https://medicalxpress.com/psychiatry-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Psychiatry We worry about the time kids spend using screens—but what if the time their caregivers spend on phones is also harmful? Scientists working on digital mental health noticed increasing reports of teenagers struggling with their parents' phone use and decided to investigate. Their new findings show that teenagers who report that their caregivers are often distracted from them by devices are more likely to display insecure attachment styles, which can have serious negative consequences for their future health and well-being. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-teenagers-parents-distracted-insecure.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:01 EDT news700899061 Removing criminal penalties for possessing cannabis for personal use, or introducing tightly controlled legalization of cannabis, does not appear to increase levels of cannabis use. However, the commercial sale of cannabis is linked to increased health risks, with large-scale for-profit markets—such as those seen in the U.S. and Canada—resulting in more potent products and higher rates of addiction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-legalizing-cannabis-addiction-tightly.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:30:08 EDT news700904521 New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, has found that people with psychosis experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can benefit from a trauma-focused therapy integrated with cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-trauma-therapy-effective-people-psychosis.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:30:07 EDT news700901462 Youth who have contact with the U.S. legal system may be at increased risk of mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, hostility and psychoticism, according to a study published in PLOS One by Raquel V. Oliveira and Elizabeth Culatta from Augusta University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-legal-contact-years-worse-mental.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:00:07 EDT news700905721 Psilocybin combined with psychotherapy can lead to long-term improvements in depressive symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression. This has been shown by a recently published long-term follow-up study conducted by the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the MIND Foundation. The antidepressant effects persisted for up to 12 months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-psilocybin-combined-psychotherapy-antidepressant-effects.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:20:04 EDT news700914833 Carnegie Mellon University and University of California, San Francisco researchers have found that childhood trauma, poverty, social isolation and other adverse life experiences are associated with brain changes linked to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders—findings that could help researchers identify people at risk earlier and develop interventions before severe symptoms emerge. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-early-life-schizophrenia.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:00:21 EDT news700758496 Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by persistent restriction of food intake, fear of gaining weight and distorted body image, often leading to significantly low body weight. Relapse rates for people treated for the disorder are alarmingly high, at up to 50% within one year of the person restoring body weight. The disorder has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder, with suicide being the leading cause of death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-vibrating-pill-relapse-anorexia-nervosa.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:00:17 EDT news700845144 A new study from Michigan State University found increases in binge eating when taking hormone pills in the form of oral contraceptives—but not in all women. This is the first large-scale study of changes in binge-related symptoms with oral contraceptive use. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-birth-pills-binge-reveals.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:00:05 EDT news700901281 Conduct problems—including persistent rule-breaking, aggression, irritability and difficulty following school rules—are associated with small but widespread differences in brain structure, according to a major international study of more than 14,000 children and adolescents, led by the University of Bath in the U.K. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-antisocial-behavior-young-people-linked.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:00:07 EDT news700896662 Some people might not mind spending time alone, but new research with data from 18 countries suggests that older people who struggle with loneliness—rather than strictly being alone—may experience faster mental and physical decline. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-loneliness-cognitive-impairment-shorter-life.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:40:02 EDT news700834122 In contrast to classical digital media, short-video platforms are characterized by rapidly changing content, highly personalized recommendations and a targeted maximization of usage time. This is precisely where the study begins: It examines whether and how this specific design—and not just the content—can influence neurocognitive and emotional effects in adolescents and young adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-endless-scroll-inattention-stress-25s.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:20:13 EDT news700834028 Men are overrepresented when it comes to heart disease, but there are certain conditions that mainly affect women, such as "broken-heart syndrome." Stress and anxiety are common in this group. A new study led by researchers at Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet shows that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reduce symptoms and help patients manage their emotions better. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-online-cbt-eases-stress-broken.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700833866 Chronic stress, the prolonged exposure to psychological and/or physical strain, is known to be a risk factor for depression, anxiety and some other psychiatric disorders. Past studies suggest that chronic stress disrupts the integrity of myelin, a fatty insulating layer that surrounds nerve fibers and helps electrical signals travel efficiently between brain cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-intermittent-fasting-shield-brain-chronic.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:40:03 EDT news700832011 A smile. A frown. The faces a child pays closer attention to might offer insight into their mental health. Depression may shape how much children pay attention to emotional expressions—sad or happy faces—and those changes appear to depend on whether the child has a family history of depression, according to a first-of-its-kind study from Binghamton University, State University of New York. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-depression-rewire-kids-pay-attention.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:40:02 EDT news700828382