To describe and compare the prevalence of psychosocial and psychiatric disorders among veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a propensity-score-matched group of veterans without MS, and to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with comorbid psychosocial and psychiatric problems among veterans with MS.

Data were linked and extracted from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation System and the Corporate Data Warehouse. The total sample comprised 27,342 veterans in the VA healthcare system between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, who met eligibility criteria for an MS diagnosis (n=13,671) and 1:1 propensity-score-matched sample of veterans who did not have MS (n=13,671). MS diagnosis, substance use disorder (SUD), mental illness, and homelessness were defined using standard ICD-10 codes. Covariates included sex, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and VA service-connected disability rating.

A higher prevalence of mental illness among veterans with MS (33%) was found compared with those without MS (31%). Multivariable logistic regression models indicated MS was negatively associated with diagnoses of alcohol use disorder, stimulant use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder but positively associated with diagnoses of cannabis use disorder and major depressive disorder. MS was not significantly related to homelessness. Disparities in psychosocial and psychiatric disorders among veterans with MS are described.

This study provides novel insights regarding rates of homelessness, SUD, and mental illnesses among veterans with MS. Interdisciplinary approaches to identification and management of mental illness, SUD, and homelessness among veterans with MS are critically needed.

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is beneficial for health, and reducing sedentary behavior (SB) is recommended in international guidelines. People with mental illnesses are at higher risk of preventable diseases than the general population, partly attributable to lower MVPA and higher SB. Self-determination theory provides a framework for understanding how motivation regulates behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of different forms of motivation for physical activity (amotivation, controlled, autonomous) to MVPA and SB in people with mental illnesses.

Cross-sectional self-reported and accelerometer-derived MVPA and SB in people with a range of mental illnesses across four countries were pooled for analysis (Australia, Belgium, England, Uganda). Motivation for physical activity was measured using the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ). Regression analyses were used to investigate the association of MVPA and SB with amotivation, controlled, autonomous motivations, controlling for mental health and demographic variables.

Autonomous motivation was associated with 31% higher self-reported MVPA, and amotivation and controlled motivation were associated with 18% and 11% lower self-reported MVPA, respectively (n = 654). In contrast, controlled motivation was positively associated with SB (n = 189). Having physical comorbidities or an alcohol use disorder was associated with lower MVPA (n = 318). Sub-analyses with accelerometer-derived MVPA and SB (n = 139 and n = 145) did not reveal any associations with motivational forms.

Findings with an international sample support the universal relevance of motivation in promoting health-related behavior. Strategies for facilitating autonomous motivation should be utilized by health professionals seeking to support people with mental illnesses to become physically active.

The COVID pandemic has had deleterious effects on the mental health of the global population. Parents of children with CHD were particularly vulnerable to negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. A better understanding of the CHD parent experiences, needs, and concerns while navigating the healthcare system during a pandemic is needed.

Online survey responses from 71 parents of young children with CHD representing families across the United States of America and Canada were analysed. Qualitative data were collected one year into the COVID pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to examine responses to the open-ended question “What would you like healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses) to know about your experience of being a parent with a child with CHD during the COVID-19 pandemic?.”

Two major themes with subthemes and an umbrella theme emerged from the parents’ responses (1) Pandemic Parenting: The Emotional Toll of Hospital Visitation Restrictions, Dealing with Social Distancing, Feeling Isolated, Decision Making in Uncertainty, and Playing it Safe versus Returning to Normal and (2) Unmet Expectations of Care: Needing Information, Wanting Empathy, Requesting Respect, Questioning Care Quality, and the umbrella theme of: Our Lives were Turned Upside Down.

CHD parents describe a negative impact of healthcare-related challenges during the COVID pandemic. These findings may offer insight to how healthcare professionals can better support the mental health and care burden of CHD parents during future pandemics.

Climate anxiety has a negative impact on the mental health and psychological wellbeing of the vulnerable population. The goal is to assess many factors that affect mental health and psychological wellbeing, as well as how climate change affects mental health in Pakistan’s vulnerable population.

This study provides evidence-based insights on the long- and medium-term impacts of extreme weather events on mental health. To obtain information on these variables, this research uses a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional survey design with a multivariate regression model for empirical tests on a sample of parents and children with an impact on mental health from climate change anxiety.

Results indicate that individuals experience shock and climate change anxiety, and their effects on mental health and psychological wellbeing. Climate change can have detrimental effects on children’s mental health. (1) disaster risk health (2) children’s stress index (3) public health concerns, (4) climate change anxiety, (5) generalized anxiety disorder, and (6) major depression disorder, as reported by the children with mental health outcomes.

The findings of this study show that climate change has a stressful effect on mental health. The paper concludes with a discussion on strategies to address the anticipated mental health issues among children due to climate change.

The COVID-19 pandemic created stressors to daily living, leading to increased mental health problems. It is important to assess the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, specifically anxiety.

The goal was to determine the prevalence and sociodemographic, clinical, and other correlates of likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) among study subjects in Ghana.

This study employed a cross-sectional approach, using an online survey administered primarily through social media platforms. The survey questions included the GAD-7 scale, which was used to assess likely GAD in respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analysis.

Overall, 756 respondents completed the survey, mainly from Ashanti and Greater Accra, which were the hardest hit by COVID-19.

The prevalence of likely GAD in our sample was 7.6%. Gender, loss of job due to COVID-19, and seeking mental health counseling were independently associated with increased likelihood of GAD.

The findings suggest that women, those who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who sought mental health counseling were more likely to experience moderate to high anxiety symptoms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority must be attached to psychological support measures for members of these groups.

Epidemiological studies show that despite the episodic nature, the long-term trajectory of depression can be variable. This study evaluated the heterogeneity of 10-year trajectory of major depressive disorder (MDD) related service utilization and associated clinical characteristics among US Veterans with a first diagnosis after 9/11.

Using a cohort design, electronic health record data for 293,265 Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans were extracted to identify those with MDD between 2001 and 2021 with a full preceding year of clinical data and 10 years following the diagnosis. Latent class growth analysis compared clinical characteristics associated with four depression trajectories. Across all Veterans Affairs (VA)hospitals, 25,307 Veterans met our inclusion criteria. Demographic and clinical information from medical records was extracted and used as predictors of depression 10-year trajectories.

Among the study cohort (N = 25,307), 27.7% were characterized by brief contact, 41.7% were later re-entry, 17.6% were persistent contact and 12.9% were prolonged initial contact for depression related services. Compared to Veterans with trajectories showing brief contact, those with protracted treatment (persistent or prolonged initial contact) were more likely to be diagnosed with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and with MDD that was moderate to severe or recurrent.

Depression is associated with a range of treatment trajectories. The persistent and prolonged initial contact trajectories may have distinct characteristics and uniquely high resource utilization and disability income. We can anticipate that patients with comorbid PTSD may need longer-term care which has implications for brief models of care.

Tools based on generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT have the potential to transform modern society, including the field of medicine. Due to the prominent role of language in psychiatry, e.g., for diagnostic assessment and psychotherapy, these tools may be particularly useful within this medical field. Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on generative AI applications in psychiatry and mental health.

We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The search was conducted across three databases, and the resulting articles were screened independently by two researchers. The content, themes, and findings of the articles were qualitatively assessed.

The search and screening process resulted in the inclusion of 40 studies. The median year of publication was 2023. The themes covered in the articles were mainly mental health and well-being in general – with less emphasis on specific mental disorders (substance use disorder being the most prevalent). The majority of studies were conducted as prompt experiments, with the remaining studies comprising surveys, pilot studies, and case reports. Most studies focused on models that generate language, ChatGPT in particular.

Generative AI in psychiatry and mental health is a nascent but quickly expanding field. The literature mainly focuses on applications of ChatGPT, and finds that generative AI performs well, but notes that it is limited by significant safety and ethical concerns. Future research should strive to enhance transparency of methods, use experimental designs, ensure clinical relevance, and involve users/patients in the design phase.

Cancer diagnosis and treatment can result in a significant psychological burden. This study sought to investigate the prevalence of major depression, associated treatments, and suicidal ideation in cancer survivors compared to a non-cancer cohort.

This is a retrospective, population-based study using survey responses from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected from January 2015 to December 2019. Survey data sets were queried for all respondents who provided a cancer history. Respondents with a reported history of cancer (“cancer survivors”) were further stratified by whether they reported a “recent” cancer diagnosis within the past 12 months. Survey responses were evaluated for recent diagnoses of and treatments for major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation.

Among the 212,411 survey respondents identified, 7,635 (3.6%) reported a cancer history, with 1,486 (0.7%) reporting a recent cancer history. There were no differences in prevalence of major depression between cancer survivors and participants without cancer (9.3% vs 9.2%, p = 0.762), though the prevalence was slightly higher among recent cancer survivors (10.0% vs 9.2%, p = 0.259). Among respondents diagnosed with major depression, cancer survivors were significantly more likely to receive treatment for depression (78.6% vs 60.3%, p < 0.001). Suicidal ideation was significantly lower among cancer survivors (5.1% vs 6.2%, p < 0.001) including recent survivors (5.0% vs 6.2%, p < 0.001).

There was no overall difference in the prevalence of major depression between cancer survivors and respondents without cancer. Survivors with major depression were more likely to receive treatments. Prevalence of major depression was higher in recent cancer survivors.

Social prescribing is growing rapidly globally as a way to tackle social determinants of health. However, whom it is reaching and how effectively it is being implemented remains unclear.

To gain a comprehensive picture of social prescribing in the UK, from referral routes, reasons, to contacts with link workers and prescribed interventions.

This study undertook the first analyses of a large database of administrative data from over 160 000 individuals referred to social prescribing across the UK. Data were analysed using descriptive analyses and regression modelling, including logistic regression for binary outcomes and negative binomial regression for count variables.

Mental health was the most common referral reason and mental health interventions were the most common interventions prescribed. Between 72% and 85% of social prescribing referrals were from medical routes (primary or secondary healthcare). Although these referrals demonstrated equality in reaching across sociodemographic groups, individuals from more deprived areas, younger adults, men, and ethnic minority groups were reached more equitably via non-medical routes (e.g. self-referral, school, charity). Despite 90% of referrals leading to contact with a link worker, only 38% resulted in any intervention being received. A shortage of provision of community activities – especially ones relevant to mental health, practical support and social relationships – was evident. There was also substantial heterogeneity in how social prescribing is implemented across UK nations.

Mental health is the leading reason for social prescribing referrals, demonstrating its relevance to psychiatrists. But there are inequalities in referrals. Non-medical referral routes could play an important role in addressing inequality in accessing social prescribing and therefore should be prioritised. Additionally, more financial and infrastructural resource and strategic planning are needed to address low intervention rates. Further investment into large-scale data platforms and staff training are needed to continue monitoring the development and distribution of social prescribing.

Minoritised young people face a double burden of discrimination through increased risk of stress and differential treatment access. However, acute care pathways for minoritised young people with urgent mental health needs are poorly understood.

To explore variation in stress-related presentations (SRPs) to acute hospitals across racial-ethnic groups in England.

We examined rates, distribution, duration and types of SRPs across racial-ethnic groups in a retrospective cohort of 11- to 15-year-olds with one or more emergency hospital admissions between April 2014 and March 2020. SRPs were defined as emergency admissions for potentially psychosomatic symptoms, self-harm and internalising, externalising and thought disorders.

White British (8–38 per 1000 births) and Mixed White–Black (9–42 per 1000 births) young people had highest rates of SRPs, whereas Black African (5–14 per 1000 births), Indian (6–19 per 1000 births) and White other (4–19 per 1000 births) young people had the lowest rates of SRPs. The proportion of readmissions were highest for Pakistani (47.7%), White British (41.4%) and Mixed White–Black (41.3%) groups. Black Other (36.4%) and White Other (35.8%) groups had the lowest proportions of readmissions. The proportion of admission durations ≥3 days was higher for Black Other (16.6%), Bangladeshi (16.3%), Asian Other (15.9%) and Black Caribbean (15.8%) groups than their White British (11.9%) and Indian (11.8%) peers. The type of SRPs varied across racial-ethnic groups.

Patterns of SRP admissions systematically differed across racial-ethnic groups, indicative of inequitable triage, assessment and treatment processes. These findings highlight the need for implementation of race equality frameworks to address structural racism in healthcare pathways.