Substantial evidence supports the efficacy of cognitive bias modification (CBM) for attention and interpretation. However, CBM targeting memory bias (CBM-M) remains underexplored despite its clinical relevance. This study examines the effectiveness and neurobiological mechanisms of CBM-M.

Fifty-eight individuals with elevated anxious and depressive personality traits (>1 SD) were randomly assigned to either CBM-M or sham training (n = 29 per group) in a parallel, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. The intervention involved eight sessions over 1 month. CBM-M aimed to enhance positive autobiographical memory (AM) recall by focusing on positive and negative words, whereas sham training lacked this enhancement module. Anxiety and depressive traits and symptoms, explicit and implicit memory biases, and AM specificity were assessed. Additionally, intrinsic functional connectivity was measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging, and cortisol levels were assayed via saliva collected at 10 time points across 2 days before and after the intervention.

Both groups showed reduced anxiety and depressive traits from pre- to post-intervention. Compared with sham training, CBM-M specifically reduced stress vulnerability, negative explicit memory bias, and daytime cortisol levels, with a large effect size. Improvement in memory bias correlated with stress vulnerability and cortisol reductions. CBM-M also enhanced amygdala functional connectivity with the anteromedial orbitofrontal cortex in comparison with sham training from pre- to post-intervention.

CBM-M reduced stress vulnerability and elicited neural changes in amygdala–anteromedial orbitofrontal cortex interactions, which were involved in social reward and AM recall. Future research should identify the most responsive populations and elucidate underlying mechanisms.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily social interactions, potentially affecting mental health. Understanding the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms is essential for guiding mental health strategies during future crises.

To explore how social networks influenced mental health outcomes during the pandemic and how these relationships changed over time.

Data from the Omtanke2020 study, a prospective cohort study of Swedish adults, were analysed using structural equation modelling (N = 10 918). Surveys at baseline and follow-up at 6 and 12 months assessed social networks, including structural components (e.g. relationship status, frequency of social contact) and perceived components (e.g. emotional support from family, feeling safe at home). Cross-lagged panel modelling was used to observe changes over time in the associations between social network indicators and depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Stronger perceived social support – specifically closeness to family, perceived warmth or love from others and increased societal cohesion – were negatively correlated with depressive and anxiety symptoms across all time points (β coefficients = −0.14 to −0.23, all P < 0.001). Social network variables consistently predicted mental health outcomes, with effect sizes remaining relatively stable over time (β coefficient = −0.17 at baseline, β coefficient = −0.21 at 1-year follow-up).

This study highlights the protective role of the social network – namely perceived social support – in combatting depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions that strengthen close interpersonal ties and community cohesion may help mitigate mental health impacts during future public health crises.

High uncertainty in recent global health, geopolitical, and climate crises has been proposed as one important driver of the rise in youth mental health problems. This makes intolerance of uncertainty – a transdiagnostic risk factor for mental health problems – a promising target for intervention.

This study presents a novel single-session online training that took a synergistic mindset approach to promote uncertainty-as-adaptive and growth mindsets. The novel Uncertainty-Mindset Training was compared with Psychoeducation and No-Training control groups in 259 older adolescents/emerging adults (18-to-24-year-olds).

The Uncertainty-Mindset Training reduced intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms 1 month later. Importantly, the clinical gains were mediated by reductions in intolerance of uncertainty.

Given that this ultra-brief training can be delivered at scale globally and at no cost to the users, it shows promise for significant public health impacts.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) leads to faltering growth and psychosocial impairment. Three phenotypes can co-occur: fear of aversive consequences of eating (ARFID-fear phenotype), sensory sensitivity, and lack of interest in eating/food. We hypothesized that youth with ARFID, especially ARFID-fear phenotype, would show hyperactivation of fear-related regions in response to ARFID-specific fear images, compared to healthy controls (HC), and activation of these regions would positively correlate with ARFID fear severity.

Youth (N=103: 76 ARFID, including 20 ARFID-fear phenotype; 27 HC) underwent functional MRI scanning while viewing ARFID-specific fear (e.g. vomiting, choking) versus neutral images. We compared blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response in fear-related region of interests (ROI; e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, insula) between ARFID and ARFID-fear phenotype versus HC. We evaluated the association between brain response and ARFID fear severity in ARFID-fear phenotype.

Across individuals, there was a robust bilateral amygdala response to ARFID-specific fear versus neutral images. Compared to HC, ARFID-fear phenotype showed a greater insula response to ARFID-specific fear versus neutral images (p=0.049). There were no other group differences and no significant relationships between BOLD response and ARFID fear severity in ARFID-fear phenotype.

ARFID-specific fear images elicit amygdala responses across individuals, with greater activation in the insula only in ARFID-fear phenotype versus HC. These findings validate the ARFID-specific fear paradigm and highlight the intriguing possibility that, in the ARFID-fear phenotype, universally feared experiences such as choking and vomiting serve as the unconditioned stimulus in developing ARFID and may partially be mediated by the insular cortex.

Mental health difficulties affect the well-being of doctors and compromise the delivery of healthcare. However, large-scale data on doctors’ mental health needs are limited.

Describe patterns of self-referrals for mental health support among doctors in England and explore associations with demographic factors, speciality, neurodevelopmental and mental health indicators.

Observational study using data from doctors who self-referred for mental health difficulties to a national service in England over a 4-year period. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between speciality and mental health indicators.

Of the 16 815 doctors who self-referred during the study period, 80% were under the age of 49 and 70.6% were female with the two largest ethnicities being 65.1% White and 22.7% Asian. Women were more likely to report higher scores for depression (odds ratio 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84 to 0.97), anxiety (odds ratio 0.78, 95% CI = 0.72 to 0.84) and psychological distress (odds ratio 0.78, 95% CI = 0.70 to 0.87), but males were more likely to screen positive for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Doctors in general practice accounted for 46.3% of referrals. Compared with them, doctors in most other specialities had higher odds of elevated mental health scores across all measures, including ADHD.

The findings highlight a significant mental health burden among self-referring doctors, particularly for females and doctors in non-general practice specialities. Tailored and easily accessible support strategies that account for both demographic and professional contexts are essential to address the diverse mental health needs of the medical workforce.

One of the challenges of psychological research is obtaining a sample representative of the general population. One largely overlooked participant characteristic is sub-clinical levels of psychiatric symptoms.

A series of studies were conducted to assess (i) whether typical psychology study participants had more psychiatric symptoms than the general population, (ii) whether there are sub-groups defined by psychiatric symptoms within the no-diagnosis, no-medication participant pool, and (iii) whether sub-clinical levels of psychiatric symptoms have an effect on standard behavioral tasks. Five UK national datasets (N > 10,000) were compared to data from psychology study participants (Study 1: n = 872; Study 2: n = 43,094; Study 3: n = 267).

Psychology study participants showed significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower well-being, according to four commonly used mental health measures (GHQ-12, PHQ-8, WEMWBS, and WHO-5). Five sub-groups within the psychology study participant group were identified based on symptom levels, ranging from none to significant psychiatric symptoms. These groupings predicted performance on tests of executive function, including the Stroop task and the n-back task, as well as measures of intelligence.

This study demonstrates that standard psychology participant pools are unrepresentative and suggests that a failure to account for psychiatric symptoms when recruiting for any psychological study is likely to negatively impact the reproducibility and generalizability of psychological science.

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), defined as worry about cancer progression or return, is a common concern among patients and survivors. This study aims to identify factors influencing the onset of FCR and to evaluate its impact on emotional distress and quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing systemic cancer treatment.

A sample of 175 patients undergoing systemic cancer treatment completed self-report questionnaires assessing socio-demographics, clinical factors and fear of cancer recurrence, anxiety, depression and QoL (FCRI, HADS, EORTC-QLQ-C30).

Data analysis using linear and generalized linear models revealed that FCR is inversely associated with QoL and positively correlated with anxiety and depression. These associations were independent of socio-demographic and clinical variables, with anxiety and depression fully mediating the FCR-QoL relationship. Gender and time since diagnosis emerged as significant predictors, with an increase in FCR at 12 months post-diagnosis.

Our results indicate that FCR, anxiety and depression linked, are present after several months post-diagnosis, suggesting that FCR tends to intensify over time. These findings carry important psychological implications, highlighting the need to support patients in recognizing and managing their fear and emotional distress. Implementing a psychoeducational counseling approximately six months after diagnosis – engaging oncologists, psycho-oncologists, and patients within a “stepped-care” framework – may be effective in mitigating FCR and its emotional consequences.

Sexual minorities have continuously been found to experience poorer mental health compared to the general population, despite promising changes in attitudes and legislation throughout the 21st century in many Western countries. The present study is one of the first to assess group-level changes over time in mental health among sexual minorities compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

We used four waves of a Finnish population-based survey spanning 16 years (2006–2022) to compare heterosexual and sexual minority adults on depression and anxiety symptoms, alcohol use, and sexual distress.

Sexual minority individuals reported more depression and anxiety symptoms, sexual distress, and alcohol use relative to their heterosexual counterparts at all time points. There were no group differences in the direction or rate of change in group means from 2006 to 2022. Depression and anxiety symptoms showed equally large increases, and alcohol use showed equally large decreases among both heterosexual and sexual minority participants.

Contrary to our expectations based on minority stress theory, differences in mental health between sexual minority and heterosexual individuals persist despite changes in the sociolegal status of sexual minorities during the first two decades of the 21st century. Our findings align with the increasing general trend in anxiety and depression symptoms, which seems to affect the whole population regardless of sexual orientation. We conclude that the effect of legislative societal improvements seems to be small, and the mental health gap between sexual minority and heterosexual adults is likely maintained by factors not included in our study.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and unfavourable lifestyle are both significant risk factors for mental health disorders, yet their combined effects on adolescent depression and anxiety remain poorly understood. This study aims to determine whether PM2.5 exposure and lifestyle are independently associated with adolescent depression and anxiety, and whether there are joint effects between these factors on mental health outcomes.

In this cross-sectional study, 19852 participants were analysed. PM2.5 concentrations were obtained from the ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) dataset. Lifestyle factors were assessed through self-reported questionnaires, and a healthy lifestyle score was developed based on eight lifestyle risk factors. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales. Restricted cubic spline analysed dose–response relationships between PM2.5 exposure and mental health outcomes. The independent and joint effects were assessed using logistic regression models. Both multiplicative and additive interactions (relative excess risk due to interaction, RERI) were examined. Multiple classification approaches were incorporated to ensure robust results.

The study included 19852 participants with a mean age of 15.16 years (SD 1.60), comprising 9886 (49.8%) males and 9966 (50.2%) females. Depression and anxiety were identified in 3845 (19.37%) and 3230 (16.27%) participants, respectively. PM2.5 exposure showed a linear dose-response relationship with depression and anxiety. Joint effects analysis at the 75th percentile of PM2.5 with a lifestyle risk score of 4 revealed the strongest associations, with adjusted odds ratios of 4.49 (95% CI: 3.79–5.33) for depression, 4.01 (95% CI: 3.36–4.78) for anxiety and 4.24 (95% CI: 3.52–5.10) for their comorbidity. Simultaneously, significant additive interactions (RERI > 0) between high levels of PM2.5 exposure and unfavourable lifestyle factors were detected, suggesting synergistic effects on mental health outcomes. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.

High PM2.5 exposure and unfavourable lifestyle factors demonstrated significant independent and joint effects on depression and anxiety among adolescents. These findings highlight that implementing stringent air pollution control measures, combined with promoting healthy lifestyle practices, may be crucial for protecting adolescent mental health.

This study investigated the impact of residual dizziness after successful canalith repositioning manoeuvre on cognitive functions and dual-task performance in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Forty-four patients with posterior canal BPPV were assessed 1 week after successful treatment and divided into 2 groups: with residual dizziness (n = 22) and without residual dizziness (n = 22). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Stroop test and digit span test. Dual-task performance was assessed with a combination of the timed up and go test and the digit span test.

Residual dizziness was associated with longer BPPV duration, and higher anxiety and disability levels (p < 0.05). Patients with residual dizziness performed worse on the Stroop test (p < 0.05), while no significant differences were found in digit span or dual-task performance (p > 0.05).

The results highlight a dynamic interplay between cognitive and vestibular systems. Residual dizziness may impair cognitive performance, while baseline cognitive deficits may also increase vulnerability to residual dizziness.

To investigate potential contributors to mental fatigue after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and angiographically negative subarachnoid hemorrhage (anSAH), with a focus on information processing speed, attentional control, and psychological distress.

This observational study included 101 patients (70 aSAH, 31 anSAH) and 86 controls. Neuropsychological assessments and questionnaires were conducted five months post-SAH. Mental and physical fatigue were assessed with the Dutch Multifactor Fatigue Scale, information processing speed and attentional control with the Trail Making Test and Vienna Test System Reaction Time and Determination Test, and psychological distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Patients reported significantly higher mental and physical fatigue than controls (p < .001) and information processing speed and attentional control were significantly lower (p < .05), with no differences between aSAH and anSAH groups. Severe mental fatigue was present in 55.7% of patients with aSAH and 61.3% of patients with anSAH, significantly exceeding the prevalence of severe physical fatigue (p < .05). Higher mental fatigue correlated with worse attentional control in aSAH and with lower information processing speed in anSAH. Both mental and physical fatigue correlated with psychological distress, particularly after anSAH.

The factors related to mental fatigue appear to differ based on the type of SAH, potentially involving problems in information processing speed and attentional control, psychological distress, or both. This study emphasizes the need for individualized rehabilitation strategies addressing both cognitive and psychological factors in managing mental fatigue after SAH.