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The tablet form of the stress hormone cortisol could accelerate the process of forgetting intrusive memories, when given immediately after a traumatic event, finds a new study by UCL researchers. The research, published in Translational Psychiatry , found that hydrocortisone (30mg) - an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat conditions such as arthritis - acts to weaken the emotions that underly painful memories, such as those experienced in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Writing in The Conversation, Dr Ruth Plackett (UCL Epidemiology & Health) synthesises the results of research looking into how to best protect one's mental health while navigating the volatile social media landscape. The recent inquest into the death of British teenager Molly Russell in 2017 has concluded that the 14-year-old "died from an act of self harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content".

People living with dementia may benefit from talking therapies available on the NHS, if they suffer from anxiety or depression, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are very common in people with dementia, and previous studies estimate that 38% of people with mild dementia are affected by the conditions.

Some of the assessment tools which measure children's thinking skills in the US may have provided inaccurate information about poor, urban students because they are modelled on wealthier - mostly white - populations. There is a big question around how we measure executive functions: are we actually using the right tools?

Following a meditation programme for 18 months can improve attention and socio-emotional regulation capacities for people over 65, finds a new study co-led by a UCL researcher. But the researchers did not identify any significant impact of meditation on the volume and functioning of the brain structures studied, in comparison to control groups, so the potential to prevent dementia remains unclear, they report in JAMA Neurology .

People with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are 2.5 times more likely than those without a psychotic disorder to eventually develop dementia, according to a review of evidence led by UCL researchers. The new systematic review and meta-analysis, published in Psychological Medicine , found that psychotic disorders may have a stronger link with dementia than other mental health disorders like depression or anxiety.

The prevalence of serious mental health problems among 17-year-olds could drop by as much as 16.8% for girls and 8.4% for boys if they were not subjected to sexual violence, such as sexual assault and harassment, according to estimates from UCL researchers. The new research, published today in The Lancet Psychiatry , uses information from 9,971 young people born across the UK in 2000-02, who are being followed by the Millennium Cohort Study.

Monkeypox can sometimes lead to neurological complications such as encephalitis (brain inflammation), confusion or seizures, finds a new review of evidence led by a UCL researcher. Several studies incorporated in the systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence, published in eClinicalMedicine , also found that muscle aches, fatigue, headache, anxiety and depression were all relatively common among monkeypox patients.

A study from CAST finds that whilst climate anxiety is low amongst the UK public, it may be an important driver of climate action such as cutting down on waste. The first-ever detailed study of climate anxiety among the UK adult population suggests that whilst rates are currently low, people's fears about the future of the planet might be an important trigger for action when it comes to adapting our high-carbon lifestyles to become more environmentally friendly.

Robots can be better at detecting mental wellbeing issues in children than parent-reported or self-reported testing, a new study suggests. Children might see the robot as a confidante - they feel like they won't get into trouble if they share secrets with it Nida Itrat Abbasi A team of roboticists, computer scientists and psychiatrists from the University of Cambridge carried out a study with 28 children between the ages of eight and 13, and had a child-sized humanoid robot administer a series of standard psychological questionnaires to assess the mental wellbeing of each participant.

A new study suggests that autism diagnosis could be improved with a greater focus on the differences in emotional needs between women and men. A new study published by a team of psychologists suggests that the diagnosis of autism could be improved by considering the differences between how women and men experience and act upon their emotions.

New diagnoses of disorders including psychosis, dementia, seizures and 'brain fog' remain commoner two years after COVID-19 than after other respiratory infections, whereas the increased risks of depression and anxiety after COVID-19 are short-lived and there is no overall excess of cases.

People in England continued to experience high levels of psychological distress even after all legal Covid restrictions ended in February 2022, finds a new study led by researchers from UCL and King's College London. The findings, part of the Covid-19 Rapid Survey of Adherence to Interventions and Responses (CORSAIR) study, were published in Journal of Psychiatric Research and examined data collected from online surveys of over 41,000 participants over the age of 16 years between April 2020 until April 2022.

Largest ever study into the health effects of different types of cannabis highlights concerns about stronger forms of the drug. As the strength or potency of cannabis products has increased internationally over the years, so have rates of people being treated for cannabis addiction, say the authors of a new study.

After decades of study, there remains no clear evidence that serotonin levels or serotonin activity are responsible for depression, according to a major review of prior research led by UCL scientists. The new umbrella review - an overview of existing meta-analyses and systematic reviews - published in Molecular Psychiatry , suggests that depression is not likely caused by a chemical imbalance, and calls into question what antidepressants do.

Adults over the age of 52 appear to be twice as likely to develop mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, alongside suffering from financial difficulties after contracting Covid-19, finds a new UCL-led study. The study, published in  PNAS , used data from 5,146 adults between the ages of 52 and 74 who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, to examine the immediate and longer-term impact of Covid-19 infection on the mental health, wellbeing, social interactions, and financial outcomes of older adults.

A standardised schools-based mindfulness training programme did not help young people's mental health and well-being overall, but did improve school culture and reduce teachers- burn out, a new study has found.

Research into the mental health impacts of Covid-19 suggests vulnerable groups need increased psychological support as government guidance is reviewed. Research from a new study suggests that health anxiety among the clinically vulnerable groups who shielded at home has risen since the first pandemic wave, despite developments in viral treatment and the roll-out of the vaccination programme.

Adolescents are over three times more vulnerable to developing a cannabis addiction than adults, but may not be at increased risk of other mental health problems related to the drug, finds a new study led by UCL and King's College London researchers. The study, published today in the Journal of Psychopharmacology , found that adolescents who used cannabis were no more likely to have higher levels of subclinical depression or anxiety than adults who use cannabis, nor were they more vulnerable than adult users to the associations with psychotic-like symptoms.

Children conceived through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) fare better at school but are slightly more likely to have mental health problems by their late teens, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Helsinki. The researchers say the correlation for mental health is  only  observed when the social demographics of children's families are taken into account, and that there is  no  evidence to suggest the MAR treatment itself is the source of association for mental health.