Stress

When experiencing anxiety, many people may feel the need to hug a squishy object such as a cushion. According to a new study, the act of doing so could actually help reduce feelings of anxiety – especially if the cushion "breathes."

It's important for people with conditions such as depression and anxiety to know when they're becoming stressed, so they can initiate coping strategies. An experimental smartwatch could someday warn them, by detecting a stress hormone in their sweat.

A new study has highlighted the gut-brain link between social behavior and gut microbes in mice, showing how a lack of certain gut bacteria can increase levels of a hormone that activates a part of the brain that contributes to antisocial activities.

When a baby is born premature, it's vitally important that the infant's still-developing brain receive enough oxygen. A new medical device could help, by mimicking the heartbeat and breathing of a parent.

Scientists have developed a patch designed to continuously monitor stress levels over the course of the day, which they hope will make it easier to spot signs of stress-related disease caused by disruptions to natural hormonal cycles.

Dormant tumor cells can sit quietly for years but exactly what reactivates these sleeping cancer cells is unknown. A new study is offering a novel hypothesis, suggesting stress hormones can trigger a chain of events that reawaken these dormant cells.

A new survey has found owning a pet is associated with better mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey also linked pet ownership to lower levels of loneliness, and both positive associations were detected regardless of species.

The idea alone of a massage might do wonders for some people’s stress levels, but a new study has delved into the physiological details of how these short and sweet treatments can kick the body’s relaxation systems into gear.

We could probably all use a little bit of stress reduction in our lives at the moment, and the new Cove wearable neckband from Feelmore Labs is designed to offer exactly that – through gentle vibrations applied just behind your ears.

A new study has solved a long-standing mystery of how acute stress seems to amplify inflammatory disease, despite the fact many stress hormones actually suppress the immune system. It found a specific immune cell is released by fat cells when stressed.

New research is offering insights into how our brains generate acute subjective feelings of stress. The imaging study illustrates exactly which neural network seems to activate sensations of stress, and which neural network suppresses those feelings.

A team of Harvard scientists has finally solved the mystery of how acute stress causes hair to turn gray. The researchers discovered when stress triggers the "fight or flight" response, it depletes pigment-producing stem cells in hair follicles.