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 39 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSystematic Review2026Drag as a meaningful occupation: A scoping review.Australian occupational therapy journalAcross 34 studies, drag performers described drag as meaningful work that let them explore identity, build 'chosen family' ties and contribute to their communities, while facing widespread discrimination. They reported more anxiety and depression symptoms, and no study looked at their health care.
• OTSystematic Review2026Real-time experience: A systematic review of ecological momentary assessments of everyday functioning in major depressive disorder.Australian occupational therapy journalReal-time monitoring in depression is feasible, with 49-95% of prompts answered, and has covered seven areas of daily function. People reported feeling worse when alone, and poor sleep went with more severe depression. The two trials of app-delivered therapy found no difference between groups.
• OTOther2026Labour of Love: A Sequential Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study on the Impact of Caring for a Child With Dravet Syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR69% of parents caring for a child with Dravet syndrome scored in the clinical range for distress, and more behavioural difficulties in the child went with more distress. Parents felt more able to influence their child's healthcare than to manage their family life.
• OTSystematic Review2026Occupational Formulation: A Scoping Review of Its Development and Use.Occupational therapy internationalOccupational formulation has no agreed definition. Across 102 sources, mostly book chapters rather than research, it means anything from a step in the Model of Human Occupation reasoning process to a psychological formulation with occupational ideas added. Almost no evidence links it to outcomes.
• OTQualitative2026Exploring Competencies That Prepare Occupational Therapy Students for Acute Mental Health Practice: A Document Analysis.Occupational therapy internationalMapped against four international frameworks, one South African occupational therapy programme's written exit outcomes cover cultural competence and teamwork well but omit the acute-specific parts: condition knowledge, risk assessment, trauma-informed care, de-escalation and discharge planning.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of psychoeducational intervention in promoting post-stroke self-care: a systematic literature review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesHalf of the eight trials found no improvement in their main outcome after psychoeducation was added to stroke rehabilitation; the other half reported better self-care, self-efficacy, quality of life or caregiver burden. No trial tested education alone, and results could not be pooled.
• PTOTRCT2025Effects of Inpatient Occupational Rehabilitation vs. Outpatient Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Sick Leave and Cost of Lost Production: 7-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSeven years on, people who got the 3.5-week inpatient rehabilitation had fewer sick-leave days than those who got weekly outpatient ACT, but the difference was small enough that it could be chance. Costs of lost production were similar.
• PTOTRCT2024Stepped collaborative care for pain and posttraumatic stress disorder after major trauma: a randomized controlled feasibility trial.Disability and rehabilitationCase management after major trauma was practical and well received: all 17 people offered it took part, most were engaged, and none were harmed. But PTSD symptoms fell equally in both groups, and the intervention group reported more pain at 3 and 6 months.
• OTRCT2023Acceptance and commitment therapy for individuals with depressive and anxiety symptoms following acquired brain injury: A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across four cases.Neuropsychological rehabilitationThree of four adults with depression or anxiety after stroke or TBI improved on daily mood ratings during eight sessions of ACT, and their gains held a year later. The fourth did not improve, and his questionnaire scores later rose above his starting point.
• OTRCT2023A short add-on sleep intervention in the rehabilitation of individuals with acquired brain injury: A randomized controlled trial.NeuroRehabilitationAdding a short sleep programme to usual rehabilitation improved sleep quality far more than usual rehabilitation alone: mean scores, where higher is worse, fell from 10.65 to 6.09 against 11.11 to 10.44. Fatigue, anxiety and depression did not differ between groups.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022Feasibility, Acceptability, and Efficacy of Mindfulness Training in People With Upper Motor Neuron Disorders: A Systematic Review.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationIn MS, brain injury, spinal cord injury and ALS, 85% of people who started a mindfulness programme finished it, and satisfaction averaged 4.6 out of 5. Depression, anxiety and fatigue fell, but far less when the comparison group got another active treatment.
• OTSystematic Review2023Use of Assistive Technology for Persons with Psychosocial Disability: Systematic Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesEvidence for user-controlled devices in psychosocial disability rests on five studies, one a single case. PDAs, phone alarms, pill-cap monitors and weighted blankets were each reported to help with social function, daily tasks, medication adherence and sleep.
• OTMeta-Analysis2026Self-Compassion and Psychological Health of Parents: A Meta-Analysis Focused on Some Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAcross 15 studies, parents of children with autism or intellectual disability who were kinder to themselves reported less anxiety, less depression, less parenting stress and better well-being. All 15 studies measured parents once, so this shows a link, not cause and effect.
• OTRCT2025Secondary effects of dialectical behaviour therapy on social functioning, quality of life, and autism traits in autistic adults with suicidality.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceDialectical behaviour therapy added to usual care modestly improved social functioning and quality of life in autistic adults with suicidal thoughts and behaviour, at six months and a year. Autism traits did not change, and the authors call the functional gains small.
• OTRCT2025Understanding Repetitive Behaviours: A clinical and cost-effectiveness, multi-site randomised controlled trial of a group for parents and carers of young autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren's overall functioning improved no more after a parent programme on repetitive behaviours than after general autism psychoeducation. Children in the repetitive-behaviour arm were more likely to improve on the behaviour parents had targeted, but it cost more.
• OTRCT2023Depressive Symptoms in Autistic Youth with Anxiety Disorders.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBP42.7% of autistic 7-13 year-olds with anxiety reported clinically elevated depressive symptoms, while only 20.2% of parents reported the same. Depression did not predict how well anxiety-focused CBT worked in this secondary analysis of a trial.
• OTRCT2022Working memory training in children with borderline intellectual functioning and neuropsychiatric disorders: a triple-blind randomised controlled trial.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAdaptive working memory training was no better than a placebo version of the same computer programme. Both groups improved on working memory, attention and parent-rated behaviour, but children with a low IQ and ADHD or ASD got no extra benefit.
• OTSystematic Review2025Quality-of-life measurement in randomised controlled trials of mental health interventions for autistic adults: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOnly 5 of 19 trials of mental health treatments for autistic adults measured quality of life at all, and just one of the measures they used had been validated with autistic people. Most trials also excluded autistic adults with intellectual disability.
• OTRCT2022The online mindset intervention 'The Growth Factory' for adolescents with intellectual disabilities: moderators and mediators.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAge, baseline mindset and level of intellectual disability did not change how much this six-session online mindset programme helped. Adolescents who rated it more satisfying showed bigger falls in emotional and behaviour problems, and gains in perseverance explained the emotional-problem improvement.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2025First Impressions Towards Autistic People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic people are judged less favourably than non-autistic people on first impression, from a photo, a voice or a video. When raters only read a transcript of what was said, there was no clear bias either way.
• OTMeta-Analysis2024Efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for neuropsychiatric symptoms among patients with Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Clinical rehabilitationAcupuncture added to medication or brain stimulation improved depression, anxiety, cognition and quality of life scores in people with Parkinson's disease. Acupuncture on its own worked no better than sham or no treatment, and fatigue did not improve.
• PTOTMeta-Analysis2024The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Helping People on Sick Leave to Return to Work: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCBT-based programmes cut sick leave by 3.649 days and got more people back to work, but anxiety and work ability did not improve. Sixteen of the 34 treatment groups combined CBT with other treatments, so the effect cannot be pinned on CBT alone.
• OTRCT2022Effects of Task-Based LSVT-BIG Intervention on Hand Function, Activity of Daily Living, Psychological Function, and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Control Trial.Occupational therapy internationalIn 14 people with Parkinson's, adding task-based LSVT-BIG to occupational therapy improved everyday activity scores and anxiety more than occupational therapy plus relaxation, and improved hand dexterity in both hands. Depression and quality of life did not differ between the groups.
• OTMeta-Analysis2022Perinatal Physiological and Psychological Risk Factors and Childhood Sleep Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPPrenatal alcohol, tobacco and preterm birth, and depression before or after birth were each linked to more sleep problems and shorter sleep in children. Maternal anxiety, caffeine and opioid maintenance treatment were not. This is risk-factor evidence; no treatment was tested.
• OTRCT2025Effects of Client-Centered Occupational Therapy Intervention in Older Adults With Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Occupational therapy internationalIn 30 older adults with long-standing depression, 16 sessions of client-centred occupational therapy at home reduced depression and stress more than case management plus seated gymnastics, and improved social integration. Daily-living skills did not change in either group, and anxiety did not differ between groups.
• OTSystematic Review2025Oral care interventions for autistic individuals: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceVisual supports such as social stories, videos and picture schedules, used before and during dental visits, were the strategies most often linked to less anxiety and better cooperation at the dentist. But only 5 of the 36 studies were judged strong on quality.
• OTMeta-Analysis2025Online interventions for the mental health and well-being of parents of children with additional needs: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Australian occupational therapy journalOnline programmes improved parents' depression, stress and wellbeing when trial results were pooled, though the trials disagreed so much, especially on stress, that those pooled figures are unreliable. Only 3 of the 30 studies involved an occupational therapist.
• OTSystematic Review2025Occupational therapy interventions in facilitating return to work in patients with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.Work (Reading, Mass.)The reviewers conclude that return-to-work rates were highest when vocational and cognitive rehabilitation were combined with a multidisciplinary team, and clients said OT advocacy with employers helped most. But the evidence is thin: the highest-quality trial found no difference at 12 months.
• OTSystematic Review2024A rapid realist review of clinical neuropsychology rehabilitation programmes to improve psychological wellbeing and quality of life for people with acquired brain injuries.Neuropsychological rehabilitationAcross 35 studies, programmes that reportedly helped people after acquired brain injury shared six features: changing how people relate to their thoughts, building self-worth, teaching strategies to mastery, connection with others, adapting to the person, and a responsive facilitator. No treatment was tested here.
• OTMeta-Analysis2024Cognitive-Based Interventions for Improving Psychological Health and Well-Being for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersProgrammes based on CBT or mindfulness reduced parental stress, depression and anxiety in parents of children with developmental disabilities, and improved parental well-being and the parent-child relationship. Mindful parenting, mindful awareness and psychological flexibility did not improve.
• OTSystematic Review2022Randomised controlled trials of occupational therapy interventions for adults with a mental health condition or dementia: A systematic review of study methods and outcome measurement.The British journal of occupational therapyMost randomised trials of occupational therapy for adults with mental health conditions or dementia are poor or fair quality. Only eight of 26 reported a sample size calculation, half named no single primary outcome, and many outcome measures lack evidence they work in these groups.
• PTOTCohort2026Father and Sibling Involvement in Home Rehabilitation: Longitudinal Effects on Infant Development and Maternal Wellbeing in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.Child: care, health and developmentInfants whose fathers and siblings joined the home rehabilitation programme scored 4.4 points higher on the Bayley cognitive scale after three months than those with mothers alone. Mothers' mental health improved most in the three-caregiver group. Families were not randomly assigned, so causation is unproven.
• OTCohort2026Mental Health Classification and Care for Individuals With Intellectual Disability and Severe Challenging Behaviour: A Three-Year Follow-Up on Quality of Life.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDHaving a mental health diagnosis did not lead to better quality of life or less challenging behaviour over three years in adults with intellectual disability and severe challenging behaviour. Quality of life rose regardless, and those who improved had fewer support goals set.
• OTCohort2025From Uncertainty to Competence: A Longitudinal Study of Confidence Development in Occupational Therapy Education.Occupational therapy internationalOT students' confidence in neuroscience rose over a 15-week course, from a mean of 1.54 out of 5 to 3.57 and 3.45. Hands-on labs, peer work and applied cases were what they said built it; anxiety about the volume of content was common early.
• OTSLPOther2026Developing a consensus research definition for profound autism using a modified Delphi method.Molecular autismResearchers, clinicians, caregivers and autistic people agreed a research definition of profound autism: round-the-clock adult supervision needed, adaptive skills far below age level, IQ under 50 or minimal speech, and age 8 or over. No IQ cut-off reached agreement.
• OTRCT2026The Model of Occupational Self-Efficacy: A Contemporary Model to Enhance Work Skills, Cognitive and Emotional Skills of Individuals With Brain Injury-A Pilot Randomized Control Trial.Occupational therapy internationalNo questionnaire score differed significantly between groups: work-related skills, cognition, depression and anxiety all favoured MOOSE but none reached significance, anxiety coming closest at P = 0.06. At the end, 8 of 14 MOOSE participants were in competitive work, against 4 of 14 in usual care.
• PTOTCohort2026Real-world participation after spinal cord injury: longitudinal associations with return to work and long-term social integration.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn this US spinal cord injury registry, better mobility, more education and greater life satisfaction went with both working and better social integration, while non-private housing and greater care needs went with worse. Depressive symptoms tracked with social integration, not employment.
• OTPilot2026Autistic Adult Online Interoception Feasibility Pilot Program.Occupational therapy internationalNo improvement in anxiety, alexithymia, interoception or quality of life was large enough to rule out chance after this 8-week online program, and there was no control group. All ten who finished would recommend it and 70% said they understood their body signals better.
• OTQualitative2026Occupational therapists' experiences in Australia's primary mental health funding scheme: Navigating complexity in a constrained system.Australian occupational therapy journalOccupational therapists described clients far more complex than this scheme's 10-session, psychology-first design allows for. They adapted psychological strategies through an occupational lens, absorbed unpaid advocacy work, and worked across several funding streams to stay viable.
• OTQualitative2026Preparedness of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Occupational Therapy Students and Novice Occupational Therapists for Acute Mental Health Practice: A Qualitative Exploration of Lived Experiences.Occupational therapy internationalSouth African OT graduates said their training left them short for acute mental health work: too little acute placement time, no DBT or crisis skills, nothing on patients whose families explain illness through ancestors or bewitchment, and no preparation for the emotional load.
• OTCohort2026Adaptive Functioning in Clients With Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning and Psychiatric Comorbidity.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIn 4,376 Dutch clients with intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning, only autism was linked to lower adaptive functioning, 22.76 points lower on a 62 to 310 scale. Clients with depression scored 18.21 points higher, and each extra diagnosis lowered scores slightly.
• OTQualitative2026Managing Everyday Life in Double Exposure: Frail Older People's Experiences During a Pandemic.Scandinavian journal of occupational therapyFrail older people already limited by illness and ageing called the pandemic a 'lost year'. They felt powerless under rules they could not control and coped by accepting those rules and seeking small meaningful things: outdoor coffee with a neighbour, walks, phone calls.
• OTCohort2026Exclusion From Childcare Centre Attendance in Toddler and Preschool Patients in a Psychiatric Day Clinic: Patterns From Comparison of a 2018/2019 and a 2023/2024 Cohort.Child: care, health and developmentIn one German psychiatric day clinic, 8.00% of toddlers and preschoolers were excluded from childcare in 2018/2019 against 25.49% in 2023/2024. Boys were most affected. The authors say the gap may reflect referral and diagnostic changes, not a real rise.
• OTCohort2026Long-term follow-up for mothers of children with disability after healthy mothers healthy families e-workshops.Australian occupational therapy journalMothers who attended the peer-led online programme reported more healthy activity and fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, still present 12 weeks later. With no control group and only 20 of 56 women followed up, other explanations remain.
• OTMeta-Analysis2026Yoga as a modality in occupational therapy practice for adults experiencing mood disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.The British journal of occupational therapyAcross 22 mostly small, mixed-quality trials, yoga improved mood disorder symptoms more than the comparison conditions on average, but the trials disagreed so wildly that the size of the benefit cannot be trusted. Three trials found yoga no better than the comparison.
• OTQualitative2026Facilitating return to work after major traumatic injuries through early vocational rehabilitation: Therapists' activities and perspectives.Australian occupational therapy journalTherapists delivering early vocational rehabilitation after major trauma spent most of their time coordinating with others, giving emotional support and doing individualised work tasks, in 12 sessions of 33 minutes on average. They said early employer contact kept work goals alive.
• OTSystematic Review2023Occupational fatigue and health of gas station workers: A review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Gas station workers in 20 reviewed studies reported high rates of sleep problems, stress, back pain, and hearing and cognitive effects from shift work and chemical exposure. No treatment was tested, and the studies were too different to pool.
• OTSystematic Review2022Occupational therapy in Australian residential aged care facilities: A systematic mapping review.Australian occupational therapy journalOnly 12 Australian studies on occupational therapy in residential aged care met inclusion criteria, and most were small qualitative or quasi-experimental designs. The profession lacks the local evidence base it needs to advocate for its scope of practice.
• OTRCT2022Outcomes of the Tree Theme Method versus regular occupational therapy: A longitudinal follow-up.Australian occupational therapy journalBoth groups improved in everyday occupations and psychological symptoms over 12 months, but the Tree Theme Method showed no advantage over regular occupational therapy. No between-group difference reached significance on any primary outcome.
• OTMeta-Analysis2022Examining the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in autistic children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchGreater cognitive inflexibility in autistic children and adolescents correlates with more anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. The association was moderate to large, consistent across studies, and not explained by age, sex, or IQ. It is correlational, not causal.