Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Pain can motivate young adults to co-use alcohol and cannabis

Contrary to popular belief, young adults can experience significant acute and even chronic pain - which can motivate them to use cannabis.

26 Mar 2025

WHO introduces new guidance to strengthen mental health policies

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched new guidance to help all countries reform and strengthen mental health policies and systems.

26 Mar 2025

‘I am going through hell’: Job loss, mental health, and the fate of federal workers

The National Institutes of Health employee said she knew things would be difficult for federal workers after Donald Trump was elected. But she never imagined it would be like this.

26 Mar 2025

New guidelines recommend 2 hours of weekly exercise for postpartum women

New mums should be strongly encouraged to begin clocking up at least two hours of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity such as brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercises each week in the first three months after birth, when physically able, to improve health and well-being, say experts in a new guideline published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

26 Mar 2025

Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia affects millions worldwide, yet its causes remain one of the greatest medical mysteries. In an exclusive Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Consuelo Walss-Bass, a pioneering researcher in psychiatric genetics, shares how both genetic predisposition and environmental factors contribute to severe mental health disorders.

26 Mar 2025

TikTok fuels ADHD self-diagnosis with misleading content, study shows

Psychologists find most TikTok videos about ADHD to be misleading, often overgeneralizing normal behaviors as symptoms. These videos shape young adults’ perceptions and contribute to rising self-diagnosis trends.

25 Mar 2025

The best diet for aging well, backed by a 30-year study of 100,000 people

A 30-year study of over 100,000 U.S. adults found that consistent adherence to healthy dietary patterns, especially the AHEI, was strongly linked to successful aging. Diets rich in plant-based foods and healthy fats, with some low-fat animal products, improved physical, mental, and cognitive health.

25 Mar 2025

Study links kynurenine pathway to adolescent depression

Depression is a mental health condition that affects 280 million people worldwide. It is twice as common in women than men and this pattern starts to develop during adolescence.

25 Mar 2025

Patients value trust and continuity over quick access to primary care

This study focuses on how primary care patients balance the trade-off between continuity of care and access to timely appointments.

24 Mar 2025

Expectant and new fathers express the need for more support during pregnancy and childbirth

A new Penn Nursing study reveals that expectant and new fathers, particularly Black American fathers, express a significant need for more resources and support to better assist mothers during pregnancy and childbirth.

24 Mar 2025

Machine learning helps predict early mortality in IBD patients

Almost half of people who died with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) died prematurely, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241117 that used machine learning models to predict death.

24 Mar 2025

The Colorado psychedelic mushroom experiment has arrived

Colorado regulators are issuing licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms and are planning to authorize the state's first "healing centers," where the mushrooms can be ingested under supervision, in late spring or early summer.

24 Mar 2025

‘Social prescriptions’ can help young people through mental health challenges – New research

The use of ‘social prescriptions’ to improve children and young people’s wellbeing without medication can strengthen government policy on mental health support, University of Manchester researchers have found.

24 Mar 2025

Research reveals how dendrites connect memories in the brain

If you've ever noticed how memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate, a new study reveals the reason: Our brains physically link memories that occur close in time not in the cell bodies of neurons, but rather in their spiny extensions called dendrites.

22 Mar 2025

Nearly half of depression patients struggle with treatment resistance

Almost half of patients diagnosed with depression classify as being 'treatment-resistant' as new research suggests that many don't respond to multiple antidepressant options.

21 Mar 2025

Dance emerges as a powerful tool for stress relief

A narrative review highlights dance's unique role in stress regulation, enhancing mental well-being through social interaction and creative expression.

21 Mar 2025

Study reveals the structural underpinnings of memory formation in the mouse brain

In a study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers revealed the structural underpinnings of memory formation across a broad network of neurons in the mouse brain.

20 Mar 2025

Deep brain stimulation shows promise for reducing self-injurious behavior in children with autism

Severe self-injurious behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses a significant risk of permanent physical injury.

20 Mar 2025

US judge names receiver to take over California prisons’ mental health program

A judge has initiated a federal court takeover of California's troubled prison mental health system by naming the former head of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to serve as receiver, giving her four months to craft a plan to provide adequate care for tens of thousands of prisoners with serious mental illness.

20 Mar 2025

Healthcare professionals need better support to recognize T1DE

Healthcare professionals need better support to help recognize and treat symptoms of disordered eating in people living with type 1 Diabetes, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

20 Mar 2025