stress

Short breathing exercises can prevent sudden spikes in heart rate and anxiety. A new study reveals that just a few minutes of controlled breathing keeps physiological stress markers from rising when individuals face an intimidating social evaluation.

Carmen Alvarez, PhD, CRNP, CNM, FAAN, and Sara F. Jacoby, PhD, MPH, MSN, FAAN, from Penn Nursing's Department of Family and Community Health, have co-authored a guest editorial in Research in Nursing & Health, examining how chronic stress, trauma, and violence shape physical health and well-being across the lifespan. The editorial highlights a special issue of 16 empirical papers, guest edited by…

Nature, Published online: 05 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10874-0 Amygdala astrocyte primary cilia are disrupted during stress, and their restoration leads to improvements in stress-related behaviour in mice.

IntroductionAlthough hypoxic interventions are increasingly explored as non-pharmacological modulators of stress-related pathology, their ability to benefit PTSD remains poorly understood. We compared behavioural and molecular outcomes of three hypoxic regimes — intermittent normobaric hypoxia (IHT), hypobaric hypoxia (Bar), and chemical hypoxia (CH) via cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) — in rats with PTS…

Research finds that watching nature videos can reduce stress and improve emotional recovery, even without direct exposure to the outdoors.

A new study reveals that listening to 528 Hz and 432 Hz music alters stress and brain health markers in students. However, these biological shifts don't immediately translate to better focus or attention during stressful exam periods.

IntroductionTo assess the effectiveness of interventions combining pink noise or binaural beats with pure music in improving sleep quality and reducing perceived stress among college students, and to preliminarily investigate their effects on morning salivary cortisol levels.MethodsUsing a three-group randomized controlled design, 66 college students with poor sleep quality (PSQI score >7) were r…

BackgroundPrenatal stress (PS) is a major risk factor for depression later in life, yet the cellular mechanisms linking early-life adversity to long-term affective vulnerability remain incompletely understood. Neuropeptide receptors have emerged as important modulators of stress-related psychopathology, but their roles in mitochondrial regulation within limbic circuits remain largely unexplored.M…

Stress-induced dysbiosis exacerbates mental health by modulating the nervous system and gut permeability. In this study, we investigate the therapeutic potential of porous silicon water-mixed catechin in alleviating chronic stress-induced dementia in rats. In a 28-day study, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced rats were treated with Lactobacillus acidophilus (2.5 × 10^9 CFU, p.o), po…

On a new podcast episode, a researcher offers practical advice to a frustrated workforce.

Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 28 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02434-3 A global analysis of more than 3,800 studies that involved over 10 million people shows that contact with nature reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression while promoting relaxation. The findings strengthen the case for integrating natural environments into mental-health strategies and urban planning policies, …

Nature Human Behaviour, Published online: 28 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41562-026-02433-4 This systematic overview and second-order meta-analysis shows that nature-based interventions effectively reduce anxiety and depression while enhancing relaxation and positive affect.

Your beliefs about stress and your response to stress alter your hormones and your body’s ability to bounce back.

Stress-relieving activities can help you feel more balanced every day. Consider these options.

Author: Prof. Robert Peter Biney & Dr. Thomas Amatey Tagoe Affiliations: Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Pharmacy Practice, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Department of Physiology, University of Ghana, Ghana Key themes: • Neuroscience development in Ghana • Early foundations in physiology and neurosurgery • Research on stress, neurotoxicity and disease • Capacity building and internation…

the experience of feeling and responding to life’s pressures can lead to stress,; our task is to be able to manage the pressures and stress and try to maintain our emotional health. Reframe pressure as a positive, as a privilege, a way to embrace challenges and transform them into opportunities.

Chronic psychological stress is known to induce functional and molecular alterations in central circuits regulating micturition. Here, we investigated whether odor-specific olfactory stimulation modulates stress-associated bladder dysfunction and related brain transcriptional responses. Female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to repeated water avoidance stress (WAS) and exposed to inhalated essential…