Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

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

Stimulant use quietly drives rise in opioid-related deaths

Many people might be aware of an ongoing opioid epidemic, with thousands of people dying every year from overdoses.

16 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

Music therapy approach can ease distress in dementia patients

A new treatment that uses music therapy on dementia wards could improve care and support for some of the NHS's most vulnerable patients.

16 Jul 2025

New study tracks how living in an agrihood impacts resident health

Could moving into a neighborhood built around a working farm be the prescription for better health? A new Texas A&M University study is putting that question to the test, tracking how residents of a new "agrihood" community change their diet, exercise, and overall health after moving in.

16 Jul 2025

Harvard researchers uncover how the brain directs blood flow in real time

All day long, our brains carry out complicated and energy-intensive tasks such as remembering, solving problems, and making decisions.

16 Jul 2025

Targeting amino acid networks could lead to more precise medicines

Amino acids play a fundamental role in regulating how cells respond to drugs. These molecules, which form proteins, act like bricks that communicate with each other within a structure.

16 Jul 2025

Study reveals key social factors that support preterm children's mental health

Around 8% of all births in England are preterm. Despite improvements in neonatal care and survival, preterm children still have more difficulties in later life than their peers, including a higher risk of mental health problems, which have not improved in recent decades.

16 Jul 2025

Gut-brain axis in eating disorders offers new treatment potential

Understanding the gut-brain axis is key to addressing eating disorders. This study highlights microbiota's influence and emerging therapeutic approaches.

16 Jul 2025

A million veterans gave DNA to aid health research. Scientists worry the data will be wasted.

One of the world's biggest genetic databases comprises DNA data donated over the years by more than a million retired military service members. It's part of a project run by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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

Study reveals stigma causes more distress than disease itself

The stigma of having alopecia causes more depression and anxiety than the disease itself, new research has found.

16 Jul 2025

Survey highlights widespread emotional impact of cancer on patients and their families

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event for patients that can cause short- and long-term mental health concerns as they shift to living within a new timeline driven by weeks or months between medical follow-up appointments.

15 Jul 2025

Research explores the link between lower micronutrient levels and chronic pain

Lower levels of certain vitamins and minerals were found to be associated with chronic pain in a recently completed study led by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and published in Pain Practice.

15 Jul 2025

Targeting vasopressin neurons alleviates postpartum depression

Researchers at Nanjing University's School of Life Sciences, in collaboration with colleagues from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Peng Cheng Laboratory, have identified a specific brain circuit that eases depressive-like behaviors in a mouse model of postpartum depression, providing a promising target for future treatments. This work addresses how sudden drops in estrogen after childbirth can trigger mood disturbances.

15 Jul 2025

Insomnia may be the missing link between ADHD and low life satisfaction

Insomnia could explain why adults with ADHD traits report having a lower quality of life, according to new research led by the University of Southampton and the Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience.

15 Jul 2025

Supporting autistic patients with inclusive and predictable care

Caring for autistic patients requires a unique approach, and a Five ways to support… article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250152 aims to provide tips on caring for these patients.

14 Jul 2025

New WHO guidelines recommend injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention

The World Health Organization (WHO) released today new guidelines recommending the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention, in a landmark policy action that could help reshape the global HIV response.

14 Jul 2025

Ultra-processed foods threaten brain health in kids and teens, review warns

Children, adolescents, and unborn babies exposed to high levels of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) face increased risks of impaired brain development, cognitive deficits, and long-term mental health challenges. The review underscores how UPF-driven changes in reward pathways, nutrient deficits, inflammation, and the gut–brain axis can have lasting impacts across generations.

13 Jul 2025

Oxytocin may protect mood during sleep disruption in women

Oxytocin, often called "the love hormone," may play a protective role in mood disturbances triggered by sleep loss and hormonal shifts during key reproductive transitions like postpartum and menopause, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

12 Jul 2025