News by Subject Social & Behavior

Anxiety occurs at high rates in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. Children with co-occurring anxiety tend to fare worse, but it can be hard to identify in infants. A new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reports that infants and children with FXS show bias toward threatening emotion, rather than positive emotion, a pattern highly linked with anxiety.

A new longitudinal study suggests that the types of peer relationships youth make in high school matter for mental health through young adulthood.

A new study sought to identify factors that predict infants' avoidance and resistance, looking specifically at how mothers respond physiologically and emotionally to their infants' distress.

A theory that has gained considerable attention in international media, including Newsweek and the CBS broadcast 60 minutes, suggest that antidepressant drugs, such as the SSRIs, do not exert any actual antidepressant effect. A research group at the Sahlgrenska Academy has now analyzed data from clinical trials and can rebut this theory.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have devised a method to selectively erase particular fear memories by weakening the connections between neurons involved in forming these memories. In their experiments, they found that fear memory can be manipulated in such a way that some beneficial memories are retained while others, detrimental to our daily life, are suppressed. The research, done using a mouse model, offers insights into how PTSD/specific phobias may be better treated.

First UK experiment on policing domestic abuse finds 35 percent fewer men reoffending against partners -- and reoffenders causing less harm to victims -- when mandated to attend charity-run discussion course. Researchers call on Government to approve rollout of program across England and Wales.

Depressed people have a peculiar view of the past -- rather than glorifying the 'good old days,' they project their generally bleak outlook on to past events, according to new research.

Older people receiving electroconvulsive therapy for their depression likely will need an additional treatment if insomnia is one of their symptoms, researchers report.