Researchers found that adolescents with more symptoms of gaming addiction showed lower brain activity in the region involved in decision-making and reward processing; this blunted response to reward anticipation is associated with higher symptoms of gaming addiction over time and suggests that reduced sensitivity to rewards, in particular non-gaming rewards, may play a role in problematic gaming ..read more

Being lonely is a bigger hurdle to a good night's sleep for college students than too much time at a computer or other electronic screen, a new study suggests ..read more

Higher emotional intelligence is linked to more emoji use with friends, while avoidant attachment is associated with less emoji use with friends and dating or romantic partners, according to a new study. This pattern of results varies across genders and relationship types, with women using emojis with friends and family more frequently than men ..read more

Teens who think their parents use cannabis are more likely to hold favorable attitudes toward the drug and to consider trying it themselves, according to a new study. The research also reveals that parental monitoring and the closeness of parent-child relationships play crucial roles in adolescents' views about cannabis, often with distinct effects based on the parent's gender ..read more

Access to psychotherapy has risen substantially among U.S. adults with mild to moderate distress since 2018, according to a new study. The increase in psychotherapy use is particularly notable among younger adults, women, college-educated individuals, and those with higher family incomes. Privately insured individuals also experienced greater gains in psychotherapy use compared to those who are publicly insured or uninsured ..read more

Exposure to car exhaust from leaded gas during childhood altered the balance of mental health in the U.S. population, making generations of Americans more depressed, anxious and inattentive or hyperactive, according to researchers. They estimate that 151 million cases of psychiatric disorder over the past 75 years have resulted from American children's exposure to lead ..read more

A Canadian study reveals that allophone children often face learning and communication difficulties in kindergarten, which can negatively impact their educational journey ..read more

Parents are much less likely to intervene when their young children are getting dressed or performing other simple chores if those tasks are framed as learning opportunities, according to a new study ..read more

A research team found that Creativity Camp, a two-week arts intervention delivered as a day camp, had a positive impact on mental health and well-being in adolescents with depression ..read more

Young people's mental health may depend on how they use social media, rather than how much time they spend using it. Psychology researchers tried an experiment with three groups. They asked one group to stay off social media. They taught another group how to use it more constructively. The third group stuck with their usual routine. The group that stayed away, AND the group that used it differently, both reported improvements in their mental health ..read more