News by Subject Social & Behavior

Inadequate socialisation, inactivity and an urban living environment are associated with social fearfulness in dogs. Among the most fearful breeds in the research by the University of Helsinki were the Shetland Sheepdog and the Spanish Water Dog, while Wheaten Terriers were one of the most fearless breeds.

Despite excellent prognosis with most thyroid cancers, many newly diagnosed patients have cancer-related worry, and physicians vary in their responses to patients' worry, according to new research accepted for presentation at ENDO 2020, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, and publication in a special supplemental section of the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

A new study from McGill suggests that, in the right context, some people may experience psychedelic-like effects from placebos alone. The researchers reported some of the strongest placebo effects on consciousness in the literature relating to psychedelic drugs. Indeed, 61% of the participants in the experiment reported some effect after consuming the placebo.

A first-of-its-kind trial has demonstrated that a receptor involved in the brain's reward system may be a viable target for treating anhedonia (or lack of pleasure), a key symptom of several mood and anxiety disorders. This innovative fast-fail trial was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the results of the trial are published in Nature Medicine.

The number of people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders in Ontario remained stable between 2002 and 2014, but the number of people self-reporting mental health issues and using mental health services has increased, according to a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

More than 1 out of 3 heart doctors in the US report feeling burned out, according to results of a new survey presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology (ACC.20/WCC).

Assessing adverse childhood experiences and current anxiety and depression symptoms may help ease cognitive distress in women who have undergone a surgical menopause for cancer risk-reduction, or RRSO, according to a new study published in Menopause.

In uncertain times, supporting your friends and family can help them make it through. But your comforting words can have different effects based on how you phrase them, according to new Penn State research.