Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.

5 papers

Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies

Shian‐Ling Keng, Moria J. Smoski, Clive J. Robins
Clinical Psychology Review Summary & key facts 2011 2,599 citations

This 2011 review looked at many studies on mindfulness and mental health. It defines mindfulness as paying attention in the present with nonjudgmental acceptance and says this involves both focusing attention and an open, curious attitude. The authors examined three kinds of research—correlational studies, intervention trials, and lab experiments—and concluded…

Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology

The Need to Belong: a Deep Dive into the Origins, Implications, and Future of a Foundational Construct

Kelly-Ann Allen, DeLeon L Gray, Roy F Baumeister, Mark R Leary
PubMed Central (PMC) Summary & key facts 2021 249 citations

This paper reviews research showing that belonging is a basic human need and explains why it matters for schools. It summarizes many studies that link school belonging with better mental health, higher achievement, and lower dropout, and it includes an email interview with Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary about their…

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Community Health and Development Youth Development and Social Support

Defining Infidelity in Research and Couple Counseling: A Qualitative Study

Naomi Moller, Andreas Vossler

Infidelity can destroy relationships, but there is long-standing debate in the field about how best to define the construct. A clear definition of infidelity is important theoretically, empirically, and therapeutically; however, research on the topic is limited. This study explores how seven experienced couple counselors define infidelity on the basis…

Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior Marriage and Sexual Relationships Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

Empathy and Autism: Establishing the Structure and Different Manifestations of Empathy in Autistic Individuals Using the Perth Empathy Scale

Jack D. Brett, David A. Preece, Rodrigo Becerra, Andrew Whitehouse, Murray T. Maybery

The present study highlights that the PES is suitable for assessing empathy across autistic and non-autistic individuals. This work with the PES also provides greater nuance to our understanding of empathy and autism, and based on these findings, we propose the empathy heterogeneity hypothesis of autism as a new way…

Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Child Development and Digital Technology Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Ability-Related Emotional Intelligence: An Introduction

Michael Robinson
Journal of Intelligence Summary & key facts 2024 6 citations

Emotional intelligence (EI) here means real, testable skills for noticing, understanding, using, and managing emotions. Researchers now favor ability-based tests over self-reports because self-reports often look like personality. But ability-based EI has measurement problems and only small, inconsistent links to real-world outcomes. Some studies find tiny or near-zero links with…

Emotional Intelligence and Performance Learning Styles and Cognitive Differences Personality Traits and Psychology
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