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Study provides new framework for understanding domestic violence

Before going on to commit violence, domestic abusers use a mix of intense affection and emotional cruelty, combined with tales of their own childhood trauma, to generate a deep psychological hold that can feel like an "addiction" according to some victims.

15 Oct 2025

From stress to susceptibility: how COVID lockdowns shaped teen vaping risk

Teenagers who experienced higher COVID-19 stress during remote schooling were more likely to become open to trying vaping, which significantly increased their odds of using e-cigarettes and cannabis two years later. The study reveals that susceptibility, not immediate use, was the critical pathway linking early stress to later vaping behaviors.

12 Oct 2025

Personalized chatbot feedback encourages teens to drink less sugar

Researchers investigate how teenagers respond to a personalized chatbot intervention designed to reduce their sugar intake.

10 Oct 2025

Researchers uncover possible immune link to chronic pain

University of Arizona researchers may have uncovered a connection between chronic pain and a somewhat uncommon immune condition, opening the door to future research on immune biomarkers for chronic pain.

9 Oct 2025

Third-sector services prove more effective at helping the long-term unemployed in deprived areas

New research reveals that 'third-sector' services, such as those run by housing associations, are far more effective than government work programmes at helping the long-term unemployed in deprived areas.

9 Oct 2025

Portable sensor can accurately detect synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette and biological samples

Even though electronic cigarettes do not contain any illicit substances, the liquid can cause serious health problems.

9 Oct 2025

GLP-1 therapeutics may have the potential to treat alcohol and drug addiction

A popular class of therapies for treating diabetes and obesity may also have the potential to treat alcohol and drug addiction, according to a new paper published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

9 Oct 2025

New WHO report highlights tobacco and e-cigarette trends

The world is smoking less, but the tobacco epidemic is far from over. A new WHO global report shows the number of tobacco users has dropped from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.

7 Oct 2025

Penn Medicine study maps brain circuits impacted by psilocybin

Researchers at Penn Medicine have identified specific brain circuits that are impacted by psilocybin-the active compound found in some psychedelic mushrooms-which could lead to new paths forward for pain and mental health management options.

2 Oct 2025

Wearable device can help lower relapse risk in early addiction recovery

A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham shows that a non-drug, wearable device can help people with substance use disorders (SUD) manage stress, reduce cravings, and lower their risk of relapse in real time.

2 Oct 2025

‘Demon Copperhead’ author lays foundation for women in Appalachia to beat addiction

On a Saturday evening in June, people of this rural region gathered at the historic Lee Theatre to celebrate the founding of Higher Ground Women's Recovery Residence.

2 Oct 2025

Processed food addiction is more common than alcohol or tobacco in older Americans

The addiction to ultraprocessed foods in older Americans is linked to health issues, with over 20% of women aged 50-64 meeting addiction criteria.

1 Oct 2025

Targeting the cerebellum to ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms

By targeting a specific area of the brain, researchers at Washington State University may now hold the key to curbing the debilitating symptoms of alcohol withdrawal that push many people back to drinking.

30 Sep 2025

Health care’s employment growth clouded by immigration crackdown, Medicaid cuts

The health care sector is a bright spot in the economy this year, driving nearly half of the nation's employment gains, but economists and experts say immigration crackdowns and looming Medicaid cuts pose a threat to future job growth.

30 Sep 2025

Medicaid unwinding linked to drop in opioid use disorder treatment

The end of pandemic-era enrollment enhancements for Medicaid was associated with a rise in the number of people ending medication treatment for opioid use disorder, as well as a decrease in the number of people beginning such treatment, according to a new RAND study.

29 Sep 2025

Enhanced care needed for long-stay mental health patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) account for more than one in five patients who have been in Ontario's mental health beds for over a year, according to a new study from researchers at ICES and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

29 Sep 2025

Many older adults meet criteria for ultra-processed food addiction

They were the first generation of Americans to grow up with ultra-processed foods all around them – products typically loaded with extra fat, salt, sugar and flavorings.

29 Sep 2025

Fathers who smoked as teens may accelerate their children's biological aging

People whose fathers smoked during puberty seem to age faster than expected, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

29 Sep 2025

Active music therapy offers greater pain relief for hospital patients

A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that music therapy interventions involving singing, active instrument play, and relaxation/imagery may be more effective for reducing pain intensity than receptive interventions only involving live or recorded music listening among hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe pain.

25 Sep 2025

Scientists explore how dopamine shapes myelin in social isolation

Scientists know that social isolation can alter brain structure and lead to the breakdown of myelin, the fatty coating that insulates nerve fibers in the brain. But they don't yet know exactly how or why it happens.

25 Sep 2025