TOPIC

Mental health research

Everything we have read on mental health. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

2,018 PAPERS · PAGE 35 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSurvey2026Depressive symptoms in people with late effects of polio and the association with sociodemographic and disability-related factors.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationIn 81 people with late effects of polio, 43% scored in the range where depression should be suspected. Being single, having more self-reported impairments, and lower perceived participation were associated with these high scores. Mobility alone was not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Prior Diagnoses and Age of Diagnosis in Children Later Diagnosed with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBlack children were diagnosed with autism about six months earlier than White children. White children had higher rates of prior diagnoses like ADHD and anxiety. More prior diagnoses predicted later autism diagnosis. These findings contradict expected disparities in access to care.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Reacting, Retreating, Regulating, and Reconnecting: How Autistic Adults in the United Kingdom Use Time Alone for Well-Being.Autism in adulthoodAutistic adults described time alone as a recovery strategy from sensory and social overwhelm, not a lack of social interest. They used specific sanctuary spaces and intense interests to regulate before reconnecting. Individual needs varied widely, challenging assumptions that minimalist rooms are universally calming.
• OTSLPCohort2025Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring of Parents with Major Depressive Disorder: A Birth Cohort Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren of parents with depression were more likely to receive diagnoses of ADHD, autism, tics, and developmental delays. Prenatal parental depression was linked to more conditions; postnatal depression was linked only to ADHD, developmental delay, and coordination delay. Association, not proof of cause.
• OTOther2025Association of Irritability with Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors and Social Communication Challenges in Autistic Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIrritability in autistic youth was linked to repetitive behaviors: more stereotyped movement and insistence on sameness went with more irritability, while broader restricted interests went with less. Social communication difficulties did not add to irritability after other factors.
• PTOTRCT2025Effect of upper-limb robot-assisted therapy combined with pneumatic gloves on upper limb function in young and middle-aged stroke patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationYoung and middle-aged stroke patients using robot-assisted therapy with pneumatic gloves showed greater upper limb movement and daily function gains than those in conventional occupational therapy. Both groups improved, but the robot-glove group scored higher on motor and activity tests after four weeks.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Clinical and engagement efficacy of a virtual musculoskeletal integrated practice unit in health system employees: aggregate and comparative results from two employers.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesEmployees with back, neck, or joint pain who completed a virtual multidisciplinary program showed improvements in physical health, pain interference, and mental health scores. However, this was a self-selected group with no control comparison, so the specific effect of any single treatment component cannot be determined.
• PTOTCohort2025Association of Hallucinogen Use With Psychosocial Outcomes: Secondary Analysis of the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database.Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitationHallucinogen use was rare and linked to higher depression scores but not quality of life. Users were more likely to be younger, male, and report falls or sleep disturbances. This observational data cannot prove hallucinogens cause or relieve these symptoms.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Sleep Disturbances and Co-sleeping in Italian Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSleep problems affected one-third of children with autism, with difficulty falling or staying asleep being the most common. Higher IQ, anxiety, and parental stress predicted these issues. Co-sleeping was very frequent but did not correlate with sleep disorder severity.
• PTOTOther2026Effects of Ball Combination Exercise Combined with cTBS Intervention on Sleep Problems in Children with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBall exercises and cTBS stimulation each helped specific sleep problems in autistic children, but neither was clearly better than the other. The combined approach did not significantly outperform single interventions on the main sleep measure, so there is no strong reason to use both together.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Psychological Health of Female Service Members and Veterans Associated With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury History: A LIMBIC-CENC Study.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationFemale service members and veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury reported significantly worse PTSD, depression, and neurobehavioral symptoms than those without. Combat-related injuries were linked to poorer outcomes, but injury count and blast exposure alone were not.
• OTSLPSurvey2025Community views of neurodiversity, models of disability and autism intervention: Mixed methods reveal shared goals and key tensions.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutism community participants linked neurodiversity support with societal change, not rejection of all individual supports. Strong social-model supporters were open to adaptive-skill teaching and treating co-occurring conditions, and preferred communication beyond speech.
• OTPilot2025Early positive approaches to support for family carers of young children with developmental disabilities: adaptation and piloting in Quebec public services.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesCarers found this adapted support group helpful for learning strategies and feeling less isolated. Attendance was good despite pandemic disruptions. While parents reported improved well-being and competence, anxiety levels remained stable and high, suggesting the group alone may not address acute mental health needs.
• PTOTCohort2026Sleep Problems in Children with ADHD: Associations with Internalizing Symptoms and Physical Activity.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with ADHD who reported poor sleep had more severe depression, anxiety, and stress, and spent less time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than those with good sleep. Meeting physical activity guidelines was linked to lower depression and anxiety scores.
• OTRCT2026Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Referred Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFace-to-face parent training reduced noncompliance and irritability in referred children with ASD compared with waitlist. Blended parent training, which combined online modules with face-to-face contacts, did not improve more than waitlist, and many parents stopped early.
• OTSLPSurvey2026Frequency and Mental Health Condition of Students with Developmental Disabilities Among First-Year Japanese University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFirst-year Japanese students screening positive for ASD or ADHD traits had significantly higher distress than peers, with 61% reporting high social anxiety versus 30% of controls. These mental health risks were already present within a month of enrollment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Factors Related to Depression Symptoms in Chronic Poststroke Aphasia.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn chronic left-hemisphere stroke survivors, depression symptoms tracked with self-reported communication and cognitive disability, low social participation, and poor perceived recovery. Physical impairment and clinician-scored language severity were unrelated. Screen for mood when patients report daily life struggles.
• OTSLPQualitative2026"He Just Wants Someone to Hear Him and Listen to Him": Barriers and Facilitators to Autistic Youth with Anxiety Receiving Quality Mental Healthcare.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic youth and caregivers described how therapy fails when it ignores sensory needs, rigid schedules, and lack of rapport. They valued providers who use visual aids, incorporate special interests, and allow time for trust. Telehealth helped some avoid office meltdowns but hindered connection for others.
• OTOther2026Parental Representations and Emotional Availability: The Case of Children with Autism and Severe Behavior Problems.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong families of children with autism and severe behavior problems, mothers who had come to terms with the diagnosis or spoke more warmly about their child showed more emotionally available play. Fathers who described their child more clearly were also more emotionally available in play.
• OTSLPOther2026Determinants of Positive Evolution of Symptoms in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) during the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (DRC).Journal of autism and developmental disordersDuring lockdown, 42.6% of parents reported positive changes in their child's autism symptoms. Parents spending more than 8 hours daily with the child and improvements in language or autonomy were associated with positive evolution. Conversely, parental depression and child comorbidities were linked to no change or deterioration.
• OTSLPOther2026The Mediating Role of Social Interactions and Early Psychopathological Symptoms in the Relationship Between Empathy and Prosociality in Young Children with ASD and Neurotypical Peers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAnxious children with autism showed more prosocial behaviour than less anxious peers, while anxiety did not predict prosociality in neurotypical children. Parents reported lower empathy and social interaction in children with autism, but similar levels of anxiety between groups.
• OTSLPCohort2026Associations of Autistic Traits and Autism with Incontinence and Constipation in a UK Birth Cohort.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with high autistic traits, especially social-communication and language coherence difficulties, had higher odds of daytime wetting and soiling at age 9. At age 14, autistic traits were also linked to constipation. Screen for continence issues in autistic children.
• PTOTPilot2025The Soleus H-Reflex as a Biomarker of Post-Injury Spasticity in Spinal Cord Injury: A Conceptual Pilot Study.NeuroRehabilitationEarly spinal reflex measures correlated with existing spasticity and motor strength at admission, but failed to predict new spasticity by discharge. Reduced post-activation depression was associated with spasticity, yet the small sample prevents clinical use.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Facing Change and Uncertainty: Lessons Learned from Autistic Children and their Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFamilies reported both worsening and improving outcomes during lockdown. Children with sensory or social needs often struggled with lost structure, but others saw reduced anxiety and better communication from increased one-to-one time at home. Support services and school continuity were critical gaps.
• OTSLPSurvey2026Parental Burnout in Israeli Parents of Children with ASD During Wartime: The Role of Child Behavior, Parental Emotion Regulation, Stress, and Social Support.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDuring war, parents of children with autism reported higher burnout and stress than parents of typically developing children. Unlike the other group, their burnout was not buffered by social support or emotion regulation. Instead, disruptions to their child's therapy and school routines were the strongest predictors of distress.
• OTSLPOther2026Hair Cortisol in Young Children with Autism and Their Parents: Associations with Child Mental Health, Eating Behavior and Weight Status.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had higher hair cortisol than peers, but their own stress levels did not link to their eating, weight, or behavior. Parent-reported stress, however, correlated with child problem behavior and emotional eating, suggesting parental well-being is a stronger marker than the child's biology.
• OTSLPOther2026Child and Family Characteristics Associated with Symptoms of Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Biobank Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPoor sleep was the only factor linked to all four types of anxiety in autistic children. Those with the worst sleep habits had up to 9.23 times higher odds of separation anxiety compared to those with the best sleep.
• OTSLPOther2026"Do My Friends Only Like the School Me or the True Me?": School Belonging, Camouflaging, and Anxiety in Autistic Students.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic students who feel they do not belong at school are more likely to hide their autistic traits. This camouflaging is linked to higher anxiety. Creating environments where students feel accepted and safe may reduce the need to mask and lower anxiety levels.
• OTSLPQualitative2026"Just Listen to Me. Help Me Explore it." An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Exploring Experiences of Gender Dysphoria, Identity And Resilience in Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adolescents assigned female at birth described gender distress as both physical and social. They found social transition helpful for social distress but not body mismatch. Clinicians should listen for repeated words as signs of distress, as patients often struggle to articulate it.
• PTOTCohort2025Potential influence of long-term medication on physical performance in the context of long-term rehabilitation process in soldiers: a retrospective cohort analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesSoldiers with PTSD taking multiple long-term medications showed lower maximum physical performance during rehabilitation. This decline was not seen in soldiers with only somatic injuries or in the overall group. The study links medication burden to reduced fitness capacity in PTSD specifically.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Learning from the Experiences of Autistic Professionals Working in Health and Education.Autism in adulthoodAutistic health and education professionals in Scotland described disclosure as risky, interviews as confusing, and unpredictable environments as stressful. Support came from trusted colleagues, advance information, sensory adjustments, and teams that valued neurodivergence.
• OTSystematic Review2025Taking stock of psychosocial rehabilitation in children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAcross 18 studies of time-limited rehabilitation for children and adolescents with physical conditions, pooled before-after improvement was moderate, but only 4 studies contributed data and only 2 had controls.
• OTSLPOther2026Chronic Parenting Stress in Parents of Children with Autism: Associations with Chronic Stress in Their Child and Parental Mental and Physical Health.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with autism showed high reported stress linked to poor mental health and emotional eating. Hair cortisol, a biological stress marker, correlated between parents and children but did not match reported stress levels. Higher biological stress in mothers linked to higher glucose.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Disorder Type and Severity as Predictors of Mental Health in Siblings of Children with Chronic Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHow severe the child's condition is predicts sibling mental health problems. The specific diagnosis itself does not. Fathers' ratings of severity matched siblings' own reports better than mothers' did. Screen for risk based on functional impairment and daily life disruption, not just the diagnostic label.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Exploring the Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) for Children with ASD Across Countries: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDogs and horses dominated human-animal interaction for children with ASD, and animal-assisted interventions were more common than pet ownership. Country patterns differed, with US home-based pet ownership and Europe/Asia therapy-animal use.
• OTSLPCohort2025Deep developmental phenotyping in children with tuberous sclerosis complex, with and without autism.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with tuberous sclerosis, autism was common, and autistic children had more intellectual disability, language deficits, executive dysfunction and externalizing behaviour. ADHD symptoms were frequent in both groups. Formal language screening is warranted even without autism or intellectual disability.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Understanding and Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury and Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationCare partners of people with both traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder report significantly worse quality of life than those caring for brain injury alone. These caregivers face unique strain beyond physical disability or hours spent caregiving, marking them for targeted support.
• PTOTSLPRCT2026Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as a moderator of the efficacy of family-based problem solving after pediatric traumatic brain injury.Rehabilitation psychologyFamily-based problem solving improved daily functioning in teens without ADHD, but not those with pre-injury ADHD. Teens who developed ADHD after injury showed delayed gains at 18 months. Identify ADHD history before prescribing this intervention.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Interrelationship between fatigue and recovery of physical function in stroke survivors: a longitudinal mixed-methods study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineHigher fatigue was linked to poorer physical function over six months after stroke. Survivors described fatigue as shifting between physical and mental, and seven participants said health professionals gave little guidance.
• OTSLPOther2026A Cross-National Reliability Study of Catatonia in Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersExperienced psychiatrists initially disagreed on the catatonia diagnosis in five of twenty patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. Agreement required extensive discussion and additional data. Clinicians should suspect catatonia when behavior changes from baseline, especially if agitation is present alongside intellectual disability.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025'I shouldn't have to educate their school about what autism is': Community attitudes and parent reports of autistic primary and secondary school experiences in Australia.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost Australians support school adjustments for autistic students, but parents report these are rarely provided. While 90% back staff training and peer education, fewer than 1 in 8 schools deliver them. This gap forces parents to constantly advocate, often resulting in school changes and distress.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Inequalities of the Waiting Time for Education Health and Care Plan Provision for Pupils With Intellectual Developmental Disabilities: A Brief Report.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRChildren with genetic intellectual disabilities from the most deprived areas waited significantly longer for Education, Health and Care Plans than those from the least deprived areas. Waiting times also varied by region and disability type, with specific learning difficulties facing the longest delays regardless of background.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Health-Related Quality of Life in Survivors of Stroke Post Inpatient Rehabilitation Discharged to a Home Setting.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationFor stroke survivors returning home from rehab, quality of life was best predicted by how well they could move, think, and manage anxiety or depression. Age, income, and initial stroke severity did not significantly predict quality of life.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Age Is Not the Limit-Functional Outcomes and Discharge Predictors in a Neurorehabilitation Cohort of Mixed Ages.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAge alone did not predict home discharge or functional improvement in this neurorehabilitation cohort. Instead, outcomes depended on comorbidity burden, baseline function, and length of stay. Do not exclude older patients from inpatient rehabilitation based on age.
• OTSLPSurvey2025Caregiver concerns for autistic children differ between publicly funded educational and mental health settings: Findings from a community implementation-effectiveness trial.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers named aggression, social communication problems and attention problems among their top concerns. Mental health caregivers reported more aggression; school caregivers reported more social problems and repetitive behaviors.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Relationship between anxiety and executive functioning among youth with Down syndrome.Research in developmental disabilitiesExecutive function struggles and anxiety symptoms influence each other over time in youth with Down syndrome. Shifting and working memory difficulties predicted higher anxiety a year later, while anxiety predicted later problems with shifting and initiating tasks.
• PTOTCohort2025Post-COVID Rehabilitation Outcomes: A Comparative Cohort Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPatients with post-COVID improved their walking distance significantly during multidisciplinary rehabilitation, but their self-rated quality of life remained lower than other groups. This suggests physical gains do not automatically resolve subjective well-being deficits in post-COVID recovery.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of the Impact of Olfactory Training on Cognitive and Emotional Function in Individuals with Parkinson Disease.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationSix months of sniffing four scents twice daily improved memory, thinking, and mood in people with Parkinson disease. The group doing the training scored better than controls on all these tests, though motor symptoms did not change.
• PTOTCohort2025Temporal Relationships Between Depression, Self-Efficacy, and Physical Activity in Individuals With Stroke.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAfter stroke, higher self-efficacy was followed by more steps only when depressive symptoms were low. Higher depressive symptoms were followed by lower self-efficacy. Steps were not followed by changes in mood or self-efficacy.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Role of Anxiety in Individuals with Generalized Joint Hypermobility: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationAnxiety is significantly elevated in people with generalized joint hypermobility (GJH), especially those with symptoms. In those without symptoms, anxiety is higher than the general population but rarely reaches clinical thresholds. Screening for anxiety is warranted across the GJH spectrum.