Anxiety

A new study finds that fathers’ anxiety during pregnancy and early infancy is linked to higher risks of emotional and behavioral problems in their children, highlighting the importance of paternal mental health in shaping early developmental outcomes.

A new study suggests that lucid dreaming might help people reduce fear by allowing them to confront frightening scenarios in their sleep. Participants who faced their fears during lucid dreams often reported feeling less afraid after waking up.

People with high social anxiety were better at spotting subtle angry expressions and showed stronger brain responses during later stages of processing, suggesting they pay more attention to ambiguous signs of social threat.

Researchers found that social anxiety symptoms increase the risk of becoming lonely over time. In contrast, people who felt lonely at the beginning of the study were no more likely to develop social anxiety five years later.

A new brain imaging study finds that adolescents with highly anxiety-sensitive parents show distinct neural responses during emotional tasks. The findings suggest that parent traits may shape how children attend to and manage emotional experiences, potentially influencing future mental health.

A surprising new study reveals a twist in the gut-brain connection. While anxiety and depression are linked to distinct gut bacteria, commonly prescribed medications show an even stronger association with microbiome changes than the mental health conditions themselves.

Among young adults, stress from election news was linked to higher risks of depression and anxiety, while pre-election anticipatory stress was linked to depression only. Stress about the election outcome was not associated with either condition.

Social anxiety weakens the link between irritability and bullying in adolescents—irritable teens are less likely to bully others if they also have social anxiety. This moderating effect was not seen with generalized anxiety or other forms of aggression.

Researchers have discovered that anxiety felt on Mondays is associated with higher long-term cortisol levels in older adults, suggesting the start of the week may contribute to biological stress in ways that extend far beyond the office.

Researchers at Stanford found that a six-minute guided meditation delivered through a VR headset lowered anxiety levels in parents of hospitalized children. The intervention outperformed standard relaxation methods, with Spanish-speaking caregivers experiencing the greatest benefit.

A new study suggests that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder have difficulty focusing on relevant emotional information and shifting attention between emotional tasks, highlighting impairments in affective control that may contribute to chronic anxiety symptoms.

A new study suggests that diets high in fat and fructose can damage the liver and trigger anxiety-like behaviors in mice. The research also found that corilagin, a natural compound, reversed many of these harmful effects.

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.