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 20 OF 25 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNOther2025Experiences of Emotional Healing After Figurines Intervention in Rural Thai Primary School Children: A Mixed-method Study.International journal of community based nursing and midwiferyChildren with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms reported gaining self-awareness, emotional healing, and personal growth after using figurines. Their depression scores decreased, but the small sample and lack of control group mean this shows potential, not proven efficacy.
• RNOther2025Patient-Controlled Sedation During Gynaecological Procedures-Aspects of Patient Satisfaction, Feasibility and Cost Per Patient: Empirical Research Quantitative.Nursing openPatient-controlled propofol sedation allowed 128 gynaecological procedures to be completed safely without anaesthesiologists present. Most patients reported no or mild pain, and 86% were very satisfied. Direct costs for IUD insertion were 85% lower when performed in the outpatient clinic rather than the day surgery unit.
• RNCohort2025Post-COVID-19 Consequences in Relatives of Severely Ill Patients: Results of the Prospective Multicenter NeNeSCo Study.Clinical nursing researchRelatives of ICU COVID survivors had more anxiety and caregiver strain than relatives of ward survivors. By 15 months, anxiety scores fell but clinically relevant anxiety stayed similar, while caregiver strain rose. Passive coping was linked to anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, and strain.
• RNQualitative2025Surviving families: experiences of losing a family member to suicide.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemBereaved families described suicide as unexpected and hard to understand, even after preventive efforts. They reported shared guilt toward themselves, relatives, and services, plus grief mixed with anger, relief, and later lessons.
• RNOther2026Capturing Gender Identity Through Documentation: A Program Evaluation of a Rural Mental Health Clinic.Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)A rural clinic recorded gender identity for 95% of 101 children and adolescents in 2023, compared with none of 3 in 2020. The paper did not measure whether this improved mental health or patient care.
• RNQualitative2025Experiences of Mothers with Substance Use in the Care of Children in the First Year of Life: A Qualitative Content Analysis.International journal of community based nursing and midwiferyMothers with substance use described trying hard to feed, weigh, and soothe their infants, while also sometimes choosing drugs over care. They relied on family or online advice and feared stigma.
• RNPilot2025Anxiety and vital signs in cancer patients and music students before and after a music intervention: a quasi-experimental pilot study.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemIn 18 chemotherapy patients, anxiety ratings fell after live music, but systolic blood pressure and heart rate rose. With no control group and chemotherapy ongoing, music cannot be credited.
• RNQualitative2025Stressors experienced by informal caregivers: implications for home care for dependent older adults.Revista brasileira de enfermagemInformal caregivers of dependent older adults described sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, and financial strain as primary stressors. They relied on coping strategies like prayer and music, but these were insufficient to manage the high levels of emotional and physical overload they experienced.
• RNCohort2026Social Interactions and Cell Aging Dynamics in Postpartum Women.Biological research for nursingHigher marital satisfaction was associated with telomere lengthening over a year. Negative social interactions and positive support were not, after the authors accounted for testing many variables. Telomere length is not a clinical outcome.
• RNSurvey2026Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Rural Perinatal Population.Journal of midwifery & women's healthRural prenatal patients screened anonymously: 53% of 421 screens reported trauma exposure, and 13.5% screened positive for probable PTSD. Of those with probable PTSD, 63.2% were interested in treatment research.
• RNSurvey2025Self-Reported Burden Among Informal Caregivers of Patients Receiving Psychiatric Hospital Treatment: A National Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of mental health nursing52.3% of outpatient and 66.8% of inpatient caregivers reported high burden, especially parents. Free-text comments described emotional strain, strained relationships, 24/7 demands and poor care coordination. Ask family caregivers about burden and discharge support, but this survey cannot prove what reduces it.
• RNQualitative2026Qualitative Exploration of Black Canadian Parents' Experiences of Having a Preterm Infant and Navigating Racism in the NICU.Journal of advanced nursingBlack parents described NICU staff, including nurses, as sometimes dismissive or stereotyping. They learned infant care but felt emotional distress was overlooked. Parents asked for empathy, culturally safe peer support, and clearer communication.
• RNCohort2025Sleep Quality, Circadian Rhythm Stability and Changes in Delirium State in Predicting Mortality Risk in Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical careICU patients with more fragmented sleep and less stable daily rhythms more often had delirium, and prolonged delirium was linked with higher six-month mortality. These are associations, not proof that improving sleep prevents delirium.
• RNQualitative2025Perspectives of Advance Care Planning for Latinos During COVID-19.The American journal of hospice & palliative careParticipants said language barriers, death taboos, and telehealth made advance care planning hard for Latino families, but COVID raised urgency to plan.
• RNOther2026Improving Parents' Emotional Well-Being in NICU: A Scoping Review.Nursing in critical careFamily-centred NICU programmes that let parents care for their baby daily were reported to lower parental stress and improve bonding; massage, music and apps were also reported to help, but three studies showed no benefit.
• RNSurvey2025Psychological impact of caregiving: anxiety and depression levels among caregivers of patients with pressure ulcers.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P54.9% of caregivers of home-care patients with pressure ulcers had anxiety symptoms and 56.6% had depression symptoms. Distress was higher with stage IV ulcers, care over 12 hours daily, continuous care, no personal income, or caregiver chronic illness.
• RNSystematic Review2025Carers' Perceptions of Seclusion and Restraints in Mental Healthcare: An Integrative Literature Review.International journal of mental health nursingCarers described seclusion and restraint as traumatic, coercive and rights-violating, harming patients and themselves. They asked providers to use empathy, involve carers in decisions, and provide care, communication and debriefing when these practices are unavoidable.
• PTRNMeta-Analysis2025Evidence-Based Pathways to Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Lifestyle Interventions for Longevity and Well-Being.Investigacion y educacion en enfermeriaOlder adults who followed Mediterranean diet, exercised, slept well, and stayed socially active showed better cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, mood, and cognition. These are broad lifestyle effects, not a single proven treatment.
• RNRCT2025Sustainability of Complex Interventions: Recommendations From a Pragmatic Clinical Trial to Manage Cancer Symptoms.Nursing researchAfter funding ended, an oncology symptom programme continued with clinic-visit patient-reported symptom checks and RN symptom care managers for severe symptoms, social work and palliative referrals. This reports sustainment steps, not patient outcomes.
• RNSurvey2025Examining Social Support and Digital Literacy Among Caregivers of People Living With Dementia Receiving Hospice Services.The American journal of hospice & palliative careCaregiving stressors were associated with depressive symptoms. Social support and digital literacy did not explain that link, so support-focused or tech-focused help alone may not protect caregivers.
• RNSystematic Review2025Coping strategies used by migrant women during pregnancy. An integrative review.Investigacion y educacion en enfermeriaMigrant pregnant women described using social support, cultural connection, clear communication, positive attitude and emotional regulation to maintain health during pregnancy. Nurses and midwives can use these themes to guide assessment and care planning.
• RNCohort2026The impact of social determinants of health on mental and behavioral health trajectories of breast cancer survivors: A longitudinal cohort study.European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing SocietyAnxiety rose over time in 64 breast cancer survivors. Higher financial toxicity tracked with worse reported cognitive function and fatigue, and less recreational access with more anxiety. Sleep did not change. These links were associations, not proof that interventions work.
• RNSystematic Review2026Structural Vulnerability in Health Research: A Systematic Mixed Studies Review.Journal of advanced nursingDefinitions of structural vulnerability were consistent across thirty-seven U.S. studies, but measurement varied. Quantitative work often used individual indicators such as housing, food insecurity and criminal justice experiences, while qualitative work focused on upstream systems.
• PTOTRNCohort2026Healing at Home: Receipt of Home Health Care and Patient-Centered Outcomes Among Older Adults After Acute Myocardial Infarction.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationHome health care after AMI made no significant difference to days not at home in older adults. It was linked to a lower chance of a 5-point or greater physical health status decline.
• RNQualitative2025'Remember, You Are Not Alone': A Qualitative Internet-Mediated Study of Anxiety Among Adolescents on Reddit.International journal of mental health nursingAdolescents with anxiety turned to Reddit because they feared stigma from family and found professional support inadequate. They used the platform to seek advice, narrate their distress, and find comfort in anonymous peers who validated their experiences and shared coping strategies.
• OTRNQualitative2025Experiences and Perceptions of Functional Recovery in Late-Life Depression: A Qualitative Study.International journal of mental health nursingOlder adults recovering from depression described functional recovery as pushing through low motivation, accepting changed abilities, managing pain and fatigue, and relying on routines, family, pets and feeling understood.
• RNCohort2026Acute Stress and Need for Psychological Follow-Up Care in Parents of Children Treated at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.Nursing in critical careBefore discharge, no parent, child, or treatment factor tested in the final model was linked to acute stress disorder, although 63.5% of parents met its criteria. Parents at PTSD risk reported needing follow-up care eight times more often.
• RNSystematic Review2026Evaluating School-Based Substance Use Services: Insights From a Systematic Review.The Journal of school healthSchool-based substance use services generally produced lower self-reported use, improved attitudes, and sometimes fewer missed classes in nine included studies. CRAFFT and motivational interviewing were common, but evidence was limited.
• RNQualitative2025Women's Experiences with a Perinatal Peer Support Specialist Program.MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursingWomen with perinatal mental health symptoms valued a virtual peer support specialist who did not know them, shared lived experience, and offered resources. They said having someone to talk to helped their mental health feel better, but this is not evidence the program works.
• RNSystematic Review2026Identifying Indigenous People's Grieving and Funeral Practices as Components for Establishing a Grief Support Framework: An Integrative Literature Review.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingGrief support for Indigenous people relies on collective community involvement, specific traditional and ancestral rituals, and open expression of emotion. Nurses must ask about these cultural practices rather than assuming standard hospital bereavement protocols fit the family's needs.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Community Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: Lessons Learned for Long-Term Outcomes.Worldviews on evidence-based nursingSix months after cardiac rehabilitation, patients continued to improve walking distance and kept waist size down, but blood pressure, weight, BMI, depression, physical activity and medication adherence worsened. Diet and smoking gains held.
• RNSurvey2026The Differential Impact of Emotional Support on Social Problem-Solving and Mental Health Among Latina Immigrant Survivors of Adverse Childhood Experiences.Research in nursing & healthAmong Latina immigrant women with childhood trauma, emotional support was associated with better problem-solving for some trauma profiles and lower depression and anxiety for others, but it did not buffer all symptoms equally.
• RNCohort2025Diastolic dysfunction in primary care: medical and nursing interlocutions.Revista brasileira de enfermagemIn primary-care adults, E/A ratio abnormality was not linked to cardiovascular hospitalization or death once age and sex were considered, although 84.9% of participants had E/A alterations without a formal heart failure diagnosis.
• RNCohort2026Treatment Adherence and Recurrence of Suicidal Behaviour in a Cohort of Suicide Attempters in a Nurse-Led Suicide Prevention Programme.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingAbout half of suicide attempters completed a year of nurse-led follow-up alongside usual mental health care. Those who completed had fewer repeat attempts in the first year and fewer psychiatric admissions, but the study had no control group.
• RNOther2025Trajectory and determinants of family resilience in caregivers of preterm infants: A mixed-methods study.International journal of nursing sciencesFamily resilience in caregivers of preterm infants followed a V-shaped pattern, dropping to its lowest point at three months before recovering by six months. Resilience was linked to coping style, family functioning, and social support, not to the infant's gestational age or birth weight.
• RNQualitative2025Mindfulness practices for alleviating distress among postpartum women.Revista brasileira de enfermagemPostpartum women in a high-risk maternity hospital described eight mindfulness sessions as bringing calm, less crying, less pain and guilt, and closer connection to their babies. These are their experiences, not proof the practice works.
• RNSurvey2026Gender Differences in Psychological Strengths Among Rural Adolescents.Journal of child and adolescent psychiatric nursing : official publication of the Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurses, IncRural Texas adolescents reported low optimism and resilience, with males scoring higher than females and non-binary peers on most strengths. These differences were small and the study is cross-sectional, so it identifies a risk group but does not prove interventions work.
• RNSystematic Review2025Mobile applications offering non-pharmacological therapies aimed at improving the quality of life of cancer patients: a scoping review.Revista brasileira de enfermagemSeven studies mapped apps delivering mindfulness, guided imagery or Tai Chi to cancer patients; most reported less anxiety and depression and some quality of life gains. The review does not prove which app or therapy caused the benefit.
• RNSystematic Review2025Assessment of anxiety and psychological stress among expectant parents during pregnancy: a scoping review.Revista brasileira de enfermagemMost tools for assessing anxiety and stress in pregnancy were used with pregnant women, not expectant fathers. Nurses can consider these tools in maternity care, but evidence for screening fathers is limited.
• RNSurvey2025A Survey of ECT Recipients, Family Members and Friends: Are the Self-Reported Reasons for The Recipients' Problems Being Addressed?International journal of mental health nursingMost ECT recipients believed childhood trauma or recent stress caused their condition, yet fewer than half said mental health staff asked about these factors. Even fewer said the issues were addressed therapeutically. Practice appears to be improving slowly over time.
• RNSurvey2025Informal Caregiving in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Multimorbidity: A Cross-European Study of Caregiver Burden, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Caregiver Engagement.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingInformal caregivers of people with atrial fibrillation and other long-term conditions reported moderate burden and anxiety, but typical self-rated health was 80 out of 100. Higher engagement was linked with less burden and better health.
• RNOther2025Recommended nursing care for people with mental disorders in mobile prehospital care: a scoping review.Revista brasileira de enfermagem27 recommended nursing practices were mapped for mental health emergencies in mobile prehospital care: scene safety, assessment, verbal de-escalation, restraint only as last resort, and monitoring.
• RNOther2025Adaptation and content validity of the Brazilian version of the Mental Health Literacy questionnaire.Revista brasileira de enfermagemA Brazilian Portuguese mental health literacy questionnaire for young adults was adapted, judged understandable, and takes 15 to 30 minutes. It may be used by nurses to assess mental health literacy, but further testing is needed before scores can be trusted.
• RNSurvey2026Do Injury, Depression, and PTSD Mediate the Relationships Between Latent Profiles of Cumulative Lifetime Violence and Chronic Pain Disability in Men?Research in nursing & healthCanadian men reporting severe lifetime violence as both targets and perpetrators had the highest chronic pain disability; PTSD and injuries were associated with pain disability, depression was not.
• RNCohort2026The OCTO-Plus Intervention to Support Families of Chronically Critically Ill Children in Paediatric Critical Care: A Pilot Study.Nursing in critical careParents of chronically critically ill children in paediatric critical care could be recruited and kept in a nurse and physician-delivered family support pilot; stress, anxiety, depression and family functioning scores trended better, but it did not test whether the support works.
• RNQualitative2026Implementing Peer Support in Community Mental Health Nursing Teams: Qualitative Evaluation.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingSwiss community mental health nursing teams found clients expressed feeling understood and hopeful with peer support workers, while unclear roles, low hours, billing gaps and weak team understanding limited integration.
• RNOther2025Adolescents' Mental Well-Being and Social Support: Mixed Methods Study.International journal of mental health nursingAdolescents' mental well-being drops as they age, with family support mattering most in primary school and friends taking over in secondary school. School nurses are seen as approachable experts, but interactions remain informal and unstructured rather than part of formal care.
• RNSystematic Review2025Disordered eating behaviors in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a scoping review.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PSkipping insulin to lose weight was the most common disordered eating behavior in people with type 1 diabetes. Binge eating and restriction were also reported, and these behaviors were linked to high HbA1c, high BMI, body dissatisfaction, depression, anxiety, and distress.
• RNCohort2026Integrating Psychosocial Screening Into Cardiac Nursing: Feasibility of Nurse-Led Type D Personality Assessment for Predicting Emotional Recovery in Coronary Care Unit Patients.Nursing in critical careIn 110 coronary care patients, Type D personality was linked to anxiety and depression, and avoidant coping was linked to depression and total distress.
• RNCase Report2026Family Partnership in Hypnosis to Improve Mechanical Ventilation Weaning in an ICU Patient With High Cervical Spinal Cord Injury-A Case Report.Nursing in critical careA sedated patient with high cervical spinal cord injury could not speak, so his mother supplied sensory details for hypnosis scripts; he reported comfort during a trial, but this single case cannot show hypnosis caused weaning.