mental health researchers

A new study finds that mental health problems in adults are more likely to persist today than they were ten years ago. The research suggests conditions such as anxiety and depression are lasting longer rather than resolving, pointing to a shift in the nature of adult mental ill health. The findings add to ongoing concern among health experts about rising and increasingly chronic psychological distress across the adult population.

A large global study has examined how screen time affects children's wellbeing, according to reporting carried by Yahoo News New Zealand. The findings address an ongoing debate among parents, educators and health researchers over how digital device use shapes children's mental and physical health. Details of the study's size, methodology and conclusions were not included in the available report.

A new Northeastern University study reports a link between the use of AI chatbots and psychological harm, according to a report from the university's news office. The finding adds to a growing body of research examining how conversational AI affects users' mental health, and it arrives amid ongoing public debate over the safety of chatbot companionship.

Researchers have concluded that there is no solid evidence linking daylight saving time to effects on mental health, the Guardian reports. The finding pushes back against widespread claims that the clock changes trigger depression, anxiety or other psychiatric problems, and may inform ongoing debates in several countries about whether to abolish seasonal time changes altogether.

Researchers at the University of Southern California collaborated on a study published in JAMA Pediatrics offering one of the first assessments of how different social media platforms expose teenagers to distinct types of harm. The findings suggest that online risks are not uniform, and that platform-specific features shape what dangers young users encounter, a point likely to feed ongoing debates about regulating social media for minors.

Researchers have reviewed the evidence and concluded there is no solid proof that daylight saving time affects mental health. The finding challenges widely repeated claims that clock changes trigger depression, anxiety or other psychological problems, and is likely to feed into ongoing debates in several countries about whether to keep or abolish the seasonal time shifts.

New reporting highlights that people who survived cancer in childhood face a significantly elevated risk of serious mental health difficulties in adulthood, including depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. The findings point to long-term psychological effects of early cancer diagnosis and treatment, and renew calls for survivors to receive sustained mental health monitoring and support, not just physical follow-up care, well into their adult lives.

Researchers have described a psycho-cardiovascular interaction network showing how mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease influence one another. The work suggests psychological stress, depression and anxiety can affect heart health, while heart disease in turn worsens mental wellbeing, pointing to more integrated approaches to treating patients with both conditions.

New research suggests that young adults who turn to artificial intelligence chatbots for health answers may be showing signs of anxiety or depression. The finding raises concerns that heavy reliance on AI tools for medical questions could reflect underlying mental health struggles rather than simple convenience, prompting calls for clinicians and developers to pay closer attention to why young people consult chatbots about their health.

New research highlights that people living with severe mental illness die more than 10 years earlier than the general population. Researchers point to contributing factors behind the gap, which is widely attributed in the field to physical health conditions going undertreated, higher rates of smoking and cardiovascular disease, medication side effects, and poorer access to healthcare. The finding has renewed calls to close the life-expectancy gap for this group.

New reporting highlights a link between exposure to air pollution and elevated suicide risk, adding to growing evidence that polluted air affects mental health as well as respiratory and cardiovascular wellbeing. Researchers say the association raises urgent public health questions about air quality standards and who is most vulnerable.

A new study suggests chronic stress may cause gradual structural changes to the heart, potentially raising cardiovascular risks without obvious symptoms. Researchers point to stress hormones and prolonged strain as factors quietly reshaping heart tissue over time. The findings add to growing evidence linking mental stress with long-term heart health, prompting calls for stress management to be treated as a medical concern.

A new study suggests that retiring early may not benefit cognitive health, implying that staying mentally active through work longer could help protect the brain as people age. The findings challenge the common assumption that stopping work sooner is better for wellbeing, and are likely to feed ongoing debate about ideal retirement timing.

New research points to a specific brain circuit implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to a study announced via Newswise. The findings add to growing scientific understanding of the neurological basis of OCD and could inform future targeted treatments. Details of the study, including the researchers and institutions involved, have not been provided.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are examining temporary firearm removal policies aimed at service members and veterans at risk of suicide. The research explores how extreme risk protection orders and similar measures could reduce gun deaths in military communities, a population disproportionately affected by suicide. The findings are drawing attention amid ongoing national debate over gun safety and veteran mental health.

A new market forecast projects the psychedelic drugs market to expand through 2035, driven by rising demand for mental health treatments and regulatory breakthroughs in approving psychedelic-based therapies. Industry analysts say growing acceptance of substances like psilocybin and MDMA for conditions such as depression and PTSD is attracting investment, though clinical and legal hurdles remain ahead of widespread adoption.

West Virginia University is conducting a study examining how artificial intelligence could be used in the training of future psychiatrists. The research looks at whether AI tools can support or enhance psychiatric education. Beyond the university's announcement, there is little additional detail available about the study's methods or findings.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego are examining the mental health effects of a device-free camp, looking at how stepping away from phones and screens influences young people's wellbeing. The work feeds into a broader debate about social media and technology use among adolescents, and what unplugged experiences might offer.

Switzerland is running National Research Programme 85, dedicated to the mental health of adolescents. The programme funds research projects examining how young people's mental wellbeing can be understood, protected and supported. Calls for proposals have been circulated to research groups and NGOs, drawing attention from organisations working in youth health and prompting discussion about how findings might shape Swiss policy on adolescent care.