Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Combination of 14 'skinny genes' could be the key to weight loss

The secret to losing weight could all be down to a combination of 14 'skinny genes', a new study has found.

9 Oct 2024

Collaborative efforts essential for tackling dementia in Africa

Dementia is becoming a major public health issue in Africa as its population ages.

9 Oct 2024

Asian health center tries unconventional approach to counseling

In her first months as a community health worker, Jee Hyo Kim helped violent crime survivors access supportive services and resources.

9 Oct 2024

New study links brain activity with daily behavior and long-term mental health

In a rare, longitudinal study, researchers from Aalto University and the University of Oulu tracked one person's brain and behavioral activity for five months using brain scans and data from wearable devices and smartphones.

9 Oct 2024

Study examines differences in mental health challenges for men and women farmers

Agriculture is a stressful occupation, and farmers struggle with anxiety and depression at higher levels than the general population.

8 Oct 2024

CBT app shows promise in preventing depression

A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app has been found to significantly prevent increases in depression in young people who are at high risk - and could be implemented as a cost-effective public mental health measure.

8 Oct 2024

Study: Economic gains from meeting physical activity guidelines

Meeting physical activity recommendations can bring significant economic benefits. These benefits can take the form of both wage income for the individual and reduced health care costs to society.

8 Oct 2024

Deciphering the Mysteries of the Human Microbiome

The Microsetta Initiative studies human microbiomes, analyzing diverse data to reveal links between microbes, diet, and health for improved public health.

8 Oct 2024

Brainstem inflammation may explain long Covid symptoms

Damage to the brainstem – the brain's 'control center' – is behind long-lasting physical and psychiatric effects of severe Covid-19 infection, a study suggests.

8 Oct 2024

BU professor recognized for excellence in the field of traumatic stress studies

Denise M. Sloan, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Senior Clinician Investigator, Behavioral Science Division, National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System, has received the Robert Laufer, PhD Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

7 Oct 2024

Schizophrenia-related hallucinations linked to disrupted motor-sensory signals

Researchers identified that impaired corollary discharge (CD) and noisy efference copy (EC) in schizophrenia disrupt self-monitoring, leading to auditory hallucinations. A computational model revealed how these motor-to-sensory dysfunctions contribute to hallucinations.

6 Oct 2024

Park runs boost life satisfaction and save money by improving well-being

Park runs improve life satisfaction, especially for the least active, while providing significant economic benefits through cost-effectiveness.

6 Oct 2024

A decade of CCBHCs enhances access to mental health care across the U.S.

A decade after the establishment of the certified community behavioral health clinic (CCBHC) model, more than 60 percent of the US population has access to such facilities and the mental health and substance use disorder treatment services they provide, according to a new study led by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health.

4 Oct 2024

LXRβ emerges as a promising target for depression and anxiety treatments

In a state-of-the-art Bench to Bedside review published in the journal Brain Medicine (Genomic Press), researchers Dr. Xiaoyu Song and Professor Jan-Åke Gustafsson from the University of Houston and Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) shed light on the therapeutic potential of liver X receptor beta (LXRβ) in treating depression and anxiety.

4 Oct 2024

High psychological distress experienced by food allergy patients and caregivers

Psychological distress is common amongst those living with food allergy, but a new study co-led by a researcher at Aston University has shown that little support is available to those who are struggling.

3 Oct 2024

New pathway linking neuron selectivity to cognitive disorders uncovered

Neuroscientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have determined how a brain cell surface molecule shapes the way certain neurons behave.

3 Oct 2024

Fruit fly brain connectome offers critical clues for understanding brain function and behavior

A scientific team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) unveiled the first complete map of the neural connections of the common fruit fly brain. The map provides a wiring diagram, known as a connectome, and is the largest and most complete connectome of an adult animal ever created.

3 Oct 2024

Implantable device revolutionizes thyroid management

A Carnegie Mellon University-led team has secured an award of up to $42 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to accelerate the development of implantable, cell-based bioelectronic devices that deliver patient-specific therapy and monitor disease status, for conditions like hypo- and hyperthyroidism, in real time.

3 Oct 2024

Depression and anxiety diagnoses in youth spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers analyzed clinical data from over 1.7 million young people, revealing significant increases in diagnosed depression and anxiety from 2017 to 2021, with higher rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2 Oct 2024

Harris’ emphasis on maternal health care is paying dividends with Black women voters

Vice President Kamala Harris is seeing a surge of support from Black women voters, galvanized in part by her work on health care issues such as maternal mortality, reproductive rights, and gun control.

2 Oct 2024