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Psychology & Mental health news
Music listening shows no mental health benefit in 20,000 twin records
For many, music is a source of comfort, a mood booster and a remedy for loneliness. But does frequently listening to music actually lead to better mental health? A new study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for ...
1 hour ago
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Ozempic, GPL-1s may help curb substance use disorders, study finds
A new study led by researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso found that use of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and other GLP-1s is associated with a lower risk of developing alcohol, opioid, nicotine and cocaine use ...
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Outdoor play at ages two to four linked to better mental health by age eight
Children who spend more time playing outdoors between the ages of 2 and 4 may be less likely to develop emotional and behavioral difficulties later in childhood. That's according to new research led by the University of Exeter, ...
2 hours ago
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Can effectiveness of memory processing be predicted with a saliva test?
A study led by ICREA researcher Raül Andero at the Institut de Neurociències of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB) has found that the relationship between a person's progesterone and estradiol levels at a given ...
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Childhood of short sleep doubles risk of teenage depression
Children who experience persistent sleep issues throughout their younger years may have a greater risk of developing depression in adolescence, a new study suggests.
2 hours ago
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Researchers use new machine learning method to detect self-harm history hidden in veterans' medical records
Important mental health history is often present in medical records but hard to find, especially when it is missing from the diagnosis codes that clinicians, researchers, and health systems use to search for and count conditions.
5 hours ago
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Therapy may be judged by the wrong standards, argues new analysis
Psychological therapies may be evaluated using research methods designed for drugs rather than talking treatments—potentially limiting patient choice and shaping mental health services in the wrong way—according to a new ...
Jun 7, 2026
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Autism may have two distinct subtypes based on brain connectivity patterns
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), commonly referred to as autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social interactions, communication, behavior and the processing of sensory stimuli. Notably, ...
Integrated care may cut ER visits and hospital stays for adults with developmental disabilities
University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University researchers have found that adults with developmental disabilities who have integrated care were less likely to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized than those who ...
Jun 6, 2026
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Flu drugs show promise against cognitive decline
A class of flu drugs may reduce cognitive decline and premature aging in people living with chronic viral infection, reports a new study led by Northwestern University that began with blood samples from people with HIV and ...
Jun 5, 2026
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We've been testing therapy like it's a pill—and some patients are paying the price
If you've had therapy, particularly if you got it through a public health care system like the NHS in the UK or Medicare in Australia, there's a good chance it was cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Even with private health ...
Jun 5, 2026
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'We need to rethink what is safe when it comes to parental alcohol use,' say experts
"Every time you drink heavily, even if you do so infrequently, it can affect your role as a parent," says doctoral research fellow Barbara Carvalho. She led a comprehensive systematic review conducted by researchers at the ...
Jun 5, 2026
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Virtual reality can reduce therapists' fears about exposure therapy
Researchers at Bradley Hospital found that a virtual reality (VR) training program can help therapists feel more confident using exposure therapy and reduce their negative beliefs about it—even more than traditional classroom-style ...
Jun 5, 2026
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Q&A: Expert discusses risks of cannabis use
On April 26, the United States reclassified cannabis from a Schedule I controlled substance, which lacks any medical benefits, to a Schedule III controlled substance, which has accepted medical uses and lower potential for ...
Jun 5, 2026
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Women face higher anxiety, depression rates as experts urge mental health care overhaul
Women make up half the world's population yet are the focus of relatively little research, leading to deficits in their mental health care. A Perspective shares key takeaways from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, ...
Jun 5, 2026
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The brain can unlock true multitasking after intensive training
New research by Georgetown scientists shows how the brain rewires itself to automate learned tasks. The findings challenge a long-held understanding of how humans master complex skills, suggesting that true multitasking is ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Motherhood leaves lifelong brain marks via dopamine-linked epigenetic switch, mouse study suggests
Becoming a mother changes the brain not just temporarily, but for life. Pregnancy and the postpartum period trigger lasting changes in the maternal brain through the brain chemical dopamine, producing long-term benefits to ...
Jun 4, 2026
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After early pregnancy loss, 'what if' thinking affects 72% within first week
When a person goes through a traumatic experience, they often find themselves thinking that what happened could have been different or even avoided. This process, known as counterfactual thinking, is an automatic psychological ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Fear memories form differently in male and female brains, study finds
Women are twice as likely as men to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—and new research may offer a biological clue as to why. A Virginia Tech study found that the female brain forms fear memories using a molecular ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Repeated teen cannabis use may disrupt dopamine-related brain development, MRI data suggest
A new study from Bradley Hospital researchers shows that cannabis use during adolescence is associated with differences in brain regions involved in motivation and reward, which support healthy development.
Jun 4, 2026
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Robotic plushie could significantly ease depression in LGBTQ+ teens
An interactive robotic plushie called "Purrble" could improve depressive symptoms in LGBTQ+ teens. The research, published in Nature Medicine, also found that participants were twice as likely to see improvements in symptoms ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Study shows dangerous associations between drug and alcohol use and adolescent mental health
Adolescents who use drugs or binge drink alcohol are more likely to experience psychological distress and have seriously thought of or attempted suicide, according to a new study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research ...
Jun 4, 2026
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Dopamine menus: Can small pleasures help us get unstuck?
You sit down to start a task you care about. Nothing happens. You open your phone instead. Minutes turn into hours. You feel restless, flat, or oddly exhausted, even though you haven't done much at all.
Jun 4, 2026
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Being 'half-included' in American society takes a toll on immigrant health, study finds
There is a well-documented puzzle in social epidemiology: Immigrants have better health than the native-born when they first arrive, but they lose this advantage at older ages. Is acculturation to blame—the process by which ...
Jun 4, 2026
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What we still get wrong about how people from non‑Western backgrounds recover from trauma
Over the past few decades, researchers have developed effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder some people develop after experiencing trauma. These treatments often involve talking ...
Jun 4, 2026
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