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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/psychology-study-finds-spill-over-effects-of-nature-visits-on-daily-happiness/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Psychology study finds spill-over effects of nature visits on daily happiness</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 13th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>People tend to report greater happiness on days when they visit natural spaces, according to new research published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2025.2549296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Journal of Positive Psychology</a></em>. The study found that both green spaces like parks and forests and blue spaces such as rivers and lakes were associated with higher levels of happiness. This pattern held true for people with and without common mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>Mental health challenges, ranging from temporary distress to persistent conditions like depression and anxiety, affect millions worldwide. Treatment options, including therapy and medication, can be costly, difficult to access, or culturally stigmatized. Given these barriers, researchers have been exploring how spending time in nature might serve as a helpful and widely accessible supplement to conventional care.</p>
<p>Previous studies have shown that natural settings can support emotional well-being, especially by enhancing positive moods. These benefits have been observed across different countries and populations, but questions remain. How long do the emotional effects of a nature visit last? Do they influence the overall mood of the entire day, or are the benefits short-lived? Are people with mental health conditions affected differently than others? And do green and blue environments offer similar psychological effects?</p>
<p>The current study, led by Tobias Harvey and <a href="https://cognitivescience.univie.ac.at/about/pis-scientific-project-staff/mat-white/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mathew P. White</a>, was designed to address these gaps by analyzing how nature visits relate to daily well-being across a broad sample of adults, including those with self-reported depression and anxiety. By focusing on how people felt “yesterday,” the researchers aimed to capture the emotional ripple effects of spending time in nature.</p>
<p>“There is plenty of research showing that people (often) feel happier and less anxious in safe natural settings compared to urban and indoor settings. However, there is little evidence concerning whether these momentary feelings have any positive spill-over afterwards or whether when we return to our busy urban lives we immediately go back to the more stressed and tense emotions often associated with these,” explained White, an assistant professor at the University of Vienna.</p>
<p>The study was based on survey data collected from 2,140 Austrian adults in October 2020. The sample was balanced to represent the national population in terms of age, gender, and region. Participants were asked about their emotional state the previous day, specifically how happy and how anxious they felt, using standard questions developed by international organizations. They also reported whether they had visited any of 29 different types of green or blue spaces during their leisure time on that day.</p>
<p>Green spaces included places such as public parks, woodlands, and meadows. Blue spaces referred to water-based environments like rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Each participant was asked whether they had visited any such location. Researchers also collected information on whether respondents were currently taking doctor-prescribed medication for depression or anxiety, which was used to identify those with common mental health disorders.</p>
<p>To better understand the impact of these visits, the researchers controlled for a wide range of variables that might also affect daily well-being. These included age, sex, employment status, income satisfaction, marital status, disability, and whether the day in question was a weekday or weekend. Measures of general life satisfaction and sense of purpose were also included to isolate the specific effects of nature visits.</p>
<p>About two-thirds of participants reported visiting green spaces the previous day, while around one-third had visited blue spaces. Roughly 14 percent said they were taking medication for anxiety or depression.</p>
<p>After analyzing the data, the researchers found that people who visited green or blue spaces tended to report higher levels of happiness for the entire day. This pattern held true even after accounting for other factors known to influence well-being. Whether or not participants had a mental health condition did not alter the positive link between nature visits and happiness.</p>
<p>“Supporting a positive-spill-over effect, when people reflected on their day ‘yesterday’ they reported being generally happier and less anxious on days when they had visited green or blue spaces than when they had not,” White told PsyPost. “Importantly, the happiness and anxious questions were asked <em>before</em> they were asked to report whether they had visited nature to reduce possible biases from being asked to think about yesterday’s activities.”</p>
<p>“Of course, we also controlled for other factors which might have made yesterday both more positive overall and increased the chances of spending time in nature (e.g. day of the week) and still found the effect. Importantly the associations were generally present for both the general population and those with anxiety and depression, shining a light on activities that people struggling with their mental health might engage in to help them manage their condition.”</p>
<p>However, the results for anxiety were less clear-cut. In general, visiting nature was not associated with lower anxiety. But a more specific pattern emerged when the researchers looked at people with mental health conditions. Those who visited blue spaces tended to report higher anxiety compared to those who did not visit nature, or who visited green spaces.</p>
<p>This finding may seem counterintuitive at first. However, the authors propose that it could reflect a form of emotional self-management. In other words, people experiencing anxiety may seek out blue spaces in an attempt to regulate their emotions. These environments may not eliminate anxiety entirely but may still offer temporary relief or a sense of control.</p>
<p>“Although we had not expected that people with common mental health disorders (e.g. anxiety and depression) would feel more anxious on days including blue space visits, this was found despite them also feeling happier yesterday,” White said. “One possibility for these seemingly contradictory finding is that visiting the blue space did not increase anxiety levels but rather people visited blue spaces to help them manage their anxieties earlier in the day. Unfortunately because we only asked them to summarize their feelings across the whole day (in keeping with standard practices) we are unable to test this possibility.”</p>
<p>The study also reaffirmed other known patterns. For instance, older adults and people who were married, financially comfortable, or reported higher life satisfaction tended to say they were happier. Those with disabilities or who reported lower satisfaction with life or income were more likely to report anxiety.</p>
<p>While the findings provide support for the idea that nature visits can improve daily well-being, especially happiness, the study has some limitations. For example, the research relied on self-reported data from a single day. This makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about cause and effect. For example, while people may feel happier after visiting a park, it is also possible that happier people are more likely to go outside. Similarly, higher anxiety in those who visited blue spaces could mean that they were already feeling anxious and sought out water-based environments for comfort.</p>
<p>Future research could address these limitations by using more nuanced measures of mental health, collecting data across multiple days, and incorporating objective assessments such as GPS tracking or physiological indicators. Qualitative research could also help explain how individuals perceive and use different natural settings for emotional regulation, especially those living with chronic stress or anxiety.</p>
<p>“Currently, we are working on a large 4-year multi-country European Union funded project (<a href="https://resonate-horizon.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RESONATE</a>) that is testing a range of nature-based therapies for different populations and groups,” White said.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2025.2549296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Happy days are nature days: visiting nature has positive spill-over effects for the entire day among people with and without common mental health disorders</a>,” was authored by Tobias Harvey, Mathew P. White, Sabine Pahl, and Lewis Elliott.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/what-your-reasons-for-having-sex-might-say-about-your-emotional-life/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">What your reasons for having sex might say about your emotional life</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 13th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2025.2562090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy</a></em> has found that men and women tend to approach sex with different emotional needs and relationship strategies in mind. By analyzing how people use sex to manage emotions or strengthen relationships, researchers found that age and sex influence why people have sex and how this relates to emotional self-regulation and their approach to stress within romantic partnerships.</p>
<p>Sexual motivation refers to the underlying reasons someone engages in sexual activity. People may pursue sex for personal enjoyment, to strengthen intimacy, or to ease emotional stress. These motivations can reflect broader emotional or psychological patterns. Past studies suggest that men often report more self-focused reasons, like seeking pleasure or novelty, while women tend to emphasize emotional connection and relationship maintenance.</p>
<p>Emotional regulation, or how people manage their feelings, has also been linked to sexual behavior. Some people turn to sex as a way to cope with negative emotions. Others struggle with managing their emotions, a challenge known as emotion dysregulation, which can influence how and why they pursue sexual encounters.</p>
<p>Relationships, particularly long-term ones, add another layer of complexity. Couples often experience stress together, and how they respond—called dyadic coping—can shape both emotional satisfaction and sexual behavior. Some couples support each other during hard times, while others may withdraw or respond with frustration. Researchers wanted to explore how these coping styles connect to sexual motivation.</p>
<p>Despite growing interest in the emotional side of sexual relationships, few studies have brought together these concepts in a unified way. This new research aimed to fill that gap by examining how emotion regulation and relationship-based coping relate to sexual motivation, and how these patterns differ across age and sex.</p>
<p>“We were interested in understanding how people’s everyday emotional life connects to their sexual motivation,” said study author <a href="https://www.meskonorbert.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norbert Meskó</a>, a professor at the University of Pécs. “Sex doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it’s deeply tied to how we manage stress, express emotions, and connect with our partners.”</p>
<p>“Yet, most studies looked at sexual motives without considering these emotional and relational factors. We wanted to fill this gap by asking: How do emotion regulation and couple coping shape what drives us toward sex? And are these patterns the same for men and women, or do they reflect deeper psychological differences between the sexes?”</p>
<p>The researchers conducted two related studies with Hungarian adults, both using online surveys.</p>
<p>Study 1 included 572 cisgender participants and focused on the relationship between sexual motivation and emotion regulation. Participants answered questions measuring their reasons for having sex, including self-focused goals (like pleasure or novelty), relationship-focused motives (like expressing love), and coping-related reasons (such as managing relationship stress). They also completed a standardized questionnaire that assessed six types of emotional difficulties, including emotional awareness, acceptance, clarity, and the ability to manage impulses and stay goal-focused.</p>
<p>The findings from Study 1 suggest that men with more difficulties managing their emotions were more likely to pursue sex for self-centered reasons. Specifically, men who had trouble accepting their emotions, controlling emotional impulses, or identifying effective coping strategies were more likely to engage in sex for personal goals. This pattern was not observed in women.</p>
<p>Relationship-focused sexual motivation showed a different pattern. Older participants tended to report less motivation based on relational reasons, and people who were better at recognizing their emotions were also less likely to report this type of motivation.</p>
<p>Interestingly, some emotional difficulties, such as struggling with impulses or acceptance, were actually linked to higher levels of relationship-focused sexual motivation. This might reflect a desire to seek closeness when emotions feel overwhelming, even when people are not sure how to regulate those feelings effectively.</p>
<p>Coping-related sexual motivation—using sex to deal with emotional distress or relationship tension—did not vary with age, but it did show different patterns by sex. For instance, men were more likely to use sex as a coping tool when they struggled with emotional awareness, while women showed this tendency more when they had trouble accepting their emotions or controlling impulses. These findings point to sex-specific pathways through which emotional struggles influence sexual behavior.</p>
<p>Study 2 involved 466 participants and shifted focus to dyadic coping—how couples manage stress together. Participants answered questions about their own and their partner’s behaviors during stressful times, including positive support, emotional withdrawal, or hostility. They also completed the same sexual motivation questionnaire as in Study 1.</p>
<p>The researchers found that men who reported higher levels of supportive, joint coping behavior with their partner were less likely to pursue sex for self-centered reasons. In other words, when men felt emotionally connected and engaged in shared problem-solving with their partner, their sexual motivation appeared to shift away from individual needs. Women’s self-centered sexual motivation, in contrast, remained relatively stable regardless of coping style.</p>
<p>Relationship-focused sexual motivation was positively linked to supportive dyadic coping behaviors in both men and women, but especially in men. This suggests that when men feel supported by their partner and are actively engaged in relationship-based stress management, they may be more motivated to pursue sex as a way to express emotional closeness.</p>
<p>“We were struck by how consistent the sex differences were,” Meskó told PsyPost. “For women, sexual motives were strongly linked to emotional security and the sense of being supported by their partner. For men, personal goals and performance-related motives played a bigger role. What surprised us most was how stable these patterns remained across different ages — whether participants were in their 20s or 50s, the emotional ‘signature’ of their sexual motivation looked quite similar. It shows that some psychological differences between men and women are remarkably persistent.”</p>
<p>Coping-related sexual motivation showed limited connection to dyadic coping. The only notable pattern was a slight increase in this type of motivation among those who reported more negative or ambivalent coping behaviors, such as reluctance or criticism. This may suggest that in relationships with poor emotional support, sex is sometimes used to manage or deflect stress rather than deepen connection.</p>
<p>Overall, the findings indicate that “the way we handle emotions and support each other in daily life shows up in our sex lives,” Meskó explained. “People who are better at regulating their emotions, or who feel emotionally supported by their partners, are more likely to experience sex as an expression of love, closeness, or intimacy. By contrast, those who struggle to manage emotions often use sex as a way to reduce tension, avoid conflict, or escape negative feelings. For example, one partner might seek sex after an argument to reconnect emotionally, while another might do so mainly to calm down or distract themselves. Our findings suggest that both routes are common — but they stem from very different emotional needs.”</p>
<p>“The effects we found were moderate but meaningful — they reflect everyday differences that shape satisfaction and closeness over time. A small shift in how partners handle stress or emotions can have a noticeable impact on their sexual connection. For instance, learning to comfort each other after a stressful day or resolving conflicts more calmly might not just reduce tension — it could also make sex feel more emotionally rewarding. These are not abstract, ‘statistical’ effects; they describe real patterns people can feel in their relationships.”</p>
<p>As with all research, there are some limitations. First, the study relied on self-reported questionnaires, which assume people are fully aware of their sexual motives and emotional habits. There is a risk that participants answered in ways they believed were socially acceptable rather than completely honest.</p>
<p>Second, the researchers did not collect information on sexual orientation, which limits how broadly the findings can be applied. Additionally, because the study was cross-sectional—meaning data were collected at a single point in time—it cannot show how motivations or emotional skills change as people grow older. The fact that most participants were in long-term relationships may also have influenced the findings, particularly regarding self-centered sexual motivation, which is more common in casual sexual contexts.</p>
<p>To address these limitations, the researchers hope to conduct future studies in other cultural settings. Since norms around emotional expression and sexual behavior vary across societies, it is not clear whether the patterns found in Hungarian adults will hold in other countries. Cross-cultural comparisons could help determine whether the links between sexual motivation, emotional regulation, and relationship dynamics are universal or shaped by specific cultural values.</p>
<p>“Our next step is to explore how these patterns vary across cultures,” Meskó said. “Emotional expression, intimacy norms, and sexual communication differ greatly between societies — what counts as ‘supportive’ or ’emotionally close’ in one culture may look quite different in another. We want to understand whether the links we found between emotion regulation, dyadic coping, and sexual motivation hold in other countries, or whether cultural expectations shape them in unique ways. Mapping these cross-cultural patterns could reveal how universal or culture-bound the emotional side of sexuality truly is.”</p>
<p>“It’s important to stress that our findings don’t mean one approach is better or more ‘healthy’ than the other,” he added. “Men and women often pursue similar sexual behaviors, but the reasons behind those behaviors can differ. Understanding this is key to empathy in relationships — when partners realize they might be ‘speaking different emotional languages’ through sex, it can reduce frustration and improve communication. We also emphasize that these are general patterns, not rigid categories; individual differences are just as meaningful as gender differences.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2025.2562090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sex- and Age-Specific Patterns of Sexual Motivation in Relation to Emotion Regulation and Dyadic Coping</a>,” was authored by Norbert Meskó, Ádám Putz, and Ferenc Kocsor.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/cannabis-compound-thc-disrupts-communication-between-brain-networks/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Cannabis compound THC disrupts communication between brain networks</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 13th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging</a></em> provides evidence that the psychoactive component in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), weakens communication between brain networks in young adult users. Researchers found that even a moderate dose of THC reduced internal connectivity in brain circuits responsible for emotional regulation, bodily awareness, sensory processing, and higher thinking. The findings help explain the mental and behavioral changes that many people experience when intoxicated with cannabis.</p>
<p>As cannabis use continues to rise among young adults, scientists are increasingly focused on how the drug affects the brain. In particular, THC, the main compound responsible for the “high,” is drawing attention because of its potential to interfere with how different parts of the brain work together.</p>
<p>Past research has shown that THC interacts with the brain’s natural cannabinoid system, a network that helps regulate mood, reward, attention, and sensory experiences. THC increases dopamine activity in this system, which can affect behavior and cognition. However, many earlier studies have only looked at specific brain circuits or have used small samples.</p>
<p>The researchers behind this new study wanted to take a broader approach, examining THC’s effects across the entire brain. They used a type of brain imaging that measures how brain regions naturally coordinate with each other when a person is at rest, rather than performing a specific task.</p>
<p>“Many people use cannabis and we know little about how different cannabinoids like delta-9-THC impact the brain,” said study author Natania A. Crane, an assistant professor and director of the REWARD Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “Delta-9-THC is only one of the over 100 different cannabinoids that make up cannabis. Delta-9-THC is important because it is the main psychoactive compound of cannabis, linked to the addictive and rewarding properties of cannabis. We wanted to understand how delta-9-THC impacts communication between different areas of the brain compared to placebo.”</p>
<p>The study included 33 young adults between 18 and 25 years old who occasionally used cannabis but were otherwise healthy. To isolate the effects of THC, each participant took part in two sessions. In one session, they received a 7.5 milligram dose of oral THC. In the other, they received a placebo.</p>
<p>Both sessions were separated by several days, and participants did not know which substance they were receiving. About two hours after taking the pill — when THC’s effects are typically strongest — participants underwent a type of brain scan called resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).</p>
<p>During the scan, participants stared at a fixed point while letting their thoughts wander. The researchers analyzed the brain data using a method that identifies patterns of activity across the whole brain. They examined both how well different parts of each network were working together (called “within-network connectivity”) and how well different networks were interacting with each other (“between-network connectivity”).</p>
<p>After taking THC, participants reported stronger feelings of intoxication, as expected. But the brain data revealed more than just a general effect. THC reduced internal communication in several key networks.</p>
<p>Some of the most affected networks involved areas of the brain tied to memory, emotion, and motivation. These included regions like the hippocampus and basal ganglia. Other impacted networks were connected to sensory processing and spatial reasoning. For example, a network linking the parahippocampus and visual cortex showed weakened coordination.</p>
<p>The researchers also found that THC disrupted communication between two networks that include the insula and anterior cingulate cortex — regions often associated with bodily awareness and emotional monitoring. Specifically, THC reduced the connection between the upper and lower parts of these networks, suggesting that these brain systems were not working together as smoothly when the participants were intoxicated.</p>
<p>Importantly, the study did not find a link between the strength of these brain changes and how high the participants felt or how often they used cannabis in the past month. This suggests that the observed changes in brain communication happen regardless of how intense the intoxication feels or how frequently someone uses the drug, at least among people who use it occasionally.</p>
<p>The researchers also looked at how brain activity varied across different frequency bands — essentially, the rhythm of brain signals. They found that THC changed the amount of activity in both low and high frequency bands in certain networks, including those involved in self-awareness and emotional regulation. These changes may reflect shifts in how information is processed throughout the brain.</p>
<p>Overall, the findings suggest that THC has widespread effects on how brain systems function together, especially in areas related to thinking, feeling, and sensing. These disruptions could help explain why cannabis use is linked with changes in attention, working memory, and emotional experience.</p>
<p>“Among healthy young adults who occasionally use cannabis, delta-9-THC reduces connections throughout the brain compared to placebo. Specifically, we found that delta-9-THC acutely reduces connections between brain areas involved in emotion, interoception (internal sense of what is happening in your body), processing sensory information, and executive functioning,” Crane told PsyPost.</p>
<p>“This may help to explain why individuals who use cannabis often report that cannabis acutely decreases strong emotions, changes how they feel, and increases the intensity of perceptual experiences. It also helps to explain how cannabis acutely decreases attention, working memory, and other executive functioning measures- these networks aren’t communicating the way they usually do when someone is intoxicated with delta-9-THC.”</p>
<p>The study provides a broader look at how THC affects the brain, but some limitations should be considered. The sample size was relatively small and included only occasional cannabis users without major psychiatric conditions. As a result, the findings might not apply to people who use cannabis more heavily or who have mental health disorders.</p>
<p>The researchers used a moderate dose of THC, which may be lower than the amount found in some recreational products. Because the drug was given in a controlled lab setting, the results might differ from what happens when cannabis is smoked or consumed in other ways.</p>
<p>Another limitation is that the study relied on short brain scans taken during a single session. Longer or repeated scans could provide a more complete picture of how THC changes brain function over time. The researchers also note that their method, while sensitive, may not capture all aspects of how the brain responds to THC.</p>
<p>Future studies may want to examine different doses of THC, include people with anxiety or depression, or compare THC with other compounds in cannabis, such as cannabidiol (CBD). The researchers are also interested in tracking how repeated cannabis use over time affects brain networks, especially in people who use the drug to manage mood symptoms.</p>
<p>“I am really interested in understanding how different cannabinoids impact the brain among individuals with psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety, who have high rates of cannabis use. So many patients I see report that they use cannabis to help with depression and/or anxiety. The research tells us that cannabis can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety acutely, yet over time regular cannabis use, especially cannabis with high delta-9-THC content, actually increases symptoms of depression and anxiety.”</p>
<p>“This leads to a vicious cycle — using cannabis to relieve anxiety or depression, but these symptoms just get worse as use continues. I want to better understand the mechanisms of this—how cannabinoids like delta-9-THC act in the brain acutely and over time among individuals with psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Alters Limbic and Frontal Functional Brain Connectomes Among Young Adult Cannabis Users</a>,” was authored by Zachary Anderson, Matthew Gunn, Emily Jones, Olusola Ajilore, K.Luan Phan, Harriet de Wit, Heide Klumpp, Vince Calhoun, and Natania A. Crane.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/cyberdelics-virtual-reality-can-replicate-cognitive-effects-of-psychedelics-new-study-finds/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Cyberdelics: Virtual reality can replicate cognitive effects of psychedelics, new study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 12th 2025, 20:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has found that immersive virtual reality experiences designed to simulate the visual effects of psychedelic substances can produce some of their positive psychological benefits, such as enhanced creative thinking. This was achieved without the use of any drugs, suggesting a potential new avenue for therapeutic tools, according to the research published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19585969.2025.2499459" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience</a></em>.</p>
<p>Scientists have recently renewed their interest in psychedelic substances for their potential to treat a range of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. This is because these substances can induce altered states of consciousness that may help break rigid patterns of thought and perception. However, the use of psychedelics comes with challenges, including unpredictable psychological effects, potential physiological risks, and significant legal restrictions in many parts of the world.</p>
<p>In response to these challenges, a team of researchers led by Giulia Brizzi and Chiara Pupillo at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore sought to explore a technological alternative. Their work, part of a project called Cyberdelics, aimed to see if the visual hallucinatory effects of psychedelics could be mimicked using virtual reality and artificial intelligence. The main goal was to investigate whether these simulated experiences, which they call Hallucinatory Visual Virtual Experiences, could have a measurable impact on a person’s cognitive flexibility, emotional state, and physiological activity.</p>
<p>The study involved 50 healthy adult participants in an experiment where each person experienced two different conditions. This type of experimental setup, known as a within-subjects design, allows for a direct comparison of effects because every participant acts as their own control. Before beginning, each person completed a series of baseline assessments to measure their cognitive abilities, emotional state, and bodily responses like heart rate.</p>
<p>Participants were then exposed to two 10-minute videos in an immersive virtual reality headset. The control condition featured a video called “The Secret Garden,” a calming 360-degree journey through a Japanese garden. The experimental condition used the exact same video, but it had been digitally altered using the Google DeepDream algorithm. This algorithm is a form of artificial intelligence that modifies images to create complex, dream-like, and hallucinatory patterns, effectively simulating a psychedelic visual experience. The order in which participants saw the two videos was randomized to prevent the sequence from influencing the results.</p>
<p>After viewing each video, the participants repeated the same set of assessments they had completed at the beginning. These tests were designed to capture changes in several key areas. To measure cognitive flexibility, the researchers used two main tasks. One was the Alternative Use Task, where participants were asked to generate as many creative uses as possible for common objects, like a brick or a paper clip. The second was the Stroop Color Work Task, which measures a person’s ability to inhibit automatic responses. For instance, a participant might see the word “blue” written in red ink and must say the color of the ink, not the word itself.</p>
<p>The researchers also evaluated emotional and psychological states using standard questionnaires. These surveys assessed levels of anxiety, distress, and both positive and negative feelings. Following each virtual reality session, participants also filled out a scale to describe their sense of “flow,” which relates to how absorbed they felt in the experience and how smoothly it seemed to progress. Finally, physiological changes were tracked by measuring heart rate variability, which provides insight into the activity of the body’s autonomic nervous system, the system that controls automatic functions like heart rate and breathing.</p>
<p>The results of the experiment revealed significant changes in cognitive function after participants were exposed to the simulated hallucinations. In the Alternative Use Task, people generated ideas that were more flexible and conceptually distant from the original object after the hallucinatory video compared to both their baseline performance and their performance after the calm garden video. The researchers used advanced language analysis to confirm that the ideas were not just different but showed greater semantic divergence, suggesting a deeper shift in creative thinking. Participants also performed better on the Stroop task, showing improved inhibitory control after the hallucinatory experience.</p>
<p>The emotional and psychological effects were more complex. Both the calm garden video and the hallucinatory video led to a decrease in anxiety and a reduction in positive feelings when compared to the baseline measurements. This suggests that the immersive virtual reality experience itself had a generally calming and somewhat muted emotional effect. When comparing the two videos directly, the hallucinatory experience was rated as more absorbing. At the same time, participants reported that the experience felt less smooth and effortless, a state known as lower fluency. This may indicate that while the complex visuals captured their attention, they also required more mental effort to process.</p>
<p>In terms of physiological responses, both virtual reality experiences produced a similar calming effect on the body. Participants’ heart rates and the activity of their sympathetic nervous system, which is associated with the “fight or flight” response, decreased after watching both the control video and the hallucinatory video. This finding shows that immersion in a virtual environment can lead to a state of physical relaxation, even when the visual content is stimulating and complex. The combination of mental absorption and physical calm was described by the researchers as a state of “awakened relaxation.”</p>
<p>Professor Giuseppe Riva, who coordinated the research team, explained the significance of the findings. “We have demonstrated for the first time that virtual reality is capable of replicating some of the positive effects typically associated with the use of psychotropic substances,” Riva explained, “among which the increase in cognitive flexibility and creativity is particularly significant. However, it is important to verify whether these effects are truly comparable, on a neurobiological level, to those produced by compounds such as psilocybin or LSD. The data collected, however, suggest that the path taken is promising and deserves further investigation.”</p>
<p>The researchers acknowledge certain limitations of their study. The participants were all young, healthy adults, so it is not yet clear if these results would apply to other age groups or to individuals with clinical conditions like depression or anxiety. Future studies with larger and more diverse groups are needed. Additional research could also incorporate more detailed physiological measures, such as skin conductance, to get a fuller picture of the body’s response.</p>
<p>Including more types of control conditions could help isolate which effects are specific to the hallucinatory simulation versus the virtual reality technology or the video content itself. Future work will explore these questions to better understand how this technology could be refined for potential therapeutic applications.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19585969.2025.2499459" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cyberdelics: Virtual reality hallucinations modulate cognitive-affective processes</a>,” was authored by Giulia Brizzi, Chiara Pupillo, Clara Rastelli, Antonino Greco, Luca Bernardelli, Anna Flavia Di Natale, Silvia Francesca Maria Pizzoli, Elena Sajno, Fabio Frisone, Daniele Di Lernia, and Giuseppe Riva.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/women-with-adhd-are-diagnosed-later-and-experience-more-severe-symptoms/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Women with ADHD are diagnosed later and experience more severe symptoms</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Oct 12th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.2441" target="_blank">European Psychiatry</a></em> indicates that adult women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to experience more severe symptoms and greater impairment in daily life compared to men with the condition. The research also uncovered a significant delay in the diagnosis of ADHD for women, which may contribute to these more challenging outcomes.</p>
<p>The investigation was prompted by growing recognition that ADHD affects individuals differently, particularly across sexes. While historically viewed as a condition predominantly affecting boys, it is now understood that ADHD persists into adulthood for many and that women are often underdiagnosed. </p>
<p>Researchers led by Ferran Mestres sought to clarify how sex and the specific subtype of ADHD influence the disorder’s severity, its connection to other mental health conditions, and its impact on a person’s ability to function in daily life. By examining these factors, the team aimed to build a more detailed understanding that could help improve diagnosis and treatment for different patient groups.</p>
<p>To conduct their research, the scientific team recruited 900 adults who had been diagnosed with ADHD at a specialized clinic at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Of the participants, just under 55 percent were male. Each individual underwent an extensive evaluation process that spanned five separate visits with psychiatrists and psychologists specializing in ADHD. This comprehensive assessment confirmed their ADHD diagnosis and determined their specific presentation, which can be predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or a combination of both.</p>
<p>Participants also completed a wide range of validated questionnaires and assessments. These tools were used to measure the intensity of their ADHD symptoms, both currently and during childhood. The evaluations also gauged levels of depression, anxiety, and impulsivity. Additional instruments assessed sleep quality and the disorder’s effect on psychosocial functioning and overall disability. The researchers then used statistical methods to compare the results between men and women and between different ADHD subtypes. They also analyzed how sex and subtype might interact to influence outcomes.</p>
<p>The study’s findings revealed notable differences between men and women. One of the most significant discoveries was the age of diagnosis. Although symptoms of ADHD appeared to begin at a similar age for both sexes, women received their diagnosis much later, at an average age of about 29 years, compared to an average age of 24 for men. At the time of their diagnosis, women reported more severe overall ADHD symptoms than men.</p>
<p>Beyond the core symptoms of ADHD, women in the study also experienced higher rates of other mental health challenges. They scored higher on measures of both depression and anxiety compared to their male counterparts. Functionally, women reported greater impairment in their social and professional lives and a higher degree of disability, suggesting the disorder had a more substantial negative effect on their day-to-day activities. In contrast, men with ADHD were more likely to have a history of legal problems and reported significantly higher rates of substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.</p>
<p>Silvia Amoretti, a senior researcher involved in the study, commented on the findings. “ADHD affects millions of people, but our understanding of how it presents and impacts males and females differently remains limited. We found that females are underdiagnosed, often receiving a diagnosis years later than males. This delay may lead to worse clinical outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and functional impairment. </p>
<p>Males on the other hand showed a higher level of involvement in delinquent behaviours such as legal problems and driving-related difficulties. We believe that a better understanding these sex-based differences might improve diagnosis and treatment.”</p>
<p>The researchers also examined differences based on ADHD subtype. The combined presentation, which involves symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, was linked to more severe outcomes overall. Individuals with the combined subtype had more intense ADHD symptoms, higher levels of depression, anxiety, and impulsivity. They were also more likely to engage in substance use and experience legal troubles compared to those with the predominantly inattentive subtype.</p>
<p>The team then explored whether a person’s sex and their ADHD subtype interacted to produce unique outcomes. For most of the clinical measures, this was not the case, suggesting that the effects of sex and subtype were largely independent. However, one specific interaction emerged for disability. Women with the combined ADHD subtype reported the highest level of disability of any group, showing more significant impairment than men with the same subtype and more than individuals of either sex with the inattentive subtype.</p>
<p>The study authors propose several potential reasons for this specific finding. The interaction could be influenced by biological factors, such as the effect of female hormonal cycles on brain chemicals involved in attention and emotional regulation. Psychosocial factors, including societal expectations for women regarding organization and emotional control, may also play a part. The accumulated stress from years of unrecognized and untreated symptoms due to delayed diagnosis could also contribute to this heightened sense of disability in women with the combined presentation.</p>
<p>“We found that although ADHD symptoms started at a similar age in males and females, women were diagnosed about five years later. By the time of diagnosis, they showed more severe symptoms, worse functioning in daily life, and higher rates of depression and anxiety,” Amoretti said.</p>
<p>“This is important because it shows that ADHD often goes unnoticed in women until it becomes a serious problem. Our findings suggest that we may be missing the early signs in girls and women, especially when their symptoms are less disruptive but still impactful. This has clear implications for earlier screening and sex-sensitive diagnostic tools,” she continued.</p>
<p>“We didn’t set out to compare the age of diagnosis in males and females, we were aiming to understand the general age when symptoms appear, regardless of sex. This finding was not part of our initial hypotheses but became evident during the analysis, and the scale of the difference in diagnosis between the sexes was a surprise.”</p>
<p>“It’s likely that women are diagnosed later because the symptoms of ADHD manifest themselves differently in men and women. Boys are more likely to be hyperactive or impulsive, and this behaviour is more visible to parents, teachers and clinicians. On the other hand, girls with ADHD are more likely to seem inattentive and generally less disruptive. This becomes clinically important, as it means that women are just not treated early enough, and often are just not diagnosed at all. We have seen similar tendencies internationally, so it is likely that this is a global problem. The nature of the condition leads to poorer diagnosis in women everywhere, meaning that women can lose on average five years of treatment, 5 years of a better life,” Amoretti concluded.</p>
<p>Professor Sandra Kooij, an independent expert who was not involved in the study, commented on the research. “This study by Sylvia Amoretti and colleagues shows the delay in diagnosis in girls and women with ADHD compared to boys and males. Different presentation of symptoms, lack of awareness among clinicians that women have ADHD too, and the hormonal changes leading to severe mood instability in the last week of the cycle are all responsible for the gender differences in time to diagnosis of ADHD. Increasing awareness in both society and medicine helps girls and women to get earlier help when they need it.”</p>
<p>The authors of the study noted some limitations. The participants were recruited from a specialized treatment center, so the findings may not be fully representative of all adults with ADHD. The study design also captures a snapshot in time and cannot determine cause-and-effect relationships. Even with these considerations, the large sample size and the use of multiple validated tools provide strong evidence for the different ways ADHD can manifest. </p>
<p>Future research could follow individuals over time to better understand these dynamics and explore how factors like socioeconomic status or biological conditions might interact with sex and subtype to shape ADHD outcomes.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.2441" target="_blank">Sex differences in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A population-based study</a>,” was authored by Ferran Mestres, Vanesa Richarte, Juan Jesús Crespín, Carla Torrent, Santiago Biel, Carolina Ramos, Pol Ibáñez, Laura Oltra-Arañó, Montse Corrales, Silvia Amoretti, Christian Fadeuilhe, and Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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