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Ever heard that laughter is the best medicine? Now science backs it up. Researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK have found that both laughter and humor are important tools that can impact wellbeing, particularly in the workplace and in health related settings. [More]

Cutting back on social media use can improve psychological wellbeing. Researchers at Iowa State University found that students who limited social media use to just 30 minutes a day has lower scores for depression, anxiety, loneliness and the fear of missing out. [More]

A recent article published in the Journal of Professional Psychology, Research and Practice looked at emotional support animal assessments and the importance of creating a standard and comprehensive model for mental health professionals. “This is the third in a series of articles that address emotional support animals and the appropriate role of professionals certifying these pets for their patients,” researcher, Leisl Bryant told us. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Family and Community Health looked at parental sexuality disclosure, discrimination, and depression among Black sexual minority men and Black transgender women. “There were two main goals of our study,” study author, Rodman E. Turpin told us. “First, we wanted to identify the relationship between discrimination and depression among Black sexual minority men and Black transgender women. Discrimination experienced by these populations can include social and structural racism, homophobia, transphobia, and more, so we used a comprehensive measure of discrimination for our study.” [More]

The US Preventive Services Task Force has recommended adults under the age of 65 be screened for anxiety disorders. This is the first time anxiety screening for this group has been recommended. [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Athletic Training looked at self-reported mental health measures among incoming collegiate student-athletes who had COVID-19. “We were interested in seeing if a young, highly active group experienced a lasting emotional upheaval following recovery from COVID-19,” study author Melissa Anderson told us. “Based on reports that up to a third of people who had a COVID-19 diagnosis experience persistent psychological symptoms, we expected to see similar results in our study." [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Dental Research looked at dental health and mental health in a nationally representative cohort. “The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between oral health and mental health both cross-sectionally and longitudinally,” study author A. Kalaigian told us. “In addition, we sought to evaluate the impact of mental problems (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and substance abuse) on adverse oral health conditions (i.e., bleeding gums, loose teeth, self-rated oral health, tooth extraction, gum disease, and bone loss around teeth) when controlling for potential confounders. Through this work, we hoped to inform dental practitioners in treating patients experiencing mental illness." [More]

For hundreds of years, some have suggested a full moon may cause people to act differently. Now, psychiatrists at the Indiana University School of Medicine have found that death by suicide increases during the full moon. [More]

A new study looked at peer health navigation experiences before and after prison release amount people with opioid use disorder. “Our study looked at the experiences of participants in a specific peer navigation program that paired people with opioid use disorder exiting incarceration with peer navigators and other supports,” study author Michael Enich told us. “We were hoping to capture, in their own words, program participants’ feelings working with peers who have also experienced incarceration and/or substance use or mental health challenges. We also wanted to see what aspects of the program these participants found to be most helpful—or aspects of the program they would change if they could.” [More]

A new study published in PLOS ONE looked at the effectiveness of a brief online resilience intervention during the COVID-19 lockdown. “Our study aimed to test a new positive psychological intervention, SPARK Resilience® @Work,” study author Evgeny Osin told us. “It is a programme that aims to help employees understand, activate, and develop the psychological resources and strategies that are important to deal efficiently with stressful situations and to maintain high well-being and high performance at work.” [More]