Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

New CDC report highlights changing autism trends across the U.S.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health contributed to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report examining autism among children who turned 4 and 8 years old in 2022.

17 Apr 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': On autism, it’s the secretary’s word vs. CDC’S

The secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., contradicted his agency's researchers this week with unsubstantiated or outright false claims about autism spectrum disorder and those with the condition.

17 Apr 2025

2025 Best Practices Update released for managing MS in a changing landscape

Keeping up with scientific advances and practice changes can be one the biggest challenges in managing a complex disease like multiple sclerosis (MS).

17 Apr 2025

Researchers use algorithm to pinpoint disease risk mutations in noncoding DNA

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Medicine) have successfully employed an algorithm to identify potential mutations which increase disease risk in the noncoding regions our DNA, which make up the vast majority of the human genome.

17 Apr 2025

Affectionate mothering linked to positive personality development

Affectionate mothering in childhood may have a lasting impact on important personality traits, potentially influencing life outcomes such as educational achievement, economic success, and health and well-being, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

17 Apr 2025

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH slashed science funding across states that backed Trump

The National Institutes of Health's sweeping cuts of grants that fund scientific research are inflicting pain almost universally across the U.S., including in most states that backed President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

17 Apr 2025

Dr. Hayre warns of mental health crisis for children after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic deepened existing health disparities and thrust children into a mental health epidemic, altering the landscape of health and wellbeing for a generation.

16 Apr 2025

Researchers simulate protein structures behind learning and memory

Our brain's remarkable ability to form and store memories has long fascinated scientists, yet most of the microscopic mechanisms behind memory and learning processes remain a mystery.

16 Apr 2025

Listening to favorite music activates the brain’s opioid system

A new imaging study by the Turku PET Centre in Finland showed that listening to favorite music affects the function of the brain's opioid system.

16 Apr 2025

Art as a tool for well-being in everyday life

Simply looking at visual art, visiting a museum, or having art in your hospital room can enhance well-being, particularly repeated engagement, which can increase the meaning we feel in life, according to a new international study led by researchers from the University of Vienna.

16 Apr 2025

Nature based activities improve mental health in just twelve weeks

Researchers evaluating a nature-based programme of activities for patients with mild to moderate mental health conditions have shown that improvements in mood and anxiety levels can be seen in as little as 12 weeks.

16 Apr 2025

Music therapy intervention improves mental health for heart failure and COPD patients

A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that it was feasible to conduct a hybrid music therapy intervention for patients with heart failure and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

16 Apr 2025

UC researchers receive $200,000 grant to design user-friendly exoskeleton for spinal cord injury patients

For people with spinal cord injuries/diseases (SCI/D), performing daily tasks can be a challenge due to an impaired ability to grasp and manipulate objects with their hands.

16 Apr 2025

Study: Climate trauma can have lasting effects on cognitive function

A new study from University of California San Diego suggests that climate trauma - such as experiencing a devastating wildfire - can have lasting effects on cognitive function.

16 Apr 2025

Understanding the natural history of SCN8A-related epilepsy disorders

Researchers from the Epilepsy Neurogenetics Initiative (ENGIN) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have completed a comprehensive natural history study of SCN8A-related disorders, which represent a spectrum of neurological symptoms.

15 Apr 2025

Study reveals a novel link between body fat and anxiety

In a groundbreaking study, researchers at McMaster University have revealed a novel link between body fat (adipose tissue) and anxiety, shedding light on the intricate relationship between metabolism and mental health.

15 Apr 2025

Congenital heart surgery in children remained safe during the COVID-19 pandemic

Major reallocation of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that elective surgery in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) was significantly reduced, so that those needing urgent, lifesaving and emergency surgery could be treated.

15 Apr 2025

Cannabis use linked to increased dementia risk after emergency care

Individuals with an emergency department (ED) visit or hospitalization due to cannabis were at 23% and 72% greater risk of a new dementia diagnosis within five years compared to individuals with an ED visit or hospitalization for any other reason or the general population, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology.

15 Apr 2025

Deportation fears add to mental health problems confronting Colorado resort town workers

When Adolfo Román García-Ramírez walks home in the evening from his shift at a grocery store in this central Colorado mountain town, sometimes he thinks back on his childhood in Nicaragua.

15 Apr 2025

Lithium shifts circadian rhythms early in bipolar disorder and may offer clues to treatment response

A randomized controlled trial shows that lithium treatment in bipolar disorder patients reduces daytime activity, advances its onset time, and increases volatility in circadian rest-activity patterns. These changes appear early and independently of mood, offering promise as early biomarkers of treatment response.

14 Apr 2025