Science News from 2024

A new study, funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, showed that a new medication derived from ketamine is safe and acceptable for use in humans, setting the stage for clinical trials testing it for hard-to-treat mental disorders like severe depression.

Graduate student and mental health advocate Uma Chatterjee, M.S., shares her personal journey navigating life with OCD.

A scientific team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) unveiled the first complete map of the neural connections of the common fruit fly brain.

NIMH-supported research suggests AI tools built on smartphone data may struggle to predict clinical outcomes like depression in large and diverse groups of people.

A new study, funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health, describes a promising new gene delivery vehicle that could advance treatment for brain disorders.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that rates of preteen suicide (ages 8-12) have been increasing by approximately 8% annually since 2008.

The largest neuroimaging study of conduct disorder to date, with funding from NIH, has revealed extensive changes in brain structure among young people with the disorder. The largest difference was a smaller area of the brain’s outer layer, known as the cerebral cortex, which is critical for many aspects of behavior, cognition and emotion.

In an NIMH-funded study, a comprehensive collaborative care intervention significantly reduced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among trauma patients from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.

In an NIMH-funded study, researchers examine the availability and structure of mental telehealth services.

The National Institute of Mental Health hosted its second 75th Anniversary event—a symposium focused on inclusion in research, disparities in health and access to care, and diversity in the mental health workforce.

A tablet-based screening tool that analyzes children’s behavior in response to specific video clips shows promise for enhancing early autism screening, according to a study supported by NIMH.

In a new neuroimaging study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, researchers used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to target regions deep in the brain to help reduce depression symptoms.

Learn about the 24 youth who received prizes in the national essay contest addressing mental health and mental health stigma.

An NIMH-funded research consortium has produced the largest and most advanced multidimensional maps of gene regulation networks in the brains of people with and without mental disorders.

NIMH-supported research captures expressions of irritability across developmental stages via a clinically relevant measurement tool: the MAPS Temper Loss Scale.

Decades of NIMH-supported basic research led to a pioneering treatment for postpartum depression and continues to power exciting advances in women's mental health care.

In this NIMH-supported study, researchers investigated the neural underpinnings of sensory hypersensitivity in SCN2A-associated autism.

In a proof-of-concept study, researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of a potential new therapy for Timothy syndrome, an often life-threatening and rare genetic disorder that affects a wide range of bodily systems, leading to severe cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric symptoms as well as physical differences such as webbed fingers and toes.

Persistent, collective efforts in the research community show how making early autism screening part of routine health care can support the well-being of children and families.

A new study by NIMH researchers demonstrated the effectiveness, feasibility, and safety of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy for severe irritability and temper outbursts in children. The positive results set the foundation to continue exploring exposure therapy as a potential treatment for childhood irritability.

The Research Domain Criteria Initiative (RDoC) represented a new way to conceptualize the study of mental illnesses. In celebration of NIMH's 75th Anniversary, we reflect on the beginning and progress of this initiative.

Research funded by NIMH found a link between a low level of social interest among people with psychotic disorders and brain regions in the social motivation system.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered that symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are tied to atypical interactions between the brain’s frontal cortex and information processing centers deep in the brain.

In this lived experience feature story, Ray Lay describes the challenges of living with schizoaffective disorder and his later success in life.

On February 29, 2024, Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., announced his decision to end his tenure as the director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Results from a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health show that an intervention for anxiety provided to pregnant women living in Pakistan significantly reduced the likelihood of the women developing moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression, or both six weeks after birth.

In celebration of NIMHs 75th anniversary, we reflect on decades of work by the institute to understand and eradicate HIV.

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health found that unmedicated children with anxiety disorders show widespread overactivation in brain functioning and that treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy led to a clinically significant drop in anxiety symptoms and improved brain functioning.

An NIMH-supported study of the 3D genome revealed widespread silencing of genes with important roles in brain function in fragile X syndrome and related disorders.

The National Institute of Mental Health recently hosted a symposium to kick off its 75th Anniversary celebrations.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the non-profit organization The Many Brains Project partnered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program to adapt a series of new game-like tasks that are now part of the All of Us Research Program’s participant experience.

NIMH researchers found racial and ethnic disparities in rates of psychotic disorders, which were associated with co-occurring medical conditions and negative health outcomes.