There are only a few places in the world with a worse record of air pollution than large cities in China, where the occasional deep blanket of rolling smog force people indoors. The authors of a study released Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour believe that the dramatic nature of the smog that pervades some Chinese cities may contain an important lesson for us all: Air pollution is making people in China unhappy.

Some fake news was going around in social media that mentioned how — “According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a strong and passionate belief in a deity or higher power, to the point where it impairs one’s ability to make conscientious decisions about common sense matters, will now be classified as a mental illness.” Though I later found these articles to be unfounded and wishful thinking, it did bring several dark memories from my past to the therapist’s couch.

Now that the DSM lists severe hoarding as a disorder apart from OCD, psychologists are asking what explains its prevalence.

The story of Dr. Rapp

The term ‘narcissist’ gets thrown around easily, but what does it really mean?

The science of how technology affects happiness needs a huge statistical upgrade. A new paper charts a path toward better research.

What if it’s not we who are sick, but an entire society that is incompatible with humanity’s social needs?

Rich Alati had a six-figure sum in his sights. As long as he could survive 30 days in the dark with no human contact

The long read: Sedentary lifestyles are killing us – we need to build activity into our everyday lives, not just leave it for the gym

New research sheds light on how the desire to hide one’s imperfections from others can lead to alcohol-related problems. The findings appear in the Journal of Research in Personality. “Broadly speaking, perfectionism is a risk factor for a lot of psychopathology, specifically anxiety, depression, and eating disorders,” said study author Sean P. Mackinnon of Dalhousie University.

New research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, found that higher levels of physical activity boost mood and energy levels. The benefits were particularly noticeable in people with bipolar disorder. Being physically active might help people with bipolar disorder fight off depressive symptoms. In the United States, almost 3 percent of adults experienced bipolar disorder "in the past year." Around 4.4 percent of adults have bipolar at some point in their lives.

My belief in God didn't spontaneously combust—it faded. I lost my virginity at 16. I stopped going to church. I snuck out past curfew. As punishment, my mom made me memorize Bible verses, and I recited them like recipes. I wasn't the only kid who stopped believing. A record number of young Americans (35 percent) report no religious affiliation, even though 91 percent of us grew up in religiously affiliated households.

Like many 24-year-olds, Alexandra Mondalek, a fashion reporter in New York, found herself obsessing over social media. Her rapidly growing fashion-focused Instagram account, @hautetakes, was gaining attention, with a little more than 1,000 followers, and it was all she could think about. She wasn’t making money from it yet, but Mondalek wondered if she could reach “influencer” status if she kept at it.

An annual physical typically involves a weight check and questions about unhealthy habits like smoking, but a new study from UC San Francisco suggests health care providers may be overlooking a critical question: Are you depressed or anxious?

Brain cells are some of the only body cells that can perform these alterations

Ph.D. candidates suffer from anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation at astonishingly high rates.

Bill Gates reviews “The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness” by author Andy Puddicombe.

In a sweeping new study, Indiana University psychologists have found that a series of self-guided, internet-based therapy platforms effectively reduce depression. The work, which reviewed 21 pre-existing studies with a total of 4,781 participants, was published in the November issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The study was led by Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces, a clinical professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.

The "charismatic air" of narcissists-- from their flashy attire, to their self-assured behaviors, to their charming glances, to their witty humor-- often makes a big first impression. At the same time, people seem to be really good at accurately perceiving narcissism in others based on minimal information (even just physical appearance is usually enough of a cue to accurately perceive narcissism). Which raises an interesting question: why are narcissists-- which are characterized by extremely high levels of exhibitionism...

Almost everyone has something they fear – maybe it’s spiders, enclosed spaces, or heights. When we encounter these “threats,” our hearts might begin to race, or our hands may become sweaty. This is called a threat fear response, and it exists to help us avoid potential pain. Most of us only feel scared when a threat is present. But when the threat fear response happens even when a threat isn’t present, it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, or anxiety.

A diet of fast food, cakes and processed meat increases your risk of depression, according to researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University. A paper from Manchester Metropolitan’s Bioscience Research Centre found that eating a diet containing foods which are known to promote inflammation – such as those high in cholesterol, saturated fats and carbohydrates – makes you around 40% more likely to develop depression.

A specialized virtual reality treatment may be able to reduce the frequency and intensity of nightmares, according to a pilot study published in the journal Dreaming. “Current treatments for nightmares required too much time or taking a drug that essentially knocked you out for awhile, so we needed a treatment that was short, non-toxic and effective,” said study author Patrick McNamara of the Boston University School of Medicine.

Most people around the world, whether religious or not, presume that serial killers are more likely to be atheists than believers in any god, suggests a new study, which counters the common assumption that increasingly secular societies are equally tolerant of nonbelievers. Avowed atheists exhibited the same bias in judging sadistic criminals, the study found. The new report, appearing in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, included more than 3,000 people in 13 countries, both secular states like the Netherlands and Finland, and deeply religious ones like the United Arab Emirates and India.

Evidence is ‘compelling’ that organophosphates increase risk of reduced IQs, memory and attention deficits, and autism for prenatal children

The surprising link between narcissism and impostor syndrome

Brain changes, visible on scans, are also associated with Alzheimer’s precursors

Researchers and autistic artists are exploring immersive visuals to study and simulate autism traits

This week's blog post looks at Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, why it's so hard to diagnose, and what can be done about it.

Graham Morant stood to receive A$1.4m (£770,000; $1m) from his wife's life insurance policy.

When my friend Kenny's nana died of dementia, he'd already mourned her twice. The first time, he was shopping for her birthday present. He'd settled on a watch, but didn't know what kind, what brand or how much he should spend. He considered the expensive option, the watch he thought she deserved, but then he remembered: His nana had dementia. Usually she'd try and return presents, convinced others had left them behind.

Mouse studies show tiny intercellular pods convey to sperm a legacy of a father’s hard knocks in life

Stay up nights with the British writer as she takes on insomnia.

Football announcers care about brain injuries. But they often lack the vocabulary to talk about them. Chris Nowinski has a new program that’s trying to help them.

New research provides evidence that traumatic experiences in childhood are associated with empathy levels in adulthood. The study, published in PLOS One, indicates that people who experience traumatic events as children are better at responding to the emotional states of others as adults. “My experiences doing clinical work as a psychotherapist with children and adults inspired this research,” said study author David M. Greenberg of the University of Cambridge and City University of New York.

Review finds growing number of children and young people in England struggling with problems.