Neuroscientists posit that brain region is a key locus of learning

Small and seemingly specialized, the brain’s locus coeruleus (LC) region has been stereotyped for its outsized export of the arousal-stimulating neuromodulator norepinephrine. In a new paper and with a new grant from the National Institutes of Health, an MIT neuroscience…

Study points to remotely supervised exercise classes as best option during lockdown

Based on data for 344 volunteers, Brazilian researchers compared the physical and mental health benefits of workouts led in person by a fitness instructor, unsupervised online sessions, and classes supervised remotely via video call

New study shows transcendental meditation reduces emotional stress and improves academics

Students who participated in a meditation-based Quiet Time program utilizing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique for four months had significant improvements in overall emotional stress symptoms, quality of sleep, and English Language Arts (ELA) academic achievement according to a new…

Living near woodlands is good for children and young people’s mental health

Analysis of children and young people’s proximity to woodlands has shown links with better cognitive development and a lower risk of emotional and behavioural problems, in research led by UCL and Imperial College London scientists that could influence planning decisions…

On the front lines: Correctional nurses and the COVID-19 pandemic

New Rochelle, NY, July 14, 2021-Firsthand reports from nurses in correctional facilities detail the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. These firsthand accounts are reported in a special issue on correctional nursing in the Journal of Correctional Health Care…

Symptoms of depression, anxiety among women experiencing homelessness/unstable housing during pandemic

What The Study Did: About half the women experiencing homelessness and unstable housing who were surveyed experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety or both during the pandemic and, in addition to unmet subsistence needs and social isolation, these symptoms were…

Study assesses the prevalence of mental illness during the pandemic among folks aged 50-80

The study was conducted in the city of São Paulo, with over 2,000 participants who were active or retired staff of the University of São Paulo and enrolled in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brazil).

How experiencing diverse emotions impacts students

Experiencing a variety of positive emotions–or emodiversity–may benefit high school students, according to a study published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology . Positive emodiversity was associated with greater engagement (which has cognitive, behavioral, and emotional components) and academic…

Vertical greenery can act as a stress buffer, NTU Singapore study finds

Vertical greenery ‘planted’ on the exterior of buildings may help to buffer people against stress, a Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) study has found. The benefits of nature on mental health and for wellbeing have long been recognised, and…

Ben-Gurion U. develop new measure continuous traumatic stress impact

BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, June 22, 2021 — Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed the first methodology to assess symptoms associated with continuous exposure to traumatic stress from rocket attacks and other security threats, which are not currently…

Pandemic adolescent mental health study reveals turnaround finding

Young people with poor mental health took a turn for the better during the pandemic but those with good mental health saw a considerable decline, new research reveals. The first nationally representative evidence regarding the diverse impact of the COVID-19…

Study shows how rudeness leads to anchoring, including in medical diagnoses

Have you ever been cut off in traffic by another driver, leaving you still seething miles later? Or been interrupted by a colleague in a meeting, and found yourself replaying the event in your head even after you’ve left work…

Mothers’ mental health may affect twins’ and singletons’ touch and movement during pregnancy

New research published in Acta Paediatrica suggests that a pregnant woman’s mental health may impact the touch behavior of twins and singletons during pregnancy, and in the case of twins, how frequently they touch themselves and each other. Such touch…