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.

A new study confirms that alcohol is a major cause of over 60 entirely attributable diseases and injuries, ranging from liver cirrhosis to dementia. By temporarily crippling the immune system and altering neurological judgment, alcohol increases susceptibility to both chronic diseases and acute infections. While long-term abstinence allows for the partial recovery of brain damage and rapid cardiovascular improvements, researchers conclude that alcohol's systematic harms decisively outweigh its debated cardiac benefits.
Researchers have identified three distinct genetic pathways that explain how Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) leads to psychosis. By analyzing over 500 genetic markers and the role of the glutamate system, which is heavily impacted by THC, the team has laid the groundwork for precision models to identify high-risk users and develop targeted treatments for cannabis-related mental health disorders.
A longitudinal study of over 6,000 children has found that those with high genetic risk for schizophrenia experience a decrease in frontal brain surface area during early adolescence, while their peers experience growth. This unique, dynamic divergence provides a new neuroimaging marker for schizophrenia that appears years before clinical symptoms, offering a vital clue for early intervention.
Researchers are using real-time fMRI neurofeedback to transform brain training into a video game that targets rumination. By teaching patients to regulate the coupling between the brain's self-referential and goal-directed centers, this precision psychiatry approach successfully reduced depressive symptoms. This study marks a major step toward a future where patients receive personalized, portable brain-training headsets to treat their specific mental health needs.
Researchers discovered a neural signature that predicts when a child is about to lose focus. By delivering a targeted pulse at the exact millisecond this signal appears, scientists were able to restore attentional flexibility in children with ADHD and epilepsy. This world-first study paves the way for non-invasive, personalized technologies that support learning and engagement in real-time.
Researchers mapped how trauma at different life stages reshapes specific brain regions, from the hippocampus in childhood to the prefrontal cortex in adolescence. These findings suggest that the timing of trauma creates a biological "blueprint" for adult behavior, opening the door for personalized psychiatric treatments based on developmental windows.