Mental Health

Drinking problems may be a risk factor for reoffending that good social and cognitive skills don't offset, suggests a study of nearly 7,800 Canadian men who had perpetrated intimate partner violence.

A new meta-analysis reveals that while ADHD and autism both feature atypical brain responses to rewards, the underlying neural activity goes in completely opposite directions, providing biological clues to their distinct behavioral symptoms.

Researchers exploring Functional Neurological Disorder found that while genetics alone don't explain the condition, epigenetic markers and salivary oxytocin levels interact in ways that align with a patient's history of childhood trauma.

Public claims have linked newborn circumcision and the pain reliever acetaminophen to autism. A new study of nearly 2,800 boys found no link between circumcision and autism, and acetaminophen was rarely given to the infants.

A recent study reveals that parents of transgender youth experienced worsening mental health and heightened anxiety following the 2025 presidential inauguration. The research highlights the immediate emotional toll that shifting political climates take on families.

Young adults experiencing depression and social anxiety might benefit from learning how to salsa dance. A new study indicates that an eight-week salsa program significantly reduced depressive symptoms and boosted daily happiness.

In a small psilocybin trial for alcohol use disorder, people who stayed alcohol-free three months later tended to describe an inner dialogue during their session, while those who returned to drinking talked more about sensations and visions.

A new study reveals how dopamine and insulin receptors interact in the brain's emotional center to regulate compulsive eating. These findings offer biological clues to the strong link between food addiction and metabolic diseases like diabetes.

A meta-analysis of 121,728 participants finds that problematic pornography use is most strongly linked to craving and sexual shame, with smaller links to depression and loneliness. How strong these links appear may depend on the measure used.

A recent brain imaging study reveals that the reward system is hyper-connected to other social networks in autistic individuals. This heightened integration correlates with social communication differences and overlaps with specific genetic and chemical markers.

A new study suggests that curious people build more "cognitive reserve" through higher education and mentally stimulating hobbies. However, this curiosity didn't translate into higher scores on cognitive tests among the healthy adults studied.

New research challenges the idea that loneliness acts as a helpful alarm bell. A 6-year study found that feeling lonely does not motivate isolated children to reconnect, and both issues independently harm future mental health and career prospects.

A new AI tool that analyzes MRI scans in fine detail reveals that the human brain does not age evenly. Some regions appear to age faster than others, with these differences becoming more pronounced in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Among Dutch adults with depression or anxiety, those who experienced more childhood trauma were more likely to report recent suicidal thoughts and past suicide attempts. Aggression, insomnia, and low social support partly accounted for this link.