Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

$50B rural health ‘slush fund’ faces questions, skepticism

A last-minute scramble to add a $50 billion rural health program to President Donald Trump's massive tax and spending law has left hospital and clinic leaders nationwide hopeful but perplexed.

21 Jul 2025

Can probiotics help you sleep better?

A new meta-analysis shows that probiotic supplements can modestly improve sleep quality and reduce depressive symptoms in people with insomnia, with no significant safety concerns. However, effects on total sleep time and sleep efficiency remain uncertain, and evidence strength varies across outcomes.

20 Jul 2025

One-third of U.S. public schools mandate mental health checks for students

Nearly one-third of the nation's K-12 U.S. public schools mandate mental health screening for students, with most offering in-person treatment or referral to a community mental health professional if a student is identified as having depression or anxiety, according to a new study.

18 Jul 2025

Antipsychotic medications linked to increased risk of oral health problems

A research group in the Department of Pharmacology of the University of the Basque Country has investigated the adverse reactions that antipsychotics can cause in the mouth.

18 Jul 2025

Sound stress alone induces pain sensitivity and brain inflammation

Pain is an important physiological response in living organisms. While physical pain is an outcome of tissue damage, pain can manifest as diverse unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences. Many studies report that emotional or psychological stress enhances pain responses.

18 Jul 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Senate saves PEPFAR funding — for now

The Senate has passed — and sent back to the House — a bill that would allow the Trump administration to claw back some $9 billion in previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting.

17 Jul 2025

Autistic adults face high rates of mental health hospitalizations and readmissions

Mental health conditions are common among autistic adults, with 50% of autistic adults having a co-occurring condition, like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety or depression.

17 Jul 2025

Stimulant use quietly drives rise in opioid-related deaths

Many people might be aware of an ongoing opioid epidemic, with thousands of people dying every year from overdoses.

16 Jul 2025

Food insecurity found to directly cause anxiety and depression symptoms

Food insecurity is not only linked with, but directly causes symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to research published in the open access journal PLOS Mental Health.

16 Jul 2025

Music therapy approach can ease distress in dementia patients

A new treatment that uses music therapy on dementia wards could improve care and support for some of the NHS's most vulnerable patients.

16 Jul 2025

New study tracks how living in an agrihood impacts resident health

Could moving into a neighborhood built around a working farm be the prescription for better health? A new Texas A&M University study is putting that question to the test, tracking how residents of a new "agrihood" community change their diet, exercise, and overall health after moving in.

16 Jul 2025

Harvard researchers uncover how the brain directs blood flow in real time

All day long, our brains carry out complicated and energy-intensive tasks such as remembering, solving problems, and making decisions.

16 Jul 2025

Targeting amino acid networks could lead to more precise medicines

Amino acids play a fundamental role in regulating how cells respond to drugs. These molecules, which form proteins, act like bricks that communicate with each other within a structure.

16 Jul 2025

Study reveals key social factors that support preterm children's mental health

Around 8% of all births in England are preterm. Despite improvements in neonatal care and survival, preterm children still have more difficulties in later life than their peers, including a higher risk of mental health problems, which have not improved in recent decades.

16 Jul 2025

Gut-brain axis in eating disorders offers new treatment potential

Understanding the gut-brain axis is key to addressing eating disorders. This study highlights microbiota's influence and emerging therapeutic approaches.

16 Jul 2025

A million veterans gave DNA to aid health research. Scientists worry the data will be wasted.

One of the world's biggest genetic databases comprises DNA data donated over the years by more than a million retired military service members. It's part of a project run by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

16 Jul 2025

Childhood heart health predicts lifelong well-being, study finds

Optimal heart health from birth through adolescence, as measured by a combination of metrics, leads to long-lasting cardiovascular and overall physical, cognitive and mental health, according to the systematic review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Jul 2025