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A new paper published in Science Advances finds that life expectancy in India was 2.6 years lower in 2020 than 2019, with women and marginalised social groups suffering the greatest declines. The international study, co-authored by the Department of Sociology and the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science 's Dr Aashish Gupta and Professor Ridhi Kashyap , reveals that life expectancy in India suffered large and unequal declines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New study proposes a framework for "Child Safe AI" following recent incidents which revealed that many children see chatbots as quasi-human and trustworthy. When not designed with children's needs in mind, Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have an "empathy gap" that puts young users at particular risk of distress or harm, according to a study.

In the largest study of its kind, scientists at the University of Warwick have investigated a range of contributing risk factors for suicide - helping to identify individuals who might benefit from interventions. The behavioural and biological predictors, include elevated white blood cells, neuroticism, childhood experiences and reduced grey matter in the brain.

New research, by our Department of Psychology, has found that negative social contact among people of differing societal or cultural groups can have a disproportionate negative effect on broad social cohesion within communities. The research, led by Professor Stefania Paolini, analyses 70 years of research into the psychological effects of intergroup social contact.

Adolescents who experience higher levels of social anxiety symptoms are more likely to report increased suicidal thoughts and other depressive symptoms two years later, finds a new study involving UCL researchers. The findings, published in JCPP Advances, highlights the need for early interventions to address society anxiety in young people.

Cambridge scientists have shown that problems regulating emotions - which can manifest as depression, anxiety and explosive outbursts - may be a core symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A study shows that if communities think outsiders are stealing their forest resources, they are more likely to want to increase their own harvest. The research, led by Imperial College London and Max Plank Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology researchers, shows why effective boundaries around a community's common-pool resource are key to sustainable management of that resource.

Research finds concerning trends in adolescent substance use in the UK Alcohol is the most commonly used substance, while vaping is now more common than cigarette smoking among young people, according to a new WHO/Europe report coordinated by researchers at the University of Glasgow. The latest data from across Europe, Central Asia and Canada, from the new Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, paints a concerning picture of adolescent substance use in the UK and beyond.

In response to the escalating fire crises in the Amazon, a timely study has revealed alarming shortcomings in the emergency fire bans implemented by the Brazilian Government. Initially seen as a promising solution in 2019, these bans have consistently fallen short in subsequent years, revealing a pressing need for strategies that address the underlying causes of each type of fire.

New analysis of adolescent TV and film on Netflix suggests that too often it shows misleading depictions of pain. Published on Thursday 28 March 2024 Last updated on Thursday 4 April 2024 New analysis of adolescent TV and film on Netflix suggests that too often it shows misleading depictions of pain, portraying pain as something arising only through a violent act or injury.

Research undertaken in Fiji found that communities were more likely to adopt marine conservation initiatives if their neighbours have. A new paper published in Global Environmental Change featuring Imperial College London researchers explores how Indigenous-led initiatives can be scaled to protect marine ecosystems.

Only 17% of rural local planning authorities have made use of Rural Exception Sites, a planning policy mechanism designed to boost the supply of affordable housing in rural areas, finds a new study by UCL researchers in association with the Rural Housing Network. Rural Exception Sites were introduced in England in 1991 to enable the development of affordable homes on underdeveloped land that would otherwise be restricted for residential development.

Social class is a powerful hierarchy that determines many privileges and disadvantages in society. Research shows that people are quick to form impressions of other people's social class standing, which can have important consequences - but what specifically drives these impressions, and their relationship to judgements of harmful or advantageous stereotypes, has remained unknown.

New research shows how widening inequalities are fuelling childhood obesity Childhood obesity has increased the most in less advantaged groups, according to a new study Childhood obesity has increased the most in less advantaged groups, according to a new study. The research - led by the University of Glasgow and published in Archives of Disease in Childhood - found that despite a plateau in overall childhood obesity since 2004, widening societal inequalities meant the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity was seen primarily in socioeconomically disadvantaged children.

Existing drinking water fluoridation programmes in England still provide marginal savings for the NHS, but there is no guarantee new schemes would continue to do so, a new study led by University of Manchester researchers finds. It is the largest ever study of the effects of water fluoridation on the dental health of adults.

Traditional navigation techniques from across the world, some of which have been in use for thousands of years, can inform western science, according to research from UCL and the University of York. The new review paper, published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences , sheds new light on remarkable feats of navigation from cultures ranging from sailors in the Marshall Islands using wave patterns to navigate the vast Pacific Ocean, to indigenous communities in Alaska using stars to find their way across the Yukon.

A ground-breaking study, published in Nature Human Behaviour , reveals a significant association between 74 early-life diseases and the likelihood of remaining childless throughout one's life, with 33 of these diseases prevalent in both women and men. Led by Aoxing Liu and senior authors Melinda Mills , Andrea Ganna and an international team, the study examined the link between 414 early-life diseases and lifetime childlessness in over 2.5 million individuals born in Finland and Sweden.

A new study cautions against using the QbTest as a standalone diagnostic or screening tool for ADHD. Rather, the study authors highlight the intended use of the QbTest as a component of a full clinical assessment, since it could help clinicians reach faster diagnostic decisions and reduce waiting lists.

The potential causes of racial and ethnic disparities in the use of Taser by police officers in England and Wales have been analysed by researchers from UCL, Keele University, the University of Exeter and Staffordshire University. The independent report , published today, suggests that a complex interplay of factors increases the likelihood of Taser being deployed against people from Black and other ethnic minority communities.

A study looking at 15 years of HIV transmission and suppression in Uganda reveals how closing gender gaps in treatment could slash infection rates. Providing more heterosexual men with easy access to HIV treatment and care could help to suppress the virus and rapidly cut transmission to their female partners, shows a new study published in Nature Microbiology .