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mental health

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·February 13, 2013·3 min read

Gene Associated with High Anxiety Can Have Protective Effect on the Battlefield

Through a combination of genetic and psychological testing, researchers have identified factors that mitigate against PTSD. In combat, soldiers who avoided threats were more likely to develop PTSD as a result of traumatic experiences, the study found.

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·January 8, 2014·3 min read

Scientists Find a New Mechanism Underlying Depression

Changes in microglia underlie depressive symptoms brought on by exposure to chronic stress, a new study reports.

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·September 21, 2020·7 min read

‘Awe Walks’ Boost Emotional Well-Being

Older adults who took brief, weekly "awe walks" for eight weeks reported improvements in positive emotions and a decrease in daily life stress.

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·April 3, 2019·4 min read

‘Depression Genes’ May Not Exist

Contradicting previous studies, UC Boulder researchers report there is no clear evidence of any candidate gene associated with depression.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 30, 2019·4 min read

‘Ecstasy’ shows promise for post-traumatic stress treatment

MDMA shows promise for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Combining the use of Ecstasy with psychotherapy treatments resulted in a reduction of PTSD symptoms after just one session. 54% of the study participants no longer met the PTSD criteria after two sessions. Patients also reported improvements in depression symptoms.

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·December 30, 2016·8 min read

‘Friendship Bench’ Program Proves Effective at Alleviating Mental Illness Symptoms

The 'Friendship Bench' approach has been able to reduce the prevalence of depression in some communities in Zimbabwe, a new study reports.

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Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·March 11, 2021·5 min read

‘Hunker Down’ Stress Genes Boosted in Women Who Live in Violent Neighborhoods

Gene activity in immune cells is altered as a result of chronic stress for women who live in areas high in violence and poverty.

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Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·February 1, 2017·4 min read

‘Mirror Game’ Test Could Secure Early Detection of Schizophrenia

A new computerized 'mirror game' has been shown to give more accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia than clinical interviews, a new study reports.

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·June 24, 2013·4 min read

‘Out-of-Body’ Virtual Experience Could Help Social Anxiety

According to researchers, new virtual imaging technology could be used to help people recover from social anxiety.

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·September 20, 2012·2 min read

‘Psychopaths’ Have An Impaired Sense of Smell

People with psychopathic tendencies have an impaired sense of smell, which points to inefficient processing in the front part of the brain (orbitofrontal cortex) according to a new study.