Psychiatry News and Research

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

Shared brain connectivity patterns found across major neurodevelopmental disorders

Differences in brain connectivity are linked to several neurodevelopmental disorders, yet scientists still struggle to determine what changes are shared or unique to each condition.

25 Apr 2026

Brain-Gut Health Initiative supports AI-assisted diagnosis of psychiatric disorders

Psychiatric disorders affect millions worldwide, but their diagnosis still relies on clinical observation instead of standard biological tests.

25 Apr 2026

Molecular map reveals how Down syndrome alters brain development

Scientists at UCLA have created one of the first cellular-resolution molecular maps detailing how Down syndrome alters human brain development before birth - a resource that resolves longstanding contradictions in the field and could lay the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies.

25 Apr 2026

Psilocybin use rises among Americans amid growing clinical interest

The use of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in "magic mushrooms," is rising in the United States alongside de‑criminalization efforts in several states and local jurisdictions, as well as heightened interest by the general public.

23 Apr 2026

Astrocytes form complex networks across the mouse brain

Cells long thought to play a secondary role in brain function build their own far-reaching connections, a new study in mice showed. These pathways appear to connect distant regions in ways that have not been mapped before.

23 Apr 2026

Autism risk rises with multiple medications taken during pregnancy

A study links maternal use of cholesterol-inhibiting medications during pregnancy to increased autism risk in children, urging caution in prescribing practices.

22 Apr 2026

Bullying and social policies worsen mental health in gender-diverse teens

Gender-diverse adolescents who experience bullying and live in states with persistently unsupportive gender identity laws are significantly more likely to suffer escalating psychological distress compared to their peers, according to new research by UCLA Health.

21 Apr 2026

Teen attitudes toward sun protection impact skin cancer prevention behaviors

A new study funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health finds that how high school students perceive the costs of sun protection and the rewards of tanning play a significant role in whether they practice sun-safe behaviors.

21 Apr 2026

New guideline recommends combined therapies for chronic insomnia treatment

A new clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides evidence‑based recommendations on the combined use of behavioral‑psychological and pharmacological therapies to treat chronic insomnia disorder in adults.

21 Apr 2026

Calcium signals in microglia drive anxiety and compulsive behaviors

Researchers had previously discovered a population of immune cells within the brain that can act as accelerators and brakes for anxiety in mice. N

21 Apr 2026

Study links cognitive worries in Parkinson’s to anxiety and depression

For many individuals living with Parkinson's disease and those in its "prodromal" or early stages before movement impairment, there is a distressing gap between how they feel their brain is working and what clinical tests show.

21 Apr 2026

Real-time tracking reveals gaps in recalled alcohol use symptoms

When young adults are asked to recall their drinking habits, their recollections may not always match what actually happened in their day-to-day lives, a new study suggests.

21 Apr 2026

High immune cell ratios may predict future Alzheimer's disease risk

Circulating white blood cells called neutrophils are some of the immune system's first responders. Their numbers shoot up during infection and inflammation, shifting the ratio of neutrophils to other types of immune cells in the blood.

21 Apr 2026

CBD shows promise, but this review warns the hype is outpacing the science

A Neuropsychopharmacology Circumspectives article argues that cannabidiol has genuine therapeutic potential, especially in treatment-resistant pediatric epilepsy, but evidence for most other uses remains limited, heterogeneous, and not yet mature enough for broad clinical adoption. The authors also warn that poor retail product quality, inaccurate labeling, contaminants, hepatotoxicity risk, and drug interactions are major barriers to safe and effective real-world use.

20 Apr 2026

Certain prenatal medications linked to increased risk of autism

A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

20 Apr 2026

Teen cannabis use linked to slower growth in memory and thinking

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that teenagers who begin using cannabis show slower gains in thinking and memory skills as they grow. The study, published on April 20, 2026 in Neuropsychopharmacology, analyzed data from more than 11,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development in U.S. youth.

20 Apr 2026

Your new therapist: Chatty, leaky, and hardly human

Vince Lahey of Carefree, Arizona, embraces chatbots. From Big Tech products to "shady" ones, they offer "someone that I could share more secrets with than my therapist."

17 Apr 2026

UCL study urges clinician vigilance when prescribing gabapentinoids for pain

People who take gabapentinoids, a medication prescribed increasingly frequently worldwide, particularly for chronic pain, face a much greater risk of drug poisoning if they are also taking another medication, finds a new study by University College London (UCL) researchers.

17 Apr 2026

Researchers prove magnetic seizures are comparable to ECT in clinical response

A landmark international clinical trial led by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and University of California San Diego School of Medicine, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, has found that magnetic seizure therapy (MST) is as effective as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-the current gold-standard treatment for severe, treatment-resistant depression-with significantly fewer cognitive side effects. The study is the first large-scale, randomized clinical trial to directly compare MST with ECT, marking an important step toward a new treatment option for patients.

16 Apr 2026

Older adults show high willingness for Alzheimer’s blood tests

Northwestern University psychologist Andrea Russell sees older adults with early cognitive impairment riddled with anxiety. Some worry a missed word or forgotten appointment could signal Alzheimer's disease.

15 Apr 2026