Most of modern medicine has physical tests or objective techniques to define much of what ails us. Yet, there is currently no blood or genetic test, or impartial procedure that can definitively diagnose a mental illness, and certainly none to distinguish between different psychiatric disorders with similar symptoms. Experts are combining machine learning with brain imaging tools to redefine the standard for diagnosing mental illnesses.

Researchers have identified a set of modifiable factors from a field of over 100 that could represent valuable targets for preventing depression in adults. The team named social connection as the strongest protective factor for depression, and suggested that reducing sedentary activities such as TV watching and daytime napping could also help lower the risk of depression.

A new study finds yoga improves symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, suggesting the popular practice may be helpful in treating anxiety in some people.

A trusting therapeutic relationship and outcome-oriented collaboration between therapist and patient are critical for the successful treatment of mental illness. And it pays to start early in therapy, a series of meta-studies shows.

Mental stress and anger may have clinical implications for patients with heart failure, according to a new report.

A combination of genetic and emotional differences may lead to post-traumatic stress (PTS) in police officers, a new study finds. Based on biological studies of officers in major cities, the study showed that the most significant PTS predictors are the tendency to startle at sudden sounds, early career displays of mental health symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression), and certain genetic differences, including some known to influence a person's immune system.

Altered brain connectivity may be one way prenatal depression influences child behavior, according to new research.

Coronavirus and the imposition of lockdown this year 'significantly raised' mental health challenges, particularly so for the most vulnerable groups, including those shielding, according to the first study to look at people's coping styles in face of the pandemic.

Harsh conditions in early life are a fundamental cause of adult stress, and according to new research on wild baboons, this effect is not explained by a lack of social support in adulthood.

Children who suffer trauma from abuse or violence early in life show biological signs of aging faster than children who have never experienced adversity, according to new research. The study examined three different signs of biological aging -- early puberty, cellular aging and changes in brain structure -- and found that trauma exposure was associated with all three.