EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Oct-2026 16:16 ET (27-Oct-2026 20:16 GMT/UTC)

4-May-2026

Economic insecurity linked with frailty in later life, study finds

University of Edinburgh
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Older people who experience unstable finances, poor housing and fuel poverty are at increased risk of more rapid physical and mental decline as they age, a study suggests.

Journal: Ageing and Society
Funder: National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council

4-May-2026

Space logistics on the right track

Bielefeld University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

How does one plan a space mission that involves visiting multiple celestial bodies which are constantly moving? Researchers at Bielefeld University have, for the first time, developed a precise mathematical approach to this problem. The publication in a leading international journal demonstrates that decision-support methods at the interface between economics and mathematics can advance space travel and transport planning – with implications extending far beyond space missions.

Journal: INFORMS Journal on Computing

4-May-2026

First psychiatric admission marks the beginning of a long-term illness for most patients

University of Copenhagen
Peer-Reviewed Publication

By following a group of young people with mental health problems for 20 years, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have found that as many as 95 per cent come into contact with hospital psychiatry again. At the same time, patients face clear social disadvantages, pointing to the first admission as a critical window for providing intensive support.

Journal: European Psychiatry

4-May-2026

Marker of biological aging linked to cognitive symptoms of depression

New York University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Blood tests measuring the aging of certain white blood cells can predict cognitive and mood-related symptoms of depression, rather than physical symptoms.

The findings, published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, bring researchers closer to identifying a biomarker for detecting the mood disorder, which affects nearly one in five US adults.