news 2025

Active music-making together with a musical facilitator helps reduce challenging behaviour in adults with a mild to moderate intellectual disability. Music intervention not only has positive effects on the participants themselves, but also contributes to the wellbeing of support staf. This is evident from by behavioural specialist Gerianne Smeets.

Active music-making together with a musical facilitator helps reduce challenging behaviour in adults with a mild to moderate intellectual disability. Music intervention not only has positive effects on the participants themselves, but also contributes to the wellbeing of support staf. This is evident from by behavioural specialist Gerianne Smeets.

The research conducted by biological psychologist Floris Huider provides important insights into the genetic and biological factors that contribute to depression. His findings show that this mental disorder, which affects millions of people worldwide, is about 35 percent heritable. This means that genetic differences between individuals play a significant role in their susceptibility to depressive symptoms.

Does the way parents respond to their baby's signals affect not just emotional wellbeing, but also physical health later in life? A new study led by postdoc Dr. Stefania Vacaru with the team at the Developmental Psychobiology Lab, suggests the answer is yes. "Our main question was simple," says Vacaru.

Researchers at Radboud University and the Radboudumc found that mothers with postpartum depression benefit from oxytocin nasal spray. The oxytocin causes mothers to respond more positively to their newborn child. 'Although extra oxytocin does not affect mothers' caregiving behavior and stress levels, it does contribute to better contact between mother and child.' Mothers with postpartum depression or a lighter form of it often feel sad, tired or anxious after the birth of their child.

Cognitive neuroscientist Anne Marije Kaag has investigated various obstacles faced by cisgender men, cisgender women, and transgender individuals when seeking help for addiction. The research shows that women primarily experience shame, while transgender individuals often feel distrust towards healthcare services.

The rhythms of school and work often clash with our -biological clock. It's widely claimed that this social jetlag negatively impacts our well-being. But is that really true? Biological psychologist Anne Landvreugd and her colleagues conclude in this study that there-s little to no connection between social jetlag and happiness.

Even the happiest couples face challenges in their relationships. Social psychologist Giulia Zoppolat decided to research two common hurdles romantic partners can encounter: feeling both positive and negative emotions toward a partner and the effects of distractions, like being glued to your phone, during interactions.