Suicide and self-harm risk nearly triple in people with restless leg syndrome
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) triples the risk of suicide and self-harm in those with the condition. ... Read More...
Psychology
‘Microdosers’ of psychedelics report improved mood, focus and creativity
Those who microdose psychedelics report improved mood, greater focus, and increased creativity. A new study looks at the positive outcomes of microdosing and suggests others look at potential long-term negative consequences of using psychedelics.... Read More...
Stress in pregnancy impacts childrens’ vulnerability to stress in adulthood
Prenatal stress can have an epigenetic impact on the future mental health of offspring. Adult children of women who experienced prenatal stress are more vulnerable to stress and other mental health disorders. ... Read More...
Why we remember our youth as one big hedonistic party
Were we as hedonistic as we remember as teens? Most likely not. Researchers look at how we recall memories of our past years and how our youthful experiences helped us form our current identities.... Read More...
Babbling babies’ behavior changes parents’ speech
Parents unconsciously modify their speech to include fewer unique words, shorter sentences, and one-word replies when their baby babbles, but not when they are simply speaking to the baby.... Read More...
Pet Owners More Sensitive to Emotion in Animal Communication
Study reports dogs communicate distress more effectively via vocalizations than cats. Owning a pet makes you more sensitive to the negative vocalizations of both cats and dogs.... Read More...
‘Key player’ identified in genetic link to psychiatric conditions
CYFIP1 plays a key role in the damaging effects of 15q11.2 deletion. When CYFIP1 is missing, myelin abnormalities occur. The findings shed light on how psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, may develop.... Read More...
Fake news can lead to false memories
Fabricated news stories cause people to create false memories, especially if the content of the stories align with their political beliefs. While people who scored low on cognitive tests were no more prone to forming false memories, they were more likely to remember false facts that aligned with their opinions. People with higher cognitive ability are more likely to question their personal biases and the news source.... Read More...
Is it autism? The line is getting increasingly blurry
A new meta-analysis of autism data reveals the difference between people diagnosed with autism and the general population is shrinking. Measurable differences between people with ASD and people not on the spectrum has decreased over the past 50 years. Researchers say the definition of autism may be getting too blurry to be meaningful, and the condition may be at risk of being trivialized.... Read More...
Relatives of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder have distinct brain abnormalities
The brains' of first degree relatives of those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder differ from those with no family history of the disorders. Relatives of those with bipolar disorder tend to have larger intracranial volume, while those who had a relative with schizophrenia had smaller brain volume.... Read More...
Green space is good for your mental health: The nearer the better!
Those in urban areas who live close to parks and other green spaces have increased life satisfaction, mental wellbeing and overall happiness than those who further away.... Read More...
Is pollution linked to psychiatric disorders?
Poor air quality has been linked to higher rates of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Exposure to air pollution during the first ten years of like is also associated with a more than two-fold increased risk of schizophrenia and personality disorders.... Read More...