News by Subject Social & Behavior

Boston College researchers found that 50 percent of adults reported anxiety and 44 percent reported depression between April and November 2020 - rates six times higher than 2019 - according to a new report in the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine. Rates of anxiety and depression were nearly twice as high for young adults than for older adults, and were also elevated among Blacks and Hispanics, less educated adults, women, and single parents, according to surveys of 1.5 million Americans.

New research has found that childhood adversity, such as parental conflict, death of a close family member or serious injury, before the age of nine was associated with mental health problems in late adolescence.

A new study has highlighted that while much is known about the ever increasing uptake of antidepressant medications around the world, there is very little evidence on safe and effective approaches to discontinuing treatment.

Substantial proportions of nearly 7,000 pregnant or postpartum women surveyed around the world reported elevated anxiety, depression, loneliness, and post-traumatic stress due to COVID-19. Seeking information about the pandemic five or more times a day or worrying about children and childcare or economic concerns were linked with worse mental health in women. Public health campaigns and medical care systems should explicitly address the impact of COVID-19-related stressors on mental health in pregnant and postpartum women.

Astronauts who spend prolonged time alone in space face mental health stressors like loneliness, isolation and more. A University of Houston psychologist developed the Mental Health Checklist, a self-reporting instrument for detecting mental health changes in isolated, confined, extreme environments. She's reporting results that show significant declines in positive emotions.

Police violence against Black Americans is shamefully common in the U.S. and devastates communities. For incidents that get widespread media exposure, collective trauma is felt across the nation, especially for Black individuals. A study found that Black Americans reported more poor mental health days during weeks when two or more incidents of anti-Black violence occurred, and when national interest surrounding the events was higher, providing additional evidence that racism is an important public health issue.

Despite all the advances in medicine, some basic questions remain. For example, people cannot be told with any certainty how long they'll live. Nor can it be predicted exactly when a woman's childbearing years will end. However, a new study offers insights into factors that might predict a woman's age at natural menopause. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

Skoltech researchers have developed a fluorescence-based sensor prototype for continuous detection of cortisol concentrations in real time, which can help monitor various health conditions.

Study shows that while there is a link between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and affective disorders in the child later in life, the link also exists between paternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and child mental health; data suggests the observed link is most likely due to the underlying mental illness of the parents rather than an intrauterine effect.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many families found themselves suddenly isolated together at home. A year later, new research has linked this period with a variety of large, detrimental effects on individuals' and families' well-being and functioning.