Mental Health

Though the pandemic has left us all less able to socialize in person with our close friends and community, we're still finding ways to use screens and other methods to connect and maintain relationships, research suggests.

Loneliness Hasn't Increased Despite Pandemic, Research Finds. What Helped?

8:22pm July 15, 2020

by Joanne Silberner

Though anxiety has increased in the U.S. in recent months, a drastic spike in loneliness that psychologists expected hasn't emerged. People seem to be finding new ways to connect, researchers say.

A Look At Pandemic's Impact On Recovery For Alcoholism And Drug Addiction

4:03pm July 14, 2020

People in recovery for alcoholism and drug addiction have been hit hard by challenges of social distancing. Laura Bratton shares how the pandemic has affected her recovery and her support system.

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Mice that exercise produce more of an enzyme that can improve memory and other brain functions.

An Enzyme That Increases With Exercise Can Improve Memory In Mice, And Maybe People

6:49pm July 09, 2020

by Richard Harris

When scientists revved up the production of an enzyme called GPLD1 in older mice, it stimulated nerve growth in their brains and the animals navigated a maze better.

With many Americans dying of COVID-19, it's more important than ever to have advance directives – and conversations about your wishes for intensive and end-of-life care.

Health & Safety

Planning For End-Of-Life Care Is More Crucial Than Ever. Here's How

1:29pm July 09, 2020

by Katherine Harmon Courage

With many Americans dying of COVID-19, it's important to document your wishes for your care should you get seriously ill. Doing so can ease the way for family in difficult moments.

Faced with a rat trapped in a restrainer, a free rat opens the trap's door to liberate the trapped animal (while stepping on its head — "very rat-ish behavior," says University of Chicago neurobiologist Peggy Mason).

To Come To The Rescue Or Not? Rats, Like People, Take Cues From Bystanders

4:50pm July 08, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Experiments in people have long shown that the presence of indifferent bystanders hurts the chances that someone will help a stranger in an emergency. Rats, it turns out, behave the same way.

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This light micrograph from the brain of someone who died with Alzheimer's disease shows the plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are typical of the disease. A glitch that prevents healthy cell structures from transitioning from one phase to the next m

New Clues To ALS And Alzheimer's Disease From Physics

11:19am July 08, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

Structures inside healthy brain cells nimbly move from one state to the next to perform different functions. But in certain degenerative brain diseases, scientists now think, that process gets stuck.

Communication skills used to negotiate safe sex are also useful for setting boundaries while socializing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Above, circles drawn in the grass encourage social distancing at Dolores Park in San Francisco.

Health & Safety

Starting A COVID-19 'Social Bubble'? How Safe Sex Communication Skills Can Help

7:00am July 08, 2020

by April Dembosky

Sex educators and sexologists have some advice for safe coronavirus socializing. Just like in the bedroom, overcommunicate about your needs and seek consent.

The Fire, The Virus, The Violence: Australia And The Lessons Of Natural Disasters

3:28pm July 07, 2020

Family violence increases in places that have been severely burned in bushfires, Australian research finds. The isolation and financial stress of COVID-19 appear to be exacerbating the problem.

Peet Sapsin directs clients inside custom built "Gainz Pods", during his HIIT class, (high intensity interval training), at Sapsins Inspire South Bay Fitness, Redondo Beach, California, Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

My Gym Is Reopening. Is It Safe To Work Out There?

7:00am July 05, 2020

by Patti Neighmond

As gyms open for business, new rules aim to limit the spread of COVID-19, including spacing equipment, regular cleanings and limiting attendance. But experts say it's still safer to exercise at home.

Recent protests in Philadelphia and across the country have drawn young people. But for most of the pandemic, youth have been quarantined and away from their social circles, which could make depression and other mental illness worse.

Why Some Young People Fear Social Isolation More Than COVID-19

4:08pm July 04, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

It's not that young adults aren't worried about the pandemic, psychologists say, but they are at far greater risk of dying by suicide. Finding ways beyond screens to foster social bonds is crucial.