Mental Health

A history of childhood neglect or abuse may be reflected in how the body handles stress during pregnancy. In a new study, affected women showed stronger inflammatory responses to a stress test, linked in turn to more pregnancy complications.

Boys are diagnosed with autism earlier than girls, so are genetic differences between early and late diagnosis really about sex? For early-diagnosed autism, a new study suggests not. For late diagnosis, the answer remains open.

Recovering from depression doesn’t always mean feeling things fully again. In a study of 106 patients on antidepressants, emotional blunting was less common among patients in remission but still affected 45% of them.

A childhood ADHD diagnosis is linked to a steep decline in adult religious service attendance, especially among Black and Asian American adults. Private spiritual practices like prayer, however, remain largely unaffected by the neurodevelopmental condition.

Autism and ADHD traits appear to follow different social paths. In a study of 9,619 Japanese students, autistic traits were linked to later peer problems, while ADHD traits were tied to academic struggles and behavioral difficulties.

Psychosis that starts later in life may sometimes be an early sign of neurodegenerative disease. In a study of 37 patients, about a third had Alzheimer’s-type amyloid, and half of the rest showed other forms of tau buildup.

Adults with ADHD often struggle with choices that carry negative consequences. A new experiment reveals that stimulant medication improves decision-making by helping the brain process the potential costs of an action more efficiently.

Older adults who struggled to afford enough food had roughly twice the odds of screening positive for probable dementia, according to a study that tracked more than 2,000 Americans from middle age into older age.

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.