Exploring Key Issues in Mental Health

March 14, 2023 PLOS Blogs Mental Health

Recent years have underlined the central role mental health plays in an individual and society’s quality of life, with impacts on physical health and the ability to live fulfilling productive lives.

The articles below from PLOS highlight some of the most relevant and vital issues in mental health today, featuring recent papers that offer valuable insights into the causes, risk factors, and effective treatments for mental health conditions around the world.

Global Mental Health

In the context of global pandemics, growing inequality, conflicts, and wars, and a disparity in access to healthcare, the need for quality, accessible, affordable mental health care worldwide is more acute than ever and is urgently called for in policy spaces, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

The global gap in treatment coverage for major depressive disorder in 84 countries from 2000–2019: A systematic review and Bayesian meta-regression analysis
PLOS Medicine

Social determinants of antenatal depression and anxiety among women in South Asia: A systematic review & meta-analysis
PLOS ONE

Overlooked and unaddressed: A narrative review of mental health consequences of child marriages
PLOS Global Public Health

Suicide and self-harm in low- and middle- income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review
PLOS Global Public Health

Effectiveness of a brief group behavioral intervention for common mental disorders in Syrian refugees in Jordan: A randomized controlled trial
PLOS Medicine

Mobile (mHealth) health for mental health

Mental health disorders are common and effective treatments are often available, however affected individuals often struggle to access care. Mobile health (mHealth) resources are becoming increasingly powerful tools for mental health care and support as they can help overcome barriers to access due to geography, overall health, transportation access, and more.

Student peer mentoring: Feasibility and acceptability of mHealth-based tool for alcohol and substance abuse prevention by peer mentors at a university in Kenya
PLOS Digital Health

Artificial intelligence and machine learning in mobile apps for mental health: A scoping review
PLOS Digital Health

Effects of a WHO-guided digital health intervention for depression in Syrian refugees in Lebanon: A randomized controlled trial
PLOS Medicine

Examining young adults daily perspectives on usage of anxiety apps: A user study
PLOS Digital Health

Screening accuracy of a 14-day smartphone ambulatory assessment of depression symptoms and mood dynamics in a general population sample: Comparison with the PHQ-9 depression screening
PLOS ONE

Mental health among adolescents

Adolescence is marked with significant stressors and changes, which have only been exasperated for the current generation due to recent global challenges. Furthermore, the relationship between young people and technology usage is increasingly having an impact on their mental health. However, it also presents opportunities to reach out and support a progressively digital generation.

The mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online survey in the UK
PLOS ONE

Digital solutions to promote adolescent mental health: Opportunities and challenges for research and practice
PLOS Medicine

A developmental analysis of dimensions of empathy during early adolescence: Behavioral empathy but not cognitive empathy is associated with lower psychopathology
PLOS Global Public Health

The effect of a therapeutic smartphone application on suicidal ideation in young adults: Findings from a randomized controlled trial in Australia
PLOS Medicine

Investigating the role of climate-related disasters in the relationship between food insecurity and mental health for youth aged 15–24 in 142 countries
PLOS Global Public Health