Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Study links cannabis legalization to sharp rise in adolescent psychiatric emergencies

In November 2018, retailers in Massachusetts began selling recreational cannabis to adults 21 years and older.

3 Dec 2025

'Dry January' can lead to meaningful physical and psychological improvements

With the new year on the horizon and resolutions brewing, more people are saying cheers to a booze-free January, a choice that might come with some real health benefits and, ultimately, help some people cut back for good.

3 Dec 2025

Medical cannabis evidence falls short for most conditions

Medical cannabis lacks adequate scientific backing for most of the conditions it is commonly used to treat, including chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia, according to a comprehensive review led by UCLA Health.

3 Dec 2025

Accessible parks, not just greenery, can increase everyday physical activity

The health benefits of nature are well-known, but its role in encouraging day-to-day physical activity across different regions and demographics has been less clear.

3 Dec 2025

11 genetic loci that shape impulsive decision-making

Researchers identify distinct genetic loci involved in delay discounting and how these variants are involved in physical and psychiatric health outcomes.

3 Dec 2025

Study reveals the overlooked mental health challenges faced by new parents

Intrusive thoughts and psychotic-like experiences among new parents are far more common than previously thought - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

2 Dec 2025

Maternal eating disorders linked to higher asthma and wheezing risks in children

Eating disorders in mums-to-be are linked to a heightened risk of asthma and wheezing in their children, irrespective of the type of disorder, presence of co-existing depression/anxiety, or the timing of their child's exposure, finds research published online in the journal Thorax.

2 Dec 2025

Hallucinogen-related hospital care linked to higher risk of future mania

People who have received emergency or hospital care in Canada due to hallucinogen use have a six-fold increased risk of receiving care for mania in the next three years, according to a study published December 2nd in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Daniel Myran from North York General Hospital in Canada and colleagues.

2 Dec 2025

Study finds sharp rise in long-term antidepressant use among young Australians

Long-term antidepressant use in Australia has risen steadily over the past decade, with the largest increase seen in young people aged 10-24, where rates have more than doubled.

2 Dec 2025

New study reveals how brain biology shapes thought and behavior

A new study from experts with Georgia State University has achieved a long-standing goal in neuroscience: showing how the brain's smallest components build the systems that shape thought, emotion and behavior.

2 Dec 2025

Pre-workout supplement use linked to dangerously short sleep in young people

A new study from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Behaviors reveals that adolescents and young adults who use pre-workout dietary supplements, such as Bang!, Jack3D, and C4, are significantly more likely to report dangerously short sleep durations.

2 Dec 2025

Finnish research pinpoints a higher risk among cohabiting survivors

Researchers at the University of Oulu, Finland, have identified significant differences in mortality among widows and widowers from cohabiting versus married relationships, depending on the deceased partner's cause of death. Accidental death increases the surviving partner's mortality risk more than death from illness. Mortality rises particularly sharply among those who had been living in cohabitation.

2 Dec 2025

Unique stressors impact mental health of sexual minority individuals

A new study conducted by scientists at Åbo Akademi University, Finland, shows that sexual minority individuals continue to report higher levels of mental health symptoms compared to the rest of the population.

2 Dec 2025

Circadian rhythms can influence outcomes related to influenza infections

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that circadian rhythms – the biological clocks of the body – can influence outcomes related to influenza infections, providing clinicians with insight about how biological processes can be used to optimize care for critically ill patients with respiratory viral infections.

1 Dec 2025

Rethinking community spaces and their impact on youth mental health

Parks, libraries, recreation centers, and sidewalks, ideally, would serve to improve the quality of living for residents, but it is not that simple, especially for youth. Research by Melissa Villodas, whose work focuses on understanding how social determinants of health impact the mental health of vulnerable young people, reveals that the relationship between neighborhood amenities and youth mental health is much more complex.

1 Dec 2025