Psychology News and Research

RSS

Psychology is the study of human mental functions, behavior and processes.

Self-guided hypnosis offers safe relief from menopausal hot flashes

Can a simple daily audio hypnosis session help women find relief from one of menopause's most disruptive symptoms – hot flashes – without medication? A new clinical trial led by Baylor University's Gary R. Elkins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, suggests it can.

11 Nov 2025

Study maps racial and ethnic differences in repeated reading struggles

Early struggles with reading can have lifelong impacts on mental, physical and emotional health. Understanding who is most at risk of experiencing reading difficulties can inform strategies for early interventions to support students before they fall further behind.

11 Nov 2025

Study links father's resilience to better prenatal health outcomes

A husband's optimism and confidence may play a crucial, if often unseen, role in helping babies arrive healthy and on time.

7 Nov 2025

Novel therapy for psychosis tackles disturbing mental imagery

A pioneering therapy targeting distressing and disturbing mental images for people with psychosis could lead to a transformative intervention for a condition estimated to cost England almost £12 billion a year.

6 Nov 2025

Nerve injuries found to affect the entire immune system in unexpected ways

Nerve injuries can have long-lasting effects on the immune system that appear to differ between males and females, according to preclinical research from McGill University.

5 Nov 2025

Work-related anxiety found to affect thousands of employees in Norway

Bullying and lack of psychological support from managers top the list of workplace factors that can lead to serious mental health problems, according to a new investigation of work-related anxiety in four countries.

4 Nov 2025

Skipping breakfast has little impact on mental performance, research shows

Skipping breakfast or practicing intermittent fasting is unlikely to cloud most adults' thinking in the short term, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

3 Nov 2025

Sharing happy moments with a partner may be good for older people's health

Sharing happy moments with a partner may be good for older people's health, lowering the level of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

30 Oct 2025

Dance alleviates perceived symptoms of depression, study finds

Dance as a performative art form alleviates perceived symptoms of depression, helps to understand its root causes and promotes self-actualization, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland found.

30 Oct 2025

Sertraline contributes to a modest improvement in core depression and anxiety symptoms

One of the most common antidepressants, sertraline, contributes to a modest improvement in core depression and anxiety symptoms, including low mood, within two weeks, finds a new analysis of a major clinical trial led by UCL researchers.

30 Oct 2025

Babies' gut bacteria could play a role in programming brain circuits tied to emotional health

A child's early gut microbiome may influence their risk of developing depression, anxiety or other internalizing symptoms in middle childhood, according to a new UCLA Health study.

30 Oct 2025

Systematic analysis reveals psilocybin's impact on obsessive-compulsive behaviors

A systematic review published today in Psychedelics by Mr. James Gattuso and colleagues at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health synthesizes clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive-compulsive behaviors, revealing consistent therapeutic potential across human patients and validated animal models.

29 Oct 2025

Precursor of dopamine increases willingness to wait for larger delayed rewards

A research team from the University of Cologne conducted one of the most comprehensive studies on dopamine and decision-making in humans so far, providing evidence for effects of the former on the latter.

28 Oct 2025

Self-affirmations can increase people's general well-being

Self-affirmations – brief exercises in which people reflect on their core values, identity and positive traits – can increase people's general well-being and make them happier in small but significant ways, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

27 Oct 2025

Study provides a "bird's eye view" of the brain and its functions

A new study provides the best evidence to date that the connection patterns between various parts of the human brain can tell scientists the specialized functions of each region.

27 Oct 2025

New BRIGHT Center aims to build resilience after trauma

The Medical University of South Carolina has been awarded more than $11 million by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences over five years to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) to build resilience after trauma, which will be known as the South Carolina Building Resilience through Innovative Interventions to promote Growth and Health after Trauma COBRE, or the BRIGHT Center.

24 Oct 2025

Shaping future nurses through faith-based education

Nursing education is not only about clinical skills. It also shapes the values, attitudes, and sense of responsibility of those who provide care.

24 Oct 2025

Pain resilience affects physical activity independently of pain

Pain affects activity levels, but how individuals understand and act in the face of pain can make a difference, a new study from the University of Portsmouth has found.

23 Oct 2025

Loneliness interventions can be effective but do not yet offer a complete solution

Interventions designed to reduce loneliness can be effective, but do not yet offer a complete solution to what is becoming a worldwide public health problem, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

23 Oct 2025

How psychedelics profoundly reshape the perception of time and consciousness

A perspective article published in Psychedelics by Prof. Xiaohui Wang and colleagues examines how psychedelic substances profoundly reshape the perception of time, offering unprecedented insights into consciousness and potential therapeutic applications.

23 Oct 2025