Researchers showed that STAT3 plays an important role in the serotonergic system as a molecular mediator for controlling emotional reactivity, thereby establishing a mechanistic link between the immune system, serotonergic transmission and affective disorders such as depression.

Scottish children with multiple neurodevelopmental conditions experience greater school absenteeism and exclusion, poorer exam attainment and increased unemployment, according to a study.

One in four adults reported a change in alcohol use almost immediately after stay-at-home orders were issued: 14 percent reported drinking more alcohol and reported higher levels of stress and anxiety than those who did not drink and those whose use stayed the same. The 11 percent who decreased their drinking also had higher levels of stress and anxiety -- suggesting that any change in alcohol use may be associated with mental health issues.

The findings of the study show that oxytocin produced in the BNST increases stress-induced social anxiety behaviors in mice. This may provide an explanation as to why oxytocin can sometimes have antisocial effects.

A new study of asylum seekers in Germany suggests that, among those with symptoms of depression, anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few receive a diagnosis from the health care system, and of those diagnosed, many do not receive treatment.

Researchers have identified a protein in the brain that is important both for the function of the mood-regulating substance serotonin and for the release of stress hormones, at least in mice. The findings may have implications for the development of new drugs for depression and anxiety.

A mindfulness-based stress reduction course was found to benefit patients with chronic pain and depression, leading to significant improvement in participant perceptions of pain, mood and functional capacity, according to a new study. Most of the study respondents (89%) reported the program helped them find ways to better cope with their pain while 11% remained neutral.

Researchers previously identified a host of genetic risk factors that help explain why some veterans are especially susceptible to the debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Children who show addiction-like gaming signs are not any more susceptible to mental health problems than their non-gaming peers. Some even experience less anxiety than others, according to researchers.

Researchers have reported an increased mortality risk in adults with depression who initiated augmentation with newer antipsychotic medications compared to a control group that initiated augmentation with a second antidepressant.