs

Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia, along with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. However, these medications can be associated with hyponatremia, a serious reduction in blood sodium levels.

8 Oct 2026

Study links non-brain gene variant to anorexia risk

A gene primarily active in fat and muscles could make a person more susceptible to anorexia nervosa, a deadly eating disorder with one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disease.

8 Oct 2026

Three NHS genetics labs fail to routinely share vital variant data

Three out of England's seven NHS genetics laboratories are failing to routinely share vital information about genetic variants in public databases that helps patients with rare diseases access diagnosis and care, reveals an investigation by The BMJ today.

8 Oct 2026

Adults with ADHD face higher risk of developing dementia later in life

A new study led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers finds that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a significantly higher risk of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment later in life.

7 Oct 2026

Study reveals lasting brain changes linked to childhood maltreatment

Childhood abuse leaves a scar on the brain, a new neuroimaging study led by UCLA psychologists has shown.

6 Oct 2026

USC researchers receive $4 million to test psychedelic therapy and mindfulness for depression

A team of USC researchers has received an up to $4 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to conduct a clinical trial of psychedelic therapy and mindfulness training for depression.

6 Oct 2026

Tau modifications shape filament structures in neurodegenerative diseases

In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, progressive neuronal damage is associated with the accumulation of abnormal tau filaments in the brain.

6 Oct 2026

Health evidence favors permanent standard time, Canadian analysis finds

Several Canadian jurisdictions are moving toward ending the twice-yearly clock change, but a new analysis published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.261089 argues that eliminating the clock change is only half the decision: governments must also decide whether to adopt permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving time.

5 Oct 2026

Genetic links to ADHD, autism and depression changed with age

The study examines genetic liability for neurodevelopmental disorders, revealing its impact on social functioning and educational attainment across life stages.

5 Oct 2026

NIH-funded trials will test pregnenolone for addiction and depression

Center for BrainHealth investigator Francesca Filbey, PhD, and UTSW investigator Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD, have secured two awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund two major collaborative studies investigating whether the naturally occurring neurosteroid pregnenolone can help treat substance use disorders and co-occurring depression.

1 Oct 2026

Higher daily step counts linked to better teenage mental health

Every extra walk to school, kickabout in the park or trip to the shops could be doing more for teenage mental health than first thought, according to new research tracking thousands of adolescents in the US.

1 Oct 2026

New framework maps depression symptoms to unique brain circuits

A research team from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) has published a scientific review proposing a paradigm shift in the way depression is understood and studied.

1 Oct 2026

Placental health in late pregnancy linked to childhood ADHD

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children may be associated with problems with the health of the placenta during late pregnancy, according to a new study by University of Iowa Health Care researchers.

30 Sep 2026

UC San Diego receives funding to establish the Polysubstance Addiction Research Center

Researchers from University of California San Diego have received a $12.6 million award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to establish the Polysubstance Addiction Research Center (PARC), a multidisciplinary center designed to uncover the biological factors that contribute to addiction across multiple substances.

30 Sep 2026

Declining benzodiazepine use reflects more cautious medical prescribing practices

The number of benzodiazepine prescriptions like Xanax and Valium dispensed in the United States decreased over the past 10 years, potentially suggesting that doctors have become more cautious when prescribing these sedatives, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

30 Sep 2026