Topic description and stories

Teenager on a mobile phone, laying on a bed.

Major study of social media and teen mental health announced

20 Jan 2026

A trial that will put a daily limit on the social media use of thousands of Bradford teenagers is set to begin this year. It will be the largest...

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Teenage girl sitting on sofa

Teen loneliness triggers ‘reward seeking’ behaviour

05 Sep 2025

A study has found that adolescents become highly motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation. This may be beneficial in...

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Teenage boy with smart phone

Adolescents with mental health conditions use social media differently than their peers, study suggests

05 May 2025

One of the first studies in this area to use clinical-level diagnoses reveals a range of differences between young people with and without mental...

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Teenager asleep and wrapped in a blanket

Adolescents who sleep longer perform better at cognitive tasks

22 Apr 2025

Adolescents who sleep for longer – and from an earlier bedtime – than their peers tend to have improved brain function and perform better at...

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Teenager holding a smartphone

Cambridge leads governmental project to understand impact of smartphones and social media on young people

16 Jan 2025

Cambridge researchers are leading the first phase of a new research project that will lay the groundwork for future studies into the impact on...

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Time alone heightens ‘threat alert’ in teenagers – even when connecting online

13 Nov 2024

Scientists say the findings might shed light on the link between loneliness and mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, which are on the...

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Teenager sitting near graffiti

Problems with ‘pruning’ brain connections linked to adolescent mental health disorders

24 Apr 2023

Problems with the brain’s ability to ‘prune’ itself of unnecessary connections may underlie a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during...

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Boy taking part in a virtual lesson

Lack of computer access linked to poorer mental health in young people during COVID-19 pandemic

14 Nov 2022

Cambridge researchers have highlighted how lack of access to a computer was linked to poorer mental health among young people and adolescents during...

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Female hands rolling a marijuana joint

Cannabis users no less likely to be motivated or able to enjoy life’s pleasure

01 Sep 2022

Adult and adolescent cannabis users are no more likely than non-users to lack motivation or be unable to enjoy life’s pleasure, new research has...

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The psychiatrist who faced a dilemma but couldn’t turn his back on his people

23 May 2022

Children in West Africa with cognitive difficulties are going undiagnosed because the tests used to assess their mental health are based on Western...

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Children sitting on park bench

High insulin levels during childhood a risk for mental health problems later in life, study suggests

13 Jan 2021

Researchers have shown that the link between physical and mental illness is closer than previously thought. Certain changes in physical health, which...

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Mental health disorders: risks and resilience in adolescence

10 Oct 2018

Deeper understanding of the wiring and rewiring of the adolescent brain is helping scientists pinpoint why young people are especially vulnerable to...

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