Anxiety

Approximately 19% of American adults live with an anxiety disorder. A new survey suggests that for young people, heavy social media use is a major driving factor behind these rising numbers.

Brain scans show escitalopram restores normal activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus for social anxiety patients after just one week.

New research shows gut microbes from socially anxious teens induce anxiety-like behaviors and brain changes in rats.

Using smartphone tracking, scientists discovered that socially anxious teenagers respond to daily stress with intense worry. The study highlights a cycle of negative thinking that persists across different types of stressors.

A new study finds that while most people make better decisions when reminded of future outcomes, those with high anxiety remain fixated on short-term emotional comfort, fueling a cycle of avoidance.

Scientists have observed how psilocybin rewires the brain to overcome fear. The drug coordinates the silencing of trauma neurons and the activation of safety signals to promote behavioral flexibility in mice.

Researchers have identified specific immune cells, not neurons, as a direct cause of chronic anxiety and compulsive grooming in mice. The discovery points to the brain's immune system as a key regulator of these complex behaviors.

A new study suggests vivid fears about the future are linked to anxiety by lowering self-esteem. Researchers also found that a brief writing exercise imagining one's best possible future can reduce anxious feelings in the moment.

Struggling to afford basic energy needs may take a toll on mental health, according to research in JAMA Network Open. The study found that U.S. adults facing energy insecurity were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression.

A major analysis of brain chemistry reveals a potential biological signature for anxiety disorders: consistently lower levels of the essential nutrient choline. The findings, published in Molecular Psychiatry, suggest a link between nutrition and mental health.

A study in Molecular Psychiatry pinpoints a brain circuit that reduces fear of harmless threats over time. The research in mice offers new insight into the neural basis of adaptive learning and stress-related conditions like anxiety.

New research finds young adults who are "night owls" are more prone to problematic smartphone and social media use. A study in PLOS One suggests this isn't just about sleep patterns but is strongly linked to underlying feelings of loneliness...

Autism and social anxiety can look similar on the surface, but new research reveals meaningful differences in how empathy is experienced. The study proposes a new tool to help clinicians more accurately differentiate between the two conditions.

A new study suggests that personality traits like neuroticism and openness to experience may shape how severely people experience insomnia. But anxiety appears to explain much of the link, pointing to a more complex psychological pathway than previously assumed.

Adolescent rats treated with a progestin-only contraceptive showed long-lasting impairments in fear extinction, according to a new study. Combined contraceptives did not have this effect, indicating that hormone formulation and timing may shape how the brain processes fear and safety.