Inequalities in mental health compulsory admissions worsened during the pandemic, UK study finds New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has shown striking inequalities between ethnic groups in the rate of involuntary admissions to mental health units during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More
When life imitates art: Google searches for anxiety drug spike during run of The White Lotus TV show In season three of the hit television series "The White Lotus," the character Victoria Ratliff takes the prescription anti-anxiety medication lorazepam to help with her social anxiety and inability to sleep. Her casual usage of the powerful benzodiazepine—often in combination with white wine—leads to her becoming visibly loopy, slurring her words, and falling asleep at dinner. Read More
Unusual days signal rising migraine risk Harvard Medical School researchers report that higher day-to-day "trigger surprisal" scores were associated with migraine attacks over the next 12 and 24 hours. In this cohort, higher surprisal scores aligned with greater odds of a headache attack, even after accounting for recent headache history and fluctuations in daily experience. Read More
Neural ‘barcodes’: Intra-regional brain dynamics linked to person-specific characteristics People can think, behave and function very differently. These observed differences are known to be the result of complex interactions between genetics, neurobiological processes and life experiences. Read More
Online parent help program leads to less-anxious, happier children Providing parenting help through schools led to a significant reduction in anxiety and behavioral problems among children, according to the results of a national study. Read More
Study explores whether sustainable development research is really focused on well-being The success of the United Nations' global sustainability targets is often measured through economic growth—but what about how people feel and live? Read More
Could psychotherapy work by changing how we navigate our own minds? The stereotypical image of psychotherapy shows a patient lying on a couch, exploring their deepest traumas. This leads to awareness of unconscious habits, thoughts, and drives and has long been a cornerstone of psychotherapy. However, the cognitive processes underlying the new awareness that emerges—what's actually happening in the patient's brain on that couch—remain a mystery. Read More
FDA approves Caplyta for major depressive disorder in adults The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Caplyta (lumateperone) as an adjunctive therapy with antidepressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults. Read More
Quantifying the intensity of emotional response to sound, images and touch through skin conductance When we listen to a moving piece of music or feel the gentle pulse of a haptic vibration, our bodies react before we consciously register the feeling. The heart may quicken and palms may sweat, resulting in subtle electrical resistance variations in the skin. These changes, though often imperceptible, reflect the brain's engagement with the world. Read More
Incarcerated people in U.S. prison express important perceptions of staff A new study conducted in a U.S. prison suggests that incarcerated men have complex perceptions of staff that stem from previous communications and interactions. Read More