DNA testing kits are often gifted for Father’s Day, Christmas and special occasions. The idea of learning more about yourself and unearthing some long-forgotten family history is certainly appealing for many, but a psychologist has warned that these presents can come with profound psychological implications.

A study coordinated by researchers at the Università Cattolica, Milan campus warns against a digital world in which all faces tend to resemble one another. The risk is that it will become more difficult to remember what makes us unique.

The study used AI to compare health records from 10,000 veterans and found that those who had served in roles with higher risk of blast exposure were more likely to have raised concerns related to anger to their doctor.

Early childhood adversity is connected to poorer physical and mental health across a person’s lifespan, and the biological mechanisms that translate the lived effects of poverty and trauma into physical functions are starting to come to light. A growing body of research has shown that psychosocial stress influences mitochondrial function, and mitochondria play a pivotal role in stress-related diseases and aging. UCLA psychologists have now connected early childhood adversity to changes in how mitochondria produce energy, which may affect cellular function with adverse effects on mental and physical health.

Fathers who take several months of parental leave have a lower risk of developing depressive symptoms during the early years of their child’s life than fathers who take only a short period of leave. This is shown by a new Swedish study involving researchers from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal American Journal of Public Health.