Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Scientists confirm neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility

For the first time, scientists have confirmed a neurobiochemical link between dopamine and cognitive flexibility, according to new research published in the March issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

28 Mar 2025

Discrimination exposure found to raise anxiety, depression risks among racial and ethnic groups

A new study found that more than half of US adults encounter some form of discrimination, and that this mistreatment may fuel higher chances of depression and/or anxiety among specific racial and ethnic groups due to cultural, social, and systemic factors.

28 Mar 2025

Machine learning identifies key comorbidities predicting premature death in IBD patients

Researchers use machine learning models to investigate patterns between multimorbidity and premature deaths among decedents with irritable bowel disease.

28 Mar 2025

Gender affirming hormone therapy reduces HIV risk for transgender people

Transgender people receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy have a 37% lower chance of acquiring HIV, and for people living with HIV, hormone therapy appears to offer a 44% lower chance of the virus remaining detectable in blood, according to a University of Michigan study.

27 Mar 2025

Banning smartphone and social media access fails to protect children from digital harm

Banning smartphone and social media access alone fails to equip children for healthy use of technology, argues a group of international experts in The BMJ today.

27 Mar 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The ax falls at HHS

As had been rumored for weeks, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan to reorganize the department. It involves the downsizing of its workforce, which formerly was roughly 80,000 people, by a quarter and consolidating dozens of agencies that were created and authorized by Congress.

27 Mar 2025

AI-powered therapy chatbot shows significant mental health benefits

Dartmouth researchers conducted the first clinical trial of a therapy chatbot powered by generative AI and found that the software resulted in significant improvements in participants' symptoms, according to results published March 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine AI.

27 Mar 2025

Trump turns homelessness response away from housing, toward forced treatment

President Donald Trump is vowing a new approach to getting homeless people off the streets by forcibly moving those living outside into large camps while mandating mental health and addiction treatment — an aggressive departure from the nation's leading homelessness policy, which for decades has prioritized housing as the most effective way to combat the crisis.

27 Mar 2025

Wearable technologies may improve exercise adherence in people with Type 2 Diabetes

Wearable mobile health technology could help people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) to stick to exercise regimes that help them to keep the condition under control, a new study reveals.

26 Mar 2025

Study reveals surge in anxiety and distress following the Iranian attack

A new study indicates high levels of emotional distress and anxiety in the days following the Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel on April 13, 2024.

26 Mar 2025

Pain can motivate young adults to co-use alcohol and cannabis

Contrary to popular belief, young adults can experience significant acute and even chronic pain - which can motivate them to use cannabis.

26 Mar 2025

WHO introduces new guidance to strengthen mental health policies

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched new guidance to help all countries reform and strengthen mental health policies and systems.

26 Mar 2025

‘I am going through hell’: Job loss, mental health, and the fate of federal workers

The National Institutes of Health employee said she knew things would be difficult for federal workers after Donald Trump was elected. But she never imagined it would be like this.

26 Mar 2025

New guidelines recommend 2 hours of weekly exercise for postpartum women

New mums should be strongly encouraged to begin clocking up at least two hours of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity such as brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercises each week in the first three months after birth, when physically able, to improve health and well-being, say experts in a new guideline published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

26 Mar 2025

Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia affects millions worldwide, yet its causes remain one of the greatest medical mysteries. In an exclusive Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Consuelo Walss-Bass, a pioneering researcher in psychiatric genetics, shares how both genetic predisposition and environmental factors contribute to severe mental health disorders.

26 Mar 2025

TikTok fuels ADHD self-diagnosis with misleading content, study shows

Psychologists find most TikTok videos about ADHD to be misleading, often overgeneralizing normal behaviors as symptoms. These videos shape young adults’ perceptions and contribute to rising self-diagnosis trends.

25 Mar 2025

The best diet for aging well, backed by a 30-year study of 100,000 people

A 30-year study of over 100,000 U.S. adults found that consistent adherence to healthy dietary patterns, especially the AHEI, was strongly linked to successful aging. Diets rich in plant-based foods and healthy fats, with some low-fat animal products, improved physical, mental, and cognitive health.

25 Mar 2025