Mental Health

Early results from a pilot study indicate that psilocybin-assisted therapy could be linked to lower alcohol consumption and improved psychological outcomes, though larger controlled trials are needed to determine whether the psilocybin itself is responsible for these changes.

Low-carb diets rich in healthy fats and plant proteins are linked to fewer depression symptoms, according to new research. But low-carb diets high in saturated fat and animal protein show no mental health advantage.

A yearlong study of more than 4,000 U.S. adults found that problematic pornography use tends to persist over time and is strongly associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression, suggesting a lasting link between porn dysregulation and psychological distress.

A new study suggests that people who feel fewer bodily sensations while intoxicated may be at higher risk for alcohol misuse. Using bodily maps and heartbeat tasks, researchers linked internal awareness to physiological effects and subjective feelings of intoxication.

Spending less time in slow wave and REM sleep may accelerate brain atrophy in regions affected early in Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. The findings support sleep quality as a potential factor in preserving brain health.

Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder report worse psychological well-being, social relationships, and living conditions. Their partners also suffer, facing lower quality of life and diminished relationship satisfaction. The study points to the need for couple-centered interventions.

Believing that daily struggles are meaningful may help people stay motivated and feel more satisfied with life, according to a new study. The mindset was associated with higher self-esteem, greater meaning, and more effortful engagement.

Scientists have found that lemborexant not only increased restorative sleep in male mice but also reduced levels of toxic tau and brain inflammation. The findings suggest that targeting the brain’s orexin system may help slow Alzheimer’s progression.

Researchers tracked sleep and activity in people with bipolar disorder using wearable devices and found that short-term fluctuations in behavior often appeared days before hypomanic episodes, offering new possibilities for early detection and intervention.

Researchers testing a novel treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder found that pairing brain stimulation with exposure-based therapy improved outcomes more than therapy alone, offering new hope for patients who don’t fully respond to existing approaches.

New research using data from over 7,000 children suggests that adversity during late childhood accelerates brain network development. While these changes may buffer against anxiety and depression, they are also associated with poorer school performance.

In a two-wave study, researchers found that self-compassion predicted later psychological richness, and psychological richness also predicted later self-compassion, supporting a bidirectional relationship between these two dimensions of well-being.

From children to older adults, exercise enhances brainpower. A sweeping new analysis shows that physical activity improves general cognition, memory, and executive function in both healthy and clinical populations, reinforcing its value for mental sharpness at any age.

New research suggests that difficulty recalling specific personal memories may be an early warning sign of mental illness in youth. A meta-analysis finds this memory trait predicts first-time psychiatric diagnoses, especially depression, during adolescence and early adulthood.

A new study finds that individuals with treatment-resistant depression experienced similar improvements from psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy whether or not they had recently discontinued antidepressant medications.