BackgroundHeatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent and intense across Europe, posing significant risks to physical and mental health. Emerging evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to high temperatures may exacerbate psychiatric symptoms and increase the demand for acute mental health services.ObjectivesThis study examined the relationship between extreme heat events and psychiatric service utilization in Bolzano, Italy, by analyzing emergency psychiatric consultations and acute psychiatric admissions across three non-consecutive years.MethodsA retrospective observational analysis was conducted using daily psychiatric consultations in the Emergency Department (ED) and daily admissions to acute psychiatric wards from 2013, 2018, and 2023. Meteorological data were obtained from the provincial environmental agency. Time-series analyses employed ARIMA models, incorporating daily minimum and maximum temperatures, tropical nights, and a cumulative heatwave index (n_hot_htwv). Model selection was based on BIC, and the effect of exogenous temperature variables was evaluated through changes in AIC. Residual diagnostics guided the inclusion of weekly seasonal dummy variables.ResultsNon-seasonal ARIMA models with day-of-week dummies provided the best fit for both consultations and admissions. Adding the cumulative heatwave variable (n_hot_htwv) consistently improved model fit across all years, whereas minimum and maximum temperatures alone did not. Heatwave duration emerged as a more sensitive predictor of psychiatric service utilization than isolated temperature peaks. No evidence of yearly seasonality was found, and residual diagnostics supported the robustness of models including weekly dummy variables.ConclusionHeatwaves are associated with increased psychiatric consultations and hospital admissions in Bolzano, with cumulative heat exposure representing a critical determinant. These effects cannot be explained solely by seasonal patterns, suggesting an independent climatic influence. Given the projected rise in heatwave intensity and duration, mental health services should incorporate climate-responsive planning and early-warning strategies.
Psychological inflexibility and resilience in anxiety: insights from machine-learning and robust mediation-based models
IntroductionPsychological inflexibility (PI) has been associated with anxiety symptoms, while resilience serves as a protective factor; however, their roles and interrelationship remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of PI on anxiety-related symptoms while assessing the mediating role of resilience and testing the moderating effect of sex and psychiatric history.MethodsFrom April to July 2021, an online protocol employing self-reported measures assessed PI (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire), resilience dimensions (Resilience Scale for Adults), and anxiety-related symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Scale; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales). A model generation approach, using machine-learning and robust mediation-based models, was applied to investigate the relationships between these constructs.ResultsIn a sample of 313 adults (72.20% females; 39.29 ± 11.81 years), Random Forest analysis indicated PI and the resilience dimensions perception of self (R-PS) and planned future (R-PF) as the strongest predictors of anxiety-related symptoms. PI showed a positive direct association with GAD, anxiety, and stress (respectively β = 0.28, β = 0.07, β = 0.20, p ≤ 0.001). Significant indirect associations emerged: PI–Stress regarding R-PS (β = 0.08, p = 0.004), PI–Anxiety regarding R-PF (β = 0.03; p = 0.03), PI–GAD (β = 0.08, p = 0.001) and PI–Stress (β = 0.11, p < 0.001) regarding R-PS and R-PF together.DiscussionThese findings highlight the importance of PI and resilience as interconnected processes underlying mental health outcomes. Additionally, they suggest that psychological intervention programs targeting PI, along with resilience, could foster healthier strategies for coping with anxiety-related symptoms.
The trajectories of Demoralization Syndrome and its related factors among elderly patients with end-stage kidney disease: a longitudinal study
ObjectiveElderly ESKD patients frequently experience a range of psychosocial difficulties, with Demoralization Syndrome (DS) being especially prevalent. This study sought to delineate distinct longitudinal trajectories of DS and to examine factors associated with trajectory membership.MethodsA prospective longitudinal cohort of 363 elderly ESKD patients was recruited from Department of Nephrology in grade a hospital in Anhui, China from January 2023 to December 2025. DS was measured 4 time points from the first hemodialysis session after diagnosis to the 18 month follow-up. LCGM was applied to identify latent DS trajectory classes. Differences among classes were explored with the Two-way ANOVA, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations between baseline characteristics and trajectory membership.ResultsThree DS trajectories were identified: Severe Class (54.0%), Moderate Class (41.6%), and Mild Class (4.4%).Membership in the more adverse trajectories was significantly associated with higher use of negative coping styles, lower perceived social support, lower Barthel Index scores, and more negative perceptions of aging (all P < 0.05).ConclusionsConsiderable heterogeneity in DS trajectories exists among elderly ESKD patients, with the majority following a severe pattern. These findings suggest that clinicians should monitor physical and cognitive functioning, regularly assess DS levels, and consider interventions targeting social support and coping strategies to mitigate worsening demoralization over time.
Author Correction: RIP-PEN-seq identifies a class of kink-turn RNAs as splicing regulators
Nature Biotechnology, Published online: 18 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03167-4
Author Correction: RIP-PEN-seq identifies a class of kink-turn RNAs as splicing regulators
When cure exists but access does not
Nature Medicine, Published online: 18 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04396-5
In this World View, Ali T. Taher explains why thalassemia is a stress test for fragile health systems.
Spatial proteomic analysis in human Alzheimer’s disease brains enables identification of microenvironment-dependent microglial cell states
Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 18 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02267-3
Myeloid cells show marked heterogeneity in Alzheimer’s disease. This study introduces CODEX-CNS, a single-cell spatial proteomics pipeline, and identifies a human microglial subpopulation enriched in Alzheimer’s disease brains that associates with dense amyloid-β plaques.
<![CDATA[Learn why adult ADHD often hides behind anxiety or depression, how childhood history and family risk guide diagnosis, and why stimulants still matter.]]>
Texas is opening up a detransition clinic
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Good morning. Glad you’re here. Lots of news dropped over the weekend, so let’s get to it.
Networks chairs respond to NHS Modernisation Bill and SPR plans
The chairs of the Digital Health advisory panels have reacted to the NHS Modernisation Bill, including plans for a single patient record.
STAT+: The China question is tearing biotech apart
There’s a schism in America’s drug business, playing out in punchy direct messages, feisty group chats, and the occasional heated in-person exchange.
The problem is China. Fledgling startups and pharmaceutical giants alike are addicted to Chinese drugs, filling their pipelines with would-be blockbusters developed at enviable speed and bought on the cheap. They’ve spent some $60 billion on Chinese molecules in the first three months of 2026 alone, according to state figures. That’s on pace to double last year’s total, which was already 10 times larger than the one from 2021.
No one disagrees that it’s good business. And more drugs moving swiftly through development means hope for patients around the world desperately awaiting new medicines.
But, according to more than a dozen interviews with industry executives and investors, the question of whether to partner with Chinese firms — or see them as rivals — is tearing biotech apart, pitting peers and partners against one another and souring relationships in an otherwise close-knit corporate community.