Depression News and Research

Latest Depression News and Research

Anti-reward brain circuit may hold key to treating cocaine addiction

Why do so many people relapse after quitting cocaine? A new study from The Hebrew University reveals that a specific "anti-reward" brain circuit becomes hyperactive during withdrawal-driving discomfort and pushing users back toward the drug.

23 Jul 2025

Teen tobacco use linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety

Adolescents who use either e-cigarettes or conventional tobacco products (CTP)-like cigarettes, cigars, hookah and pipes-are significantly more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety than teens who don't use tobacco products at all, according to a study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Noor Abdulhay of West Virginia University, USA, and colleagues.

23 Jul 2025

Teen dating app use may not be hurting their mental health

Nearly one in four teenagers are using dating apps - and it may not be hurting their mental health, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study that monitored adolescents over six months.

23 Jul 2025

Probiotic bacteria found to reshape cell behavior in vitro

This study reveals how probiotic bacteria directly influence brain cell function, highlighting gut-brain communication and potential therapeutic applications.

23 Jul 2025

Ultrasound descriptions may shape how parents view their unborn children

Most parents can think back to the first ultrasound image they saw of their unborn child, and may even be able to remember what impression that image had on them.

22 Jul 2025

Cannabis and psychedelics rated most effective for symptom relief by eating disorder patients

A pioneering international survey of people living with eating disorders has found that cannabis and psychedelics, such as 'magic mushrooms' or LSD, were best rated as alleviating symptoms by respondents who self-medicated with the non-prescribed drugs.

22 Jul 2025

New insights into social factors shaping mental health outcomes

Mental illnesses are thought to be caused by both biological and environmental factors in complex interaction.

22 Jul 2025

Mount Sinai researcher uncovers how the brain and body interact in aging and depression

In a comprehensive Genomic Press interview published in Brain Medicine today, Dr. Hamilton Se-Hwee Oh reveals groundbreaking insights into the complex dialogue between our brains and bodies that fundamentally shapes aging, depression, and neurodegenerative disease.

22 Jul 2025

Early smartphone use linked to poorer mental health in young adults

Owning a smartphone before age 13 is associated with poorer mind health and wellbeing in early adulthood, according to a global study of more than 100,000 young people.

21 Jul 2025

Can probiotics help you sleep better?

A new meta-analysis shows that probiotic supplements can modestly improve sleep quality and reduce depressive symptoms in people with insomnia, with no significant safety concerns. However, effects on total sleep time and sleep efficiency remain uncertain, and evidence strength varies across outcomes.

20 Jul 2025

Overuse injuries spark lasting pain and mood changes through inflammation, rat study finds

Repetitive reaching tasks in mature female rats triggered persistent pain-like and sickness behaviors linked to a surge in IL-6-driven inflammation throughout muscles, blood, and the brain. These findings reveal how overuse injuries provoke both physical and mood-related symptoms through a neuroimmune cascade.

20 Jul 2025

Heart-healthy habits can improve overall physical and psychological well-being

A new study from Emory University reveals that maintaining optimal cardiovascular health can significantly improve overall physical and psychological well-being.

18 Jul 2025

One-third of U.S. public schools mandate mental health checks for students

Nearly one-third of the nation's K-12 U.S. public schools mandate mental health screening for students, with most offering in-person treatment or referral to a community mental health professional if a student is identified as having depression or anxiety, according to a new study.

18 Jul 2025

Sound stress alone induces pain sensitivity and brain inflammation

Pain is an important physiological response in living organisms. While physical pain is an outcome of tissue damage, pain can manifest as diverse unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences. Many studies report that emotional or psychological stress enhances pain responses.

18 Jul 2025

Autistic adults face high rates of mental health hospitalizations and readmissions

Mental health conditions are common among autistic adults, with 50% of autistic adults having a co-occurring condition, like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety or depression.

17 Jul 2025

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

Discover how super-resolution technology can be used to sudy neurotransmission at inhibitory synapses.

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 17 Jul 2025

Food insecurity found to directly cause anxiety and depression symptoms

Food insecurity is not only linked with, but directly causes symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to research published in the open access journal PLOS Mental Health.

16 Jul 2025

Heart healthy habits boost overall body health and longevity

People who had more heart-healthy habits and factors, as assessed by the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 metrics for ideal cardiovascular health, had more positive benefits for whole body health, according to a review of research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Jul 2025

New review identifies promising and under-researched OTC depression aids

Most people have heard of St John's Wort and omega-3s. But did you know there are a lot more over-the-counter herbal products and supplements out there targeting depression? In our review of clinical trials of these products, we found 64 different over-the-counter (OTC) products that have been evaluated for depression – but with differing levels of evidence for each.

16 Jul 2025

Childhood heart health predicts lifelong well-being, study finds

Optimal heart health from birth through adolescence, as measured by a combination of metrics, leads to long-lasting cardiovascular and overall physical, cognitive and mental health, according to the systematic review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Jul 2025