Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Unmasking the hyperactive circuitry of early Alzheimer’s

Neuroscientists at King's College London have pinpointed a mechanism behind the increased neural connectivity observed in the very early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

9 Mar 2026

NIH grant supports research on immune-related receptor in neurons

Florida Atlantic University has received a $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how an immune-related receptor in neurons plays a fundamental role in brain function, behavior and psychiatric health.

6 Mar 2026

COVID-19 lockdown timing tied to changes in executive function

The COVID-19 pandemic affected executive function in young children, with preschoolers showing different cognitive growth patterns linked to maternal education.

6 Mar 2026

Virtual mental health visits show little impact on rural care access

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health specialists started using telemedicine much more frequently.

5 Mar 2026

Study reveals compulsive shopping severity is similar across genders but buying choices vary

Researchers analyzed clinical data from 141 treatment-seeking patients with compulsive buying-shopping disorder to determine whether women and men differ in symptom severity, psychiatric comorbidities, and shopping behaviors. The study found that men and women show similar clinical severity and treatment engagement, but differ mainly in the types of products they compulsively purchase.

5 Mar 2026

Study finds toddlers who eat more ultra-processed foods show slightly higher behavioral symptoms

A prospective analysis of 2,077 children in the Canadian CHILD Cohort Study found that higher intake of ultra-processed foods at age three was associated with slightly higher behavioral and emotional symptom scores by age five. Modeling showed that replacing 10% of calories from ultra-processed foods with minimally processed foods was associated with modestly lower symptom scores.

5 Mar 2026

Understanding wellness among Indigenous population

The study is among the first to examine strengths-based indicators of well-being in a large, population-level Indigenous sample.

5 Mar 2026

Study identifies high prevalence of hidden physical aggression toward young infants

About one in 20 infants worldwide is subjected to physical abuse by a caregiver in their first two years of life.

5 Mar 2026

Scientists call for integration of physical activity into psychiatric care

People with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder die on average ten to 20 years earlier than the general population.

5 Mar 2026

No evidence probiotic skincare can improve mood

Current findings reveal no support for emotional benefits from probiotic cosmetics, highlighting the need for further investigation into neurocosmetics.

5 Mar 2026

Tailoring digital safety to the child’s developmental stage

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI), able to produce text, images and video on demand, has grown exponentially in recent years. While its applications for personal and professional use continue to expand, many have questions about how children might be interacting with this technology.

5 Mar 2026

Berries, apples, and citrus linked to greater happiness and optimism

A study links flavonoid-rich diets to sustained happiness and optimism, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between diet and psychological well-being.

5 Mar 2026

A sharp rise in "very short sleep" among US teens

Teenagers across the country are getting less sleep, a researcher from the University of Connecticut reports on March 2nd, 2026, in JAMA. And the problem appears to be societal.

4 Mar 2026

Study highlights the mental health costs of marine ecosystem damage

The year-long algal bloom along the South Australian coastline has not only devastated marine life and triggered health risks for humans and pets: it has also had a significant psychological impact on local residents, according to new research.

4 Mar 2026

Problematic gaming in pre-teens linked to higher risk of psychotic experiences

Pre-teens who struggle to control their video gaming habits are more likely to have psychotic-like experiences a year later, a new study has found.

4 Mar 2026

Despite their successes, some mobile crisis response teams are in crisis

It was a snowy afternoon in Bozeman, a city of nearly 60,000 nestled among the mountains of southern Montana. Temperatures hovered in the mid-30s.

4 Mar 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to behavioral issues in preschoolers

A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found an association between ultra-processed foods in early childhood, and behavioral and emotional development.

3 Mar 2026

Are socially isolated people more likely to develop cancer? Study of 350,000 adults explores the risk

A large UK Biobank study of more than 350,000 adults found that social isolation, but not loneliness alone, was associated with a modest increase in overall cancer risk during over 11 years of follow-up. The association was stronger in women and appeared partly linked to socioeconomic disadvantage, unhealthy behaviors, and inflammatory processes.

3 Mar 2026

Study links gut microbiome health directly to ovarian aging processes

A new study details how fecal transplants from older female mice significantly improve ovarian function and fertility in young mice. The surprising results reveal a direct link between the microbiome (the collection of all bacteria and other microbes present) of the gut and ovarian health and function.

3 Mar 2026

Nature reduces stress by shifting brain activity

This review examines how nature exposure impacts brain function, stress reduction, and emotional well-being, highlighting gaps and future research directions.

3 Mar 2026