Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Physical fitness, physical activity and screen time linked to brain development in adolescents

Physical fitness, physical activity and screen time are associated with brain mechanisms underlying mental health and learning, according to two recent studies from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital.

27 Oct 2025

Researchers reveal how maternal stress reshapes fetal growth and brain development

Maternal stress, encompassing physical, emotional, and psychological distress, remains a widespread yet underestimated risk during pregnancy.

24 Oct 2025

New BRIGHT Center aims to build resilience after trauma

The Medical University of South Carolina has been awarded more than $11 million by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences over five years to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) to build resilience after trauma, which will be known as the South Carolina Building Resilience through Innovative Interventions to promote Growth and Health after Trauma COBRE, or the BRIGHT Center.

24 Oct 2025

Cannabis use now linked to increased risk of regular tobacco use in US youth

Teens and young adults who use cannabis are more likely to become regular tobacco users – even if they haven't previously tried tobacco – compared to similar people who do not use cannabis, suggests a US study published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

23 Oct 2025

Psilocybin and mindfulness offer new hope for depressive healthcare workers

Frontline healthcare workers struggling with depression after the COVID-19 pandemic experienced significant relief from a treatment combining psilocybin group therapy with mindfulness training, according to a new study from Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health.

23 Oct 2025

Dietary fat dictates seasonal eating rhythms, study finds

A new study from UC San Francisco shows that our natural eating patterns are more closely tied to seasonal rhythms than previously thought.

23 Oct 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Nutrition programs face their own shutdown

Health programs are feeling the pinch of the ongoing government shutdown. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and the food program for women, infants, and children, WIC, is likely to run out in November, and cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are keeping the agency from carrying out some of its primary public health functions.

23 Oct 2025

Researchers trace the ancient origins of an urban mosquito species

New research has uncovered the ancient origins of an urban mosquito species, Culex pipiens form molestus, also known as the 'London Underground mosquito' – disproving a long-held theory of when it first evolved.

23 Oct 2025

A little walking goes a long way: 4,000 steps linked to lower mortality in older women

Older women who achieved at least 4,000 steps per day for just one or two days each week showed significantly lower risks of death and cardiovascular disease. The study suggests that total step volume, not frequency, drives these benefits, redefining what “enough movement” means for health.

23 Oct 2025

ChatGPT can provide trustworthy information for pregnant women seeking advice on opioid use disorder

When trained correctly on medically accurate information, ChatGPT can provide trustworthy information for pregnant women seeking medical advice for treating opioid use disorder, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, based at Rutgers University.

23 Oct 2025

PAHO celebrates over three decades without polio in the Americas

World Polio Day (October 24), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) celebrates over three decades without wild poliovirus cases in the Americas.

23 Oct 2025

How psychedelics profoundly reshape the perception of time and consciousness

A perspective article published in Psychedelics by Prof. Xiaohui Wang and colleagues examines how psychedelic substances profoundly reshape the perception of time, offering unprecedented insights into consciousness and potential therapeutic applications.

23 Oct 2025

When a hearing aid isn’t enough

Kitty Grutzmacher had contended with poor hearing for a decade, but the problem had worsened over the past year. Even with her hearing aids, "there was little or no sound," she said.

23 Oct 2025

Smarter insulin pump systems help stabilize glucose in young patients, study reveals

A Polish study comparing insulin pump technologies in children with type 1 diabetes found that advanced hybrid closed-loop systems achieved superior glycemic stability compared to predictive low glucose suspend systems. Despite technological advances, poor diet and low physical activity still undermine optimal metabolic control.

22 Oct 2025

New computer model lets researchers simulate how brain circuits make decisions

Every day, your brain makes thousands of decisions under uncertainty. Most of the time, you guess right. When you don't, you learn. But when the brain's ability to judge context or assign meaning falters, thoughts and behavior can go astray.

22 Oct 2025

Repeated ketamine infusions offer no extra benefit for people hospitalized with depression

Findings from a randomized and blinded clinical trial investigating repeated ketamine infusions for treating depression have revealed no extra benefit for ketamine when added onto standard care for people admitted to hospital for depression.

22 Oct 2025

Analysis highlights the differing physical side effects of antidepressants

Antidepressants can differ widely in how they physically affect the body, including around a 4 kg difference in weight change between certain drugs (approximately 2.5 kg weight loss from agomelatine and 2kg weight gain from maprotiline), confirms a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet.

22 Oct 2025

Night shift work may raise risk of irritable bowel syndrome

The study indicates that night shift work increases irritable bowel syndrome risk, particularly among those with obesity, due to circadian rhythm disturbances.

22 Oct 2025

New study details how AI chatbots systematically violate ethical standards of practice

As more people turn to ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) for mental health advice, a new study details how these chatbots - even when prompted to use evidence-based psychotherapy techniques - systematically violate ethical standards of practice established by organizations like the American Psychological Association.

21 Oct 2025

Cannabis and tobacco co-use linked to shifts in brain's 'bliss molecule'

People who use both cannabis and tobacco show distinct brain changes compared to those who use cannabis alone, according to a new study led by McGill University researchers at the Douglas Research Centre.

21 Oct 2025

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Physical fitness, physical activity and screen time linked to brain development in adolescents

Researchers reveal how maternal stress reshapes fetal growth and brain development

New BRIGHT Center aims to build resilience after trauma

Cannabis use now linked to increased risk of regular tobacco use in US youth

Psilocybin and mindfulness offer new hope for depressive healthcare workers

Dietary fat dictates seasonal eating rhythms, study finds

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Nutrition programs face their own shutdown

Researchers trace the ancient origins of an urban mosquito species

A little walking goes a long way: 4,000 steps linked to lower mortality in older women

ChatGPT can provide trustworthy information for pregnant women seeking advice on opioid use disorder

PAHO celebrates over three decades without polio in the Americas

How psychedelics profoundly reshape the perception of time and consciousness

When a hearing aid isn’t enough

Smarter insulin pump systems help stabilize glucose in young patients, study reveals

New computer model lets researchers simulate how brain circuits make decisions

Repeated ketamine infusions offer no extra benefit for people hospitalized with depression

Analysis highlights the differing physical side effects of antidepressants

Night shift work may raise risk of irritable bowel syndrome

New study details how AI chatbots systematically violate ethical standards of practice

Cannabis and tobacco co-use linked to shifts in brain's 'bliss molecule'

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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