A team of scientists is shedding new light on the gene regulatory pathways activated by cortisol, a hormone secreted in response to stress. Their research helps explain why exposure to chronic stress early in life shortens lifespan and contribute to age-related chronic diseases later in life -- long after the source of stress has been removed.

In a study of twins, people who reported increasing their physical activity after the start of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders reported higher levels of stress and anxiety than those whose activity levels stayed the same.

New research shows U.S. adults who experience common symptoms of anxiety and depression are at greater risk of delaying medical care and not receiving non-COVID-19 medical care amidst the pandemic.

A new study finds that 27.8 percent of U.S. adults had depression symptoms as of mid-April, compared to 8.5 percent before the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new randomized control trial has found that turning mobile mental health intervention into a smartphone game can potentially improve well-being. The five-week study shows that gamifying the content of mobile interventions improved resilience, a key character trait that reduces the susceptibility to depression, stress, and anxiety.

Caring for a partner or spouse with a new diagnosis of Alzheimer's or related dementia is associated with a 30% increase in depressive symptoms, compared to older adults who don't have a spouse with dementia -- and these symptoms are sustained over time, a new study found.

New research shows that oxytocin, known as the love hormone, plays an important role in stress' disruption of digestion such as bloating, discomfort, nausea, and diarrhea.

Exercise fights off stress by increasing levels of the brain protein galanin.

Robotic support pets used to reduce depression in older adults and people with dementia acquire bacteria over time, but a simple cleaning procedure can help them from spreading illnesses, according to a new study.

A new study shows that, when pairs of friends swapped bodies in a perceptual illusion, their beliefs about their own personalities became more similar to their beliefs about their friends' personalities. The findings suggest that this tie between our psychological and physical sense of self is involved in memory function: when our mental self-concept doesn't match our physical self, our memory can become impaired.