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.

1,218 PAPERS · PAGE 18 OF 25 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNQualitative2026You Can't Hold Their Hand the Whole Time: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Experiences of Adolescents With Food Allergy.Journal of advanced nursingParents of adolescents with food allergy described constant worry, family restrictions, and difficulty trusting their child to manage allergies. Misconceptions and poor confidence in using adrenaline persisted despite years of experience.
• RNCohort2026Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of Parents of Children With Spina Bifida: The Mediating Role of Family Resilience.Journal of advanced nursingParental quality of life was lower when parents had more depression or stress, had low income, or had children needing enemas. Family resilience was linked to better quality of life and partly linked depression to quality of life.
• RNSurvey2025Pregnancy, Birth, and Mental Health Outcomes Associated With Recent Reproductive Coercion and Intimate Partner Violence in a Crowd-Sourced National Sample.Journal of midwifery & women's healthReproductive coercion alone was linked to preterm birth and low birth weight, but when combined with other partner violence, the risk of unplanned pregnancy and suicidal thoughts rose sharply. Screening for coercion and violence is essential for perinatal mental health.
• RNCohort2026The Role of Nursing Diagnoses in Enhancing Prognostic Accuracy in Home-Based Cancer Care: Insights From a Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of clinical nursingIn home-based cancer care, nurses' documented diagnoses of poor nutrition and death anxiety, plus a high palliative prognostic score and terminal illness, were associated with death. They may help flag patients needing earlier comfort-focused palliative care.
• RNSurvey2026Childhood abuse and maladaptive coping in care leavers: An exploratory study on attachment and Early Maladaptive Schemas.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityCare leavers reported very high childhood maltreatment, attachment insecurity and maladaptive coping. In this small study, anxiety about closeness and beliefs about rejection were linked to more coping difficulties; avoidance was linked to fewer.
• RNSurvey2026Grief and Psychopathology in Bereaved Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients: The Mediating and Moderating Roles of Distress, Burden and Social Support.Journal of advanced nursingFor families caring for palliative patients, higher grief risk was tied to more mental health symptoms when emotional burden was high or practical support was low. High support seemed to weaken this link. This was measured at one time.
• RNPilot2026Evaluating a Group-Based Intervention Addressing Fear of Childbirth in Multiparous Pregnant Women: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.Journal of advanced nursingA group intervention for women who had given birth before and feared childbirth was feasible and well accepted. Fear scores fell, but without a control group and with usual maternity care also given, this cannot show the intervention caused the change.
• RNQualitative2026The Family Caregiver Role From the Perspective of Older Women Experiencing Poverty in a High-Income Country: A Qualitative Study.Journal of advanced nursingOlder women caring for relatives in poverty relied mainly on daughters, granddaughters and neighbours, not formal services. They described skipping food, losing dignity, and seeing care as a woman's duty, while feeling unsupported by health and social services.
• RNMeta-Analysis2025Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interventions for Perioperative Anxiety in Adults: A Systemic Review With Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingThe combined analysis did not show a significant reduction in preoperative anxiety with virtual reality. Individual studies often reported lower anxiety and higher satisfaction, but findings were inconsistent.
• RNNarrative Review2025The Role of Technology Use in the Context of Social Isolation Among Immigrant Older Adults.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresImmigrant older adults used technology to stay connected when local contact was hard, but language, low education, cost and digital skills limited access. This review does not show that technology or nurse screening improves isolation.
• RNOther2025Seclusion Rates and Workplace Violence on a Psychiatric Emergency Department Unit.Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses AssociationAfter adding violence screening, patient-specified agitation factors, de-escalation preferences, handoff communication, staff training, and post-incident debriefs on a psychiatric emergency unit, seclusion hours fell from 5.56 to 3.73 per 1,000 length-of-stay hours, and workplace violence reports fell from four to three.
• PTOTRNMeta-Analysis2026Effects of Psychosocial Interventions on Loneliness Amongst Long-Term Care Residents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of advanced nursingFace-to-face group activities lasting under eight weeks cut loneliness in long-term care residents. Lifestyle activities like laughter, gardening and exercise worked better than psychological therapies. Virtual visits with family showed no benefit.
• RNSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of Organisational Strategies for Pressure Injury Prevention and Treatment in Acute Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review.Journal of advanced nursingOrganisational bundles combining education, audit and feedback, and leadership support reduced pressure injury incidence in three of seven studies, though overall evidence was inconclusive. The specific mix of strategies needed for success remains unclear, and results varied widely across acute hospital settings.
• RNQualitative2026Parental decision-making for non-urgent emergency department presentations in Victoria, Australia.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityParents who took a child to an emergency department for a non-urgent problem said anxiety and lack of timely primary care made the ED feel like the only place. They wanted quick reassurance and answers, not always a better doctor.
• RNSystematic Review2025How Do Spouses Experience Living Alone After Their Partner With Dementia Moves Into a Care Home?Journal of clinical nursingSpouses left at home after a partner with dementia enters a care home often describe loss, guilt and grief. Visiting can feel like duty, surveillance or relieving loneliness. Some report practical relief, yet many feel unable to move on.
• RNCase-Control2025Postpartum Hemorrhage and the Likelihood of Exclusive Breastfeeding Through 6 Months Postpartum: A Case-Control Study.Journal of midwifery & women's healthPeople who had postpartum hemorrhage were less likely to exclusively breastfeed at 4 and 6 months and stopped about 5 weeks earlier. The study shows an association, not that hemorrhage caused lower breastfeeding.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026The Association Between Caregiver Psychosocial Factors and Depressive Symptoms in People With Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of advanced nursingCaregiver distress and lower caregiver quality of life showed the strongest links with more depressive symptoms in people with dementia; caregiver anxiety and relationship quality did not.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Examining the Impact of Telehealth Stoma Care Interventions on the Ostomates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingTelehealth stoma care, delivered by nurses in most included studies, improved stoma adjustment and self-efficacy versus usual care, but did not show a reduction in anxiety and had inconsistent quality-of-life effects.
• RNSystematic Review2025Experiences of Care for Adolescents With Mental Health Difficulties in Acute Paediatric Services: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical nursingAdolescents with mental health difficulties in acute paediatric services felt neglected and unsafe, while staff reported stigma and inadequate training. Families were dissatisfied with symptom management. Care requires specialist pathways, de-stigmatised communication, and environmental adjustments.
• RNSurvey2025An Exploratory Study of Sleep Quality After Lung Transplantation Using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)Sixty-one lung transplant recipients reported poor sleep: 64% scored above the threshold for poor quality. Most woke to use the bathroom or had low sleep efficiency, and nearly half used sleep medications in the past month.
• RNQualitative2026Grit in the Workplace Experienced by Taiwanese Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Phenomenological Study.Journal of clinical nursingEmployed Taiwanese adults with congenital heart disease described managing work by choosing low-pressure jobs, pacing shifts, relying on family and colleagues, and seeing grit as persistence that respected health limits rather than pushing through pain.
• RNPilot2025Inflammation markers associated with symptoms and neighborhood deprivation in black adults with heart failure.Heart & lung : the journal of critical careIn 41 Black adults with heart failure, higher neighborhood deprivation was linked to more stress and poor sleep, and several blood markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were linked to worse breathing, fatigue, mood, and symptom burden. These were associations, not proof of cause.
• RNRCT2025Exploring Factors Associated with Sleep Quality After Lung Transplantation.Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)65 of 88 lung transplant recipients reported poor sleep. Psychological distress was the main factor linked to poor sleep, and wheezing also stood out; daily step count did not differ between sleep groups.
• RNQualitative2026A Qualitative Study Exploring Nursing Scope of Practice for the Care of People Experiencing Homelessness.Journal of advanced nursingPeople experiencing homelessness and nurses said care should be non-judgemental, flexible and culturally safe, with nurses able to assess physical and mental health, manage wounds and medications, and navigate services. These are perceptions, not tested effects.
• RNCohort2025Effects of Sociospatial Inequality on Exposure to Stress, Symptoms of Depression, and Cortisol Rhythms in Pregnancy.Journal of obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal nursing : JOGNNCortisol slope and total output were not linked to sociospatial inequality. Pregnant women in concentrated privilege areas had fewer lifetime stress exposures, and elevated depression symptoms were more likely in concentrated deprivation. Income extremes showed larger cortisol rhythm fluctuations.
• RNCohort2025Impact of Nurse-Led Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Management Program on 1-Year Outcomes in Patients on Hemodialysis Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingPatients on hemodialysis after PCI who received nurse-led risk management had a greater 1-year reduction in cardiovascular risk and fewer major adverse cardiovascular events than usual care. The study was retrospective, so this is not proof the program caused benefit.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026The Effect of Theory-Guided Positive Psychological Interventions for Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingTheory-guided positive psychological interventions improved quality of life in 412 breast cancer patients across five randomised trials, with moderate certainty.
• RNQualitative2025Perspectives of Nurses and Adolescents About Pro Re Nata Treatment in Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatric Units: A Qualitative Study.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingAdolescents and nurses described PRN medication as a tool for autonomy and dialogue rather than just symptom control. Nurses used PRN requests to gauge distress levels and build trust, while adolescents viewed the transition to PRN as a step toward discharge and self-management.
• RNQualitative2025Digital Health Applications in Access to Health Service From the Perspective of Older Adults: "It Is Difficult to Keep up With the Digital Age …".Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)Nine older adults in Türkiye said digital health apps were either easy or hard, often because steps were confusing, they feared mistakes, or they lacked training. Only three used services alone. Nurses cannot assume older patients can use appointment systems independently.
• RNSystematic Review2025A systematic review of psychosocial screening tools for identification of postpartum mental health status beyond depressive symptoms.MidwiferyPostpartum screening beyond depression, especially anxiety and PTSD tools, can find cases missed by depression screening alone. But most studies did not show that screening led to more treatment or better symptoms, so referral pathways must be ready.
• RNSystematic Review2025Effectiveness of Group Interventions With Socially-Assistive Robots for Older Adults: A Systematic Review.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of NursingRobot-assisted group sessions often engaged older adults and increased conversation, but cognition, agitation, and depression showed no clear difference from control groups.
• RNRCT2025Efficacy of Family Health Conversations on Mental Health, Family Wellbeing, and Family Functioning for Parents of Infants Requiring Mechanical Respiratory Support During Neonatal Intensive Care.Journal of family nursingFamily Health Conversations did not improve parents’ family functioning more than usual NICU care. Anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms fell over time in both groups, and family wellbeing and functioning stayed stable.
• RNSystematic Review2025The Impact of Coercive Measures on the Therapeutic Relationship Between Patients and Nurses in the Acute Psychiatric Care. An Integrative Review.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingCoercive measures in acute psychiatric care were described by patients and nurses as damaging trust, creating power imbalance and reducing engagement. Nurses also reported moral conflict. Reports of strengthened relationships came only from nurses.
• RNSurvey2026Examining the Association Between Perceived Quality of Care and Experienced Coercion Among Patients in Acute Mental Health Units in Spain: A National Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical nursingPatients who rated care quality lower, especially regarding privacy and safety, reported higher feelings of coercion and humiliation. Improving environmental dignity and clear discharge planning is associated with reduced perceived coercion in acute mental health units.
• RNOther2026Unlocking the Adoption of a Smartphone Application for High-Risk Pregnant Women in the Lao People's Democratic Republic: A Mixed-Methods Study.Journal of advanced nursingHigh-risk pregnant women in Laos reported moderate to high acceptance of a maternity smartphone app, especially if they had a pre-pregnancy condition or better digital health literacy. Anxiety lowered acceptance. It shows readiness, not proof the app improves pregnancy outcomes.
• PTRNSurvey2025Cognitive Frailty and Its Risk Factors Among Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nursing & health sciences9% of hemodialysis patients had cognitive frailty, meaning physical frailty, cognitive functional decline and depressive symptoms together. Malnutrition risk and physical inactivity were associated with it.
• PTOTRNOther2026A Realist Evaluation of the Implementation and Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Four Value-Based Healthcare Programmes.Journal of advanced nursingHeart Failure nurses used PROMs to triage and plan resources, but patients did not self-manage or share decisions. In Epilepsy, mood scores identified problems without services to act on them.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Adverse Outcomes and Associated Factors Among Children and Youths With Diabetes Mellitus in East Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of advanced nursingChildren and youths with type 1 diabetes in East Africa often had poor glucose control, ketoacidosis at diagnosis, complications, and deaths. No type 2 diabetes studies were found.
• RNRCT2025Mental Health Stressors of the COVID-19 Pandemic Negatively Affect Self-Management of Comorbid Cardiovascular Disease Among Persons Living With HIV in the United States: A Qualitative Study.The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANACIn 24 adults living with HIV, hypertension and high cholesterol, worry and isolation were common, 14 reported worse mood, and distress was tied to poorer diet, activity and weight, but nearly all kept taking HIV and cardiovascular medicines.
• RNSurvey2025Attitudes, Perceptions and Workplace Factors Predict Well-Being in Forensic Healthcare Workers Caring for Sex Offenders.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingForensic staff caring for sex offenders reported better well-being when they held rational, balanced views of offenders' motivations and worked in safe environments. However, higher trust in offenders predicted lower compassion satisfaction, and relying on co-workers for support was also linked to reduced job satisfaction.
• RNSystematic Review2025Safeguarding Experiences of People in Mental Distress, Police and Healthcare Practitioners: An Integrative Review.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingPeople in mental distress often felt unheard, dismissed or unsafe in police and emergency care. Stigma, delays caused by intoxication and poor transfer of care were recurring problems.
• RNQualitative2025Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experience of Patients After Major Cardiac Surgery in Intensive Care Units.Nursing in critical careICU patients after cardiac surgery feared not waking up, described foggy awakening, endless time, and feeling invisible during conversations. They valued nurses who anticipated needs, but wanted to be included in care decisions.
• RNRCT2025Application of "Internet+"-Based Continuous Nursing to Improve the Nutrition-Health Level of Pediatric Liver Transplant.Nursing & health sciencesAfter 4 weeks, children whose families used an Internet+ continuity care package had fewer malnutrition-risk cases than routine care (8/38 vs 16/38). The package bundled team, WeChat, daily photo checks, videos, emergency contact and calls, so no single part is shown to be responsible.
• RNSystematic Review2025Interventions for Caregivers Caring for a Family Member With Advanced Illness at Home: A Systematic Review.Nursing & health sciencesHome-based support for caregivers of relatives with advanced illness showed mixed short-term benefits. Interventions improved preparedness and reduced burden in some studies, but effects on depression, anxiety, and quality of life were inconsistent or faded over time.
• RNSurvey2025The Association of Sleep Quality With Anorexia in Patients With Heart Failure: Do Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Mediate This Association.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingIn 210 inpatients with heart failure, poorer sleep was linked to more appetite loss. Anxiety and depression were linked to both and may be part of the association. Screen sleep and mood when appetite is poor.
• RNQualitative2025Barriers and Equity in Paid Parental Leave: Insights from Diverse Postpartum Experiences in Connecticut.Journal of midwifery & women's healthPostpartum women said paid leave helped recovery but 12 weeks felt short, benefits were hard to find, and workplace stigma pressured early return. Nurses can discuss leave eligibility and help with applications during prenatal and postpartum care.
• RNSurvey2025Emotional Distress in Patients With Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.The journal of nursing research : JNREmotional distress was common among cancer inpatients. A short questionnaire helped identify low dignity, demoralization, depression, and suicidal ideation, and may guide nurses on when to escalate care.
• RNRCT2025The Impact of Nurse-Led Peer Support Interventions on Psychological Status and Quality of Life After Acute Myocardial Infarction Stent Implantation in China.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingAfter stent implantation for heart attack, adults receiving 12 weeks of nurse-led peer support plus standard care had less anxiety, depression and stress than standard care alone, with better quality of life and medication adherence.
• RNQualitative2025Insight Into the Role of Protestant Christianity in the Experience of Living With a Suicidal Relative: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingFor Protestant relatives of suicidal patients, faith was a double-edged sword. Believing the loved one would go to heaven brought peace, while fearing hell caused guilt and isolation. Nurses must ask about these specific religious beliefs to support coping effectively.
• SLPRNSurvey2026Experiences and insights from parents of children with temporary feeding tubes.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityParents of children with temporary nasogastric feeding tubes found insertion distressing and home management hard, especially after discharge. They valued clear information and involvement in decisions, but some got inconsistent advice and wanted peer support.