Stress

Adolescent Trauma Disrupted Parent-Cued Fear Extinction in fMRI Study

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Adolescent Trauma Disrupted Parent-Cued Fear Extinction in fMRI Study

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science found that trauma-exposed adolescents, especially those with higher posttraumatic stress symptoms, showed disrupted parent-cued fear extinction across skin-conductance, behavioral-learning, and functional MRI (fMRI) measures. Key Findings 87 dyads entered the extinction task: The analysis included typically developing adolescents and trauma-exposed adolescents with lower or higher …

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Environmental Enrichment Reversed Stress-Linked Visceral Pain Through CB1 Receptors

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Environmental Enrichment Reversed Stress-Linked Visceral Pain Through CB1 Receptors

TL;DR: A study in Communications Biology found that environmental enrichment, richer housing with objects, running space, and novelty, reduced early-life-stress-linked visceral pain and depression-like behavior in rats while normalizing a CB1 receptor-sensitive prefrontal-limbic stress circuit. Key Findings Early stress model: Researchers used neonatal colorectal distension (CRD), a controlled early-life gut stressor, in male and female …

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Refugee PTSD Trial Found No Overall STAIR-R Advantage Before NET

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Refugee PTSD Trial Found No Overall STAIR-R Advantage Before NET

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized pilot trial in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found no overall PTSD advantage when refugee-focused emotion-regulation skills training was added before narrative exposure therapy, but refugees living with high visa or family insecurity showed preliminary self-report gains from the skills-first approach. Key Findings 71 adult refugees were randomized: Participants met DSM-5 criteria …

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Acculturative Stress Predicted Depression and Anxiety in International Students

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Acculturative Stress Predicted Depression and Anxiety in International Students

TL;DR: A 2026 study in BMC Psychology found high rates of depression, anxiety, and recent self-harm thoughts among international students in Germany, with acculturative stress linked to worse mental health and mindfulness, optimism, self-efficacy, acceptance, and social support linked to lower symptom burden. Key Findings Depression and anxiety were common: 46.5% of the 327 international …

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Community Resiliency Model Training Improved Compassion in Rwanda

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Community Resiliency Model Training Improved Compassion in Rwanda

TL;DR: A 2026 study in European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that 3 days of Community Resiliency Model (CRM) training, a body-based trauma-regulation skills program, improved compassion, social cohesion, forgiveness, and resilience among 152 Rwandan genocide survivors, released perpetrators, and mixed survivor-perpetrator groups. Key Findings Three groups completed CRM training: Researchers studied 51 genocide survivors, 51 …

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Suicidal Ideation Was the Central Symptom Hub for Palestinian Refugees in Egypt; Secondary Hubs Differed by Sex

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Suicidal Ideation Was the Central Symptom Hub for Palestinian Refugees in Egypt; Secondary Hubs Differed by Sex

TL;DR: A 2026 cross-sectional study in Psychiatry Research surveyed 558 Palestinian refugees displaced to Egypt after the 2023 Gaza war and used Bayesian network analysis to map their psychological symptoms; suicidal ideation emerged as the central hub for both men and women, with secondary core symptoms differing by gender (loss of energy in men, psychomotor …

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Stress Internalization Predicted Memory Decline in 1,528 Older Chinese Americans Across Three Waves

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Stress Internalization Predicted Memory Decline in 1,528 Older Chinese Americans Across Three Waves

TL;DR: A 2025 study in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease found that stress internalization, not acculturation or activity engagement, predicted memory decline across three waves in 1,528 older Chinese Americans. Key Findings Stress internalization predicted longitudinal memory decline: A latent factor combining greater perceived stress, greater hopelessness, and lower conscientiousness was the single …

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Inaudible Infrasound Increased Stress Hormones and Negative Mood in Controlled Trial

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Inaudible Infrasound Increased Stress Hormones and Negative Mood in Controlled Trial

TL;DR: A 2026 Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience study reported that inaudible infrasound shifted mood toward unease and raised stress-hormone markers under controlled conditions, offering a physiological explanation for some room-specific fear sensations without supporting supernatural claims. Key Findings Inaudible infrasound shifted mood: Controlled exposure produced measurable mood changes — toward unease, anxiety, and a felt …

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Lateral Septal PACAP Signaling Regulated Stress and Anxiety Responses

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Lateral Septal PACAP Signaling Regulated Stress and Anxiety Responses

TL;DR: A 2026 rat study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that PACAP/PAC1 signaling in the lateral septum changed forced-swim coping, ACTH stress-hormone release, open-arm exploration, and grooming behavior. Key Findings Stress changed PACAP signals by brain region: Acute swim stress increased PACAP mRNA in the lateral septum, BNST, and basolateral amygdala, while chronic variable mild stress reduced …

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One Ayahuasca Exposure Reversed Chronic Stress in Zebrafish

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One Ayahuasca Exposure Reversed Chronic Stress in Zebrafish

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Psychopharmacology found that after 14 days of unpredictable chronic stress, a single 1-hour ayahuasca exposure restored sociability, reduced anxiety-like behavior, normalized cortisol, and rescued whole-brain BDNF in adult zebrafish within 24 hours. Key Findings 396 fish across 6 groups: Adult zebrafish were split into stressed and non-stressed groups, then exposed …

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