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A new study published in PLOS One looked at depression, anxiety, and happiness in dog owners and potential dog owners during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. “Our study is about the role dogs may have played on owners’ psychological wellbeing when most of the USA was under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” study author Francois Martin told us. “We wanted to know if dog owners would show less signs of depression and anxiety, and if they would report a greater sense of wellbeing.” [More]

A new study published in the Lancet Planetary Health Journal looked at a global survey on climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change. “We know from smaller studies that young people around the world experience climate anxiety and we also know that young people can feel betrayed by those in power who are failing to act on the climate crisis,” study author Elizabeth Marks told us. “However, large scale research was lacking and we wanted to know how widespread these experiences are.” [More]

Botulinum toxin is a medicine that is often used for wrinkles, to help ease migraines, for muscle spasms, and to assist with incontinence. Now research published in Scientific Reports has found that people who had botox injections across four different areas of the body reported less anxiety than their peers. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience looked at visual processes in the brain. “We were focusing particularly in the older part of the brain or mid-brain, which is important for lower-order animals such as frogs, lizards, and birds,” study author Masatoshi Kasai told us. “The superior colliculus is the center for sensory integration and sensory-motor transformation.” [More]

Carter Weinstein is a freshman at Georgetown University and the author of Conquering Fear: One Teen's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety. Weinstein believes so many teens have anxiety currently because of increasing stress due to the pandemic. “Teens today have an unprecedented amount of stress due to an immense amount of schoolwork, social pressure, and academic competition and college preparation,” Weinstein told us. "Teens are prone to have anxiety already, thus the pandemic (restricting them from seeing their friends, secluding them behind a screen, etc.) has only made matters worse.” [More]

A new study published in JAMA Network looked at trends in public stigma of mental illness in the United States. “The National Stigma Studies are designed to monitor the cultural climate surrounding mental illness and addiction,” study author Bernice A. Pescosolido told us. “This involves not only what people understand, what they can recognize as a problem, what they might do about it (or advise others to do), but also the prejudice and potential discrimination that individuals, families and certain groups face if they have mental health issues.” [More]

New research presented at the 59th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting looked at the link between an increased risk of heart disease and stress hormone sensitivity. The study has been published in the Journal of Hormone Research in Paediatrics. “In clinical practice, healthy subjects are characterized by differences in glucocorticoid sensitivity that may influence the therapeutic outcome and any adverse effects of synthetic glucocorticoids,” study author Nicolas C. Nicolaides told us. “Thus, it would be very helpful for clinicians to have a fast and accurate methodology that would enable the classification of individuals based on their tissue sensitivity to glucocorticoids." [More]

A new study published in Nursing Administration Quarterly looked at associations among nurses' mental and physical Health, lifestyle behaviors, shift length, and workplace wellness support during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Based on previous findings from similar studies, we theorized that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a negative impact on the well-being of nurses,” study author Bernadette Mazurek told us. “Moreover, we believed that nurses who worked shorter shift lengths ( 12 hours) and perceived their workplace as not supportive of their wellness.” [More]

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and it is well known that there are strong links between parental and child depression. Understanding this relationship is key to trying to prevent intergenerational transmission. Worldwide, one in five women suffers from postpartum depression. A new study published in BJPsych looked at maternal and paternal depression and child mental health trajectories. “Our study is about tracking mood over time in children of parents who were depressed in pregnancy and/or after birth,” study author, Professor Rebecca Pearson of Manchester Metropolitan University/University of Bristol told us. [More]

People who live in apartments may have experienced more mental health issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic than their peers in the suburbs. Research from the University of Georgia found apartment dwellers, and in particular those who lived alone, had higher odds of experiencing mental health issues than people who lived in condos or standalone homes. [More]