Anxiety

A new study finds that people afraid of spiders perceive them as larger than they really are, while arachnology experts judge their size accurately. The findings shed light on how emotion and knowledge shape perception of threatening creatures.

A new study challenges long‑held ideas about anxiety and attention. It finds that when motivated, anxious people can shift focus from threats just as quickly as others — suggesting that “dwelling” on threats may be more about circumstance than an...

A new study finds that fatal school shootings have lasting economic impacts far beyond the tragedy itself. Fear and anxiety ripple through communities, leading people to spend less on groceries, restaurants, and other public spaces for months after the shooting.

Parental bonding may influence happiness well into adulthood, according to a new study. Italian researchers found that overprotective parenting predicted greater anxiety, while caring parenting supported healthier anger control—both of which played roles in shaping overall life satisfaction.

A new study finds that teens exposed to stronger heatwaves are more likely to experience mental health symptoms, raising concerns about the psychological impact of climate change on youth.

New research reveals that individuals with symptoms of anxiety and depression struggle to integrate their own moments of confidence into broader self-assessments. This internal bias, rather than poor performance, may drive persistent underconfidence in everyday life.

New research highlights how childhood verbal abuse can alter brain development, increasing risks for anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. Experts warn that harsh language is not harmless—and prevention is key to improving long-term mental health outcomes for future generations.

Thyroid hormones may play a much larger role in emotional memory than previously thought. A new study shows that thyroid signaling in the brain’s fear center is both necessary and sufficient for storing fear memories, with implications for PTSD treatment.

Researchers have discovered that children who show more flexible nervous system responses during social challenges experience greater anxiety relief from intensive therapies. The findings highlight vagal flexibility as a potential predictor of treatment success in preschool-aged children.

New research shows that teens who spend more than two hours a day on screens—especially passively scrolling through content—are more likely to report anxiety and emotional or behavioral problems, even when accounting for age, gender, and existing vulnerabilities.

A large neuroimaging study has found that generalized anxiety disorder in youth is linked to increased connectivity in brain circuits involved in attention and emotion, and that these patterns may change with symptom remission.

Research on adolescents exposed to early trauma reveals impaired fear learning: those with childhood adversity showed less ability to distinguish safety from threat and were more prone to overgeneralize fear, highlighting a possible pathway to future mental health problems.

A new study suggests that people with social anxiety are more likely to remember faces they saw during mistakes. Brain recordings revealed heightened activity during errors, which predicted stronger memory for those moments—possibly explaining why social anxiety persists.

Researchers tested whether brain structure or connectivity could forecast how children with anxiety would respond to therapy—but found little predictive power. Despite using advanced imaging and machine learning, the models failed to identify meaningful patterns linked to treatment outcomes.

New findings suggest that the way we relate to ourselves and others could be closely linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety.