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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/one-in-eight-us-adolescents-and-young-adults-use-ai-chatbots-for-mental-health-advice/" 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;">One in eight US adolescents and young adults use AI chatbots for mental health advice</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 26th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>A new national survey indicates that a significant number of American adolescents and young adults are turning to artificial intelligence programs for support with their emotional well-being. The findings suggest that these digital tools are becoming a common resource for young people navigating feelings of distress, despite the lack of established safety standards for such technology. The study was published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2841067" target="_blank">JAMA Network Open</a>.</p>
<p>The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has altered how individuals access information and interact with technology. Programs like ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer immediate responses to complex queries, leading to widespread adoption across various age groups. </p>
<p>While this technology has grown in popularity, the United States is simultaneously facing a severe decline in youth mental wellness. Statistics indicate that nearly one in five adolescents experienced a major depressive episode within the past year.</p>
<p>A substantial portion of these young individuals do not receive professional mental health care. Barriers such as high costs, limited availability of providers, and logistical challenges often prevent access to traditional therapy. </p>
<p>In this context, artificial intelligence offers an alternative that is accessible, affordable, and private. Until now, there has been little empirical evidence to quantify how often young people substitute or supplement professional care with advice from chatbots.</p>
<p>The researchers aimed to fill this knowledge gap by establishing baseline estimates of artificial intelligence usage for mental health purposes. They sought to determine the prevalence of this behavior among a nationally representative sample. </p>
<p>“There has been considerable discussion about the potential for artificial intelligence to provide emotional support to both adults and children. However, there is limited, nationally representative data on how many adolescents self-report using artificial intelligence when they feel sad, angry, or nervous for mental health advice,” said study author Jonathan Cantor, a senior policy researcher at RAND.</p>
<p>The researchers designed a cross-sectional survey targeting youths aged 12 to 21 years. The data collection took place between February and March 2025. The researchers utilized the American Life Panel and Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel to recruit participants. These panels use probability-based sampling methods to ensure the group accurately reflects the broader population of United States households.</p>
<p>The final sample consisted of 1,058 respondents out of more than 2,000 individuals contacted. This group included a diverse mix of backgrounds, with 51 percent identifying as White, 25 percent as Hispanic, and 13 percent as Black. The researchers weighted the survey data to produce statistics that generalize to the population of English-speaking U.S. youths with internet access.</p>
<p>The survey asked participants if they had ever used generative artificial intelligence tools. Specific examples provided to the respondents included ChatGPT, Gemini, and My AI. To ensure that even the youngest participants understood the questions, the researchers avoided clinical terminology. Instead, they asked if respondents had utilized these tools for advice or help when feeling “sad, angry, or nervous.”</p>
<p>The analysis revealed that approximately 13.1 percent of the respondents had used generative artificial intelligence for mental health advice. When extrapolated to the national population, this suggests that roughly 5.4 million adolescents and young adults have sought emotional support from a chatbot. </p>
<p>“The main surprise was the percentage of adolescents that use artificial intelligence when they feel sad, angry, or nervous,” Cantor told PsyPost.</p>
<p>The data showed a clear distinction in usage rates based on age. Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, the usage rate was lower than the overall average. However, the prevalence nearly doubled for the young adult demographic. The study found that 22.2 percent of respondents aged 18 to 21 reported using these tools for mental health advice. </p>
<p>The frequency of use suggests that this is not merely a novelty for many users. Among those who reported consulting artificial intelligence for emotional support, 65.5 percent stated they did so on a monthly basis or more frequently. This repeated engagement implies a sustained reliance on the technology for coping with difficult emotions.</p>
<p>Participants generally viewed the advice they received in a positive light. The survey results indicated that 92.7 percent of users found the artificial intelligence responses to be somewhat or very helpful. This high satisfaction rate likely reinforces the behavior, encouraging continued use of the technology when negative emotions arise.</p>
<p>“I think it is important to recognize that adolescents are interacting with artificial intelligence and turning to these tools when they feel sad, angry, or nervous,” Cantor said. “They not only use these tools frequently but also perceive the advice they receive as helpful.”</p>
<p>Despite the overall positive reception, the researchers uncovered evidence of demographic disparities. Black respondents were significantly less likely to report that the advice was helpful compared to White non-Hispanic respondents. </p>
<p>This finding raises questions about the cultural competency of current artificial intelligence models. It suggests that the datasets used to train these systems may not adequately reflect or understand the experiences of diverse populations.</p>
<p>“It is important to highlight that Black adolescents were less likely to report finding the advice they received helpful,” Cantor said. “Our study could not determine the reasons for this difference, and future research should seek to explore and better understand this finding.”</p>
<p>The high utilization rates are likely driven by the low barrier to entry. Artificial intelligence chatbots are typically free or low-cost and are available at any time of day. </p>
<p>For young people who may feel stigmatized by traditional counseling or who cannot afford it, these tools offer a perceived safe harbor. The anonymity of a chatbot may encourage users to disclose feelings they would hide from a human therapist.</p>
<p>However, the researchers note that this trend is accompanied by significant risks. There are currently few standardized benchmarks for evaluating the quality or safety of mental health advice generated by artificial intelligence. The datasets used to train large language models are often opaque, making it difficult for experts to assess potential biases or inaccuracies.</p>
<p>Concerns regarding the reliability of these systems are not theoretical. The release of this study comes at a time when OpenAI faces legal challenges alleging that <a href="https://www.psypost.org/his-psychosis-was-a-mystery-until-doctors-learned-about-chatgpts-health-advice/" target="_blank">its products have contributed to harmful outcomes</a> for some users. The potential for these systems to provide incorrect or inappropriate advice remains a critical issue for developers and health officials.</p>
<p>As with all research, there are limitations to consider. The sample size for the 18 to 21 age group was relatively small, consisting of 147 respondents. This limited number means that the specific estimates for this subgroup have a wider margin of error and should be interpreted with some caution. Additionally, the survey relied on self-reported data, which depends on the accuracy of the participants’ memories and honesty.</p>
<p>The survey did not gather information on whether the respondents had diagnosed mental health conditions. It is unclear if the users turning to artificial intelligence are those with severe clinical needs or those experiencing temporary emotional fluctuations. The study also did not capture the specific content of the advice sought or provided. Consequently, it is impossible to evaluate the clinical appropriateness of the guidance the chatbots offered.</p>
<p>“These results should not be interpreted as causal,” Cantor noted. “Our goal is simply to describe current patterns of use. More empirical research is needed to understand the relationship between adolescents’ use of artificial intelligence and their emotional well-being.”</p>
<p>Looking forward, “I think we should continue to include similar survey questions to track trends in how adolescents use artificial intelligence,” Cantor said. “It is also important to understand healthcare providers’ perspectives on incorporating artificial intelligence into the delivery of mental health care for adolescents.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2841067" target="_blank">Use of Generative AI for Mental Health Advice Among US Adolescents and Young Adults</a>,” was authored by Ryan K. McBain, Robert Bozick, Melissa Diliberti, Li Ang Zhang, Fang Zhang, Alyssa Burnett, Aaron Kofner, Benjamin Rader, Joshua Breslau, Bradley D. Stein, Ateev Mehrotra, Lori Uscher Pines, Jonathan Cantor, and Hao Yu.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/mystical-beliefs-predict-a-meaningful-life-even-without-organized-religion/" 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;">Mystical beliefs predict a meaningful life even without organized religion</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 26th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2025.2546324" target="_blank">Religion, Brain & Behavior</a></em> provides evidence that holding mystical beliefs predicts a greater sense of meaning in life, regardless of whether one is religious or not. The study found that individuals who identify as “spiritual but not religious” report more meaning than non-believers specifically because of these beliefs, though they trail behind religious believers who benefit from communal bonds. </p>
<p>In many developed nations, there has been a significant demographic shift away from organized religion. Census data and sociological surveys from countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom indicate a rising number of people with no religious affiliation. Despite this trend toward secularization, not all individuals who leave religion adopt a strictly materialist or atheist worldview.</p>
<p>A substantial portion of the unaffiliated population identifies as “spiritual but not religious.” These individuals often reject the dogma, rituals, and institutional authority of traditional religion. At the same time, they continue to embrace spiritual concepts, such as a belief in a higher power, the soul, or cosmic interconnectedness. The researchers aimed to understand the psychological implications of this identity.</p>
<p>Prior research has often categorized all unaffiliated individuals into a single group, failing to distinguish between confirmed atheists and those with active spiritual lives. The authors of the current study sought to correct this oversight. They hypothesized that spiritual beliefs might offer some of the same existential benefits as religion, such as providing a sense of purpose and coherence to life.</p>
<p>“There has been much research comparing religious believers and non-believers. However, in recent decades there has been a huge increase in the number of people who are spiritual but not religious and we know very little about them,” said study author Steven Heine, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of <em><a href="https://amzn.to/4adLWxA" target="_blank">Start Making Sense</a></em>.</p>
<p>“Do these people think about their lives like religious people or like atheists? And what aspects of their lives predicts how meaningful they feel? Our initial interest was to see what these spiritual but not religious people were like, but our study pointed to something that we hadn’t expected: mystical beliefs are associated with having more meaningful lives.”</p>
<p>The researchers conducted two separate studies. The first study focused on a sample from the United States, a nation that remains relatively religious despite recent secularizing trends. The research team recruited 917 American adults through the online platform Prolific.</p>
<p>Participants were asked to categorize themselves into one of three groups based on their identity. These groups were religious believers, spiritual but not religious individuals, and non-believers. The sample included 293 religious believers, 266 spiritual but not religious individuals, and 358 non-believers.</p>
<p>The primary measure used in the study was the Multidimensional Meaning in Life Scale. This assessment asks participants to rate their agreement with statements regarding the purpose, coherence, and significance of their existence. High scores indicate a strong sense that one’s life matters and makes sense.</p>
<p>To understand the mechanisms driving potential differences, the researchers assessed the strength of participants’ spiritual beliefs. They presented participants with a composite measure of various supernatural concepts. These included belief in karma, the existence of an afterlife, dualism (the separation of mind and body), and the idea that the universe has a higher plan.</p>
<p>The study also measured social connection. The researchers used a scale designed to assess existential isolation, which captures the extent to which an individual feels that their personal experience of reality is shared by others. This allowed the team to see if the benefits of religion were primarily social rather than theological.</p>
<p>The data analysis from the American sample revealed a clear hierarchy in reported meaning in life. Religious believers reported the highest levels of meaning. The spiritual but not religious group scored in the middle, reporting significantly more meaning than the non-believers. Non-believers reported the lowest levels of meaning in life. </p>
<p>The researchers then utilized statistical mediation models to explain these disparities. The analysis indicated that the difference in meaning between the spiritual group and the non-believers was largely attributable to spiritual beliefs.</p>
<p>It appears that holding a worldview where the universe has order, purpose, or spiritual significance fosters a sense of personal meaning. This effect persisted even in the absence of religious affiliation. Non-believers, who tend to hold materialist worldviews, lacked this specific source of existential reassurance.</p>
<p>In contrast, the difference between religious believers and the spiritual group was not explained by beliefs. Instead, this gap was best explained by social connection. Religious believers reported much higher levels of social bonding and shared reality than the spiritual group.</p>
<p>This suggests that while spirituality provides a cognitive framework for meaning, organized religion provides a supportive community that further enhances well-being. The spiritual but not religious individuals, often practicing a “do-it-yourself” spirituality, missed out on this communal aspect.</p>
<p>To ensure these findings were not unique to the United States, the researchers conducted a second study in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom represents a more secularized society where non-religious individuals constitute a majority. This context allowed the researchers to test if the patterns held true where religion is less culturally normative.</p>
<p>The second study included 1,289 participants from the United Kingdom. The recruitment and procedure mirrored the first study to allow for direct comparison. Participants again classified themselves as religious, spiritual but not religious, or non-religious.</p>
<p>The measures for meaning in life and spiritual beliefs remained the same. However, the researchers used a broader tool to measure social connection in this second study. They employed the Social Connectedness Scale, which assesses general feelings of belonging and closeness with others.</p>
<p>The results from the UK sample replicated the findings from the US sample. Religious believers again reported the most meaning in life, followed by the spiritual group, with non-believers scoring the lowest. The statistical models confirmed the previous mediation effects.</p>
<p>Differences in spiritual beliefs continued to account for why the spiritual group experienced more meaning than non-believers. Differences in social connection continued to account for why religious believers experienced more meaning than the spiritual group. This replication provides evidence that these psychological dynamics are robust across different cultural contexts.</p>
<p>The researchers also analyzed which specific spiritual beliefs were most strongly associated with meaning. Mystical beliefs that implied a sense of order or connection in the universe appeared to be the most impactful. For example, belief in karma, universal connectedness, and the law of attraction were strong predictors of meaning.</p>
<p>“We found that having mystical beliefs, including those that are not part of any organized religion, are importantly associated with feeling that life is more meaningful,” Heine told PsyPost. “While much more research is needed to better understand why mystical beliefs and meaningful lives go together, this suggests that people might fare better by being open to any mystical traditions that align with their own ways of thinking.”</p>
<p>Beliefs that were less about cosmic order, such as belief in luck or a “porous mind” susceptible to spirits, were less strongly associated with meaning. This nuance suggests that it is not supernatural belief in general that provides meaning. Rather, it is specifically those beliefs that frame the universe as a coherent, interconnected system that offer existential comfort.</p>
<p>“We really did not expect to find that people’s mystical beliefs would be so strongly aligned with feeling that one’s life was meaningful,” Heine said. “I was originally expecting that different kinds of beliefs would predict meaningful lives for the different groups – rather we found that regardless if one is religious, spiritual but not religious, or a non-believer, having more mystical beliefs predicted more meaningful lives.”</p>
<p>The study has some limitations that should be considered. The research design was cross-sectional, meaning it captured data at a single point in time. As a result, the researchers cannot definitively prove that spiritual beliefs cause an increase in meaning.</p>
<p>It is possible that individuals who naturally feel a greater sense of purpose are more drawn to spiritual ideas. Alternatively, a third variable, such as a general philosophical outlook, could drive both meaning and belief. Only longitudinal research, which follows participants over time, can establish clear causality.</p>
<p>Another limitation involves the measurement of meaning itself. Concepts like “meaning in life” are abstract and subjective. It is possible that religious and spiritual individuals interpret the questions differently than non-believers.</p>
<p>For a religious person, “meaning” might be inherently tied to a divine plan. For a non-believer, “meaning” might be defined in strictly humanistic or personal terms. The scales used in psychology may subtly favor the type of cosmic meaning found in religious traditions.</p>
<p>“We aren’t saying that you need to have mystical beliefs in order to have a meaningful life,” Heine noted. “Meaningful lives are especially predicted by people’s connections. Interpersonal connections, connections with one’s community, and connections with one’s work all predict more meaningful lives. But we now know that connections with the spiritual realm are also important.”</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study provides a clearer picture of the psychological landscape of secularization. It challenges the binary view of the world as simply divided into the religious and the secular. The findings suggest that the spiritual but not religious demographic occupies a unique middle ground.</p>
<p>The authors emphasize the need for longitudinal studies to track individuals over time, allowing researchers to determine if spiritual beliefs directly cause increased meaning in life or if the relationship is driven by other factors. </p>
<p>“We want to better understand why mystical beliefs have these unexpected existential benefits,” Heine said. “Also, we’d like to see if people’s feelings of meaning in life change as their spiritual beliefs change over time.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/2153599X.2025.2546324" target="_blank">The varieties of nonreligious experience: meaning in life among believers, non-believers, and the spiritual but not religious</a>,” was authored by William Jettinghoff, Dunigan Folk, Paniz Radjaee, Aiyana Willard, Ara Norenzayan, and Steven J. Heine.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/why-forced-gratitude-might-make-some-teens-meaner-online/" 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;">Why forced gratitude might make some teens meaner online</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 26th 2025, 04:00</div>
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<p><p>A recent study conducted in Polish schools suggests that attempting to teach gratitude to adolescents may have complex and sometimes unintended consequences regarding online behavior. While a seven-day program designed to foster appreciation successfully reduced overall cyber-aggression, it proved less effective for boys and students with moderate levels of existing gratitude. These findings, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97214-w" target="_blank">Scientific Reports</a></em>, highlight the necessity of tailoring psychological interventions to fit the specific personality traits and social dynamics of the student body.</p>
<p>Cyber-aggression has emerged as a significant public health concern affecting adolescents globally. It is not a monolithic behavior but rather manifests in various forms driven by different motivations. Researchers distinguish between reactive aggression, which is an impulsive response to a perceived threat, and proactive aggression, which is calculated and goal-oriented.</p>
<p>Within these categories, aggression can be further classified as “aversive” or “appetitive.” Aversive aggression arises from negative emotional states such as anger or distress, often serving as a coping mechanism for conflict. In contrast, appetitive aggression is driven by a desire for fun, excitement, or social dominance, where the perpetrator derives enjoyment from the act.</p>
<p>Educators and psychologists have sought effective methods to mitigate these harmful behaviors without relying solely on punitive measures. Positive psychology suggests that cultivating character strengths like gratitude can act as a protective factor. Gratitude is defined as a positive emotional state associated with recognizing and appreciating benefits received from others.</p>
<p>The “broaden-and-build” theory posits that positive emotions like gratitude expand an individual’s awareness and encourage novel thoughts and actions. This expansion allows individuals to build personal resources, such as social connections and emotional resilience. Theoretically, a grateful student should be less prone to hostility and more inclined toward empathy.</p>
<p>Tomaszek Katarzyna from Rzeszow University and Muchacka-Cymerman Agnieszka from Humanitas University aimed to test this theory empirically. They sought to determine whether a short-term classroom intervention could effectively lower rates of cyber-aggression. Additionally, they investigated whether the gender of the student or their baseline disposition toward gratitude influenced the outcome.</p>
<p>The researchers recruited a sample of 548 adolescents from the seventh and eighth grades in Poland. The participants were drawn from primary schools in both urban and rural areas to ensure a mix of backgrounds. The students were assigned to either a control group, which included 399 participants, or an experimental group, which consisted of 149 students.</p>
<p>The experimental group participated in a “Classroom Gratitude Intervention” that lasted for one week. Teachers who had undergone specific training to ensure fidelity to the program delivered the curriculum. The intervention began with educational components, including watching a film about gratitude and discussing the concept in class.</p>
<p>Over the course of the week, students engaged in specific cognitive exercises designed to induce a grateful mood. One such exercise was “counting blessings,” where students identified positive events or aspects of their lives. Another activity involved maintaining a collective “classroom gratitude book,” fostering a shared sense of appreciation among peers.</p>
<p>The students also undertook private gratitude challenges over the weekend to reinforce the lessons learned during school hours. To measure the impact of these activities, the researchers administered the Cyber-aggression Types Questionnaire. This assessment was given to the experimental group one week before the program began and again one week after it concluded.</p>
<p>The results indicated that the intervention was successful in reducing the overall frequency of cyber-aggression among the participants. The most significant reduction was observed in “aversive controlled” aggression. This type of behavior involves planned acts of retaliation or revenge in response to negative feelings.</p>
<p>The reduction in this specific type of aggression suggests that gratitude practices may help students regulate their negative emotions. By focusing on the benevolence of others, adolescents may become less likely to ruminate on perceived slights. This shift in focus appears to dampen the desire to seek calculated payback through digital channels.</p>
<p>However, the study found that the intervention did not reduce all forms of aggression equally. “Appetitive impulsive” aggression, which is characterized by spontaneous mean-spirited acts done for amusement, actually showed a slight increase. This suggests that while gratitude can mitigate anger-based hostility, it may not be effective against aggression motivated by boredom or thrill-seeking.</p>
<p>A deeper analysis of the data revealed significant differences in how boys and girls responded to the program. Girls in the experimental group showed a broad improvement, with reductions in almost all measured types of cyber-aggression. The intervention appeared to resonate well with female students, aligning with prior research on gender socialization.</p>
<p>Adolescent girls are often socialized to value relationships and social harmony, making them potentially more receptive to exercises that emphasize connection. For them, the gratitude activities likely reinforced prosocial norms and provided an alternative to relational aggression. The decrease in hostility was consistent across both impulsive and controlled types for girls.</p>
<p>In contrast, the intervention failed to produce a similar benefit for boys. The male participants in the experimental group did not show a statistically significant decrease in their overall aggression scores. In some specific categories, such as aversive impulsive aggression, their scores actually increased following the program.</p>
<p>The authors suggest that this discrepancy may be rooted in differing social norms and expressions of masculinity. Boys may perceive gratitude, which involves acknowledging dependence on others, as a sign of weakness or indebtedness. In the context of male peer groups, establishing dominance is often prioritized over displaying vulnerability.</p>
<p>Consequently, a classroom setting that forces public expressions of gratitude might conflict with a boy’s desire to maintain social status. If boys view the exercises as incompatible with their identity, they may resist the message. This resistance could manifest as a rejection of the prosocial goals or even a reactionary increase in aggressive behavior.</p>
<p>The study also examined how a student’s initial personality influenced the program’s effectiveness. The researchers divided the students into groups based on whether they had low, medium, or high levels of “gratitude disposition” before the study began. The findings indicated that the intervention was most beneficial for those who started with the lowest levels of gratitude.</p>
<p>Students with a low gratitude disposition experienced the most substantial decrease in aversive cyber-aggression. For these individuals, the intervention likely introduced a novel perspective that they do not naturally adopt in their daily lives. The “halo effect” of suddenly focusing on the positive may have provided a powerful counter-narrative to their usual outlook.</p>
<p>Conversely, students with medium levels of gratitude did not benefit in the same way. The data showed that this group exhibited an increase in both impulsive and controlled forms of aggression after the intervention. This counterintuitive finding implies that the relationship between gratitude training and behavior is not linear.</p>
<p>The authors propose that these students might have experienced a “resistance effect.” Being forced to participate in structured gratitude exercises when they perhaps feel they already possess this trait could generate annoyance. If the exercises felt repetitive or inauthentic, it may have led to frustration that was subsequently vented online.</p>
<p>Students with high levels of gratitude showed little change, likely due to a “ceiling effect.” These individuals already practice appreciation and have lower baseline levels of aggression, leaving little room for improvement. Their established habits of gratitude meant the one-week intervention was simply reinforcing what they already did.</p>
<p>The study highlights that cyber-aggression is often a group phenomenon involving hierarchy and rivalry. Gratitude interventions that take place within the classroom must contend with these existing social dynamics. If a student feels animosity toward their classmates, being asked to express gratitude toward them could feel disingenuous or emotionally taxing.</p>
<p>These results suggest that a “one size fits all” approach to social-emotional learning may be insufficient. While the general trend pointed toward improvement, the negative outcomes for specific subgroups are concerning. Interventions that are effective for girls may need significant modification to be palatable and effective for boys.</p>
<p>The authors acknowledge several limitations that should be considered when interpreting these results. The intervention was relatively brief, lasting only seven days. A program of this duration may not be sufficient to instill long-term behavioral changes or reshape deeply ingrained habits.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the study relied on self-reported data from the adolescents. Students may not always report their own aggressive behaviors accurately, either due to a lack of self-awareness or a desire to present themselves favorably. The use of objective measures, such as observational data or peer reports, would strengthen future investigations.</p>
<p>The imbalance in sample sizes between the control and experimental groups is another technical limitation. The control group was significantly larger, which can impact the statistical comparisons. Additionally, the study was restricted to a specific cultural context within Poland, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other countries.</p>
<p>Future research should explore the effects of longer-term interventions to see if the changes are sustained over time. It would be beneficial to include follow-up assessments weeks or months after the program concludes. This would help determine if the increase in aggression seen in some groups is a temporary reaction or a lasting effect.</p>
<p>Researchers should also investigate mixed methods of inducing gratitude that go beyond verbal or written expressions. Activities that involve concrete actions or reciprocal exchanges might appeal more to boys or students who are resistant to journaling. Understanding the mechanisms behind the “resistance effect” in medium-gratitude students is a priority for refining these programs.</p>
<p>Ultimately, this research demonstrates that while gratitude is a powerful tool, it is not a universal panacea for adolescent misbehavior. The complex interplay of gender, personality, and social motivation dictates how a student receives the message. Effective prevention of cyber-aggression requires nuanced strategies that respect these individual differences.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97214-w" target="_blank">Gratitude interventions reduce cyber-aggression in adolescents: gender and disposition effects</a>,” was authored by Tomaszek Katarzyna and Muchacka-Cymerman Agnieszka.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/common-acne-medication-linked-to-reduced-schizophrenia-risk/" 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;">Common acne medication linked to reduced schizophrenia risk</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 25th 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>A commonly prescribed antibiotic used to treat skin conditions and infections may offer protection against the development of schizophrenia. New research published in the <em><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20240958" target="_blank">American Journal of Psychiatry</a></em> suggests that adolescents in psychiatric care who took doxycycline had a lower risk of developing the disorder later in adulthood compared to those who took other antibiotics. This finding provides a potential lead for preventing a severe mental illness that currently lacks proven preventive interventions.</p>
<p>Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling medical conditions in existence. It impacts an individual’s physical health as well as their social, educational, and occupational life. Medical experts have sought effective ways to prevent the onset of psychosis for decades. Identifying interventions for high-risk individuals remains a primary ambition for the field of psychiatry.</p>
<p>Current data indicates that the peak onset of psychotic disorders occurs after the age of 20. However, a substantial number of people who eventually receive a diagnosis interact with child and adolescent mental health services years earlier. Research from Finland has shown that nearly half of all people diagnosed with psychotic disorders had attended adolescent psychiatric clinics. This widespread early contact suggests that these clinics could serve as a venue for early intervention if effective preventive treatments existed.</p>
<p>The biological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia are not fully understood, but inflammation and synaptic issues are leading theories. Scientists believe that a process called synaptic pruning plays a central role in the development of the disorder. Synaptic pruning is a natural developmental stage where the brain eliminates weak or unnecessary neural connections. In schizophrenia, this process may become excessive and result in the loss of too many connections.</p>
<p>Doxycycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic widely used to treat acne vulgaris and various infections. Beyond its antibacterial properties, the drug is known to enter the brain easily. It has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in laboratory models of nervous system disorders. Previous experiments suggest that doxycycline might inhibit the immune cells responsible for excessive synaptic pruning.</p>
<p>A team of researchers led by Ian Kelleher at the University of Edinburgh and colleagues from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare investigated whether this drug could reduce schizophrenia risk in humans. They hypothesized that the drug’s anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties might interrupt the biological pathway toward psychosis. </p>
<p>To test this, they utilized a massive dataset from the Finnish health registry. The study population included all individuals born in Finland between 1987 and 1997 who had attended adolescent psychiatric services between ages 13 and 18.</p>
<p>The investigators employed a method known as an emulated target trial. This statistical approach attempts to mimic the rigorous design of a randomized controlled trial using existing observational data. It allows researchers to establish strict criteria for who is included in the “treatment” and “control” groups. This method helps to reduce some of the biases that typically affect observational studies.</p>
<p>The study focused on young people who had received a prescription for antibiotics. The researchers compared those who were prescribed doxycycline against those who were prescribed other types of antibiotics. This active comparison group helped account for the possibility that having an infection itself might influence mental health outcomes. The total sample consisted of 56,395 individuals.</p>
<p>Of this group, roughly 29 percent received prescriptions for doxycycline. The researchers tracked these individuals from their first antibiotic prescription until they reached age 30, died, or moved out of the country. The primary outcome they looked for was a recorded diagnosis of schizophrenia. The team adjusted their statistical models to account for variables such as sex, birth year, and parental education.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed a significant difference in outcomes between the two groups. Among patients who took antibiotics other than doxycycline, the estimated risk of developing schizophrenia within ten years was 2.1 percent. In contrast, those who took doxycycline showed a significantly lower risk. For these individuals, the ten-year risk dropped to approximately 1.4 percent.</p>
<p>This represents a relative risk reduction of roughly 33 percent. The protective association was evident across different levels of cumulative exposure to the drug. Even individuals who took relatively low cumulative doses appeared to benefit from this reduction in risk. The researchers calculated the “number needed to treat” to prevent one case of schizophrenia. They estimated that for every 132 to 160 adolescents treated with doxycycline, one case of schizophrenia might be prevented.</p>
<p>The study also examined a subgroup of patients who had more severe mental health needs during adolescence. This included individuals who had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital as teenagers. The results for this high-risk group were consistent with the broader findings. Doxycycline use was associated with a roughly 40 to 50 percent reduction in the risk of schizophrenia compared to the use of other antibiotics in this inpatient population.</p>
<p>The researchers investigated whether the reduction in risk applied to other types of psychotic disorders. They found that the association was specific to schizophrenia. Doxycycline use did not appear to significantly lower the risk of developing broader nonaffective psychotic disorders. This distinction may be due to the specific biological pathways involving inflammation that are more prominent in schizophrenia than in other psychoses.</p>
<p>The team also conducted several sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of their findings. They checked whether the link could be explained by the fact that doxycycline is often used for acne. They analyzed whether acne medication in general was linked to lower psychosis risk and found it was not. This suggests that the benefit is likely linked to the specific properties of doxycycline rather than the condition it treats.</p>
<p>Professor Ian Kelleher, the study lead, commented on the implications of the work. He stated, “As many as half of the people who develop schizophrenia had previously attended child and adolescent mental health services for other mental health problems. At present, though, we don’t have any interventions that are known to reduce the risk of going on to develop schizophrenia in these young people. That makes these findings exciting.”</p>
<p>Despite the promising results, the study has limitations inherent to its design. Because it was observational, it cannot definitively prove that doxycycline caused the reduction in schizophrenia cases. The researchers could not control for all possible differences between the groups. For instance, the group prescribed doxycycline was older on average and included more females than the comparison group.</p>
<p>Kelleher addressed the limitations regarding causality. He explained, “Because the study was observational in nature and not a randomized controlled trial, it means we can’t draw firm conclusions on causality, but this is an important signal to further investigate the protective effect of doxycycline and other anti-inflammatory treatments in adolescent psychiatry patients as a way to potentially reduce the risk of developing severe mental illness in adulthood.”</p>
<p>Experts not involved in the study provided additional context. Katharina Schmack from The Francis Crick Institute highlighted the significance of the study population. She told the Science Media Centre, “This is the first study to look at the link between doxycycline and schizophrenia risk in health records of adolescents seeking mental health care. This is an important population to study as these adolescents already face an elevated risk for schizophrenia.”</p>
<p>However, Schmack also pointed out the modest absolute numbers. She explained, “And while the effects observed here are statistically significant, the absolute numbers are modest: at 15 years, doxycycline treatment at the highest dose was associated with a reduction of approximately 2.5% of absolute risk, meaning that instead of about 5 out of 100 people now roughly 2-3 out of 100 would develop schizophrenia.”</p>
<p>Dominic Oliver of the University of Oxford discussed the biological plausibility of the findings. He referenced the drug’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and its anti-inflammatory effects. He said, “Overall, this is an important study that opens the door to new avenues for preventive treatments for psychosis. Confirming these findings in other large datasets (and eventually in randomised controlled trials) is essential before doxycycline can be considered for preventive use in young people at risk of psychosis.”</p>
<p>Others remained more skeptical about the ability to rule out confounding factors. David Curtis of University College London noted the demographic differences between the two antibiotic groups. He stated, “The main problem with this study is that, by recruiting people at the time that they were prescribed doxycycline or a different antibiotic, the researchers ended up with two groups which clearly differ in a number of important ways.”</p>
<p>Curtis continued by expressing doubt about the causal link. He remarked, “Given the fact that there are marked differences between the two groups, even if we attempt to account for known confounders there’s really no way to tell that any difference in risk of developing schizophrenia is due to the doxycycline treatment or for some other reason. From everything we know, I find it quite hard to believe that prescription of doxycycline would reduce the risk of developing schizophrenia.”</p>
<p>The authors acknowledge that a randomized controlled trial would be the ideal way to confirm these results. Such a trial would be challenging to conduct due to the long timeframe required for schizophrenia to develop. It would require following a large number of participants for many years. They note that while the findings are exciting, they are preliminary. Confirmatory research is necessary before any changes to clinical practice can be recommended. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings in different populations.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20240958" target="_blank">Doxycycline Use in Adolescent Psychiatric Patients and Risk of Schizophrenia: An Emulated Target Trial</a>,” was authored by Ulla Lång, Johanna Metsälä, Hugh Ramsay, Fiona Boland, Katriina Heikkilä, Anna Pulakka, Anne Lawlor, Karen O’Connor, Juha Veijola, Eero Kajantie, Colm Healy, and Ian Kelleher.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/how-positive-parenting-builds-grit-through-gratitude/" 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;">How positive parenting builds grit through gratitude</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 25th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>Recent research involving hundreds of Chinese adolescents suggests that the path from supportive parenting to a child’s long-term perseverance relies heavily on cultivating specific positive emotions. A study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.70074" target="_blank">International Journal of Psychology</a></em> tracks students over time to show how family dynamics translate into the trait known as grit through a chain reaction of gratitude and life satisfaction. This work indicates that parental warmth facilitates determination by first fostering a sense of thankfulness and general well-being.</p>
<p>The concept of grit has become a significant topic in psychology and education. It is defined as a combination of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. Angela Duckworth, a leading researcher in the field, initially proposed grit as a non-cognitive strength that predicts success. It involves maintaining interest and effort despite failure, adversity, or plateaus in progress. While grit is often measured as an individual trait, researchers are increasingly looking at the environmental factors that shape it.</p>
<p>Family acts as the primary social context for development during early adolescence. Although teenagers often seek independence and shift attention toward peers, parents remain fundamental figures for emotional support. The researchers behind the current study sought to map the psychological terrain between a parent’s actions and a child’s developing resilience. They hypothesized that specific internal mechanisms must bridge the gap between external parenting styles and internal drive.</p>
<p>The investigation was conducted by a collaborative team of researchers. The group included Kelly Ka Lai Lam, Shan Zhao, Hongfei Du, Liuyue Huang, and Peilian Chi. They represent institutions including the University of Macau, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Beijing Normal University. Their work aimed to move beyond simple correlations to understand the sequence of events that builds character.</p>
<p>The researchers utilized a theoretical framework known as the broaden-and-build theory. This psychological model suggests that positive emotions do more than just make people feel good. Positive emotional states broaden an individual’s awareness and encourage novel thoughts and actions. Over time, this broadened perspective builds personal resources, such as resilience and social connections. The team proposed that gratitude acts as one of these expansive emotions.</p>
<p>To test their hypotheses, the team designed a longitudinal study spanning eighteen months. They recruited 660 students from two middle schools in Southern China. The participants ranged in age from eleven to fifteen years old at the start of the project. This age range represents a critical developmental window where autonomy increases and academic pressures often intensify.</p>
<p>Data collection occurred in three distinct waves to establish a timeline of cause and effect. In the first wave, students reported on their perceptions of their parents’ behaviors. They used a standardized assessment called the Parental Bonding Instrument. This tool measures three specific dimensions of parenting.</p>
<p>The first dimension is parental care, which involves warmth and empathy. The second is the encouragement of autonomy, which allows children to make their own choices. The third dimension is control, which involves overprotection or intrusion. For the purposes of the study, “positive parenting” was defined as high care, high autonomy support, and low control.</p>
<p>Nine months after the initial survey, the researchers returned for the second wave of data collection. The students completed surveys regarding their current emotional states. They answered questions about their tendency to experience gratitude in daily life. They also rated their global satisfaction with their lives. This step was intended to capture the intermediate psychological effects of the parenting styles reported earlier.</p>
<p>The final wave took place another seven months later. At this point, the researchers measured the students’ levels of grit. They used the Short Grit Scale to assess consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. This timeline allowed the researchers to analyze how early family experiences rippled through the students’ emotional lives to impact their eventual determination.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed a distinct pathway connecting these variables. Adolescents who perceived their parents as warm and supportive in the first phase reported higher levels of gratitude in the second phase. This suggests that a nurturing home environment models and teaches the practice of thankfulness. This sense of gratitude appeared to be a foundational block for subsequent well-being.</p>
<p>Those heightened levels of gratitude then predicted greater life satisfaction in the same time period. The data showed that students who felt more grateful were more likely to evaluate their overall life conditions positively. This aligns with previous theories that gratitude helps individuals focus on positive aspects of their existence. It serves as a coping mechanism that reduces the impact of daily stressors.</p>
<p>This general appreciation for life then correlated with higher scores in grit during the final phase. Students with higher life satisfaction were more likely to report sustaining effort toward their goals. The researchers describe this entire sequence as a serial mediating effect. Positive parenting initiates a chain of psychological events that results in a grittier adolescent.</p>
<p>The study also isolated the specific roles of the mediators. The researchers found that gratitude was a significant mediator on its own. A supportive family environment led to gratitude, which in turn led to grit. This supports the idea that gratitude provides the psychological resources necessary to persist through challenges.</p>
<p>The findings regarding life satisfaction presented a more nuanced picture. When analyzed in isolation, life satisfaction did not mediate the link between parenting and grit. It only became a significant factor when it was preceded by gratitude. This implies that positive parenting does not automatically create a satisfied, gritty child. The cultivation of gratitude appears necessary to translate parental warmth into the type of life satisfaction that fuels perseverance.</p>
<p>The authors of the study suggest that these internal resources protect adolescents from the desire to give up. Pursuing long-term goals often involves setbacks and stress. A reservoir of positive emotion and satisfaction may act as a buffer. It allows the student to recover more quickly from failure and maintain their commitment.</p>
<p>There are limitations to the generalizability of this work. The sample consisted entirely of Chinese adolescents. Cultural values regarding family obligations and academic achievement might influence these dynamics. The role of gratitude in collectivist cultures can differ from its role in individualistic societies.</p>
<p>Reliance on self-reported data introduces potential bias. Participants might answer in ways they feel are socially desirable or may lack full self-awareness. Future research could benefit from including observations from parents or teachers to verify these accounts. Additionally, while the longitudinal design supports directional hypotheses, it cannot definitively prove causation without experimental manipulation.</p>
<p>The researchers also controlled for growth mindset in their analysis. This is the belief that intelligence can be developed. Even after accounting for this variable, the emotional pathway from parenting to grit remained significant. This suggests the emotional mechanism is distinct from the cognitive belief systems often associated with academic success.</p>
<p>Future directions for this line of inquiry could include intervention studies. Researchers might investigate whether programs that teach gratitude practices to adolescents can boost grit directly. They could also explore how training parents to be more autonomy-supportive impacts this chain of development. Understanding these mechanisms offers practical avenues for educators and psychologists to support youth development.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.70074" target="_blank">Longitudinal Impact of Parenting on Grit: Serial Mediating Effect of Gratitude and Life Satisfaction</a>,” was authored by Kelly Ka Lai Lam, Shan Zhao, Hongfei Du, Liuyue Huang, and Peilian Chi.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/inflammation-in-a-key-dopamine-hub-correlates-with-depression-severity/" 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;">Inflammation in a key dopamine hub correlates with depression severity</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 25th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>Recent research identifies specific biological alterations in the brain’s reward center that correlate with depression. The study reveals that the physiological signs associated with a history of depression differ remarkably from the signs associated with the severity of current depressive symptoms. These findings appear in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.003" target="_blank">Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging</a></em>.</p>
<p>Depression is frequently understood as a disorder of mood, but growing evidence suggests it involves significant interactions with the body’s immune system. Biological responses to stress or illness often trigger inflammation. This immune response can affect the brain and disrupt the neural circuitry responsible for motivation and pleasure. The impact of inflammation on these brain networks may lead to anhedonia, which is the inability to feel pleasure and a primary symptom of depression.</p>
<p>Central to this reward network is the ventral tegmental area. This small structure resides deep within the midbrain and serves as a primary source of dopamine. Dopamine acts as a chemical messenger that regulates motivation and goal-directed behavior. Disruption in the ventral tegmental area can lead to the lethargy and lack of motivation often seen in depressive disorders.</p>
<p>Investigating this brain region has historically proven difficult due to its diminutive size and location. The ventral tegmental area is small and complex, making it challenging to visualize with standard brain imaging techniques. Sarah Khalife, Lena Oestreich, and their colleagues at The University of Queensland sought to overcome this challenge using advanced imaging data. They aimed to determine if specific markers of inflammation within this deep brain structure could be detected in human patients.</p>
<p>The research team utilized data from the UK Biobank, a massive biomedical database containing health information from half a million participants. They selected a sample of nearly 32,500 individuals who had undergone specialized brain scans. Within this group, approximately 3,800 people had a diagnosed history of major depressive disorder. The researchers compared these individuals against healthy controls who were matched for age, sex, and body mass index.</p>
<p>To assess the brain tissue, the investigators analyzed data from diffusion-weighted imaging. This magnetic resonance imaging technique tracks the movement of water molecules within brain tissue. By observing how water diffuses, scientists can infer details about the microscopic architecture of the brain. Unrestricted water movement often signals the presence of extra fluid in the spaces between cells.</p>
<p>This accumulation of extracellular fluid is a potential marker for neuroinflammation. The team also utilized a technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping. This method measures the magnetic properties of tissue, which allows for the detection of iron accumulation. Iron deposits can serve as another biological footprint of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed a divergence between individuals with a past diagnosis and those experiencing acute symptoms. Participants with a history of clinical depression exhibited higher levels of free water in the ventral tegmental area compared to healthy controls. This metric suggests an increase in fluid within the extracellular space. Such an increase is consistent with the presence of chronic, low-grade inflammatory processes.</p>
<p>However, the picture changed when the researchers looked at the severity of current symptoms. They assessed how bad a participant’s depression was at the time of the scan using a recent symptom questionnaire. The data showed that acute symptom severity followed a different biological pattern than historical diagnosis.</p>
<p>Current severity was associated with a decrease in the extracellular fluid fraction. Instead, it correlated with an increase in intracellular volume fraction. This metric reflects the density of the material inside the brain cells and the complexity of their arrangement. A higher orientation dispersion index, which measures the complexity of neuron structures, also tracked with worse current symptoms.</p>
<p>The authors interpret these contrasting results as evidence of dynamic biological states. The findings imply that the brain undergoes different microscopic changes depending on whether the depression is a long-standing trait or an acute state. The elevated free water seen in those with a diagnosis history may represent a scar-like trace of past or chronic inflammation.</p>
<p>Conversely, the structural density seen in those with severe current symptoms might reflect active cellular responses. When immune cells in the brain called microglia become active, they change shape and density. This cellular swelling and reconfiguration could explain the increase in intracellular volume fraction. The study suggests that acute neuroinflammation manifests differently on a scan than the lingering effects of a depressive history.</p>
<p>The researchers also examined the influence of physical health factors. Body mass index emerged as a significant predictor of depression severity. Higher body mass index correlated with more severe symptoms, which aligns with known links between adipose tissue and systemic inflammation. Sex was another factor, with females reporting higher symptom severity than males.</p>
<p>Despite the focus on inflammation, the study did not find significant differences in iron accumulation between the groups. The magnetic susceptibility mapping did not show the changes that would indicate severe tissue damage or cell death. This suggests that while the ventral tegmental area undergoes inflammatory changes, it may be resilient to the kind of neurodegeneration seen in other conditions.</p>
<p>Several caveats accompany these results. The study design was cross-sectional, meaning it captured a single snapshot in time for each participant. This prevents the researchers from definitively stating that inflammation causes depression. It remains possible that the depressive state initiates the inflammatory response.</p>
<p>Additionally, the imaging metrics serve as indirect proxies for inflammation. While free water and cellular density provide strong clues, they are not the same as analyzing tissue samples under a microscope. The researchers also noted that the atlas used to map the brain might include small portions of neighboring brain structures. This is an unavoidable consequence of imaging such a tiny region.</p>
<p>Future research will need to track individuals over long periods. Longitudinal studies could determine if the structural changes in the ventral tegmental area fluctuate as patients enter and exit depressive episodes. Combining these imaging techniques with blood tests for immune markers would also strengthen the link between the brain scans and biological inflammation.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.09.003" target="_blank">MRI-Derived Markers of Acute and Chronic Inflammatory Processes in the VTA Associated with Depression</a>,” was authored by Sarah Khalife, Steffen Bollmann, Andrew Zalesky, and Lena K.L. Oestreich.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-study-links-leafy-greens-berries-and-fish-to-better-cognitive-health/" 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;">New study links leafy greens, berries, and fish to better cognitive health</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 25th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>Eating a diet rich in vegetables, berries, fish, and whole grains may help slow memory loss and protect the brain, according to a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-17055-5"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a>. Researchers found that both the Mediterranean and MIND diets were linked to better cognitive health, with the MIND diet showing a slight edge.</p>
<p>Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that gradually erodes memory and thinking skills, affects more than 55 million people worldwide. While there is no cure, lifestyle factors such as diet have emerged as powerful tools in reducing risk.</p>
<p>The Mediterranean diet has long been praised for its heart and brain benefits, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, and moderate wine consumption. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, developed more recently, incorporates elements of the Mediterranean diet, with a sharper focus on foods believed to protect the brain—like leafy greens, berries, nuts, and whole grains. Both diets limit red meat and processed foods.</p>
<p>Led by Xiaofang Liu from the Huadu District People’s Hospital of Guangzhou, researchers in China set out to compare the long-term effects of these two diets on brain health. They recruited 1,500 participants between the ages of 50 and 75, including 750 healthy individuals and 750 patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.</p>
<p>Over five years, participants’ diets were tracked using questionnaires and mobile apps, while their memory and thinking skills were tested regularly. Blood and spinal fluid samples were analyzed for biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s, such as amyloid-beta and tau proteins. Brain scans were also conducted to measure changes in hippocampal volume and cortical thickness—key indicators of neurodegeneration.</p>
<p>Participants who closely followed either diet scored higher on memory and thinking tests and showed lower levels of harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer’s. They also had reduced inflammation, a known contributor to brain decline. Importantly, brain scans revealed that those with strong dietary adherence experienced slower shrinkage of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, and less thinning of the cortex, which is critical for higher-level thinking.</p>
<p>The authors noted, “While both diets offer neuroprotection, our findings suggest that the MIND diet may provide slightly superior benefits due to its targeted inclusion of neuroprotective nutrients such as berries, leafy greens, and whole grains.” Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and B vitamins were also linked to improved cognitive performance.</p>
<p>Genetics played a role too. People carrying the APOE-ε4 gene variant, which increases Alzheimer’s risk, experienced faster decline overall. However, even they benefited from adhering to these diets, suggesting that nutrition can help offset genetic vulnerability.</p>
<p>However, the study is not without caveats. Dietary intake was partly self-reported, which can introduce inaccuracies. Furthermore, the exclusion of participants with other serious health conditions may also limit how broadly the findings apply.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-17055-5">The long-term neuroprotective effect of MIND and Mediterranean diet on patients with Alzheimer’s disease</a>,” was authored by Xiaofang Liu, Bo Yang, Qiong Liu, Mengge Gao, and Miaoqing Luo.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/fundamental-beliefs-about-the-world-can-buffer-against-the-psychological-impact-of-trauma-new-research-suggests/" 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;">Fundamental beliefs about the world can buffer against the psychological impact of trauma, new research suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 25th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.70031" target="_blank">Journal of Personality</a></em> provides evidence that fundamental assumptions about the nature of the world can protect individuals from the psychological fallout of severe illness and trauma. The study indicates that these beliefs act as a psychological buffer, allowing some individuals to maintain well-being despite facing significant adversity.</p>
<p>Psychologists have sought to understand why people react so differently to tragedy. Some individuals experience debilitating distress after a negative event, while others display remarkable resilience. </p>
<p>Previous theories proposed that trauma causes psychological damage by shattering a person’s core assumptions about safety and meaning. This perspective implies that the negative event itself alters the person’s worldview, leading to despair.</p>
<p>However, newer research suggests that these fundamental worldviews are actually quite stable. Rather than being easily shattered, these beliefs may persist over time and shape how a person interprets new information.</p>
<p>“Our project, led by my colleague and co-author, Jeremy Clifton, focuses on the psychological significance of generalized beliefs about the world – things like ‘the world is safe’ or ‘the world is dangerous,'” said study author Nicholas Kerry, a research associate at the University of Vienna.</p>
<p>“These beliefs are surprisingly stable within people; if you ask someone how safe or dangerous they think the world is and then ask again six months later, you usually get almost the same answer. And there’s growing evidence that these beliefs shape how people interpret many different situations.”</p>
<p>“For example, someone who believes the world is generally safe might notice or prioritize information that fits that view and interpret ambiguous situations as relatively harmless. Someone who believes the world is dangerous might interpret the same situation very differently. One person might see a violent incident as a freak event that’s unlikely to happen again, while another might treat it as proof that violence is everywhere—leading to much greater anxiety about what might happen next.”</p>
<p>“Based on that reasoning, we wondered whether these broad world beliefs could help explain why people respond so differently when stressful or traumatic events occur. Do these beliefs make some people more vulnerable to stress, anxiety, or depression—and help buffer others? That was the core question driving this study. ”</p>
<p>The researchers focused on a specific set of beliefs regarding the character of the world. These included the belief that the world is “Safe” versus dangerous, “Improvable” versus static, “Just” versus unfair, and “Regenerative” versus degenerative. A regenerative world belief implies that the natural tendency of the universe is to heal, stabilize, and get better, rather than to decay. </p>
<p>To test this, the researchers conducted two distinct studies. The first study utilized a cross-sectional design to examine the relationship between chronic illness and emotional distress. The researchers recruited a total of 1,052 participants. This sample included four distinct groups: 74 current cancer patients, 351 cancer survivors, 117 individuals with cystic fibrosis, and a control group of 484 healthy volunteers.</p>
<p>Participants completed the Primals Inventory, a validated scale designed to measure fundamental world beliefs. They also completed standard measures of anxiety and depression from the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System. The researchers then analyzed whether the link between having a serious illness and feeling distressed depended on the participant’s world beliefs.</p>
<p>The results from the first study showed a clear pattern of moderation. Among participants with low levels of belief that the world is improvable, just, or regenerative, those with chronic illnesses reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression than healthy controls. This aligns with the intuitive expectation that serious illness leads to distress.</p>
<p>However, the pattern was different for those with positive world beliefs. For participants who strongly believed the world is improvable, just, and regenerative, there was no statistical difference in emotional distress between those with a severe illness and the healthy control group. </p>
<p>The data suggests that for these individuals, the objective reality of a serious disease did not translate into the expected psychological suffering. The researchers found that these specific beliefs were more effective buffers than simply having a generally optimistic outlook.</p>
<p>The second study took a different approach by examining a sudden, acute trauma. This study capitalized on a longitudinal dataset that was being collected when a tragedy occurred. Researchers were tracking 152 university students for a different project when a mass shooting took place on their campus. This allowed the team to compare stress levels before and after the event.</p>
<p>The students completed surveys at three time points. The first wave occurred in September, two months before the shooting. The second wave took place in November, roughly nine days after the incident. The final wave was collected in March, four months post-event. The survey measured perceived stress and the “Safe” world belief, which assesses the extent to which a person views the world as free from constant threat.</p>
<p>The analysis focused on how trait-level beliefs predicted changes in stress. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, students who viewed the world as a dangerous place reported a significant spike in stress. This elevated stress persisted into the final wave of data collection four months later. The data indicates that for these students, the shooting confirmed a negative worldview and resulted in lasting distress.</p>
<p>In contrast, students who held a high “Safe” world belief prior to the shooting showed a different trajectory. These individuals reported no significant increase in perceived stress either immediately after the event or four months later. Despite being in the vicinity of a major threat to safety, their fundamental assumption that the world is safe appeared to shield them from the stress response typically associated with such events.</p>
<p>The study also found that the shooting did not significantly alter the students’ world beliefs. Beliefs regarding safety remained stable from the first wave to the third. This supports the idea that these beliefs function as stable traits rather than temporary states that fluctuate with daily events. It reinforces the authors’ proposition that world beliefs shape our reaction to trauma, rather than trauma primarily shaping our beliefs.</p>
<p>“One takeaway is that we all carry around broad assumptions about what to expect from the world. These beliefs may act like filters: sometimes they help us, and sometimes they make things harder. Our findings suggest that how you see the world could be important for how people cope with very difficult experiences.”</p>
<p>“People who believed the world is improvable, fair, regenerative, or generally safe were less likely to experience heightened anxiety or depression after serious illness or after being in the vicinity of a mass shooting. In some cases, people with the most positive world beliefs looked no worse off than individuals who had never experienced the negative event at all.”</p>
<p>“In other words, these generalized world beliefs don’t determine what happens to you—but they may contribute to how deeply those events affect you emotionally.”</p>
<p>As with all research, there are some limitations. The first study was cross-sectional, meaning it captured data at a single point in time. This makes it difficult to definitively prove that the beliefs caused the resilience, although the pattern is consistent with that conclusion. It is possible that other unmeasured factors contributed to the well-being of the participants.</p>
<p>The second study, while longitudinal, had a relatively small sample size of university students. This may limit how well the findings apply to the general population or to different types of trauma. </p>
<p>Future research is needed to determine if these beliefs can be changed through intervention. If specific world beliefs act as protective buffers, it may be possible to foster resilience by helping individuals cultivate these views. Cognitive-behavioral therapies already focus on altering maladaptive thoughts. Focusing on deeper, more generalized assumptions about the universe could be a viable avenue for treatment.</p>
<p>The researchers also suggest that future studies should examine a wider range of traumatic events. Investigating how these beliefs function in the face of natural disasters, bereavement, or economic hardship would provide a more complete picture. Understanding the specific mechanisms by which these beliefs reduce distress could lead to more targeted psychological support.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.70031" target="_blank">World Beliefs Moderate the Effects of Trauma and Severe Illness on Emotional Distress</a>,” was authored by Nicholas Kerry, Janna Hämpke, Adrienne Wood, Shelly Tsang, Kyle Barrantine, Shigehiro Oishi, K. C. White, and Jeremy D. W. Clifton.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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