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Your immune system could be fuelling mental health issues

A new study from the University of Bristol suggests mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia might be deeply tied to immune system activity, not just brain chemistry.

Key findings:

• 29 immune proteins were linked to mental health conditions, including Alzheimer’s, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and depression.
  

• 20 of those proteins are already targets of drugs used for other physical conditions, opening up new treatment options.
  

• The research challenges brain-only models, pushing us to see mental health as shaped by both brain and body.

Why it matters:
For 1 in 3 people who don’t respond to traditional antidepressants or antipsychotics, this research offers new hope. Your immune system might be part of the mental health puzzle we've been missing.

Read the full study here (free) 👈

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Would you rather be talked about or ignored?

New research from the University of Mississippi dives into a strange psychological dilemma: being gossiped about vs. being completely ignored. Across five experiments and 1,000+ participants, the results show neither feels good, but for very different reasons.

Key findings:

• Gossip stings, but silence wounds: Most people prefer being praised behind their backs rather than being forgotten, but a third feel uneasy even about positive gossip.
  

• Negative attention seekers: Around 15%, often narcissists or men, said they’d rather be gossiped about negatively than not be mentioned at all.
  

• Gossip isn’t always bad: When truthful and well-intentioned, gossip can help enforce fairness, build group norms, and even strengthen bonds.

Why it matters:
We’re wired to want social relevance, even if it’s complicated. Whether it's whispers or absence, how others treat us when we're not in the room shapes how we see ourselves.

Read the full study here (free) 👈

Why do some people fall for pseudo-profound nonsense?

A new meta-analysis in Applied Cognitive Psychology helps explain why phrases like “Hidden meaning transforms unparalleled abstract beauty” can seem deep to some and like gibberish to others. Across 46 studies with over 13,600 participants, researchers found that susceptibility to pseudo-profound statements—bullshit that sounds insightful but means nothing—is linked to how we think.

Key insights:

• Lower cognitive reflection = higher bullshit receptivity: People who don’t pause to question gut reactions are more likely to find pseudo-profound phrases meaningful.
  

• Belief systems matter: Those with stronger belief in the paranormal, religion, or conspiracy theories were more receptive to meaningless statements.
  

• Intuition over analysis: A reliance on “gut feelings” and a general tendency to see depth everywhere—even in motivational quotes—correlated with higher bullshit ratings.

Why it matters
In a world of misinformation and viral nonsense, knowing what makes us fall for pseudo-profundity can help us spot it, and stop it, in ourselves and others

Read the full study here 👈 (Paid access)

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Dan from Cognitive Crumbs