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The United States has fallen out of the world’s top 20 happiest countries. The World Happiness Report revealed the US fell from number 15 to number 23, putting it out of the top 20 for the first time since the report was published in 2012. [More]

A recently published study looked at depression detection using in-the-wild smartphone images. “Our study, MoodCapture, explores the innovative use of smartphone technology to detect signs of depression through ‘in-the-wild’ facial expressions captured by the front-facing camera during routine phone unlocks or app use,” co-first author Subigya Nepal told us. “We aimed to assess whether these spontaneous images, which reflect authentic emotions free from the biases of self-presentation, could serve as reliable indicators for depression." [More]

A new study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association looked at breaks in the workplace and why some employees take their breaks and others don’t. “Our research is about breaks in the workplace,” study author Vincent Phan told us. “We were hoping to get a better sense of employees’ reasons for taking breaks at work, as well as their reasons for not taking breaks despite wanting or needing a break.” Past theory and research within the occupational health psychology literature would suggest that employees may want a break when they feel tired or upset, or when they feel their performance on the job isn’t as good as they would like. However, employees do not always take breaks when they want to do so. [More]

If you’re at your happiest when gardening, you’re not alone. Researchers from the University of Florida have found that working with plants could have a mental health benefit, even among those who have never tried gardening before. [More]

People may take fewer COVID-19 safety precautions and feel less vulnerable to infection when around friends. Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain were inspired to undertake the research after realising they felt safer when with close friends. [More]

A new study published in the Health Environments Research and Design Journal looked at hospital greenspaces and the impacts on wayfinding and spatial experience. The study was an explorative experiment using immersive virtual environment techniques. “The study compares people’s performances and spatial experiences during hospital wayfinding in two scenarios: the virtual hospital with window views of nature and greenspaces, and the virtual hospital without window views,” study author Shan Jiang told us. [More]

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, an interesting phenomenon was playing out in grocery stores. Panic buying. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, an interesting phenomenon was playing out in grocery stores. Panic buying. Consumers, in the face of increasing uncertainty, began stockpiling in a buying frenzy that left the shelves bare. Now a study from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia may have an explanation for the behaviour. Unexpected certainty can cause us to change our behavior even if it isn't helpful. [More]

A recent scientific statement by the American Heart Association published in the AHA Journal covered the topic of cardiovascular health in people who are transgender and gender diverse. “Our statement is about looking at people's health in the context of the world in which we live,” Writing Committee Chair, Carl G Streed told us. “It's about moving beyond blaming individuals for their health and looking at what is actually causing health disparities." [More]

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology looked at sex differences in specific aspects of two animal tests of anxiety-like behavior. “We studied male and female rodent models to better understand sex differences in biological responses related to anxiety,” study author Thatiane De Oliveira Sergio told us. “We used procedures that let us measure a lot of different aspects of the anxiety behavior.” [More]

A new study published in PLOS ONE looked at how state-trait interactions in regulatory focus determines impulse buying behavior. “Our study looks at how a basic motivational theory (regulatory focus theory) can be applied to the phenomenon of impulse buying,” study author Anand Krishna told us. “Regulatory focus differentiates between a promotion focus, in which people are motivated by achieving potential gains or growth goals, and a prevention focus, in which people are motivated by avoiding losses or achieving security goals.” [More]