It might seem like sunshine, vacation and time spent with family and friends will bring you happiness this summer.

But sometimes it takes a little more effort, said Lina Begdache, an associate professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University, State University of N...

Cutting back social media to a spare 30 minutes per day could be the key to reducing anxiety, depression, loneliness and feelings of fear of missing out, researchers say.

That was true for college students in a new study who self-limited social media -- often successfully and sometimes squeezing in just a bit more time -- for two weeks.

"I think on the one hand, the results are kind...

There is an epidemic of loneliness and isolation today, and the consequences can be deadly, researchers say.

Folks who reported that they were socially isolated or felt lonely were more likely to die early from all causes including cancer, according to a sweeping review of 90 studies that included more than 2.2 million people from around the globe.

Exactly how loneliness or social i...

More than 10 million people in the United States are living with bipolar disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

It's characterized by severe, dramatic shifts in mood that can catch people off guard. The name ca...

Those TV ads for juicy burgers may trigger your emotions, making you believe you'll be happier if you run out and get one for yourself.

Unfortunately, a similar ad for salad does not appear to have the same emotional impact, according to new research from the University of Michigan.

"Many people think that eating highly processed foods like cheeseburgers and french fries will make t...

The death of a parent is heartbreaking for a child or teenager, and those who experience it are known to be at an increased risk for depression and other mental health issues later in life.

But a new study finds that children who participated in a bereavement program with their families following the loss of a parent were significantly less likely to experience depression up to 15 years l...

Anxiety attacks can seem overwhelming when you're in the middle of one, but with the right coping tools you can come out the other side.

What is an anxiety attack?

According to the Detroit Medical Center, an anxiety attack is a stretch of time during which you experien...

It might seem like a move to rural living could bring calm and even happiness, but new research suggests that isn't always so.

A study from the University of Houston found that those living in the country were not more satisfied with their lives than people who lived in urban areas. Rural U.S. residents didn't feel like their lives were more meaningful, and they also tended to be more an...

When expectant or new moms experience depression, known as perinatal depression, loneliness may be a driving factor.

"We found that loneliness was central to the experiences of expectant and new mothers with depression. We know that depression and loneliness are often interconnected -- each one can lead to the other -- and this may be particularly true for perinatal depression [which incl...

Primary care doctors are no longer just in the physical health business: Americans are increasingly turning to them for mental health care, too, a new study finds.

Looking at Americans' primary care visits between 2006 and 2018, researchers found a 50% increase in the proportion of visits that addressed mental health concerns. That figure rose from just under 11% of visits, to 16% by the ...

When Elizabeth R.'s husband passed away from bone cancer in 2016, she felt grateful that her employer offered generous bereavement leave.

Now 40, she worked in the development department of a large nonprofit cancer group at the time and felt ready to go back when her leave was up. However, about two weeks into her return, she realized it was too much, too soon.

"Every time I would h...

Living in tight-knit communities where neighbors are connected to one another helped improve health outcomes for older Chinese Americans, a new study found.

Rutgers University researchers used data from a study of more than 3,100 elderly Chinese people in the Chicago area to investigate whether the perception of trust and connection among neighbors had an impact on their risk of death.

For people with heart disease, new research suggests loneliness, social isolation and living alone can shave years off your life.

This trio puts people with established cardiovascular disease at greater risk of premature death, according to the international study. Cardiovascular disease refers to heart disease and stroke.

"Social health factors such as loneliness and social isolat...

Swedish researchers studying anger say it appears there is a pent-up need for anger management and that an internet-based treatment can work.

Scientists from the Centre for Psychiatry Research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, had to close its recruitment site after a few weeks because there was so much demand for help with anger issues.

"It is usually very difficul...

Menopause and the years before it may make you feel like you're losing your mind.

Some of those feelings are changes that occur naturally in this stage of life, but other factors contribute, too, according to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which offered tips to achieve some peace.

Changes in hormones are...

This season of celebrating also comes with lots of stress for many people.

But despite the long to-do list and mandatory get-togethers, it is possible to maintain a healthy mind, according to experts at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.

"Stress is an inevitable part of life and so the first thing people can do is focus on their wellness, which is really about accepting tha...

Taking care of a loved one can either be a break from loneliness or help to bring loneliness on, depending on your circumstances, new research shows.

Researchers broadly studied the issue, using data from 28 studies with more than 190,000 participants in 21 countries. They found certain types of caregiving -- such as volunteering and caring for grandchildren -- offered protection against ...

That intense feeling of fear as you watch Jason Voorhees chase his next victim while wearing a hockey mask in "Friday the 13th" might actually be good for you. It also might not be.

Researchers report that horror's impact is really in the eye of the beholder, a little different for everyone but not all bad.

If you're feeling a little low, smile anyway. That alone could shift your mood.

This idea is known as the facial feedback hypothesis, and researchers set out to either prove or disprove the theory in a new global study, finding strong evidence that posed smiles ...

If you have dogs, you probably already know that petting them can give you a lift.

Researchers set out to prove that using technology to show what happens in the brain when stroking or sitting next to a dog. They also compared that to petting a stuffed animal.

They found that when study participants viewed, felt and touched real dogs it led to increasingly high levels of activity ...

Internet hotheads are often literally that, with hateful tweets rising in number as temperatures soar, a new study reports.

Temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit are consistently linked to heavy increases in online hate messages, according to a review of more than 4 billion English-language tweets.

The researchers identified a "feel-good window"between 54 and 70 degrees whe...

Cancer isn't just a physical struggle but also an emotional one, as patients, survivors and their loved ones experience grief and loss throughout the experience.

Gabrielle Alvarez, a social worker at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, offered some tips to help patients and caregivers manage their feelings.

...

Social isolation and loneliness put people at a 30% higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death from either, a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) warns.

The statement also highlights the lack of data on interventions that could improve heart health in isolated or lonely people. It was published Aug. 4 in the