Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Study highlights urgent need for improved care for schizophrenia

New research finds that adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have high rates of comorbid mental and substance use disorders and significant social and economic disadvantages, and only 26% received minimally adequate treatment.

23 Sep 2024

Breakthrough research reveals key role of melatonin receptor in REM sleep

A significant breakthrough in the understanding of sleep mechanism opens new promise for treating sleep disorders and associated neuropsychiatric conditions: Scientists have pinpointed the melatonin receptor MT1 as a crucial regulator of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.

23 Sep 2024

Digital health investment could save millions from noncommunicable diseases

An investment today of an additional US$0.24 per patient per year in digital health interventions, such as telemedicine, mobile messaging and chatbots, can help save more than 2 million lives from noncommunicable diseases over the next decade, says a new report released jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

23 Sep 2024

WHO calls for action to support adolescent mental and sexual health

Increased investment is urgently needed to address evolving health risks and meet the mental and sexual and reproductive health needs for the nearly 1.3 billion adolescents (aged 10-19 years) globally, according to a new scientific publication released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

23 Sep 2024

Study shows no increased autism risk for pandemic-era children

Children born during the first year of the pandemic, including those exposed to COVID in utero, were no more likely to screen positive for autism than unexposed or pre-pandemic children, found researchers from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

23 Sep 2024

Many Dutch elite athletes and coaches face high levels of sport-related distress

Nearly three-quarters of Dutch elite athletes and forty percent of their coaches report sport-related distress.

23 Sep 2024

Multi-modal AI systems for enhanced emotion detection and understanding

Using a fusion of traditional and novel technological methods, researchers are hoping to better quantify emotions to transform the face of the emotion quantification field.

23 Sep 2024

Psilocybin shows promise for treating depression and improving well-being

A direct comparison between the experimental psychedelic drug psilocybin and a standard SSRI antidepressant shows similar improvement of depressive symptoms, but that psilocybin offers additional longer-term benefits.

22 Sep 2024

New online platform aims to empower Latino families in mental health and behavior

Cory Cobb, PhD, an assistant professor of health behavior at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, is leading a research team that has been awarded a three-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to create an online platform for the intervention program they developed for United States-based Spanish-speaking Latino parents and their children.

20 Sep 2024

Mount Sinai expands psychedelic research center with major donation from Parsons Foundation

Mount Sinai Health System this week celebrated the opening of an expansion of its psychedelic psychotherapy research center into a new location and announced a foundational $5 million gift from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

20 Sep 2024

Innovative solutions for global health challenges featured at UNGA 79 Science Summit

The Majid Sadigh, MD Global Health Academy is excited to announce two panel discussions at the UNGA 79 Science Summit, scheduled for September 26th, 2024.

20 Sep 2024

Study shows video games can alleviate PTSD flashbacks

A single treatment session, which includes the video game Tetris, can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

20 Sep 2024

Higher self-compassion reduces depression and anxiety in Syrian refugees

Displaced individuals experience high rates of emotional distress, depression and anxiety resulting from trauma and stress from displacement and loss.

20 Sep 2024

Fighting staff shortages with scholarships, California bill aims to boost mental health courts

A seemingly innocuous proposal to offer scholarships for mental health workers in California's new court-ordered treatment program has sparked debate over whether the state should prioritize that program or tackle a wider labor shortage in behavioral health services.

20 Sep 2024

Genetic factors drive fussy eating from toddlerhood to adolescence

Fussy eating is mainly influenced by genes and is a stable trait lasting from toddlerhood to early adolescence, finds a new study led by researchers from UCL (University College London), King's College London and the University of Leeds.

19 Sep 2024

New curriculum aims to address substance use disorders in medical education

Nearly 6,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in California in 2021, many due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

19 Sep 2024

Primary care physicians face rising complexity of mental health concerns

An examination of millions of patient visits to primary care physicians shows that mental health concerns are second only to musculoskeletal complaints in everyday care.

19 Sep 2024

Eat more fruit and vegetables to lower frailty risk

Research finds that higher intake of fruits and vegetables significantly lowers frailty risk, especially in underweight individuals. Whole fruits and red-orange vegetables offer the greatest protective effects.

19 Sep 2024

Alarming increase in suicidality among Black youth revealed

Traditionally, Black Americans have faced a significantly lower risk of suicide compared to their white counterparts.

19 Sep 2024

Study highlights disparities in stroke burden across regions

Although stroke is highly preventable and treatable, there has been a rapid rise in the global stroke burden between 1990 and 2021, due to both population growth and the rise of aging populations worldwide, as well as a substantial increase in people's exposure to environmental and behavioral risk factors.

19 Sep 2024