Mental Health News and Research

Latest Mental Health News and Research

Day case surgery linked to significant readmission and chronic pain risks

Two new studies published in Anaesthesia (the journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) analyzing pain and other factors connected with day surgery in the UK show that around 1 in 8 patients having day-case surgery end up not going home and instead are admitted to hospital for various complications.

7 Jan 2026

Strengthening primary health care to reduce NCD burden in the Americas

The Pan American Journal of Public Health, the scientific publication of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), recently published a special issue dedicated to strengthening primary health care to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Americas.

7 Jan 2026

Homeless shelters for seniors pop up, catering to older adults’ medical needs

Just outside Salt Lake City sits an old, two-story, brick hotel. It's been given new life as a homeless shelter for seniors. The Medically Vulnerable People shelter — or MVP shelter, as it's known — is for people 62 and older or for younger adults with chronic health issues.

7 Jan 2026

Inside the battle for the future of addiction medicine

Elyse Stevens had a reputation for taking on complex medical cases. People who'd been battling addiction for decades. Chronic-pain patients on high doses of opioids. Sex workers and people living on the street.

7 Jan 2026

One in three women miss postpartum check-ups

Findings from a Norwegian study reveal that comprehensive postpartum care by GPs improves women's satisfaction and addresses key health concerns effectively.

7 Jan 2026

Catching up on weekend sleep may protect adolescents against depression symptoms

Sleeping in on the weekend to catch up on sleep lost during the week may be good for adolescents' mental health, according to new research by the University of Oregon and the State University of New York Upstate Medical University.

6 Jan 2026

AI model can predict a person's disease risk using sleep data

A poor night's sleep portends a bleary-eyed next day, but it could also hint at diseases that will strike years down the road.

6 Jan 2026

Self-sabotage may reflect the brain’s need for control and safety

Self-harming and self-sabotaging behaviors, from skin picking to ghosting people, all stem from evolutionary survival mechanisms, according to a compelling new psychological analysis.

4 Jan 2026

One in four women in Norway found to miss postpartum check-ups

In a new study, Christine Agdestein has surveyed several aspects of the postnatal check-up. Agdestein is a specialist in general practice and a general practitioner, and is currently a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

2 Jan 2026

Depression links to chronic headaches through weight and diet, not physical activity alone

Depression was associated with a higher likelihood of chronic headaches in Iranian adults, with statistical models identifying body mass index and dietary iron intake as partial mediators. Physical activity was linked to depression but did not independently mediate headache outcomes, highlighting interconnected, non-causal pathways.

1 Jan 2026

Study reveals gaps in postnatal care information and attendance

31 Dec 2025

Infant screen time linked to slower cognitive processing and teen anxiety

Children exposed to high levels of screen time before age two showed changes in brain development that were linked to slower decision-making and increased anxiety by their teenage years, according to new research by Asst Prof Tan Ai Peng and her team from A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (A*STAR IHDP) and National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, using data from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.

30 Dec 2025

Younger epigenetic age linked to increased depression in older women

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 11 of Aging-US on November 18, 2025, titled "Epigenetic age predicts depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: importance of biological sex."

19 Dec 2025

Oral health gains global recognition in WHO NCD declaration

The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) welcomes the adoption of the WHO political declaration on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health at the Eightieth United Nations General Assembly, recognizing it as a major step forward for integrated, people-centred health systems.

19 Dec 2025