The internet era has dramatically changed how people are exposed to traumatic events — uncensored video of violence, war, and disaster reaches civilian audiences within minutes of occurrence. A 2026 study by Allouche-Kam and colleagues examines the mental health consequences of this indirect-trauma exposure in modern populations.1 Research Highlights Indirect trauma exposure through media has …
Black Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders at 2.42 times the rate of White Americans, and they also score higher on negative-symptom measures than White patients carrying the same diagnosis.2 A 2026 paper by Spann and colleagues asks why. Research Highlights Black Americans are diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders at 2.42x the rate of White Americans, …
AVATAR therapy ties CBT at end of treatment, edges ahead at 3-month follow-up, and uses half the sessions. The ‘better than CBT’ framing outpaces the formal statistics.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in adolescents is a challenging condition, marked by intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that significantly impair daily functioning. Recent studies have spotlighted the Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT), an intensive, concentrated therapy approach showing promising outcomes in treating adolescents with OCD across various sites in Norway. This innovative method, comprising prolonged sessions of …
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a debilitating condition that affects a significant portion of the population, characterized by a paralyzing fear of social situations. Recent studies have explored concentrated and intensified cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) methods, such as the Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT), as innovative approaches to treating SAD. Highlights: High Efficacy: The B4DT has …
Anxiety-related disorders, characterized by heightened negative affect (NA) and sometimes diminished positive affect (PA), pose significant challenges for mental health treatment. Despite the prevalence of these disorders, the efficacy of psychotherapies in improving PA versus NA remains underexplored. Highlights: Psychotherapeutic interventions demonstrate a significantly larger effect on reducing negative affect (NA) than on enhancing positive …
Depression, a common yet complex mental health disorder, has various treatment options, including psychotherapies like Non-Directive Supportive Therapy (NDST). A recent meta-analysis sheds light on the effectiveness of NDST in treating depression, comparing it with control conditions and other therapies. Highlights: NDST has been identified as a moderately effective treatment for depression compared to control …