A study in the Netherlands identified groups of people differing in the trajectories of their expectations that they will become parents across their reproductive age. Forty-four percent of men and 40% of women tended to have stable expectations that they will have children in the future, lasting until their mid-to-late 30s. Individuals with stable parenthood expectations tended to score higher on agreeableness and extraversion. The paper was published in the Journal of Personality.

During the past half-century, fertility rates have been decreasing worldwide. People, on average, have fewer children, and increasing numbers experience childlessness. Major factors contributing to this include longer time spent in education and the resulting postponement of marriage, new fertility regulation technologies that made having children a choice, and wider acceptance of individual rights to make life choices.

Consequently, fertility rates across the developed world have been below replacement level for the past several decades, producing a population decline in many countries. This has drawn significant research interest toward fertility intentions—people’s plans and expectations about having children.

Research shows that, in young adulthood, most individuals plan to have children, and often more than one. However, as time passes, many fail to enact these expectations, staying childless well into middle age or having fewer children than initially planned.

Study author İlayda Özoruç and her colleagues wanted to explore how fertility expectations develop and change in men and women living in the Netherlands across the reproductive age period. They also wanted to explore how the trajectories of change in these expectations are associated with individual personality traits.

The authors note that voluntary childlessness (i.e., being childfree) has become increasingly socially acceptable in the Netherlands. Consequently, they expected greater variation between individuals in how they imagine their future regarding having children.

The researchers analyzed data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel. The LISS is an ongoing panel study that started in 2007. It includes 5,000 households in the Netherlands comprising nearly 7,500 individuals.

The data used in this study came from 5,231 participants who were non-parents at the start of the study and participated between 2008 and 2022. The average participant provided responses in 3 to 4 data collection waves during the studied period. Sixty-eight percent participated in more than one data collection wave. Fifty-two percent of participants were women. During this period, roughly 15% of participants became parents for the first time.

The authors used data on participants’ fertility expectations (“Do you think you will have children in the future?”), Big Five personality traits (obtained using the International Personality Item Pool), and parenthood status (tracking the transition to the first child).

The researchers categorized participants based on how their parenthood expectations developed during the study period. The largest category for both men and women was the normative category (44% of men and 40% of women). In this category, people started with expectations that they would have children in the future. As time passed, the majority became parents (84% of men and 92% of women in this group). For those who did not become parents, expectations of having children started dropping sharply in their mid-30s, so that by age 42, almost none expected to have children in the future.

The smallest category, including 8% of men and 7% of women, was the childfree category. People in this group mostly started out not expecting children or being unsure, and became increasingly certain they would not have children as time passed. Only a small percentage of people from this category eventually became parents (6% of men and 12% of women).

The remaining categories showed more complex trajectories, such as general uncertainty about future children (“uncertain trajectory”), switching expectations between yes, no, and unsure (“switching trajectory”), or starting uncertain but gaining expectation later (“postponement trajectory”). Women also showed a unique “abandoning trajectory” (15%), where expectations to have children existed at age 18 but dropped to “unsure” or “no” starting around age 25.

When personality traits were considered, results showed that both men and women from the normative group (stable expectation to become parents) scored higher on agreeableness and extraversion compared to the uncertain and childfree groups.

For men specifically, those in the normative group also tended to have lower neuroticism and higher conscientiousness and openness compared to the uncertain and childfree groups.

However, for women, personality differences were fewer. Unlike men, women’s levels of neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness did not differ significantly between the expectation trajectories.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the development of fertility expectations throughout the reproductive age. However, it should be noted that all participants were from the Netherlands. Results regarding individuals from other countries and cultures might differ.

The paper, “Big Five Personality Traits and Trajectories of Fertility Expectations Across the Reproductive Age Period,” was authored by İlayda Özoruç, Jeroen Vermunt, Katya Ivanova, and Manon van Scheppingen.

A study of individuals suffering from moderate to severe depression in Japan found that those with larger volumes of the left hippocampus region of the brain and greater leftward laterality were more likely to respond to treatment with escitalopram (i.e., to experience a reduction in depression symptoms). Also, the volume of the right hippocampus and the right hippocampal head of these individuals increased more in response to this medication. The paper was published in Translational Psychiatry.

Major depressive disorder is a common mental health condition characterized by persistent low mood and loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities. It goes beyond normal sadness and significantly interferes with functioning at work, school, and in relationships. Core symptoms include depressed mood, anhedonia, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt. Many individuals also experience changes in sleep, appetite, concentration, and psychomotor activity.

Despite the large number of people worldwide suffering from depression, treatments for depression are still lacking. Studies indicate that at least 30% of people suffering from depression do not experience a remission of symptoms after completing two antidepressant treatment protocols, reclassifying their condition into treatment-resistant depression. Other studies indicate that less than 10% of individuals seeking help for depression receive an effective treatment.

Because of this, research into ways to make anti-depression treatments more effective is a topic of great scientific interest. One of the paths these researchers take is looking into ways to identify individuals who will respond to standard treatments for depression and those who will not.

Study author Toshiharu Kamishikiryo and his colleagues explore the relationship between the structural characteristics of the brain, their changes, and escitalopram treatment for depression. Escitalopram is a medication from the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that is commonly used to treat depression (i.e., major depressive disorder).

It is known that this medication promotes the creation of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus region of the brain, thereby altering its structure. Study authors wanted to see whether these changes are associated with the response to treatment (i.e., with a reduction of depressive symptoms as a result of taking escitalopram).

Study participants were 107 individuals suffering from moderate to severe depression. 52% of them were women. Their average age was 42 years and it ranged between 25 and 73 years. They were treated with escitalopram because of their depressive symptoms.

The participants completed magnetic resonance imaging of their brains at two time points. The first imaging was done, on average, 7-8 days after they started escitalopram treatment. The second imaging was completed after 55 days of treatment, on average. However, only 71 participants or 66% of them participated in the second data collection.

At these two time points, study participants also completed assessments of depression symptoms (HRSD-17 and HRSD-6). If the score at the second timepoint was reduced at least 50% compared to the start of the study, study participants were considered responders i.e., it was considered that they responded to treatment. Non-responders were participants whose reduction in score was lower than 50%.

Results showed that around 50% of participants responded to escitalopram treatment. 34% of participants achieved remission (i.e., the symptoms were minimal). Responders did not differ from non-responders in parameters such as body mass index and age.

Looking at brain area volume, responders had larger left hippocampal volume and greater leftward laterality (i.e. their left hippocampus was larger than the right) at the start of the study compared to non-responders. Also, the right hippocampus and right hippocampal head volume increased more in responders than in non-responders, and their laterality changed in response to escitalopram treatment. These changes were larger in individuals who experienced a stronger reduction of depressive symptoms.

“This study is the first to demonstrate that increases in the volume and changes in the laterality of the right total hippocampus and right hippocampal head are involved in the treatment response to escitalopram. The response to escitalopram treatment cannot be explained fully by hippocampal volume changes alone, but it is likely that volume changes in the right hippocampus and its head play an important role in improving depressive symptoms,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the neural correlates of depressive symptoms. However, it should be noted that the design of this study does not allow any definitive causal inferences to be derived from the results. Additionally, the study had a very large attrition rate leaving room for survivorship bias to have affected the results.

The paper, “Relationship between hippocampal volume and treatment response before and after escitalopram administration in patients with depression,” was authored by Toshiharu Kamishikiryo, Eri Itai, Yuki Mitsuyama, Yoshikazu Masuda, Osamu Yamamoto, Tatsuji Tamura, Hiroaki Jitsuiki, Akio Mantani, Norio Yokota, and Go Okada.

A study in Germany found that a 30-minute session of moderate-intensity physical exercise reduced rumination in depressed individuals compared to sitting. The reduction was visible in both electroencephalographic recordings and self-reports. The research was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Depression is a mental health condition characterized by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and impairments in emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning. It affects how people think, feel, and behave, interfering with daily life, work, and relationships. Common symptoms include sadness, fatigue, sleep and appetite disturbances, reduced concentration, and feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness.

One of the core cognitive symptoms of depression is rumination. Rumination is a cognitive process that involves repetitive and passive focus on one’s distress and its possible causes and consequences. However, rather than leading to problem solving, rumination tends to amplify negative mood and prolong depressive episodes without resolving the problem.

People who ruminate typically dwell on past failures, perceived flaws, or unanswered “why” questions about their suffering. This repetitive thinking can increase emotional distress and make it harder to disengage from negative thoughts. Rumination is also associated with impaired concentration and reduced motivation, further limiting adaptive coping. Research shows that higher levels of rumination predict greater severity and longer duration of depressive symptoms.

Study author Jana Welkerling and her colleagues explored the effects acute physical exercise has on ruminative thoughts. They wanted to examine the Distraction Hypothesis about rumination. This hypothesis proposes that rumination maintains or worsens depressed mood because it prevents engagement in distracting, rewarding, or problem-solving activities that could otherwise reduce negative affect. The researchers wanted to see whether exercise would shift participants from a ruminative to a distractive state and how this change develops.

The study participants were 24 individuals suffering from moderate or severe depression. Seventeen of them were women. Participants’ average age was 25 years.

Participants first underwent a diagnostic procedure (the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5) and completed assessments of depression symptoms (the Beck Depression Inventory II) and the tendency to ruminate (the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire). They also completed medical examinations to confirm eligibility for physical exercise.

A week later, they completed two protocols to induce rumination and distraction in three consecutive sessions. The researchers took electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of participants’ brain activity during these sessions, allowing them to develop ways to estimate the probability that the person is engaged in rumination or distraction from EEG recordings.

In the third week, each participant completed two different experimental conditions. In both sessions, participants were first told to focus their attention on the symptoms of their depression. This was done with the aim to induce rumination. They then either completed a 30-minute moderate intensity physical exercise session (the exercise condition) or spent the 30 minutes sitting (the control condition). During these sessions, participants rated their rumination at 4.5-minute intervals and the researchers took EEG recordings of their brain activity.

Results showed that self-reported rumination decreased continuously during the physical exercise session. During the first five minutes of both the exercise and sitting sessions, self-reported rumination did not differ between the two conditions. However, from the 10th minute, rumination started decreasing significantly in the exercise condition (compared to the sitting condition).

Looking at EEG data in a subsample of participants for whom the decoding was successful, the estimated probability that the person was ruminating was lower in the exercise condition than in the sedentary condition. This happened because the estimated probability that the person is ruminating fell to a lower level already in the first minutes of the exercise session.

“This study demonstrated that a single bout of moderate-intensity physical exercise reduces self-reported and EEG-decoded rumination in individuals with moderate or severe depression, providing evidence that physical exercise reduces rumination in favor of distraction, as predicted by the Distraction-Hypothesis,” the authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about the psychological effects of exercise. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a very small group of young people. Effects on other demographic groups might differ. It also remains unclear how long the reduction in rumination lasts.

The paper, “Single bout of exercise reduces self-reported and decoded rumination in favor of distraction in patients with major depression,” was authored by Jana Welkerling, Andreas Niess, Patrick Schneeweiss, Gorden Sudeck, Tim Rohe, and Sebastian Wolf.

A study of mice fed a high-fat/high-fructose diet (designed to induce obesity) found that 12 weeks of treatment with low-dose psilocybin reduced weight gain, symptoms of fatty liver, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. It did not produce observable effects on the central nervous system. The paper was published in Pharmacological Research.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms, often referred to as “magic mushrooms.” In the body, psilocybin is converted into psilocin, which affects brain function by acting primarily on serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors. These effects can alter perception, mood, cognition, and sense of self. Subjective experiences may include changes in visual perception, intensified emotions, and altered patterns of thought.

Historically, psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been used in ritual and spiritual practices in several cultures. In contemporary science, psilocybin has gained attention for its potential therapeutic effects. Clinical research suggests it may reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and existential distress, particularly in controlled, supportive settings.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy typically combines the drug with psychological preparation and integration sessions. The compound is generally considered to have low addiction potential, though its effects can be psychologically intense. Legal status varies widely across countries, with some allowing medical or research use and others maintaining strict prohibitions.

Study author Martina Colognesi and her colleagues wanted to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of low, non-psychedelic doses of psilocybin in mice. They were interested in the potential of psilocybin to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and liver steatosis. Liver steatosis, or fatty liver, is a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat within liver cells, often associated with metabolic disorders, alcohol use, or insulin resistance.

The study was conducted on C57BL/6J mice, a widely used inbred strain of laboratory mice. The genetic background of these mice is well defined, making them one of the strains used regularly in genetic, behavior, and neuroscience research. Study authors used male mice because males do not experience the cyclic hormonal fluctuations of estrous cycles seen in female mice.

The mice were fed a diet rich in both fats and fructose. This was done by adding 30% fructose to the drinking water for 17 weeks. In this diet, 60% of the energy intake of these mice came from fat. This type of treatment is known to induce obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as liver steatosis in mice.

After the first 5 weeks, the mice were divided into two groups. One group received 0.05 mg per kilogram of body weight of psilocybin via oral gavage (direct administration into a mouse’s stomach using a feeding tube) for the remaining 12 weeks. The other group was a control group that received water during the same period in the same way. After this period, mice underwent a series of behavioral tests, and study authors performed a series of biochemical analyses on them and analyzed their tissues.

Results showed that, compared to the control group, mice that received psilocybin had reduced body-weight gain, liver steatosis, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. Interestingly, the psilocybin treatment did not elicit effects on the central nervous system of these mice.

Further analyses revealed that lipid pathways in the liver and carbohydrate metabolism were almost completely normalized in the group of mice receiving psilocybin. Additionally, study authors report that psilocybin treatment improved muscle strength and function in these mice, potentially by restoring their leptin sensitivity. Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy balance by signaling the brain to reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure.

“Overall, chronic low-dose psilocybin exerts broad metabolic benefits via a hepatic 5-HT2B-dependent mechanism [a mechanism in the liver involving the 5-HT2B serotonin receptor], distinct from its psychedelic effects, supporting its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for liver steatosis, obesity, T2DM [type 2 diabetes mellitus], and sarcopenia,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the potential therapeutic effects of psilocybin. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on mice, not on humans. While mice and humans share many physiological similarities, they are still very different species. Results in humans might not be identical.

The paper, “Low, non-psychedelic doses of psilocybin as a novel treatment for MASLD, obesity and Type 2 Diabetes via 5-HT2B receptor-dependent mechanisms,” was authored by Martina Colognesi, Daniela Gabbia, Anna Signor, Miles Sarill, Lucia Centofanti, Andrea Rinaldi, Luciano Cascione, Sara Nunziata, Marco Banzato, Andrea Mattarei, Giovanna Finzi, Sonia Sonda, Diana Pendin, Ilaria Zanotto, Stefano Comai, Gianfranco Pasut, Abdullah Alajati, Miriam Saponaro, Loredana Bucciarelli, Maria Elena Lunati, Giulia Guarato, Ilaria Goggi, Stefano La Rosa, Camillo Morano, Rita Clara Paroni, Michele Dei Cas, Giuseppe Daniele, Marco Gentilucci, Marco Pappagallo, Andrea Alimonti, Paolo L. Manfredi, Franco Folli, and Sara De Martin.

A study in Germany found that individuals with higher polygenic risk scores for anhedonia showed specific patterns of brain activity when processing anticipated monetary rewards. More specifically, they showed decreased activation in the bilateral putamen and left middle frontal gyrus during anticipation of rewards and decreased activation in the right caudate while receiving feedback. The research was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Anhedonia is the reduced ability to experience pleasure or interest in activities that are normally rewarding. It is a core symptom of major depressive disorder but also appears in other conditions such as schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and bipolar disorder.

Anhedonia can involve diminished pleasure during activities (consummatory anhedonia) or reduced motivation and anticipation for rewards (anticipatory anhedonia). People with anhedonia may withdraw from social interactions, hobbies, or goals they once enjoyed. Neurobiologically, it is linked to dysfunction in brain reward systems, particularly pathways involving dopamine.

Psychological factors such as chronic stress, trauma, and negative cognitive patterns can contribute to its development. Anhedonia is associated with poorer quality of life and worse clinical outcomes when it persists. It can make treatment more challenging because reduced motivation may limit engagement in therapy or daily activities.

Study author Nicholas Schäfer and his colleagues investigated the role of a polygenic risk score for anhedonia in functional brain activity during the monetary incentive delay (MID) task. The MID task is a paradigm that requires participants to respond quickly to cues signaling potential monetary gains or losses. A polygenic risk score is an estimate of an individual’s genetic predisposition to a trait or disorder created by aggregating the effects of many genetic variants across the genome.

Study participants were individuals participating in the MooDs and IntegraMent studies. These were multisite neuroimaging studies recruiting a total of 974 individuals; this specific study analyzed data from 517 of them. The sample included 57 patients with major depressive disorder, 39 with schizophrenia, and 48 with bipolar disorder. The remaining 373 participants were healthy controls (a group that included 243 healthy individuals and 130 healthy first-degree relatives of patients).

Study authors calculated participants’ polygenic risk scores for anhedonia using their genotype data. They also assessed participants’ anhedonia scores using a questionnaire (derived from the SCL-90). Participants completed the monetary incentive delay task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of their brains. In this task, participants were presented with arrows that indicated either a potential monetary reward, a potential loss, no reward, or a cue for verbal trials. This was the anticipation phase.

Participants then had to react to a visual target by pressing a button (except in the neutral trials where no action was required). After this, they received feedback about whether they lost or won 2 EUR, or received neutral or verbal feedback (e.g., “You reacted slow”). This was the feedback phase of the task.

Results showed that individuals with higher polygenic risk scores for anhedonia tended to show decreased activation in the putamen region of the brain in both brain hemispheres and in the left middle frontal gyrus during the anticipation phase of the task. They also showed lower activation in the right caudate region during the feedback phase (specifically during reward feedback).

Participants with higher polygenic risk scores for anhedonia also tended to show lower activity in the left middle frontal gyrus while anticipating financial loss and during salience processing (deciding how important the events at hand are).

However, while participants were receiving feedback about losing 2 EUR, individuals with higher polygenic risk scores for anhedonia tended to show heightened activity in the bilateral putamen and right caudate regions.

The right caudate nucleus of the brain is involved in goal-directed behavior, reward-based learning, and the integration of motivation with action selection, while the left middle frontal gyrus supports executive functions such as working memory, planning, and top-down cognitive control. The putamen primarily contributes to motor control and habit formation, and it also plays a role in reinforcing learned actions through reward processing.

“Our results highlight the importance of the striatum and prefrontal cortex in the context of a genetic risk for anhedonia,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the neural basis of anhedonia. However, it should be noted that studies of neural correlates of psychological characteristics often yield inconsistent results. There are often pronounced individual differences in brain activities associated with specific psychological characteristics. Further studies are needed to verify and corroborate the reported findings.

The paper, “Associations between polygenic risk for anhedonia and functional brain activity during reward processing,” was authored by Nicholas Schäfer, Swapnil Awasthi, Stephan Ripke, Anna Daniels, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Heike Tost, Andreas Heinz, Henrik Walter, and Susanne Erk.

An analysis of data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study found that religiosity may protect against depression and stress by fostering feelings of gratitude and social support. The research was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Religiosity refers to the extent to which individuals hold religious beliefs, engage in religious practices, and integrate religion into their daily lives. It encompasses beliefs, behaviors (such as prayer or worship attendance), personal commitment, and identification with a religious community.

A substantial body of research shows that religiosity is positively associated with psychological outcomes, such as higher life satisfaction and greater subjective well-being. Longitudinal and cross-cultural evidence indicates that these associations are modest but robust across different populations and cultural contexts.

In psychology and public health, religiosity tends to be viewed as a potential protective factor for mental health. One key reason for this is that religious involvement can help individuals cope with stressful life events and derive meaning from adversity. According to some models of stress and coping, religiosity may influence well-being by shaping how stressors are appraised and managed. Rather than exerting a direct effect, religiosity appears to provide psychological and social coping resources.

Study authors Ethan D. Lantz and Danielle K. Nadorff sought to explore the mechanisms through which religiosity affects psychological well-being. They hypothesized that higher levels of religiosity would be associated with higher levels of gratitude and social support. In turn, individuals experiencing stronger feelings of gratitude and better social support would tend to report better psychological well-being—defined as lower depressive symptoms and perceived stress, and higher life satisfaction.

The authors analyzed data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. MIDUS is a large, long-running national research program that examines how psychological, social, behavioral, and biological factors influence health and well-being as people age.

Specifically, the researchers used data from 1,052 participants in the MIDUS 2 dataset, collected between 2004 and 2006, and 625 participants from the MIDUS Refresher dataset, collected between 2011 and 2014. The average age of participants was 55 years in the MIDUS 2 dataset and approximately 52 years in the MIDUS Refresher. Females made up 55% and 51% of the participants in the two datasets, respectively.

The authors utilized data on participants’ religiosity (collected using the MIDUS Religiosity Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression Scale), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), life satisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale), gratitude (Gratitude Questionnaire), and social support (Support and Strain from Partners, Family, and Friends scale).

They tested a statistical model proposing that religiosity leads to higher feelings of gratitude and greater social support. In turn, the model proposed that these resources would lead to improved psychological well-being. The results confirmed a “full mediation” model across both datasets. This indicates that the relationship between religiosity and well-being was fully explained by the presence of gratitude and social support.

“Religiosity may confer protection against affective distress by fostering key psychological and social coping resources. These findings highlight the potential clinical utility of interventions designed to cultivate gratitude and strengthen social support networks as a strategy to improve well-being and reduce symptoms of affective disorders,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the psychological correlates of religiosity. However, it should be noted that the cross-sectional design of this specific analysis does not allow for causal inferences to be derived from the results.

The paper, “An attitude of gratitude: How psychological and social resources mediate the protective effect of religiosity on depressive symptoms,” was authored by Ethan D. Lantz and Danielle K. Nadorff.

A qualitative study in Scotland examined the links between financial instability, employment insecurity, and suicidality. Results indicated that financial stressors create a cycle of unmet basic needs, powerlessness, and social isolation. Job precarity and lack of support further exacerbate these relationships, contributing to suicidal ideation. The research was published in Death Studies.

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. World Health Organization statistics indicate that 700,000 people die by suicide every year worldwide, making it a significant global public health issue. Although major religions have historically condemned suicide, contemporary public health and psychological perspectives view it as a preventable outcome arising from complex interactions rather than a moral failing. Suicide rarely has a single cause; instead, it reflects the intersection of personal, relational, community, and societal factors.

Economic instability, job insecurity, and financial distress are consistently linked to higher suicide risk, with those in insecure employment disproportionately affected. Evidence from the U.K. and Scotland shows particularly high vulnerability among working-age adults, even as poverty increasingly affects households where someone is employed.

Precarious work conditions—such as low income, unpredictable hours, limited rights, and low job autonomy—contribute to chronic stress and poorer mental health. Furthermore, stigma surrounding financial hardship and job insecurity can deter help-seeking, increasing isolation and risk.

Study author Nicola Cogan and her colleagues wanted to explore how insecure employment and financial instability are perceived to contribute toward suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adults living in Scotland. They also sought to identify risk and protective factors associated with the mental health impacts of economic insecurity and offer policy recommendations for improving mental health support for people facing economic precarity.

The study included 24 individuals from Scotland who reported being paid less than the living wage or below the minimum income standard, were on zero-hours contracts, working in the gig economy, were job-seeking long term, or had experience with Universal Credit (the UK’s main welfare benefit system). Sixteen participants were men. The participants’ average age was 30 years. On average, participants reported that their last suicidal thoughts or behaviors occurred more than six months prior. Individuals who were currently suicidal were not included in the study.

Participants took part in semi-structured interviews focusing on the interplay between employment status, financial instability, and experiences of suicidal ideation or behavior. They received a £20 voucher for their participation. The researchers transcribed the interviews and conducted reflexive thematic analysis with the goal of identifying the key themes within the narratives.

Analysis of the interviews identified six key themes. The first theme was the “struggle to meet basic needs and the vicious cycle.” When participants experienced financial instability, it created a struggle to meet basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. This battle degraded their mental health. Diminished mental health, in turn, reduced their ability to improve their financial situation, creating a vicious cycle.

The second theme was “feeling trapped and powerless.” Participants reported that feelings of entrapment intersected with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as they struggled to envision any escape from the situation. Theme three was the “stigma of financial instability.” Feeling financially unstable negatively impacted participants’ self-worth and self-esteem, making them feel inadequate and helpless. Theme four was “thinking about suicide and acting on such thoughts.” During these times, many of them imagined suicide to be the only way out of their struggles.

The fifth theme was the “need for hope and support from supportive others.” For many participants, hope and support from friends, family, and other individuals fostered resilience and prevented them from acting on suicidal thoughts.

The sixth theme was “active help-seeking and gaining a sense of control.” For many participants, actively seeking help was a turning point in managing the intersecting challenges of financial instability and mental health distress. This enabled them to regain a sense of control over their circumstances.

“Reflexive thematic analysis identified key themes, highlighting how financial stressors create a cycle of unmet basic needs, powerlessness, and social isolation, which exacerbates suicidal distress. Workplace conditions including job precarity and lack of support, further intensified these experiences, while protective factors included supportive relationships and proactive help-seeking,” the study authors concluded.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the mental health effects of financial instability. However, the study deliberately excluded prospective participants currently experiencing suicidality. Because of this, it did not fully capture the perspectives of individuals at the highest risk of suicide. Additionally, the collected data were based on the recall of past hardships, leaving room for recall and reporting biases to have affected the results.

The paper, “’It feels like the world is falling on your head’: Exploring the link between financial instability, employment insecurity, and suicidality,” was authored by Nicola Cogan, Susan Rasmussen, Kirsten Russell, Dan Heap, Heather Archbold, Lucy Milligan, Scott Thomson, Spence Whittaker, Dave Morris, and Danielle Rowley.

A study in Sexual and Relationship Therapy found that men are more open to casual sex and infidelity than women. The research also highlights a strong link between relationship dissatisfaction, the desire for uncommitted sex, and the intention to cheat.

Infidelity has long been defined as a violation of promises and commitments within a romantic relationship, reflecting a failure to uphold expectations of love, loyalty, and support. However, modern views conceptualize infidelity as physical, sexual, or emotional behaviors that violate relationship norms and cause distress and negative relationship outcomes. Exactly which behaviors constitute infidelity varies across couples, as norms regarding emotional and sexual exclusivity differ between relationships.

The most common forms of infidelity are sexual and emotional infidelity. Sexual infidelity usually involves physical sexual behaviors with someone other than one’s partner. Emotional infidelity consists of forming intimate emotional bonds with a person other than the partner that breach relationship rules agreed upon by the couple. Research indicates that sexual and emotional infidelity often co-occur; they are, most often, not independent phenomena.

A key psychological characteristic linked to infidelity is sociosexuality. Sociosexuality is the level of openness to casual sex without commitment. Individuals with higher sociosexuality are more likely to engage in both sexual and emotional infidelity, as their attitudes and desires may conflict with monogamous relationship norms.

Study author Paula Pricope and her colleagues wanted to investigate whether sociosexuality plays a mediating role in the relationship between relationship satisfaction and intentions towards infidelity. They also wanted to know whether these associations are the same in men and women. The authors hypothesized that men would be more inclined to engage in infidelity compared to women and that their sociosexuality would be higher (i.e., they would be more open to casual sex).

Study participants were 246 individuals from Romania. Their average age was 24 years. All participants were volunteers. Sixty-one percent of participants were women. Seventy-two percent were in a non-marital romantic relationship, while 28% were married. Sixty-eight percent of participants were from urban areas of Romania.

Participants completed assessments of intentions towards infidelity (the Intentions Towards Infidelity Scale), relationship satisfaction (the Relationship Assessment Scale), and sociosexuality (the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory – Revised).

Results showed that individuals reporting stronger intentions towards infidelity tended to have higher sociosexuality and be less satisfied with their relationships. In other words, individuals more willing to cheat on their partners tended to be more open to uncommitted sex and less satisfied with their relationships. Men tended to report higher sociosexuality and higher intentions towards infidelity than women.

The authors tested a statistical model proposing that lower relationship satisfaction leads to higher sociosexuality, which, in turn, increases intentions to cheat. The results indicated that this pathway was significant specifically for men. For male participants, lower relationship satisfaction was linked to higher sociosexuality, which then predicted higher intentions to cheat. However, this mediation pathway was not significant for women.

The study contributes to the scientific understanding of infidelity. However, all study data came from self-reports, leaving room for reporting bias to have affected the results. Additionally, the design of the study does not allow for causal inferences.

While it is indeed possible that lower relationship satisfaction leads to increased sociosexuality and infidelity intentions, it is also possible that higher sociosexuality and infidelity intentions reduce relationship satisfaction or make it harder for a person to be satisfied with a committed relationship. Other possibilities also remain open.

The paper, “The roles of sociosexuality and gender in the relationship between relationship satisfaction and intentions toward infidelity: a moderated mediation model,” was authored by Paula Pricope, Tudor-Daniel Huțul, Adina Karner-Huțuleac, and Andreea Huțul.