Anxiety News and Research

Latest Anxiety News and Research

Mild winter temperatures offer surprising mental health benefits

Higher ambient temperatures during the cold season were linked to reduced stress, improved life satisfaction, better self-reported health, and less loneliness in a large Swiss population study. While effects were modest at the individual level, they highlight the broader mental health impacts of seasonal temperature changes.

22 May 2025

Long-term antidepressant use linked to higher risk of withdrawal symptoms

People who have been taking antidepressants for more than two years are substantially more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms compared to short-term users when they come off the medication, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

21 May 2025

New strategy improves screening rates for anxiety and depression among epilepsy patients

A new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows an improvement in screening rates for anxiety and depression among epilepsy patients with the implementation of an electronic health record (EHR)-based strategy.

21 May 2025

Mount Sinai researchers explore new depression treatment targeting brain’s potassium channels

A mechanism involving potassium channels in the brain that control brain cell activity could provide a new and fundamentally different way of treating depression symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, according to two complementary papers published recently by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

21 May 2025

Microplastics in ultra-processed foods may fuel mental health risks, experts warn

New research highlights a possible link between microplastics in ultra-processed foods and rising rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Experts call for urgent investigation as microplastic accumulation in the human brain increases alongside ultra-processed food intake.

21 May 2025

New genetic test speeds up brain tumor diagnosis to just two hours

Scientists and medics have developed an ultra-rapid method of genetically diagnosing brain tumors that will cut the time it takes to classify them from 6-8 weeks, to as little as two hours – which could improve care for thousands of patients each year in the UK.

21 May 2025

UArizona researchers uncover new way to ease postoperative pain in women

University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers identified a potential way to reduce female post-operative pain by inhibiting pituitary prolactin generated by pre-operative stress.

20 May 2025

Gut bacteria and genes jointly shape obesity risk, review reveals hidden links

Researchers examined the heritability of body mass index (BMI), highlighting that genetics and the gut microbiome both play major roles in obesity risk. The review emphasizes that maternal microbiome transmission and family environment may help explain “missing heritability” beyond known genetic factors.

20 May 2025

Long COVID linked to rising anxiety and depression in children

A new study from Kennedy Krieger Institute is calling attention to an emerging mental health crisis among children with long COVID. Researchers found that nearly 40% of pediatric patients with long COVID reported feeling significant symptoms of anxiety or depression.

20 May 2025

This news might ruin your appetite — and summer

It's a marvel of food technology: ice cream that resists melting.

20 May 2025

Lifelong mental health struggles found in young adult cancer survivors

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors exhibit persistently elevated levels of depression and anxiety throughout their lifespan, but only symptoms of anxiety tend to stabilize in their later years, say University of Michigan researchers.

19 May 2025

Personality traits influence risk and persistence of insomnia

A study conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil examined the influence of personality traits on the development and perpetuation of insomnia and found that there is a direct relationship between the two.

19 May 2025

New machine learning model shows promise in predicting postpartum depression risk

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 15 percent of individuals after childbirth. Early identification of patients at risk of PPD could improve proactive mental health support.

19 May 2025

Study reveals high rates of cannabis use disorder in older US veterans

A large national study of U.S. veterans aged 65–84 found that 10.3% reported cannabis use in the past 30 days, with over one-third of these meeting criteria for cannabis use disorder. Frequent use and inhaled forms of cannabis sharply increased the risk.

19 May 2025

Exploring mindfulness practices to combat anxiety

If you're anxious about work, finances, the state of the world, or anything else, you might try a moment of mindfulness.

16 May 2025

Californians receiving in-home care fear Medicaid cuts will spell end to independent living

With a Starbucks coffee cup in her hand and a half gallon of milk under her arm, Florence Owens let herself into Carol Crooks' apartment on a Monday morning, announced herself with a cheery "hello," walked through the book-filled living room, and got to work in the kitchen.

16 May 2025

New WHO report reveals the deeper health impacts caused by COVID-19 pandemic

WHO published its World health statistics report 2025, revealing the deeper health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being.

15 May 2025

Palliative care for cardiovascular conditions may help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life

Palliative care may help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease and ensure that treatment is aligned with the patient's personal beliefs and values throughout all stages of illness, whether they are hospitalized in a cardiac intensive care unit or receiving outpatient care, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

15 May 2025

Prisons routinely ignore guidelines on dying inmates’ end-of-life choices

Brian Rigsby was lying with his right wrist shackled to a hospital bed in Montgomery, Alabama, when he learned he didn't have long to live.

15 May 2025

Researchers uncover key role of peri-LC neurons in the brain arousal system

A small cluster of cells deep within our brains, called the locus coeruleus, affects how awake and attentive we are, how we respond to stress, how we cope with anxiety and fear, and how we create memories and learn.

14 May 2025