Psychology News

These research articles involve many aspects of psychology such as cognitive psychology, depression studies, mental health, stress, happiness and neuropsychology, Scroll below for more specific categories.

Researchers have developed an AI-driven brain model that can track fear as it unfolds in real-world situations, offering a major shift from traditional lab-based approaches. Classic fear studies often rely on static images, but these do not reflect how the brain processes fear in dynamic contexts.
New research shows that rats with naturally higher baseline stress hormone levels are significantly more likely to self-administer cannabis vapor. Over several weeks, rats were allowed to nose-poke for cannabis, and those with elevated corticosterone displayed the strongest drug-seeking behavior.
Vividly imagining a positive interaction with someone can increase how much you like them — and even alter how your brain stores information about that person. During imagined encounters, participants developed stronger preferences, and brain scans revealed activity patterns similar to those seen when people learn from real rewarding experiences.
A new study shows that the newspapers people read are strong predictors of their automatic, unconscious biases toward autism—even after accounting for age, education, political views, and personal experience. Readers of right-leaning tabloid outlets showed more negative automatic biases, reflecting the more stereotyped and less frequent coverage of autism in these publications.
A new study using advanced deep-learning brain age estimation shows that World Trade Center responders with PTSD exhibit signs of accelerated brain aging. Using BrainAgeNeXt, a model trained on more than 11,000 MRI scans, researchers found that responders with PTSD had “older” appearing brains than those without the disorder, especially among individuals with longer exposure at Ground Zero.
An increasing number of people experience fear, discomfort, or disgust toward nature—a phenomenon known as biophobia. The findings reveal that negative emotions form through both external factors such as urban environments and media portrayals, and internal factors like health and emotional traits.
Mental illness is typically defined by its challenges, but growing evidence shows it is also linked to surprising strengths. Certain psychological conditions are associated with enhanced creativity, social sensitivity, emotional awareness, and resilience.
A major scientific review reveals a deep knowledge gap in how cognition is affected when schizophrenia and personality disorders occur together. Despite the high prevalence and severe outcomes tied to this dual diagnosis, only a small number of rigorous studies have ever examined cognitive functioning in this group.
A new study finds that victims of intimate partner violence who also experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors show distinct and severe injury patterns on medical imaging. These patients were far more likely to present at night in emergency settings and had dramatically higher rates of head, spinal, and deep internal injuries.
A massive multi-year analysis of tens of thousands of dogs reveals that CBD use is becoming increasingly common among aging companion animals. While dogs given CBD initially showed higher aggression, their aggression decreased below average levels with long-term use.

These research articles involve depression, seasonal affective disorders, grief, pain, sadness, happiness and generally news regarding mental health research.

Schizophrenia News

Research news involving schizotypal personality, anxiety, paranoia, unconventional thoughts and beliefs is covered.

A new imagery-focused therapy called iMAPS may help people with psychosis gain control over disturbing mental images that fuel paranoia, fear, and hallucinations. In a feasibility trial of 45 participants, the approach showed strong patient engagement and meaningful reductions in distress by teaching individuals to understand, transform, and re-script intrusive images.
A large population-based study suggests that doxycycline, a common antibiotic, may reduce the risk of schizophrenia when prescribed to adolescents receiving mental health care. Researchers analyzed data from more than 56,000 young patients and found that those who took doxycycline had a 30–35% lower chance of developing schizophrenia later in life.