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mental health

This shows a child surrounded by bacteria.

·October 30, 2025·6 min read

Toddler Gut Bacteria Linked to Childhood Anxiety and Depression

A new study suggests that a child’s gut microbiome at age 2 may influence their emotional health years later. Researchers found that higher levels of bacteria from the Clostridiales order and Lachnospiraceae family were linked to stronger connectivity across emotion-related brain networks and a higher risk of anxiety and depression symptoms by age 7½.

This shows a cell phone, neurons and a sensor.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·October 29, 2025·8 min read

$2 Saliva Test Could Help Detect Depression and Schizophrenia

Scientists have developed a portable biosensor that can detect levels of BDNF, a protein linked to mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The flexible, low-cost device analyzes a drop of saliva in under three minutes, offering a fast, affordable, and noninvasive diagnostic tool.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 27, 2025·6 min read

Brain Cells That May Prevent Schizophrenia Symptoms Identified

Researchers have identified a rare type of brain cell whose overactivity may contribute to schizophrenia-like symptoms, such as cognitive deficits and disrupted sleep. When scientists reduced the activity of these cells in mice with a schizophrenia-linked mutation, the animals’ behavior and sleep patterns normalized.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 27, 2025·4 min read

Imperfect Parenting: How Early Neglect Reshapes the Developing Brain

New research shows that even mild early-life adversity can disrupt development, attachment, and stress regulation in young mice. When mother mice had limited nesting material, their maternal care decreased, leading to higher stress hormones, slower growth, and anxiety-like behaviors in their pups.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 27, 2025·4 min read

Psychedelics May Rewire Memory Circuits Key to Mental Health

New research suggests that psychedelic drugs may work by strengthening specific brain connections linked to memory and cognition. Scientists found that under psychedelic exposure, neurons in the claustrum—a region dense with psychedelic-sensitive receptors—intensified their communication with the anterior cingulate cortex, a region involved in mood and psychiatric disorders.

This shows a woman meditating in a field.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 26, 2025·6 min read

Music and Nature Work in Harmony to Ease Stress and Lift Mood

The viral phrase “touch grass” may be more than internet humor—science shows that engaging with nature and music can significantly boost emotional and physical well-being. A new review found that combining these experiences—such as listening to music outdoors, gardening while singing, or caring for animals—can improve mood, reduce stress, and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 24, 2025·6 min read

Swap 30 Minutes of Sitting for Light Activity to Boost Next-Day Mood

New research reveals that replacing even 30 minutes of sitting with light physical activity—like walking or doing household chores—can boost mood and energy the following day. The study tracked over 350 young adults using wearable monitors to assess daily movement patterns.

This shows a teen in bed, awake and looking at a computer late at night.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 23, 2025·7 min read

Lack of Sleep in Teens Linked to Higher Suicide Risk

Teenagers who sleep less or experience frequent night awakenings are significantly more likely to attempt suicide later in adolescence, according to a major longitudinal study. Researchers analyzed data from more than 8,500 teens and found that poor sleep at age 14 predicted suicide attempts by age 17, even after accounting for other mental health risk factors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 22, 2025·8 min read

Ketamine Fails to Outperform Placebo in Major Depression Trial

A large randomized and blinded clinical trial has found no additional benefit of repeated ketamine infusions over standard inpatient care for treating major depression. The study compared ketamine with a psychoactive placebo and found no meaningful differences in objective or self-reported depression scores, cognition, or quality of life.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 21, 2025·8 min read

Hearing Voices May Stem from the Brain Misreading Its Own Inner Speech

A new study reveals that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may arise when the brain fails to recognize its own inner voice as self-generated. Normally, the brain predicts the sound of one’s inner speech and dampens auditory responses accordingly, but this prediction breaks down in people who hear voices.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 21, 2025·6 min read

When a Hug Turns Dark: How Manipulative Partners Use Touch

Touch can strengthen bonds and calm stress, but not all affection is sincere. A new study reveals that people with “dark triad” traits—narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism—often use physical touch to control or manipulate their romantic partners.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·October 16, 2025·7 min read

Child Abuse Leaves Lasting Biological Scars on the Brain and DNA

New research reveals that child maltreatment leaves measurable biological “scars” on DNA, altering brain structure and function. Using a genome-wide epigenetic analysis, scientists identified four key methylation sites—ATE1, SERPINB9P1, CHST11, and FOXP1—linked to maltreatment.