We conducted a systematic review of pain assessment tools suitable for community-dwelling older adults. For this work, we conceptualized existing psychometric tools as falling under the following domains: a) pain intensity/characteristics; b) pain-related interference/disability; c) coping strategies; d) pain beliefs/attitudes/cognitions; e) pain-related fear and anxiety; and f) pain-specific emotional distress. Multi-dimensional and condition-specific tools were also considered. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology for systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures guided the evaluation of measurement properties, quality of evidence ratings, and recommendations for each measure. A search of Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, yielded a total of 21,755 records. Of these, 120 studies, focusing on 57 psychometric tools, were included in this review and categorized into the aforementioned pain assessment domains. The availability of psychometric studies with older adult populations was insufficient for most tools and the quality of evidence ranged from very low to high. Only a small number of tools met the criteria for a strong or tentative recommendation favoring their use. We identified gaps that should be addressed in future research.

There is considerable research focusing on the negative outcomes of psychotherapy, however, there remains an overlooked population: those who appear to show no response after treatment. This qualitative evidence synthesis aimed to review the available literature exploring client and therapist experiences of psychotherapy nonresponse.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) focuses on the strengths and resources of clients, and is assumed to achieve positive results on various psychosocial outcomes. This meta-analysis is an extension of previous meta-analyses on SFBT, and examines if the effectiveness of SFBT is influenced by participant, intervention, study and publication characteristics.

The aim of this umbrella review is to summarize evidence on factors that influence help-seeking and service utilization for professional mental healthcare among young people ages 0-30. The CINAHL, Cochrane, Epistemonikos, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched in December 2023 for systematic reviews in English. The search yielded 26 eligible reviews, all of which are medium or high quality. Primary study overlap was rare. Using an established framework, we organize intrapersonal (n = 37), interpersonal (n = 14), institutional (n = 9), community (n = 7), and public policy (n = 6) factors. The most frequently reviewed factor at each level is trust of professionals (intrapersonal), close others' support for treatment (interpersonal), cost (institutional), availability (community), and insurance (public policy). Stigma is widely referenced (18 reviews) and classified as multi-dimensional. Narrative synthesis reveals population-specific variability (e.g., rural, racial/ethnic minority, refugees, immigrants) in the importance of many factors. To develop interventions and healthcare systems sensitive to young people's needs, we recommend promoting stigma-reduction campaigns, and targeting trustworthiness, affordability, anonymity, accessibility, and mental health literacy. Identifying commonalities and differences across populations and contexts assists in the design of nuanced and efficient treatment delivery systems for young people, who are at a critical time for their mental health.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is recommended as first-line treatment for insomnia. CBT-I is a multi-component intervention comprising psychoeducation, sleep restriction, stimulus control, cognitive, and relaxation therapy. The relative efficacy of its components has yet to be investigated with state-of-the-art meta-analytic methods. PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and CINAHL were searched according to a pre-registered protocol using search terms indicative of insomnia and CBTI. Baseline-to-post-treatment effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated in a component network meta-analysis. Eighty studies representing 15,351 participants (mean age 44.9 years, 70.1 % female) were included. For the primary outcome insomnia severity, a significant positive effect for sleep restriction therapy (d = -0.45; 95 % CI: [-0.63; -0.36]) was found. Overall, the results suggest that sleep restriction therapy improves self-reported sleep continuity and sleep quality, and stimulus control therapy improves self-reported and objective total sleep time. No significant effects of psychoeducation, relaxation therapy, and cognitive therapy, and no further significant effects of any CBT-I component on objective sleep parameters were found. The most common sources of bias were a lack of blinding, missing outcome data, and the absence of study protocols. The current results suggest that sleep restriction therapy and stimulus control therapy are the most effective components of CBT-I.

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders often face persistent challenges in social interaction and engage in repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Parenting a child with autism can profoundly affect parents both physically and psychologically, potentially leading to negative impacts on their mental health. This study employs a network meta-analysis methodology to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of mental health interventions specifically designed for parents of autistic children. A total of 69 empirical intervention studies involving 4213 parents of autistic children were included in the analysis. Employing the frequency framework model and utilizing Stata 16.0 software, we quantitatively analyzed the impact of various interventions on anxiety, depression, parenting stress, and parenting self-efficacy. Our findings indicate that mindfulness-based interventions demonstrate the highest efficacy in reducing parenting stress, while cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in alleviating anxiety and depression in parents of children with autism. Psychoeducational interventions have shown significant benefits in mitigating parental anxiety, depression, and parenting stress, and acceptance and commitment (ACT) displays promising outcomes in reducing depression. We also elaborate on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the effectiveness of these interventions. This network meta-analysis presents valuable insights for the development of targeted interventions to provide support to parents of children with autism.

The space surrounding the body, and the regulation of this buffer zone play a central role in adaptive behavior, with direct implications for psychopathology. The physical distance that we choose to maintain between ourselves and others for social comfort is known as Interpersonal Distance (IPD), whereas the action space that marks the perceptual border between the self and the external world is known as Peripersonal Space (PPS ). While both IPD and PPS represent personal space, they are distinct constructs, each associated with different methodologies. Here we review the existing literature on IPD and PPS to elucidate their distinct and common contributions to psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, and others. Altered representation and regulation of IPD and PPS were associated with clinical symptoms and social impairments across a wide range of psychiatric disorders, underscoring the important role of the self-other boundary and personal space regulation in adaptive social behavior. Future research should clarify the relationship between IPD and PPS and specify risk factors for self-other boundary dysregulation and associated psychopathologies.

The motor system is critical for understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of mental illness. Abnormalities in the processes that allow us to plan and execute movement in a goal-directed, context-appropriate manner (i.e., motor actions) are especially central to clinical motor research. Within this context, the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework now includes a Motor Actions construct within the recently incorporated Sensorimotor Systems Domain, providing a useful framework for conducting research on motor action processes. However, there is limited available resources for understanding or implementing this framework. We address this gap by providing a comprehensive critical review and conceptual integration of the current clinical literature on the subconstructs comprising the Motor Actions construct. This includes a detailed discussion of each Motor Action subconstruct (e.g., action planning/execution) and its measurement across different units of analysis (e.g., molecules to behavior), the temporal and conceptual relationships among the Motor Action subconstructs (and other relevant RDoC domain constructs), and how abnormalities in these Motor Action subconstructs manifest in mental illness. Together, the review illustrates how motor system dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of many psychiatric conditions and demonstrates shared and distinct mechanisms that may account for similar manifestations of motor abnormalities across disorders.

The degree to which numerous existing models of delusion formation disagree or propose common mechanisms remains unclear. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of delusion aetiology, we summarised 53 theoretical models of delusions extracted from a systematic literature search. We identified central aspects and unique or overarching features of five core perspectives: cognitive (n = 22), associative learning (n = 4), social (n = 6), neurobiological (n = 6), and Bayesian inference (n = 15). These perspectives differ in foci and mechanistic explanations. Whereas some postulate delusions to result from associative and operant learning, others assume a disbalance in the integration of prior beliefs and sensory input or emphasise the relevance of information processing biases. Postulated moderators range from maladaptive generalised beliefs over neurocognitive impairment to dopamine, stress, and affective dysregulation. The models also differ in whether they attempt to explain delusion formation in general or the delusional content (i.e., persecutory). Finally, some models postulate functional aspects of delusions, such as insight relief. Despite their differences, the perspectives converge on the idea that delusions form as an explanation for an experienced ambiguity. Building on this common ground, we propose an integrative framework incorporating essential mechanistic explanations from each perspective and discuss its implications for research and clinical practice.

The prevalence of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is unclear. This paper is the first to present meta-analysis based estimates of the prevalence of ARFID, and to assess the impact of the quality of the research on these estimates.

Individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) often report an inability to retrieve memories associated with other identities, termed inter-identity amnesia (IIA). Research investigating IIA has amassed, and interest surrounds whether objective deficits in retrieval mechanisms necessarily underlie the experience of IIA. This study conducted a systematic literature review with meta-analyses to examine current findings on IIA in DID. In particular, we explored whether DID patients' clinical reports of retrieval failure across identities were substantiated by controlled measures of memory. Nineteen empirical and four case studies informed the systematic review. The meta-analyses comprised twelve of the included studies. The systematic review findings suggested a degree of inter-identity memory transfer, a conclusion which was supported by two of the four meta-analyses. The remaining two meta-analyses evidenced patterns closer to IIA. Closer examination drew attention to methodological considerations that may limit definitive conclusions drawn from present studies. These include substantial heterogeneity between participants' scores which is masked by group statistics, a small and homogenous cumulative sample, limited research teams, and minimal domains of memory assessed. The paper urges a nuanced understanding of the phenomenon of IIA in light of current findings.

Stress is a significant mental health concern for the general population, highlighting the need for effective and scalable solutions, such as mobile health (mHealth) app interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effects of mHealth apps designed primarily to reduce stress and distress in non-clinical and subclinical populations. A comprehensive literature search was conducted up to August 2024, including studies that measured both self-reported and physiological stress outcomes. 80 studies were analyzed. A small but significant effect size (g = 0.33) was found for self-reported stress outcomes, with studies that used specific active controls, operated in naturalistic contexts, and had a low risk of bias showing significantly lower effect sizes. A similarly small effect size was observed for physiological outcomes (g = 0.24). Notably, studies that employed muscle and breathing relaxation, meditation strategies, personalized guidance, experimental usage settings, and measured acute stress responses demonstrated significantly higher effect sizes. Further analysis of specific physiological systems revealed small effect sizes for autonomic (g = 0.32) and cardiac outcomes (g = 0.36). The significant effects observed across both psychological and physiological outcomes support the efficacy and potential of mHealth apps for the self-management of stress responses in the broader population.

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is a psychophysical experimental measure of endogenous pain inhibition in humans. Within this paradigm, one noxious stimulus, the conditioning stimulus (CS), reduces the pain perception from another heterotopic noxious stimulus, the test stimulus (TS). Cognitive processes are known to influence pain perception and might impact the underlying mechanisms of CPM. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the existing scientific literature addressing the influence of cognitive factors, namely, expectations and attention on CPM. Four electronic databases were searched to identify relevant literature. Risk of bias and quality of evidence were assessed according to two modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scales and the GRADE approach, respectively. Twenty-four articles were included. Qualitative analysis showed more efficient CPM when pain relief is expected, and an association between intrinsic attention to pain and reduced CPM. Although the evidence is not unanimous, meta-analyses showed that CPM is more efficient when attention is directed towards the CS versus the TS, and is not influenced by distraction. In conclusion, while CPM seems robust to attentional distraction, expectations and attentional focus appear to influence CPM. However, the evidence is limited and conflicting and warrants further study in order to prevent cognitive confounding and enhance mechanistic understanding.

Although the short-term efficacy of internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (i-CBT) is well-established, its long-term efficacy remains understudied. Robust variance estimation meta-analysis was thus conducted across guided and self-guided i-CBT, synthesizing data from 154 randomized controlled trials (N = 45,335) with ≥ 12-month follow-ups. For binary outcomes, guided (52.3% vs. 38.6%; log-risk ratio [LOG-RR] = 1.15 95% confidence interval [1.04, 1.26]) yielded higher remission, reliable improvement, and response rates, and lower suboptimal treatment outcome rates (9.3% vs. 10.8%; LOG-RR = 0.63 [0.45, 0.80]) than treatment-as-usual, active controls, and waitlists at ≥12 months. Insufficient studies precluded testing the efficacy between self-guided i-CBT and controls for binary outcomes. For baseline-to-12-month dimensional outcomes, guided i-CBT produced greater reductions in anxiety, depressive, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and repetitive negative thinking (Hedge's g = -1.86 to -0.31), and self-guided i-CBT yielded stronger reductions in depressive symptoms (g = -0.51) than all controls. For outcome scores aggregated at ≥ 12-month follow-ups, guided i-CBT alleviated anxiety, depression, distress, insomnia, PTSD symptoms, role impairment, emotion regulation, and quality of life (g = -0.31 to 0.26), and self-guided i-CBT yielded lower anxiety and depressive symptoms (g = -0.16 to -0.09) than all controls. No significant differences in efficacy emerged between guided and self-guided i-CBT when sufficient studies existed for a meta-analysis. There was no evidence for publication bias. Long-term efficacy was similar to short-term efficacy for most outcomes. Implementing scalable i-CBTs should entail transparency about their long-term benefits and drawbacks.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are commonly used for cancer patients and survivors to reduce symptoms, but little is known about effects on positive health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effects of MBIs on positive health outcomes (mindfulness skills, self-compassion, positive affect, coping, social support, well-being, personal growth, and spirituality) in cancer patients and survivors. Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CINAH) were searched (grey literature was not included), abstracts and full texts were screened, and MBI quality and risk of bias were assessed. Effect sizes were calculated and data was analyzed using a frequentist analytical strategy. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of MBIs compared to any type of control on positive health outcomes in cancer patients or survivors. Based on 46 RCTs eligible for meta-analysis, statistical significant effects were observed for all positive health outcomes at post-treatment. Effect sizes ranged from small (positive affect; Hedges's g = 0.26) to large (spirituality, g = 0.91). At follow-up, mindfulness skills, self-compassion, personal growth, and spirituality reached statistical significance, with effect sizes ranging from small (positive affect; g = 0.07) to medium (spirituality; g = 0.61) and large (post-traumatic growth; g = 1.40). Taken together, significant effects of MBIs were found for several positive outcomes in cancer patients and survivors, with the strongest evidence found for mindfulness skills. MBIs may play a key role in improving well-being in this population.

Critical reviews of a test's measurement validity are valuable scientific contributions, yet even strong reviews can be undermined by subtle problems in how evidence is compiled and presented to readers. First, if discussions of poor reporting practices by a test's users are interwoven with discussions about validity support for the test itself, readers can be inadvertently misled into impressions of the latter which are improperly conflated with the former. Second, test reviewers should give at least as much careful attention to a test's external validity as to its structural validity; test reviewers who prioritize factor analysis and internal consistency at the expense of discriminant and convergent validity can inadvertently mislead readers into perceptions of a test which are more negative or more positive than is warranted by the evidence overall. In this commentary, we aim to help test evaluators in crafting critical investigations of measurement validity. We use Higgins et al.'s (2024) review of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET; Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) as a basis for discussion. We argue that their otherwise impressive review went astray in the two ways described above. After considering both the psychometric evidence that Higgins et al. (2024) provided and the external validity evidence that they did not provide, we conclude that their recommendations that the RMET should be abandoned, and that most prior research findings based on it should be reassessed or disregarded, are unwarranted.

Sleep dysfunction commonly co-occurs with paranoia and is hypothesised to be a contributory causal mechanism in its development and maintenance.

There is evidence to suggest that sensory processing differences (SPDs) to external stimuli are a plausible underlying mechanism for mental health problems among autistic people. In the current systematic review, we examined the associations between, on the one hand, eleven types of SPDs and, on the other hand, internalising and externalising problems. The literature search was conducted on five databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, EMBASE, and CINAHL) between 1990 and August 2024. Studies with autistic people aged under 65 years-old that reported correlations between SPDs and internalising/externalising problems were included. Three-level and random-effects meta-analyses and narrative synthesis were conducted. In total, we included 63 articles (11,659 participants) in the current review. Overall, higher levels of all SPD subtypes were found to be associated with greater internalising/externalising problems. Hypersensitivity, visual, auditory, and tactile sensitivities were strongly associated with internalising/externalising problems, while smaller effects were observed for unusual processing of smell and taste. Sensation seeking was highly linked with externalising problems, whereas it was the least associated sensory subtype with internalising problems. Future studies could address the limitations in the extant literature (e.g., heterogeneity in the estimates of associations, a lack of externalising problem investigations and longitudinal studies) to further advance our understanding of the role of SPDs in the aetiology, development, and treatment of internalising/externalising problems in autism.

Negative self-perceptions are implicated in the development and maintenance of depression in young people, but little is known about their receptiveness to change in response to treatment. This paper reports on a pre-registered meta-analysis examining the extent to which treatments for depression in young people aged 11-24 result in changes to self-perceptions. Controlled treatment trials examining outcomes related to self-perceptions were synthesised (k = 20, N = 2041), finding small reductions in both symptoms of depression (g = -0.30; 95 % CI: -0.52, -0.08) and self-perception outcomes (g = 0.33; 95 % CI: 0.16, 0.49) for interventions compared with control groups. Meta-regression analyses found no significant association between reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in self-perception following treatment, suggesting that despite interventions generally improving both outcomes these changes may be unrelated to each other. Our results indicate that young people's self-perceptions are sensitive to change following treatment for depression, however effect sizes are small and treatments could be more effective in targeting and changing negative self-perceptions. Given the importance that young people place on integrating work on their sense of self into treatments for depression, future interventions could aim to support young people with depression to develop a positive sense of self.

Many cancer patients experience psychological distress and/or poor quality of life during or after their cancer treatment, yet they face multiple barriers to accessing psychological support. Digital psychological interventions represent a promising approach for addressing these barriers, however their comparative effectiveness remains uncertain.