Field: Mental Health

A trial of patients with treatment-resistant depression found ketamine to be at least as effective as electroconvulsive therapy.

The first treatments proven to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s are helping settle a decades-long debate about how the disease starts.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) appears to relieve depression by correcting brain signals that are traveling the wrong direction.

Researchers have found ibogaine-inspired compounds effective in treating depression and addiction in mouse models.

Eudaimonic pursuits are outwardly focused, whereas hedonic activities are concerned with self-centered fulfillment.

Resilience is vital for dealing with failure, and stems from three traits: self-esteem, psychological flexibility, and emotional regulation.

Researchers have turned to this unique genetic population to find insights into how our genes play a role in mental health.

New research links the gut microbiome, an ecosystem of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, to the development of anorexia nervosa.

LSD flashbacks have been studied for decades, though scientists still aren't quite sure why some people experience them.

The last decade has seen a steep drop in adult friendships and a worrying increase in loneliness. Is this the cost of our modern life?

Eli Lilly’s new Alzheimer’s drug, donanemab, slowed cognitive decline by 35% in a phase 3 trial, but two people died from side effects.

More than a third of Americans don’t log enough hours in bed, provoking serious health impacts. Diet is an important, under-recognized reason.

The discovery of an "anxiety gene" — and a natural way to put the brakes on it — in mice could lead to new treatments for anxiety disorders.

Guided conversations with the terminally ill are popular with patients, families and doctors. But are they truly beneficial?

MindMed and University Hospital Basel have announced top line results for their phase 2 trial.

Biomedical engineer Joseph Dituri is attempting to break a world record by living in an underwater habitat for 100 days.

A new hypothesis explains depression as an altered state of consciousness, which could help researchers make an objective diagnostic test.

A new blood test for anxiety may be able to help doctors diagnose patients and find effective treatments for them more quickly.

A sudden shift to virtual health care has increased access — and possibly outcomes — for patients with opioid use disorder.

Digital distractions have become a ubiquitous part of work and life. But these distractions begin with emotional discomfort.

A recent study showed exercise is an effective way to treat mental health issues – and can be more effective than medication or counselling.

End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.

Researchers have begun to study yoga's effects and are finding that it has great benefits for both mental and physical health.

London-based Small Pharma has released positive top-line results for their phase 2a trial of DMT as an antidepressant.

The benefits of practicing mindfulness carry over into everyday life – even when you aren’t actively meditating.

Researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed to patients with mental health issues before psychiatric drugs.

There's regular job stress, and then there's uncertainty, dread, and constant change. Here's how to actually recover from it.

Baylor College of Medicine researchers have developed an electrode-based “mood decoder” capable of mapping brain activity to mood.

A psychiatrist and neuroscientist began to think of prescribing exercise as telling patients to take their “exercise pills.”

Some anxiety is normal and, in fact, necessary and helpful. But what happens when it interferes with a child's daily functioning?

Most types of antidepressants work by increasing neurotransmitter levels throughout the brain, which take weeks. A new drug takes hours.

Happiness emerges from resilience, which helps children regulate difficult emotions and stressful situations.

New research is revealing how physical activity can reduce and even ward off depression, anxiety and other psychological ailments.

Whether you’re trying to break a bad habit or start a good one, psychologists have some tips to get you started.

An intensive form of mindfulness was found as effective as Lexapro in treating anxiety in adults in the first head-to-head comparative study.

With ketamine showing potential as an antidepressant, researchers investigate another anesthetic: nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas."

Electroconvulsive therapy is more effective than ketamine at treating severe depression, according to a new meta-analysis.

In his later years, psychologist Abraham Maslow added a new apex to the pyramid of human needs: self-transcendence.

A scientific review found that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants and antipsychotics can last for over a year.

Deep brain stimulation relies on thin electrodes implanted deep in the brain that deliver electrical currents. Could it treat OCD?

Researcher Nako Nakatsuka has turned to DNA to tackle an important challenge: how do we measure chemicals in the brain?

Creatine shows promise as a treatment for depression, boosting the effects of SSRIs and potentially working as a standalone medication.

In the long run, procrastination isn’t an effective way of managing emotions and causes health and work setbacks.

A woman in Scotland was found to feel virtually no pain and report zero trace of any anxiety or depression.

A small, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has found evidence that expectations may be behind microdosing’s beneficial effects.

People are being diagnosed with depression earlier than in the past because of a decrease in stigma and better diagnostic guidelines.

Mathematicians tell us that, to maximize the chances of the best outcome, we ought to ditch the first 37% of any options.

KarXT, a new schizophrenia treatment that addresses a wider range of symptoms than existing meds, has aced a phase 3 trial.

The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has sent a memo supportive of psychedelic therapies. What does that mean for the field?

Scientists reviewed 40 years of clinical studies that assessed the effects of NA-targeting drugs, such as certain ADHD drugs, on Alzheimer’s.

Natural "short sleepers" thrive on only four to six hours of sleep per night. Could their genetics explain why?

UNC researchers have found evidence that the genetic makeup of a crucial receptor may impact your psychedelic experience.

Yin-Yang symbolizes not a conflict or struggle but shows that nothing in life is solely either this or that.

Nurturing dads raise more emotionally intelligent children, helping make society more respectful and equitable.

Buddhist psychologists, Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg, have identified "Four Enemies" that are obstacles to a happy, fulfilled life.

“This has never been done before,” says Filament’s CEO.

After decades, the Department of Veterans Affairs is once again investigating psychedelic therapies.

A retrospective study found that Alzheimer’s symptoms improved in patients who took two FDA-approved drugs that treat psychiatric disorders.

Yale researchers have conducted a small study finding DMT is safe and tolerable enough for more research.

Researchers are trying to harness deep sleep to bolster the glymphatic system, which helps flush brain tissue.

Scientists in the relatively new field of “geopsychology” are seeing links between personality and location.

The alcoholism treatment disulfiram may be able to serve double-duty as an anti-anxiety medication, according to mouse studies.

To better understand how these effects manifest in the brain, we analyzed over 6,000 written testimonials of hallucinogenic experiences.

New startup DeepWell Digital Therapeutics is developing video games to help treat mental health disorders.

A study found that hugging a cushion that “breathes” was able to reduce anxiety for students prior to a test as much as guided meditation.

A meta-study of placebo effect research has revealed a link between the phenomenon and brain stimulation as a depression treatment.

Adding the new antidepressant zuranolone to standard treatments helped people with major depressive disorder feel better in less time.

The issue of patents has riven the psychedelic field. A lawyer’s repository of psychedelic info may make sure the new field stays fair.

University of Washington researchers are enrolling healthcare workers now in a psilocybin-assisted therapy study.

A new study finds that a single trip on a psychedelic can cause lasting changes in a person's metaphysical beliefs.

The largest psilocybin treatment trial to date suggests that the psychedelic drug can help people with treatment-resistant depression.

Chemo hair loss is a common side effect for cancer patients, but cooling caps can help limit the loss.

Architects are incorporating neuroaesthetics insights into designs for medical facilities in an attempt to promote positive mental health.

For the first time in decades, the National Institutes of Health is funding a clinical psychedelic study, perhaps a turning point for the field.

A woman with severe treatment-resistant depression has found relief, thanks to “pacemaker” implanted in her brain by UCSF researchers.

Psychedelic therapy could bring the ancient healing powers of drugs like DMT into mental health clinics.

Seoul is deploying an AI-powered camera system designed to predict suicide attempts at bridges and send rescuers to help people in distress.

A new, small study has found that low doses of nitrous oxide — laughing gas — can treat symptoms of depression.

A novel drug designed like ibogaine but without the ibogaine trip or toxicity has corrected the effects of stress in mice.

Simplifying very complex things can lead to real harm.

Ketamine infusion therapy takes the anesthetic from dance floors to depression clinics. But how does the drug work, and what is it like?

Results from the first phase 3 trial of using MDMA for PTSD along with talk therapy found the drug to be effective.

A small study has provided evidence of psilocybin for depression working as well as a popular SSRI.

Fireside Project is a nonprofit that is providing a support line for your challenging psychedelic experiences — read: bad trip.

An objective blood test could help provide a clearer understanding of the patient’s mental health.

An experimental game that triggers auditory hallucinations in both mice and humans could lead to new treatments for schizophrenia.

A new, small study in Australia suggests that oral ketamine treatment may help treat suicidal thoughts.

Google trends showed that online searches for subjects linked to boredom and loneliness jumped dramatically, according to a study.

A life-life robot dog might be an effective — or even preferable — alternative to a living therapy dog, according to a new study.

A modified ibogaine molecule could be a safer and more accessible treatment for addiction and depression than the psychedelic drug in its natural state.

A prescription-only watch that treats nightmare disorder is the latest in a growing subset of health technologies called prescription digital therapeutics.

Psilocybin therapy — a combination of traditional therapy and supervised “trips” on the magic mushroom compound — shows promise as a depression treatment.

To help combat the problem of social isolation, three Texas teens created Big & Mini, a website that sets up video chats between seniors and younger people.

The Field Trip app aims to help people get some of the benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy outside the confines of a clinic.

The pandemic has therapists' couches off limits. A new study finds that remote therapy may be as effective for depression as face-to-face, so I gave it a try.

A newly developed algorithm calculates a "PTSD Risk Score" for people seeking treatment for traumatic injuries.

Artificial intelligence-powered algorithms that analyze brain scans are showing promise in helping doctors find an effective depression treatment on the first try.

With its FDA approval, EndeavorRx may mark the beginning of prescription video games for kids with ADHD and other mental health disorders.

The benefits of MDMA therapy as a PTSD treatment appear to last for at least a year, according to a newly published paper.