Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Impulsive behavior associated with less sleep and more screen time

A paper published today in Pediatrics suggests that children and youth who do not sleep enough and use screens more than recommended are more likely to act impulsively and make poorer decisions.

14 Aug 2019

Combining electrical stimulation with repetitive musical tones helps improve hearing

Combining seizure-preventing electrical stimulation with repetitive musical tones improves processing of sounds in the brain, according to new research.

14 Aug 2019

Excess social media use harms teen health

The incredible growth of social media over the last decade has fueled many debates on whether it’s actually good or bad. Now, a new study sheds light on the effects of social media on the health and wellbeing in young people.

14 Aug 2019

Link between endocannabinoids and exercise could lead to better treatment for depression

Researchers know exercise improves mood for people with depression, but there are still questions about exactly how it makes people feel better.

14 Aug 2019

Dementia care program improves psychological health of patients and caregivers

UCLA-led research finds that a comprehensive dementia care program staffed by nurse practitioners working within a health system improves the mental and emotional health of patients and their caregivers.

14 Aug 2019

'Conversation-based' activities reduce stigma related to mental illness among college students

College students who participate in fun, peer-directed activities that openly and honestly address mental illness are significantly less likely to stigmatize people with these conditions, according to a new study led by researchers at Indiana University.

14 Aug 2019

Using cannabis and opioids for pain increases mental health issues

Opioid misuse has become a significant public health problem. Despite efforts to control its use, opioid is still the most widely prescribed class of medicines. Now, a new study shows that when adults mix prescription opioids for pain with marijuana or cannabis, they report higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms.

13 Aug 2019

Bile pigment may play an unexpected role in protecting the brain

In studies in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have found that bilirubin, a bile pigment most commonly known for yellowing the skin of people with jaundice, may play an unexpected role in protecting brain cells from damage from oxidative stress.

From Johns Hopkins Medicine 13 Aug 2019

Oligodendrocytes play key role in determining individual’s resilience to stress

Exposure to violence, social conflict, and other stressors increase risk for psychiatric conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

13 Aug 2019

Negative memory hippocampal engrams could underlie cognitive symptoms of depression

Physical manifestations of negative memories in the hippocampus could underlie cognitive symptoms of depression, according to research in mice published in JNeurosci. Inhibiting these manifestations could be a future treatment route.

From Society for Neuroscience 13 Aug 2019

Cultural factors influence Chinese Americans' health, study reveals

Since 2011, the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, the most extensive epidemiological cohort study of Chinese older adults in the United States, has revealed critical health disparities among the growing Chinese American population.

13 Aug 2019

Alzheimer's disease attacks brain regions responsible for wakefulness

Researchers and caregivers have noted that excessive daytime napping can develop long before the memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease begin to unfold.

13 Aug 2019

Warning signs of serious mental illness in children

A recent report by the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers University showed a rise in suicide attempts by pre-teens over the past 18 months - a trend that has been seen across the nation.

13 Aug 2019

Adults who combine opioids and cannabis have more mental health issues

A researcher from the University of Houston has found that adults who take prescription opioids for severe pain are more likely to have increased anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues if they also use marijuana.

12 Aug 2019

Psychiatric symptoms may indicate the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at UC San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of São Paulo have shown that the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s brain pathology are tightly linked to neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances.

12 Aug 2019

Excessive daytime sleeping could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s

Excessive daytime napping often develops long before the memory problems associated with Alzheimer's disease occur. Now, researchers may have found the striking new biological explanation for this phenomenon.

12 Aug 2019

Exercise and increased physical activity are effective for prevention, treatment of depression

Exercise training and increased physical activity are effective for both prevention and treatment of depression, concludes a research review in the August issue of Current Sports Medicine Reports, official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

12 Aug 2019

People who work with animals may be at increased risk of mental health issues

While it might sound like fun to work around pets every day, veterinarians and people who volunteer at animal shelters face particular stressors that can place them at risk for depression, anxiety and even suicide, according to research presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

12 Aug 2019

Cells and organisms evolved complex biochemical circuits that follow control theory

In the last 150 years, engineers have developed and mastered ways to stabilize dynamic systems, without lag or overshoot, using what's known as control theory.

12 Aug 2019

Stress and anxiety often play a helpful, not harmful, role in our daily lives

People generally think of stress and anxiety as negative concepts, but while both stress and anxiety can reach unhealthy levels, psychologists have long known that both are unavoidable -- and that they often play a helpful, not harmful, role in our daily lives, according to a presentation at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association.

12 Aug 2019