PsyPost – Psychology News

New research shows that administering the antidepressant escitalopram during the luteal phase eases the debilitating irritability and anger associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, while simultaneously reducing the brain’s neural response to aggressive social stimuli.

When parents help their children with writing activities because they genuinely enjoy the process, children develop more positive attitudes toward the subject. These positive feelings are linked to better handwritten stories and improved grammar in the classroom.

New research suggests that higher doses of the weight-loss drug semaglutide might lower the risk of developing certain mental health conditions. Surprisingly, this psychiatric benefit appears to be independent of how much weight a person actually loses.

A large study found that a history of multiple depressive episodes is tied to heightened brain activity during emotional processing. The findings suggest each episode leaves a biological signature, increasing vulnerability to future relapses.

A recent study in Psychological Science suggests that human beings have a deep-seated need to feel their actions matter. This drive, emerging as early as age four, motivates us to choose effortful tasks over easy ones.

Being actively rejected and being silently ignored both cause social pain, but they trigger different forms of dark creativity. A recent psychological study reveals how specific types of social exclusion shape our desire for creative revenge.

Our assumptions about a man's parenting abilities might be written all over his face. New research reveals that men with wider facial proportions are instinctively stereotyped as highly motivated protectors of children, but less interested in nurturing.

Adults who experienced emotional abuse in childhood often battle destructive thought patterns like rumination and emotional avoidance. A new study suggests that chronic shame serves as the psychological bridge linking early maltreatment to these harmful habits.

Psychologists have long assumed that people who favor social equality are permanently wired to criticize political institutions. A large new study reveals that as nations achieve greater gender parity, these egalitarians increasingly defend the political status quo.

Even without hitting the gym, older adults taking daily creatine saw increases in muscle mass and memory performance, highlighting the supplement's potential anti-aging benefits.

Getting a smartphone early in childhood may have lasting consequences. A new study links early phone ownership and social media access to worse psychological well-being, disrupted sleep, and strained family relationships in young adulthood.

People with higher levels of shyness tend to perceive others' facial expressions as more intense, but a new study indicates this effect depends heavily on cultural background, occurring among young adults in China but not in Canada.

A new study tracks how daily stress and bedtime worry impact sleep. Researchers found that racing thoughts predict nighttime wakefulness, especially for individuals with high sleep reactivity, while physical symptoms like elevated heart rate play a smaller role.

Could a compound found in magic mushrooms prevent one of chemotherapy’s worst side effects? New preclinical research shows that prophylactic psilocybin protects sensory nerves from toxic cancer drugs, opening the door for upcoming clinical trials in humans.

A large study of twins and their families reveals that authoritarian traits are heavily shaped by upbringing, while preferences for social hierarchy stem from unique personal experiences outside the home.

People often adjust what they share about their achievements based on what a conversation partner just revealed. Recent research suggests these choices are driven by an intention to protect the other person's feelings rather than self-presentation.

Can a baby’s cry reveal early signs of autism? A new review shows that while certain acoustic patterns and AI tools show promise, there is no definitive evidence yet that autistic infants can be identified solely by crying.

While childhood intelligence and grades do not predict how people view their memory in old age, a new study finds that early adolescent school anxiety does.

People who consider themselves highly desirable romantic partners also tend to report higher overall self-worth. A recent meta-analysis of data from nearly 12,000 individuals confirmed a strong positive association between self-perceived mate value and global self-esteem.

Heavy drinking changes how the brain fuels itself. But new research shows this metabolic shift is highly reversible, with the brain’s energy system returning to near-normal within just one month of abstinence.