Mental Disorder News and Research

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Parental loss doubles children's risk of mental health disorders

A new, large-scale Curtin University study has found children who experience parental loss are twice as likely to develop a mental health disorder, compared to those living with both parents.

19 Aug 2026

Better sleep may boost academic and social success in adolescents

A new UC Davis Health study published in Psychological Medicine suggests that when it comes to helping adolescents succeed in school and maintain healthy friendships, sleep may matter more than screen time, exercise or diet.

4 Aug 2026

PET imaging reveals widespread brain receptor deficits in schizophrenia

A groundbreaking study using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has found that patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower muscarinic acetylcholine M1 receptor availability (~13% to 19%) across multiple brain regions compared with healthy individuals.

16 Jul 2026

Prolonged Instagram use may change how the brain perceives our bodies

Instagram use could influence not only how we see our bodies, but also how our brain perceives as "ours" the bodies we inhabit.

19 Jun 2026

Mental disorders surpass other conditions as leading global cause of disability

Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide are living with a mental disorder, nearly double the number recorded in 1990.

22 May 2026

Emergency mental health admission costs for youth nearly quadruple over a decade

The total cost of emergency admissions for mental health among children and young people in England rose from £22.5 million in 2012/13 to £87.3 million in 2021/22, finds research published online in the journal BMJ Open.

20 May 2026

Psychology professor calls for more thorough diagnostic assessments for ADHD

An increasing number of people are being diagnosed with ADHD, without researchers knowing exactly why. Greater awareness of ADHD and changes in diagnostic criteria may be one reason.

19 May 2026

What drives adult ADHD symptoms? Study points to executive function over environment

Adults diagnosed with ADHD later in life had fewer childhood symptoms than those diagnosed in childhood, but both groups showed similar symptom severity in adulthood. Executive function, rather than childhood trauma, resilience, or parental bonding, was the strongest correlate of current ADHD symptoms across both diagnostic-history groups.

10 May 2026

Study links microplastics in arterial plaque to fourfold increase in stroke risk

In a Perspective published today in the inaugural issue of Brain Health (https://doi.org/10.61373/bh026p.0006), an international team of investigators argues that the human microplastic burden has crossed the threshold from environmental concern to brain health emergency. The article appears alongside the launch of Brain Health, a new peer-reviewed journal from Genomic Press dedicated to the science of lifelong brain resilience.

5 May 2026

Using a smartwatch to detect changes in brain health

Can smartphones or smartwatches help detect early signs of neurological or mental illness? Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) monitored a group of participants wearing connected devices, and used artificial intelligence to analyze data such as heart rate, physical activity, sleep and air pollution.

10 Mar 2026

Largest genetic study classifies 14 psychiatric disorders into five major groups

Although mental disorders have multifactorial causes, genetics can explain some of them, yet this field remains largely unexplored in terms of guiding diagnoses and treatments.

9 Mar 2026

Metacognitive therapy speeds return to work and saves costs

Many people with different mental health problems can be absent from work for a long time. But new results give hope that more people can recover and return to work sooner.

30 Jan 2026

Commonly prescribed antibiotic linked to lower risk of schizophrenia

A commonly prescribed antibiotic could help reduce the risk of some young people developing schizophrenia, new research suggests.

5 Nov 2025

The nation’s largest food aid program is about to see cuts. Here’s what you should know.

The Trump administration's overhaul of the nation's largest food assistance program will cause millions of people to lose benefits, strain state budgets, and pressure the nation's food supply chain, all while likely hindering the goals of the administration's "Make America Healthy Again" platform, according to researchers and former federal officials.

31 Oct 2025

YouthDMH network promotes innovation in digital mental health

The European Commission and WHO have both emphasized the urgent need to address societal challenges in mental health, highlighting that young people are especially vulnerable and require immediate support.

10 Oct 2025

Study quantifies the prevalence of suicidal thoughts among university students

The university stage, particularly its beginning, is a time of tension and emotional stress for young students-many of whom are under the age of 20.

11 Sep 2025

Acute and chronic stress produce distinct behavioral effects in male and female rats

A study analyzes the negative effects of stress on the brains of male and female rats and concludes that acute stress induces anxiety-like behaviors, especially in males, while chronic stress is more associated with depressive symptoms.

20 Aug 2025

Study reveals troubling gaps in accuracy, fairness of mental health screenings for incarcerated youth

Approximately 70% of incarcerated youth in the United States have a mental disorder. The challenges in this population are profound – about 30% report suicidal thoughts, 12% have attempted suicide and 25% experience solitary confinement, a condition strongly associated with increased suicide risk.

11 Aug 2025

Study finds link between past life memories and mental health challenges

Researchers analyzed the profile of adults who claim to have past-life memories, the features of these memories, and their associations with mental health, happiness, and religiosity/spirituality.

6 Aug 2025

Early physical activity linked to mental health benefits in later childhood and adolescence

Physical activity in early childhood, especially taking part in organised sports,may ward off several mental health disorders in later childhood and adolescence, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

14 May 2025