Summary: Depression’s earliest signs can be hard to spot, but a new study shows AI can detect them in subtle facial movements. Japanese students with subthreshold depression were perceived as…
Category: depression
Your Words May Reveal More Than You Think: AI Shows How
Summary: Psychologists are turning to artificial intelligence to uncover hidden psychological cues in speech, from word choice to tone and pacing. These signals can reveal personality traits and even early…
Chronic Stress Sends Immune Cells to Brain, Driving Depression
Summary: A new study shows that chronic stress causes immune cells called neutrophils to leave bone marrow in the skull and collect in the brain’s protective membranes, where they contribute…
Depression Disrupts Learning to Avoid Unpleasant Events
Summary: Depression specifically impairs the ability to learn how to actively avoid unpleasant events, though it does not affect avoidance behavior once learned. Researchers tested 465 participants across a range…
Extreme Heat Makes People More Negative
Summary: A large-scale global study shows that extreme heat affects not just our bodies, but also our emotions. Researchers analyzed over a billion social media posts and found that when…
The Midlife “Unhappiness Hump” Has Vanished, But at a Cost
Summary: A new large-scale study finds that the long-observed “unhappiness hump,” where mental distress peaked in midlife, has disappeared. Instead, younger people now report the highest levels of anxiety, depression,…
How Stress Types Differently Impact Brain and Behavior
Summary: Stress is a universal experience, but not all stress affects the brain in the same way. A new study in rats reveals that acute stress provokes anxiety-like behaviors, especially…
Highly Sensitive People Face Greater Mental Health Risks
Summary: A large-scale meta-analysis of 33 studies has shown that highly sensitive individuals are more prone to common mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and avoidant personality disorder. Sensitivity…
Brain Reward Signals Blunted by Genetic Depression Risk
Key Questions Answered Q: How does genetic risk for depression affect the brain?A: Young adults with a higher genetic predisposition to depression showed reduced brain activity in key areas linked…
Genetic Link Between Cannabis Use Disorder and Mental Health
Summary: A large genetic study reveals that cannabis use disorder (CanUD) is strongly linked to increased risk for multiple psychiatric disorders, including depression, PTSD, ADHD, and schizophrenia. By analyzing global…
