Researchers from the UK's University of Plymouth and University of Exeter asked patients, some of whom had experienced lower back pain for up to 40 years, if being in nature helped them coped better with their lower back pain. They found that people able to spend time in their own gardens saw some health and wellbeing benefits. However, those able to immerse themselves in larger green spaces such as forests felt even more positive, as they were able to lose themselves in the environment and focus more on that than their pain levels. The researchers have recommended trying to incorporate time spent in nature into people’s treatments plans, and are also using their findings to develop virtual reality interventions that allow people to experience some of the benefits of being in nature without the need to travel anywhere if they are unable to do so.

Anxiety over income and unfair feedback dominates working lives of delivery riders, drivers and “digital labour” workers in UK’s gig economy – with many reporting physical pain and hours spent working without pay waiting for the app to ping.

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/02/2025) — Pregnancy and birth rates among Minnesota youth have reached their lowest levels since 1990, continuing a decades-long decline, according to the newly released 2025 Minnesota Adolescent Sexual Health Report from the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Center for Healthy Youth Development (CHYD). 

New research from Michigan State University with colleagues at Stanford shows that the sense of social connection in VR during classroom instruction (called social presence) enhances student outcomes compared to videoconferencing — until virtual meeting fatigue sets in.

Community policies, such as those for zoning or parking, are typically made at the top, which can leave community members feeling frustrated or left out of the process. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science (SCS) developed the web-based tool PolicyCraft to help community members use concrete cases to collaboratively craft policy. The research team found that policies created with PolicyCraft received stronger support and greater consensus.

About The Study: Between 2021 and 2023, prevalence of current cannabis use increased among adults age 65 or older nationally, with key demographic subgroups experiencing marked increases. Adults with the highest incomes initially had the lowest prevalence of cannabis use vs other income levels, but by 2023, they had the highest prevalence, which may indicate better access to medical cannabis given its costs. 

A new study focussing on depression shows how digital games can be used to learn about mental illness / publication in ‘Frontiers in Psychology’