Mental Health
Gentle rocking beds could offer a new way to treat insomnia
For adults who struggle to stay asleep, a bed that sways gently throughout the night might offer a path to better rest. New research reveals that continuous rocking reduces nightt…
Psychiatrists detail mother’s sudden descent into severe psychosis and delirious mania following childbirth
A recent case report details a 27-year-old mother’s sudden onset of severe psychosis and delirious mania following a cesarean delivery. The findings suggest that electroconvulsive…
Neuroticism intensifies the transfer of fear and negativity during associative learning
People who score high in neuroticism not only react more intensely to negative events, but they also transfer those bad feelings onto neutral objects more easily. New research hig…
A computational model explains the sudden rise in societal division
A new computational model reveals that simply increasing the number of close social connections past a certain threshold naturally forces society to splinter into deeply divided, …
Regular coffee beats decaf in protecting the brain from chronic stress, mouse study finds
A new study in mice indicates that caffeinated coffee prevents stress-induced memory loss and depression-like behaviors, while decaf offers no such protection. The findings sugges…
New Zealand drugs regulator approves use of MDMA to treat severe PTSD
New Zealand decision follows Australian approval in 2023 of psychedelics to treat PTSD and treatment-resistant depressionTwo psychiatrists in New Zealand won approval on Friday to…
Focusing on your appearance increases benevolent sexist beliefs in both men and women
A new study finds that when men and women focus on their physical appearance, they become more likely to endorse benevolent sexism. These seemingly positive but restrictive belief…
New research questions the role of fertility in women’s indirect aggression
A new psychological study reveals that women's competitive reactions toward romantic and social rivals are driven by their baseline personality traits. Hormone fluctuations during…
Psilocin triggers rapid neural growth in laboratory study
Psilocin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, promotes the rapid growth of neural connections in laboratory settings. A new study reveals how these structural changes match th…
A new study explains why stress makes us both cooperative and defensive
A recent study shows that acute stress doesn't just trigger "fight-or-flight" or "tend-and-befriend" instincts. Instead, stressed people adapt their behavior, cooperating with pot…
Harsh parenting predicts teenage depression and aggression through different types of repetitive thinking
A three-year study of Chinese adolescents reveals how harsh discipline shapes mental health. Researchers found that repetitive thoughts about sadness and anger act as pathways lin…
Male politicians show a spike in care-oriented language during peak periods of war
A new study of the Israeli Knesset reveals that politicians who use care-based language propose more constructive policies. While women express care more consistently, male lawmak…
Escaping absolute poverty boosts adult cognitive abilities, study finds
A recent evaluation of a nationwide anti-poverty campaign shows that escaping absolute poverty can boost adult cognitive abilities, improving both factual knowledge and abstract r…
The surprising reason our memories become blurred as we age, according to new neuroscience research
Scientists have uncovered a surprising twist in how our minds age. A new brain scanning study shows that a mechanism designed to protect our memories eventually begins to blend th…
The link between dark personality traits and online toxicity is more nuanced than expected
A new study reveals a surprising disconnect: while people with dark personality traits claim to engage in more toxic online behavior, an analysis of their actual Reddit comments s…
Historical slavery predicts modern mortality gaps between Black and White Americans
A recent study found that U.S. counties with a higher proportion of enslaved people in 1860 have wider mortality gaps between Black and White residents today. This historical lega…
Psilocybin therapy shows strong potential for treating cocaine addiction
Two new studies suggest psychedelic compounds could help treat cocaine addiction. A human trial found psilocybin combined with therapy reduced cocaine use, while an animal study i…
Physical attractiveness appears to shape family planning accuracy for young women
Young adults vastly overestimate their likelihood of having children before age 30, but a person's relationship status and physical attractiveness can strongly predict how accurat…
Heavy caffeine drinkers sleep less but have deeper sleep, study finds
Analyzing data from over 485,000 people, researchers found that habitual consumers of four or more caffeinated drinks sleep slightly less. Surprisingly, this shorter sleep feature…
Maternal sleep latency during early pregnancy is linked to child intelligence scores
Taking a long time to fall asleep during pregnancy is associated with slightly lower offspring intelligence scores at age four. New research points to specific metabolic chemicals…
Sex differences in personality traits are shrinking among younger generations
Are men and women becoming more alike? New research analyzing global survey data finds that differences in key economic preferences, such as trust and risk tolerance, are signific…
Heavy ChatGPT use linked to intellectual laziness and social isolation
New research reveals that relying too heavily on generative artificial intelligence can erode critical thinking, memory, and social skills. However, using the technology thoughtfu…
Brain scans shed light on how practice and genetics combine to influence reading ability
Scientists have mapped the reading brain, finding that genetics set the foundation for processing sounds and meaning. Meanwhile, the physical act of reading practice actually thic…
Brain waves reveal how alcohol cues hijack decision-making in addiction
People with alcohol use disorder experience automatic emotional reactions to alcohol-related images that disrupt their decision-making processes. New research shows the brain atte…