"In a small study of adults with major depression, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that two doses of the psychedelic substance psilocybin, given with supportive psychotherapy, produced rapid and large reductions in depressive symptoms, with most participants showing improvement and half of study participants achieving remission through the four-week follow-up. A compound found in so-called magic mushrooms, psilocybin produces visual and auditory hallucinations and profound changes in consciousness over a few hours after ingestion. In 2016, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers first reported that treatment with psilocybin under psychologically supported conditions significantly relieved existential anxiety and depression in people with a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. Now, the findings from the new study, published Nov. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry, suggest that psilocybin may be effective in the much wider population of patients who suffer from major depression than previously appreciated."

"Currently, 30 percent of American adults suffer from some form of insomnia, but the condition affects Black women disproportionately. For example, even when studies account for socioeconomic status, Black women report shorter total sleep time than White women and greater difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. However, there have been no studies published to date that focus on psycho-behavioral interventions for Black women to address their sleep deficits."

"Is it important for us to understand menopause now, even though it will not impact us for years? The answer, I found, is absolutely yes!...new research from this year suggests that woman may experience most menopause symptoms even earlier than we once thought. This late reproductive stage (LRS) can last for 10 years, and the severity of symptoms experienced by any one woman can be just as intense as they are in older women. Struggles with sleep, memory, and hot flashes can come as a surprise to women in their 30s. Woman of all ages need to have conversations with their health care providers about these topics. And researchers need to continue investigating perimenopause symptoms in younger women. Thankfully, there are also some things young women should do now to improve their chances for better long-term health, particularly to help prevent two diseases that grow more common as women age and the protective effect of estrogen diminishes: osteoporosis and heart disease."