Mind, features and articles | Educational Science

May 12, 2018

Why Americans Are More Anxious Than Ever Before

Americans are becoming more anxious about their safety, health, finances, politics and relationships, a new online poll from the American Psychiatric Association finds. Compared to the results of a similar poll a year earlier, 39 percent of adults in the U.S. are more anxious today than they were a year...

Jun 1, 2018

These 5 Social Media Habits Are Linked with Depression

You might be familiar with the experience of scrolling through your Facebook feed, only to feel like everyone else's lives are better than yours. But such social comparisons may be linked with a higher likelihood of having depression. That's one finding from a new study that identified a total of...

Jun 7, 2018

Suicide Rates Increase in Nearly All States

In a concerning trend, deaths from suicide have increased in nearly every U.S. state in recent years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report found that from 1999 to 2016, suicide rates increased in 49 states, with 25 states experiencing increases of...

Jun 9, 2018

Why Are Suicide Rates Rising?

The recent deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade have raised the question: Why is suicide becoming more common? And what can be done to reverse the trends? While researchers have proposed everything from social isolation to bullying as the reason, it's still a mystery why rates are rising. Experts...

Jun 26, 2018

This Mysterious Blood-Flow Disorder Is Often Misdiagnosed As Depression

When Tori Foles, wife of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, started having symptoms of dizziness, nausea and fatigue, one doctor told her she might have anxiety or depression. Another doctor thought she might have a viral infection. But it turned out that she had a mysterious condition that affects blood...

Jul 18, 2018

Does Eating Beef Jerky Cause Psychiatric Symptoms? Not So Fast.

Here's a strange bit of health news: A new study found that people bipolar disorder who develop mania — a mental state characterized by an intensely positive mood, high energy, confusion and disconnection from reality — are much more likely to have eaten pepperoni, salami or other dry, cured meats....

Aug 11, 2018

These Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise for Treating Mental Health Disorders

They aren't drugs you'd ever expect to see scribbled on a doctor's prescription pad: ecstasy, magic mushrooms, ayahuasca. But in recent years, a number of small studies have explored the potential for psychedelic drugs to treat certain mental health conditions. And the results suggest that, along with talk therapy, the...

Aug 29, 2018

How Ketamine Treats Depression: It Acts Like an Opioid, Study Suggests

The anesthetic ketamine has drawn excitement in recent years as a fast-acting and effective treatment for severe depression. Now, a small, new study sheds light on exactly how the drug works to treat depression, with a surprising finding: Ketamine needs to activate opioid receptors in order to have antidepressant effects....

Sep 12, 2018

People Across the Globe Feeling More Sad, Stressed and in Pain Than Ever

The world isn't feeling so hot — emotionally, that is. A new survey of people's daily emotions found that, worldwide, reports of negative emotions — including sadness, worry and stress — have increased over the last decade, reaching a record high in 2017. What's more, reports of positive emotions dipped...

Oct 3, 2018

Health Problems in Women Can Persist Years After Sexual Assault

Women can experience lingering health problems years after workplace sexual harassment or sexual assault, a new study finds. These health problems can include high blood pressure, poor-quality sleep, anxiety and symptoms of depression, the researchers found after doing medical exams of about 300 women. The findings are timely given the...

Nov 8, 2018

What Does Sadness Look Like in the Brain?

Feelings of sadness or anxiety might be linked to increased chitchat between two areas of the brain, a new study suggests. In the study, published today (Nov. 8) in the journal Cell, a group of researchers listened in on electrical conversations in the brain — in other words, the signals...

Jan 30, 2019

Being a Night Owl Really Can Hurt Your Mental Health

Ben Franklin may have had it partly right with his belief that early to rise makes one healthy, wealthy and wise. Natural early risers may experience greater overall well-being and better mental health compared with night owls, a new study suggests. But what Franklin likely didn't know is that your...

Mar 6, 2019

There May Be a Link Between Depression and Stroke

Feeling depressed may increase the risk of stroke, at least among older adults, a new study suggests. The study involved about 1,100 people living in New York City; the participants had an average age of 70 and had never had a stroke. At the start of the study, participants filled...

Mar 6, 2019

What Makes the Ketamine-Based Drug for Depression So Different?

On Tuesday (March 5), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a ketamine-like nasal spray for patients with depression who haven't responded to other treatments. But what makes this newly approved treatment so different? The drug, called Spravato and made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, contains the active ingredient esketamine. This...

Apr 25, 2019

Eating While Stressed Could Mean Extra Weight Gain, Mouse Study Finds

Sometimes, the only thing holding our sanity together on a stressful day is a string of fatty and sugary snacks, aka comfort food. But a new study, conducted in mice, provides more evidence that stress eating — especially of high-calorie meals — leads to more weight gain than eating while,...