Fear and Anxiety in Schizophrenia: A Focus on Development, Assessment, and Mechanisms.

In people with schizophrenia, anxiety is highly prevalent and related to numerous negative outcomes; unfortunately, anxiety is both underreported and understudied in schizophrenia. The current review highlights the importance and utility of assessing anxiety in schizophrenia by addressing four main questions: (1) What does anxiety look like throughout the development of schizophrenia?; (2) How do we measure anxiety in schizophrenia?; (3) What are the mechanisms underlying anxiety in schizophrenia; (4) How do we treat anxiety in schizophrenia? We also provide take-home points and propose future directions for the field. We hope this emphasis on the critical role of anxiety in schizophrenia will help researchers appropriately identify the presence of anxiety, better address these symptoms, and improve the lives of people at risk for or experiencing psychosis.

Sex and sobriety: Human brain structure and function in AUD abstinence.

Women are drinking alcohol as much as men for the first time in history. Women experience more health-related consequences from alcohol use disorder (AUD), like increased prevalence of alcohol-related cancers, faster progression of alcohol-related liver disease, and greater risk for relapse compared to men. Thus, sex differences in chronic alcohol use pose a substantial public health problem.

Altered brain and physiological stress responses in early psychosis.

Stress is proposed to be a crucial factor in the onset and presentation of psychosis. The early stage of psychosis provides a window into how stress interacts with the emergence of psychosis. Yet, how people with early psychosis respond to stress remains unclear.