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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.

Chronic Illness Combinations Double Depression Risk

A new study reveals that people with multiple chronic physical conditions face a significantly higher risk of developing depression, especially when conditions like heart disease and diabetes co-occur. Researchers analyzed health data from over 142,000 adults and found that certain multimorbidity profiles more than doubled the chance of a depression diagnosis within 10 years.

Social Status Shapes Addiction Risk Through Dopamine Circuitry

A new study reveals how social rank influences addiction vulnerability by altering dopamine pathways in the brain. Low-ranking male mice showed stronger reward signals and weaker control circuits, making them more prone to seek methamphetamine, while high-ranking mice had better balance and resistance.

Salience Network Expansion May Be A Reliable Biomarker for Depression

A newly identified biomarker—an enlarged salience network in the brain—could dramatically change how depression is detected and treated. This network, responsible for regulating attention and switching between mental states, was found to be consistently larger in people with depression, regardless of symptom severity or treatment history.

Diverse Social Ties Boost Health in Aging

A decade-long study of over 1,500 older adults reveals that socially enriched networks—marked by diverse and active relationships, are strongly linked to better health outcomes later in life. In contrast, those with restricted networks, often limited to family and shaped by isolation, reported significantly worse health and were less likely to improve their social ties over time.

This shows a man on a hill with a snowboard and briefcase.

The Cost of Chasing Passion Careers

A decade-long study of snowsport instructors reveals that trading a stable nine-to-five job for a passion-fueled career can lead to deep fulfillment—but also demands sacrifices. While participants reported personal growth and a sense of meaning, they also faced mental, financial, and physical challenges in a lifestyle centered around constant travel and seasonal work.

Changing Places Sparks Creativity

A new study finds that Nobel Prize winners who moved more frequently or worked in multiple locations began their groundbreaking research years earlier than peers who stayed in one place. By exposing themselves to new ideas and collaborators, mobile scientists accelerated their creative output.

Can Hearing Aids Ease Loneliness? New Study Says Yes

A new study shows that providing hearing aids and personalized audiology care helps older adults maintain social connections, reducing feelings of loneliness over time. Participants who received hearing interventions retained more diverse and meaningful relationships than those given only general healthy aging guidance.

Why OCD, Tics, and ADHD Keep You Up at Night

People with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs), chronic tic disorders (CTDs), and ADHD often suffer from significant sleep disturbances, and a new review suggests that disruptions in the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) pathway may be the reason why. The review highlights how dopamine and GABA dysregulation in CSTC circuitry contributes to both poor sleep and the disorders themselves, suggesting a bidirectional and additive relationship.

Does the TikTok Grounding Trend Really Improve Sleep?

Grounding, or physically connecting the body to the Earth, has gained traction as a wellness trend—now even through high-tech mats and sheets designed to replicate direct Earth contact. Advocates claim benefits for sleep, mood, and recovery, but scientific evidence remains limited.

Verbal Abuse in Childhood Rewires the Developing Brain

New neuroscience research highlights how verbal abuse in childhood can alter brain development and increase the risk of mental health issues later in life. Children who are routinely shamed, threatened, or belittled by adults may develop a hyperactive threat system and a blunted reward response, making trust and emotional regulation more difficult in adulthood.

This shows people in an art gallery. Above their heads are thought bubbles.

Contemplating Beauty Boosts Abstract Thinking

A new study finds that actively engaging with artistic beauty—rather than just looking at art—enhances abstract thinking and psychological distancing, helping people see the bigger picture beyond daily concerns. Participants who focused on rating the beauty of ceramic artworks scored significantly higher on cognitive tests measuring abstract thought than those who simply matched objects with line drawings.

Heavy Social Media Use Linked to Believing and Spreading Fake News

Individuals who experience high levels of distress and functional impairment from excessive social media use are significantly more likely to believe fake news and interact with it. Researchers found that problematic users were more inclined to click, like, comment on, and share false news stories, regardless of their accuracy.