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 40 OF 41 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSystematic Review2025Assessing Participation Among Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.Occupational therapy internationalTen patient-reported scales assess stroke participation. SIS 3.0 has the most translations and broadest domain coverage. MAPA is the only one designed specifically for participation. Pick the tool that matches what you need to measure.
• OTSystematic Review2025The effects of crafts-based interventions on mental health and well-being: A systematic review.Australian occupational therapy journalCrafts-based activities like pottery, knitting, and clay work showed short-term improvements in depression, anxiety, and well-being across 19 studies. One study found no effect. Long-term benefits remain unproven.
• OTSystematic Review2023Occupational therapy interventions for adult informal carers and implications for intervention design, delivery and evaluation: A systematic review.The British journal of occupational therapyOT interventions for carers show mixed results. TAP and COPE improved carer outcomes in multiple trials, COTiD did not replicate outside the Netherlands, and several trials actually increased carer burden. Carers consistently valued the support in qualitative feedback.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Workplace interventions focusing on how to plan, organize and design the work environment in hospital settings: A systematic review.Work (Reading, Mass.)Across 26 hospital workplace studies, combinations of ergonomic, organizational, and psychosocial changes produced positive outcomes in pain, burnout, injuries, and job satisfaction. Because nearly every study bundled multiple changes together, no single intervention can be credited for the effect.
• PTOTRCT2025Task Practice With and Without Aerobic Exercise Improves Health-related Quality of Life and Social Participation Post-stroke: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Neurorehabilitation and neural repairAdding aerobic cycling to upper-extremity task practice did not improve quality of life, mood, or participation more than task practice alone in 60 people with chronic stroke. Both groups improved and kept those gains at 12 months.
• OTQualitative2026The Risks and Benefits of Humour Use With Individuals After Stroke.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieCanadian stroke OTs reached consensus on 32 benefits they see in humour during therapy, from building rapport to easing anxiety. Two risks survived: sarcasm may be misread by clients with cognitive deficits, and some clients simply will not find it funny.
• OTQualitative2026Promoting Employment Participation for People With Mental Health Challenges: Photovoice and Advocacy.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthSeven women with depression or bipolar disorder described employment as blocked by anxiety, insomnia, and a criminal record. They coped with routines like a big clock, walks, and hobbies, and wanted workplaces with safe spaces to reset.
• PTOTCohort2026Mind over lungs: the impact of coping strategies on pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineIn 101 pulmonary rehab inpatients, high anxiety and depression were common but did not predict how much patients improved. Two coping styles, problem-solving and turning to religion, were linked to less improvement, but the authors call this exploratory and not causal.
• OTOther2025Racial Media Microaggressions: Impact on Black Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthIn 48 Black adolescents, daily racial media microaggressions showed no same-day or next-day association with anxiety, depression, or cannabis use. The one notable link: days above a youth's own average for microaggressions predicted higher next-day aggression.
• OTCohort2026Flourishing, social participation and reintegration difficulties: a 2-year cohort study of US military veterans with invisible injuries.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesReintegration difficulties stayed flat over two years in 75 veterans with invisible injuries, while community participation improved. Better participation and fewer reintegration problems went hand in hand with greater well-being and more social support.
• OTQualitative2026How workplace social support facilitates work situations of disabled employees - a qualitative interview study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Disabled employees said support worked best when it was automatic: a coworker who simply knew what to do, a supervisor who adjusted hours without being asked. Help that required them to explain or justify their needs felt like a burden.
• PTOTCohort2026Factors associated with life-space mobility in older adults with chronic respiratory disease: IMIAS study.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesBeing female, having poor vision, lower physical performance, and rating one's own health poorly were the factors most strongly linked to restricted community mobility in 223 older adults with chronic lung disease. These are associations from a single time point, not causes.
• OTSurvey2025Occupational therapists' role in sleep management in palliative care: A cross-sectional survey.The British journal of occupational therapy88% of Australian palliative care OTs say sleep is in their scope, but only 3 of 51 rate their sleep assessment knowledge as good or excellent. Barriers are time, workload, and missing guidelines. This profiles current practice; it does not test any intervention.
• OTOther2026Participatory Development of a Suicide Prevention Program for Autism Community Organizations.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthThe team produced a four-session suicide prevention training program for autism community organizations over three years with eight autistic partners. It has not been tested. The 38 interviews that shaped it identified discrimination, unmet services, and emotional challenges as core drivers of suicidality.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Growing Up Through a Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study of How the COVID-19 Pandemic Shaped the Transition to Adulthood for Youth With Special Healthcare Needs and Their Families.Child: care, health and developmentLoss of in-person therapies was the most commonly reported harm for youth with special healthcare needs during the pandemic. Virtual appointments and family closeness were the most valued benefits. Impact varied by condition type and age.
• OTPilot2026A Feasibility Study of a Community-Based Program for Individuals Living With Dementia.Canadian journal of occupational therapy. Revue canadienne d'ergotherapieThree men with early dementia found an 8-week occupation-based group program acceptable, attended every session, and kept meeting a year later. It is a feasibility signal, not proof the program improves outcomes.
• OTQualitative2026Lived Experience Engagement in Service Design and Improvement: Investigating Meaning and Impact.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthConsumers and carers in voluntary advisory roles described their engagement as giving them structure, redefining past negative experiences, and connecting them with others who understood. Supportive facilitators who respected boundaries and checked in regularly were central to making participation feel safe.
• OTSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Occupational Therapy: A Systematic Review.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTAcross 10 small studies, mindfulness added to occupational therapy improved mental health in most cases and helped some patients with activity and participation. It showed no clear benefit for physical health, thinking, or quality of life. Samples were tiny and designs varied widely.
• OTSurvey2025Occupational Therapy-Based Physical Activity Questionnaire (OTBPAQ) Categorization of Physical Activity Composition Ratios of Older Individuals Living in the Community.Occupational therapy internationalThe mix of physical activities an older adult does is associated with frailty. In this group of 499, the aerobic exercise group had the lowest frailty (30.4%) and the recreational gymnastics group the highest (73.3%).
• OTSLPQualitative2026Improving Health Care Services for Autistic Young Adults: Development and Use of a Self-Reported Health Care Transition Readiness Assessment.International journal of language & communication disordersAutistic young adults ranked understanding their own health conditions and feeling safe as most important for independence. Communication challenges and reliance on caregivers were their biggest barriers. Digital reminders were central to daily functioning.
• PTOTCohort2026Limited Discrepancy Between Cognitive Ability and Daily Living Skills in Autism: A Longitudinal Study From Ages 2-25.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMost autistic people with average or higher IQ had daily living skills in line with their cognitive ability over 23 years. Where a gap existed, it grew gradually. Adult employment, living status, and well-being did not differ between the two groups.
• PTOTOther2026Comparison of pain, depression, quality of life, grip strength, and balance according to physical activity levels in office workers.Work (Reading, Mass.)Office workers classified as highly active reported less activity-related pain, higher general quality of life, and stronger grip than inactive workers. Depression did not differ between groups. This is a one-time comparison, not a treatment trial, so no causal claim is possible.
• OTOther2026Employee-nature interactions: A scoping review on employees' green exercise behaviors.Work (Reading, Mass.)Outdoor activity in parks and forests is linked across 13 studies of working adults to better mood, lower cortisol, and less burnout. This is a map of what has been studied, not evidence that any specific programme works.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Functional outcomes of children after SARS-CoV-2 infection: An EHR-based cohort study.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with clinician-confirmed long COVID after SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to show school decline, need new school support, and develop new behavioral or mental health symptoms than children without long COVID. Referral to psychological services did not differ between the two groups.
• OTSystematic Review2026The Relationship Between Mental Disorders and Heart Diseases Among General Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTDepression, anxiety, and PTSD were each linked to a higher risk of heart disease among workers. The 34 studies varied widely, and the anxiety range includes no effect, so the strength of each link is uncertain.
• OTQualitative2026Identity Development for LGBTQIA+ Autistic Adults in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Study.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationLGBTQIA+ autistic adults built their identities through exposure to others, self-directed research, trial and error, and interactions with people outside their communities. Positive experiences led to immediate self-acceptance; negative ones required a longer, harder journey.
• PTOTQualitative2026Specialist Rehabilitation Providers' Experiences With an Online Self-Compassion Course: Reflexive Thematic Analysis.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost of the 20 rehab HCPs interviewed had never been self-compassionate toward themselves. The course gave them words for burnout and basic self-compassion tools, but heavy caseloads, no quiet space, and scheduling conflicts made it hard to sustain the practice after the course ended.
• OTSurvey2026Neglected empathy: A study of the mechanisms of social workers' empathic competence on work withdrawal.Work (Reading, Mass.)Among 526 Chinese social workers, higher empathy predicted more emotional labor, more burnout, and more work withdrawal. Organizational support amplified empathy's positive engagement but also buffered its burnout risk. The strongest protection for the most empathic workers.
• OTSurvey2026The Impact of Time Use in Different Occupation Areas on Time Deficiency Among Mothers Depending on the Presence of Children With Disabilities.Occupational therapy internationalMothers of children with disabilities feel significantly more time-pressed than mothers of typically developing children. Their extra caregiving time comes at the cost of personal care and paid work, and protecting time for basic self-care is associated with feeling less time-pressed.
• OTCohort2026The Unique Roles of Executive Function in Co-Occurring Psychopathologies in Autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAmong 701 children with autism, weaker attention, working memory, and self-control predicted more severe ADHD. Better executive function also softened the link between being overwhelmed by sensory input and anxiety. A pattern no other cognitive domain showed.
• PTOTQualitative2026Experiences of functional recovery after polytrauma in a private Johannesburg healthcare setting: Patients' perspectives.The South African journal of physiotherapyPolytrauma patients in a well-resourced private hospital described physiotherapy as generic and sometimes painful, said financial limits cut their rehab short, and reported no mental health support during admission. Family support and positive practitioner relationships were what they credited for recovery.
• OTQualitative2026Moments That Matter: Exploring Autistic Adolescents' and Their Families' Joy Through Family Journals.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFamilies of autistic teens and young adults described joy as ordinary (reading, cooking, playing games) not rare or extraordinary. It was relational, co-created with others, and layered across sensory, creative, and social dimensions. The daily journaling prompt itself helped families notice moments they'd otherwise overlook.
• OTQualitative2026The role of work in the recovery journey: Meaning, transformation, and inclusion.The British journal of occupational therapyFive people with serious mental illness described their work lives as a process of learning their own triggers, learning to ask for what they need, and finding purpose in helping others. Peer support was the thread running through all of it.
• OTPilot2026Digital Cognitive-Motor Occupational Training with QEEG Monitoring in Schizophrenia Rehabilitation: An Exploratory Neurofunctional Study.Occupational therapy internationalAdding real-time brain monitoring to a digital occupational task lowered engagement scores across all four activity domains in 30 people with schizophrenia. The brain-activity patterns were descriptive only, with no inferential comparisons made. This is exploratory, not evidence the monitoring helps.
• PTOTPilot2026Clinical and psychological adjustment to prosthesis use in lower-limb amputees: focus on differences between traditional and high-technology rehabilitation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesNeither traditional nor high-technology rehabilitation outperformed the other in functional or psychological outcomes for 21 male transtibial amputees. Both groups improved in mobility and independence over three weeks, but the study was too small to detect a difference between approaches.
• OTQualitative2026First-generation immigrants' experiences of entering and remaining in the Swedish labour market in a sustainable way: A qualitative study.Work (Reading, Mass.)Prolonged cycles of short-term contracts and unemployment eroded these immigrants' professional identity and sense of control. They wanted work to mean belonging and purpose, not just income. A consistent, engaged employment officer and social support from family were what kept them going.
• PTOTCohort2026Long-term medical and psychosocial vulnerability after home return following severe traumatic brain injury.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAmong adults with severe TBI living at home one year after injury, 16.7% carried a five-year pattern of depression, anxiety, low life satisfaction, and repeated hospital visits. Home return did not mean recovery was complete.
• OTOther2026Psychometric Evaluation of the Cross-Culturally Adapted Dutch-Language Version of the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY).Occupational therapy internationalThe Dutch PEM-CY is now validated and shows children with disabilities participate at similar frequency to peers but with significantly lower involvement, facing more environmental barriers. OTs can use it to identify where the environment is the problem.
• OTSystematic Review2026A Systematic Review of International Evidence to Inform Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Total Knee Replacement in the Korean Health System.Occupational therapy internationalOT after knee replacement is most strongly linked to shorter hospital stays, with weaker evidence for better daily function, mood, and community reintegration. Most of the 51 studies reviewed were observational and low quality, so no single OT activity can be credited with these gains.
• OTSurvey2025Experiential Aspects of Participation for People with Serious Mental Illnesses: Measure Validation and Preliminary Findings from Clubhouses in Hawai'i.Occupational therapy in mental healthThe 12-item MeEAP scale validated well in 206 Clubhouse members with serious mental illness. Members scored high on all six participation areas, but those with physical activity limitations scored significantly lower across the board.
• OTSurvey2026Factors Influencing Engagement in Work-Related Activities Among People With Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study.Occupational therapy internationalGreater engagement in work-related activities was associated with better mental well-being, more frequent participation, and hearing loss in 63 people with dementia or MCI. Cross-sectional design means these are associations, not causes. The hearing-loss link is counterintuitive and may reflect extra individualized support.
• OTSystematic Review2026A Scoping Review of Occupational Imbalance Among Korean High School Students: Insights Through the PEO Model.Occupational therapy internationalKorean high school students studying for the national exam spend roughly 12 hours a day on academics, sleep under 6 hours, and 44% regularly skip breakfast. A pattern the review traces to exam culture and filial duty, not individual weakness. No intervention was tested.
• OTSurvey2026Support-receiving networks and the isolation in schizophrenia: A preliminary study toward recovery-oriented occupational therapy.The British journal of occupational therapyAdults with schizophrenia in Japanese day-service centres reported fewer than one close contact on average. Receiving help from others was the only factor linked to having any connections. Loneliness, feeling valued, and helping others were not.
• OTQualitative2026Exploring Occupational Therapists' Sleep Intervention Approaches and Perspectives for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Malaysian Qualitative Study.Occupational therapy internationalMalaysian pediatric OTs describe a sensory-first sequence for ASD sleep, deep pressure and proprioceptive work before visual schedules and screen limits, with parent education as the delivery vehicle. No child outcomes were measured.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026The Views of Autistic Adults on Early Autism Interventions: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Literature Review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAcross 19 studies, autistic adults consistently said early support should respect the child's autonomy, be play-based and enjoyable, accept autism rather than target traits, and change the environment rather than the child. They also reported significant harm from compliance-focused behavioural interventions.
• OTOther2026The Participation and Environment Measure-Children and Youth (PEM-CY): Cultural Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability of the Persian Version for 5- to 17-Year-Old Children With Cerebral Palsy.Occupational therapy internationalThe Persian PEM-CY is a valid, reliable tool for measuring participation and environmental barriers in children with CP. Children with CP participated in fewer activities and faced more barriers than typically developing peers, especially in school and community settings.
• OTOther2026Development of an ICF-Based Core Assessment Set for Psychiatric Occupational Therapy in Japan: A Three-Round Delphi Study.Occupational therapy internationalFourteen Japanese psychiatrists and OTs agreed on 42 ICF categories for psychiatric assessment, prioritizing daily routines, stress handling, and employment. It is a consensus list, not a validated tool. No patients were involved.
• OTSurvey2026Multidimensional Sleep Health of Toddlers With Down Syndrome: A Descriptive Study Guided by the Pediatric Sleep Health Framework.The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy AssociationMost parents of 24 toddlers with Down syndrome reported sleep in line with guidelines, but bedtime behaviors (screens, routines, and sleep-onset methods) were the most common difficulty. This describes what these families reported; it is not evidence any sleep intervention works.
• OTCohort2026Sex Differences in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Transportation Modes by Driving Status Among Older Adults.Occupational therapy internationalCurrent drivers aged 75–80 in Japan did more everyday activities and reported better health than non-drivers. Among non-drivers, the sex gap was in transport mode (men cycled more, women were driven by others more) not in activity frequency.
• OTSLPOther2026Implementation of a Digital Tool to Identify Child Development and Parental Mental Health Needs Among Multicultural Communities Attending a School-Based Wellbeing Hub.Child: care, health and developmentAmong 61 multicultural families with preschoolers, lower parent education was linked to a 3.6-times higher chance of the child being flagged for developmental concern, but parental mental health was not. Staff said trust, flexibility, and CALD-speaking colleagues were what got families to engage.