Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Prioritizing maternal sleep reduces risk of postpartum anxiety disorders

Postpartum and perinatal depression are known challenges for those going through pregnancy, but there has been less focus on the more prevalent disorder of anxiety.

4 Jun 2026

Study links remote work to increased isolation and depression

The rise in remote work caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially increased time spent alone and worsened workers' mental health, according to a new study based on survey data from more than 500,000 Americans.

4 Jun 2026

Collective trauma reminders trigger immediate cravings for tobacco and cannabis

When national tragedy strikes, the urge to light up isn't just a habit, it is a psychological defense mechanism.

4 Jun 2026

Constipation may be tied to more than discomfort

Constipation was associated with approximately twofold higher odds of depression in a meta-analysis of 18 observational studies involving 730,263 participants. The findings support integrated gastrointestinal and mental health assessment, especially for adolescents and young adults, while emphasizing that causality cannot yet be established.

3 Jun 2026

New PET imaging approach quantifies synaptic pathology in multiple sclerosis

A new PET imaging approach that measures synaptic density in the spinal cord provides a quantitative way to assess the brain's functional wiring in patients with multiple sclerosis.

2 Jun 2026

Scalable solutions can help address anxiety and mood disorders in women

Women make up half the world's population yet are the focus of relatively little research, leading to deficits in their mental health care.

2 Jun 2026

Falling fentanyl deaths drive historic drop in American drug overdoses

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that U.S. overdose death rates declined dramatically between 2023 and 2024, marking the first recorded drop in all four waves of the nation's overdose crisis.

2 Jun 2026

Cannabis and tobacco co-use lowers cognitive performance in at-risk youth

New research shows that among people at clinical high risk for psychosis, cannabis and tobacco co-use was associated with lower cognitive performance compared to healthy controls.

2 Jun 2026

New reference models track lifespan changes in brain wiring

Researchers at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have created one of the largest reference models ever developed for the human brain, using diffusion MRI scans from more than 54,000 people to chart how the brain's communication pathways develop, mature, and decline across the lifespan.

2 Jun 2026

Late sleepers experience higher anxiety driven by severe nocturnal loneliness

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2026 annual meeting found that individuals with an evening chronotype, who prefer to go to sleep and wake up at later times, report poorer mental health, higher general loneliness, and higher nocturnal loneliness.

2 Jun 2026

Eating a Mediterranean diet may lower anxiety symptoms in teens

Findings reveal that the Mediterranean diet may reduce anxiety symptoms in adolescents, with maternal dietary habits also impacting offspring mental health.

2 Jun 2026

AI is mapping health stigma faster than it is fixing it

This scoping review of 70 studies found that AI is used mainly to detect and measure health-related stigma, rather than to reduce it. Evidence that AI can reduce stigma remains early, limited, and concentrated in mental health conversational-agent studies.

1 Jun 2026

Deep brain stimulation rewires brain circuits linked to depression

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have uncovered the first direct evidence that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can remodel white matter pathways in the brain and alter communication across large-scale neural networks, revealing a previously unrecognized mechanism that may explain how the therapy helps patients recover from severe depression.

1 Jun 2026

Pediatric experts reveal the 10 research areas set to shape child health

Pediatric research leaders identified 10 high-promise areas likely to shape child health over the next 5 to 10 years, including genomics, mental health, vaccines, artificial intelligence, perinatal medicine, precision therapeutics, health equity, nutrition, environmental health, and cancer treatment. The paper argues that these opportunities will only translate into better outcomes if pediatric research receives sustained funding, public trust, workforce support, advocacy, and equitable implementation.

1 Jun 2026

People with high autistic traits face worsening anxiety in older age

A major UK study has found that while most middle-aged and older adults experience low levels of anxiety, a small group of people with higher autistic traits are much more likely to report that their anxiety worsens as they age.

1 Jun 2026

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity boosts middle-age mental health more than walking

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is more important for mental health in middle age than light physical activity, according to a new study by the University of Oulu and ODL Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine.

1 Jun 2026

New PET imaging approach may enable early CTE diagnosis

A first-in-class PET imaging approach can accurately detect a biomarker for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a devastating neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated head impact.

31 May 2026

Grant supports evaluation of interventions for intimate partner violence

Casey Taft, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has been awarded a $298,139 grant from Arnold Ventures to fund his 4-year project, "Evaluating Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Use in Washington State."

29 May 2026

Grant funds research into molecular memories behind exaggerated fear

Experiencing a traumatic event sometimes produces long-lasting biological changes that can lead to an exaggerated fear response to future stressful events, such as what occurs in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

29 May 2026

Unhealthy snacks drive disruptive behavior in young children

Researchers at the University of Agder (UiA) have already identified clear links between what children eat and their mental health as early as the age of four.

29 May 2026