Anxiety News and Research

Latest Anxiety News and Research

Spaceflight exposes astronauts to hidden threats in their gut

This review highlights how the unique stressors of space travel, radiation, microgravity, and circadian disruption impact astronauts’ gut microbiomes, with potential consequences for their mood, cognition, and immunity. The authors call for targeted microbiome monitoring and dietary interventions to protect astronaut mental health on future missions.

1 Jul 2025

Younger children in school face higher mental health risks

Schoolchildren born late in the year are at greater risk of developing mental health problems compared with their older peers, according to a new study.

1 Jul 2025

Aging brain adapts to read ambiguous facial expressions

Because aging weakens cognitive skills, older people can struggle to read difficult social cues. A brain region involved in attention and arousal-the locus coeruleus (LC)-helps with complex tasks, and its connections to the cortex may adapt as humans age to support cognition.

30 Jun 2025

AI system offers new hope for diagnosing PTSD in children

Diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder in children can be notoriously difficult. Many, especially those with limited communication skills or emotional awareness, struggle to explain what they're feeling.

30 Jun 2025

One in six people worldwide affected by loneliness, WHO report reveals

The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection has released its global report revealing that 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness, with significant impacts on health and well-being.

30 Jun 2025

Coffee’s hidden compounds could help fight type 2 diabetes

A comprehensive review of nearly 150 studies reveals that coffee polyphenols may help regulate blood sugar and reduce inflammation linked to type 2 diabetes. However, most evidence comes from preclinical research, and robust clinical trials are needed to confirm benefits.

29 Jun 2025

Babies as young as eight months show flexible learning abilities

Babies as young as eight months old can adapt their learning style to changing situations, according to research by Francesco Poli of the Donders Institute at Radboud University.

27 Jun 2025

Too sick to work, some Americans worry Trump’s bill will strip their health insurance

Stephanie Ivory counts on Medicaid to get treated for gastrointestinal conditions and a bulging disc that makes standing or sitting for long periods painful. Her disabilities keep her from working, she said.

27 Jun 2025

Can saffron treat Alzheimer’s and depression?

Saffron shows promise as a natural treatment for depression and cognitive decline, performing as well as standard drugs in clinical trials. However, more rigorous studies are needed before saffron can be recommended in mainstream psychiatric and dementia care.

26 Jun 2025

Higher BMI linked to slower concussion recovery in athletes and cadets

Clinicians who work with elite college athletes and military cadets should be aware of the association between higher body mass index (BMI) and worse concussion recovery, suggests new University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine research published today in Sports Medicine.

25 Jun 2025

Study finds nearly double risk of depression and anxiety in autoimmune patients

Living with an autoimmune disease is linked to a near doubling in the risk of persistent mental health issues, such as depression, generalised anxiety, and bipolar disorder, with these risks higher in women than in men, finds a large population-based UK study, published in the open access journal BMJ Mental Health.

25 Jun 2025

Unhealthy teen diets reshape the brain and drive lifelong eating habits, study finds

Adolescent diets high in fat and sugar disrupt the development of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, impacting cognition, memory, and impulse control. These brain changes can promote unhealthy eating behaviors and obesity risk that persist into adulthood.

24 Jun 2025

‘We need to keep fighting’: HIV activists organize to save lives as Trump guts funding

Cedric Sturdevant woke up with "a bit of depression" but made it to church, as he does every Sunday. In a few days, he would drive from Mississippi to Washington, D.C., to join HIV advocates at an April rally against the Trump administration's actions.

24 Jun 2025

US children who eat more fruit have less abdominal fat

Research shows that increased fruit consumption is associated with reduced abdominal fat in children, highlighting its importance in obesity prevention.

23 Jun 2025

Weight loss surgery leads to significant boost in self esteem

Self-esteem scores more than doubled within one year of weight-loss surgery, according to a new study* presented today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 Jun 2025

Positive wellbeing may help reduce the risk of memory loss in middle age

Higher levels of wellbeing may help reduce the risk of memory loss in middle age, suggests new research, which tracked more than 10,000 over 50-year-olds across a 16-year span.

19 Jun 2025

Addictive screen use linked to poor mental health in preteens

Addictive use of social media, video games, or mobile phones-but not total screen time-is associated with worse mental health among preteens, a new study by researchers at Columbia and Cornell universities has found.

19 Jun 2025

Aquatic therapy eases back pain and boosts mental health

A new Concordia study suggests that aquatic therapy for individuals with chronic low back pain can do more than strengthen the muscles around the spine.

17 Jun 2025

Disrupted biological rhythms in teens can produce unexpected brain effects

A new McGill University-led study suggests that disrupting the body's internal clock during adolescence can alter how the brain responds to an in-utero risk factor linked to certain brain disorders.

17 Jun 2025

Bariatric surgery linked to lower risk of psychiatric disorders than GLP-1 drugs

People who have metabolic and bariatric surgery are significantly less likely to develop psychiatric disorders compared to those who take weekly injections of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications, according to a new study presented today at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting.

17 Jun 2025