Psychiatry News and Research

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

Artificial intelligence in mental health settings inherits human bias

A new viewpoint article published in JMIR Mental Health warns that artificial intelligence (AI) systems used in mental health settings may inherit and reinforce unreliable human input unless new safeguards are adopted.

27 May 2026

Study links fathers’ preconception stress to altered offspring development

Research from the University of Colorado Anschutz suggests that stress experienced by a father before conception may influence an offspring's growth by altering small molecular signals in sperm.

26 May 2026

Urine test may help identify autism risk in children

A simple urine test may help identify children at risk for autism sooner than current assessments - opening the door for earlier diagnosis and treatment, and better long-term outcomes for children who do have autism spectrum disorder.

26 May 2026

New AI assistant streamlines initial psychiatric consultations for doctors

People often say that seeking psychiatric care can feel intimidating. Patients may feel burdened when they first open up about their emotional distress, while medical staff must accurately understand a patient's extensive history and symptoms within limited consultation time.

26 May 2026

Second-career nursing candidates help solve national staffing shortages

While the usual conversation about our national nursing shortage focuses on how to recruit young people, there is another potential pipeline: people in their 40s and 50s—often pursuing a second career—who are also, in many ways, exactly the nurses that NYU Langone Health needs.

22 May 2026

Lab-grown brain models reveal how epilepsy drug alters fetal development

It is known that the antiepileptic drug valproate increases the risk of developmental disorders in unborn children.

22 May 2026

Could blocking inflammation help treat difficult-to-treat depression?

A small proof-of-concept RCT found that tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor blocker, showed a non-significant but clinically suggestive pattern of improvement in difficult-to-treat depression linked to low-grade inflammation. The study found that baseline hs-CRP, rather than IL-6, may help identify patients most likely to respond, supporting larger trials of immune-targeted depression care.

22 May 2026

Machine learning lifestyle coaching helps reduce major depressive symptoms

More than 21% of U.S. adults experience depression, greatly impacting their quality of life. Many people with mild‑to‑moderate depression can improve their symptoms by adjusting daily habits like sleep, exercise, diet and social interaction, according to Jyoti Mishra, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

21 May 2026

Most college students with psychosis lack recommended combination treatment

Although the majority of students sought and received therapy or counseling in the past 12 months, less than 40 percent received the recommended combination of therapy/counseling and antipsychotic medication, suggesting potential barriers to accessing this medication.

20 May 2026

Scientists link schizophrenia risk gene to early cortical neuron changes

Researchers at King's College London have identified the biological nature and timing of changes in human cortical neurons caused by altering activity of a schizophrenia-associated gene in developing human neurons.

20 May 2026

Anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab shows promise for difficult-to-treat depression

Immunotherapy could be a promising new treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat depression. This is a key finding from a University of Bristol-led pilot randomised controlled clinical trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry today [20 May].

20 May 2026

Real-time memory tests identify alcohol-induced blackouts as they happen

It's not surprising if someone experiences memory loss, or a 'blackout,' while drinking alcohol. While common, blackouts are considered a public health concern linked to injury, arrest, assault and overdose.

20 May 2026

Blood protein biomarkers predict psychosis risk in Asian youth

A new study by researchers from NHG Health's Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore's (NTU Singapore) Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) has identified blood-based proteomic biomarkers that may help predict who among the at-risk group is at increased risk of developing psychosis.

20 May 2026