With more than 1 million children in the United States living with a heart defect or condition, it is important to identify interventions that may minimise the long-term impacts of repeated medical surveillance and care. Thus, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine relationships between facility dog intervention and young children’s anxiety during outpatient echocardiogram.

Participants were seventy children aged 18 months to 8 years undergoing echocardiogram in a paediatric cardiology clinic. Child anxiety was scored by a trained nurse observer pre- and post-procedure using the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. Facility dog intervention included individualised play, positioning, therapeutic conversation and touch, and emotional support throughout to promote coping and compliance. Parents and staff completed a post-procedural perceptions survey about their experiences.

Paired samples t-tests demonstrated child anxiety levels were significantly lower post-procedure compared to pre-procedure (Z = −3.974, p < .001). This direction held for nearly all participants; however, those with prior echocardiogram history demonstrated significantly higher anxiety levels at the pre-procedural timepoint (z = −2.442, p = .015). Caregivers (97.2%) and staff (87.9%) agreed or strongly agreed that facility dog intervention was helpful in this context.

Facility dog intervention was associated with a significant reduction in young children’s anxiety across procedural timepoints in outpatient echocardiography. The intervention was perceived as helpful by families and staff; no workflow changes or barriers were noted. Thus, facility dog intervention may be a well-received and promising care innovation for this vulnerable chronic population.

Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent among healthcare workers (HCWs), including those from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, there are limited summary data on the burden and factors associated with these disorders in this region. We conducted this systematic review (registration no. CRD42022349136) to fill this gap.

The aim of this review was to systematically summarise the available evidence on the prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety and PTSD, or their symptoms, among HCWs from SSA.

We searched African Index Medicus, African Journals Online, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PubMed for articles published, from database inception to 15 February 2024. The keywords used in the search were ‘depression/anxiety/PTSD’, ‘healthcare workers’, ‘SSA’ and their variations.

Sixty-nine studies met our inclusion criteria, most of which (n = 55, 79.7%) focused on the burden of these disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across studies, wide-ranging prevalence estimates of depressive (2.1–75.7%), anxiety (4.8–96.5%) and PTSD symptoms (11.7–78.3%) were reported. These disorders appear to have been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several sociodemographic, health-related, COVID-19-related and work-related factors were reported to either increase or lower the risk of these disorders among HCWs from SSA.

The burden of depression, anxiety and PTSD among HCWs from SSA is high and appears to have been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The correlates of these disorders among HCWs from this region are multifactorial. A multi-component intervention could contribute to addressing the burden of mental disorders among HCWs from this region.

Despite increasing awareness and understanding of children’s victimisation through experiences of domestic violence (EDV), little attention has been given to the associated health outcomes.

Examine associations between four different forms of childhood EDV (physical violence, threats of harm, property damage and intimidation or control) and four mental disorders and six health risk behaviours.

Data were drawn from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Associations were examined using survey-weighted logistic regression models. Estimates were calculated adjusting for each other form of EDV, as well as other types of child maltreatment and socio-economic factors. Each model was stratified for men and women.

All mental disorders and health risk behaviours were more common among those with any childhood EDV compared to those without. Intimidation or control and damage to property or pets independently predicted most mental disorders and health risk behaviours. The strongest association was found between intimidation or control and post-traumatic stress disorder (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.30, 95% CI 1.77–2.98) and generalised anxiety disorder (aOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.36–1.99), and damage to property or pets and severe alcohol use disorder (aOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.36–2.27).

Childhood EDV characterised by intimidation or control and property damage or harm to pets significantly increases the risk of mental disorders and health risk behaviours in adulthood. Urgent investment is needed in child-centred and trauma- and family-violence-informed interventions that support children’s recovery and stronger legal protections to prevent children from being weaponised in post-separation coercive control.

This study aimed to provide an in-depth analysis of women’s experiences following a major forest fire.

In qualitative research, sample size is not statistically determined, as generalization is not the primary goal. A small number of participants can yield rich data. The interview form included 3 demographic questions and 10 open-ended items aligned with the study’s objectives. Data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA version 24.1.0.

Thematic analysis identified 3 main themes: Emotional Response, Fire Intervention, and Gender, comprising 8 categories. Participants commonly reported intense fear and anxiety, accompanied by physical symptoms such as tension and elevated blood pressure. Primary concerns involved the loss of pets, resources, security, and shelter. Women were found to be deeply affected emotionally and psychologically by the fire experience.

The study revealed that women were equally engaged in firefighting efforts as men and also played a crucial caregiving role, offering support to affected individuals. These dual roles reflect both their resilience and the emotional burden they carried. The findings underscore the significant psychological impact of wildfires on women and highlight the necessity of integrating gender-sensitive approaches in disaster response and recovery efforts.

This study was conducted to identify dyspnea, anxiety, and death anxiety in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The study was carried out with 200 COPD patients who applied to the chest diseases outpatient clinic of a state hospital between December 2022 and June 2023.

A total of 73.0% of the patients with COPD participating in the study were male and their mean age was 66.73 ± 8.45 years. Their mean scores were 5.21 ± 2.46 on Modified Borg Scale, 2.62 ± 1.03 on the Modified Medical Research Council scale, 17.87 ± 7.96 on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and 10.07 ± 4.02 on the Death Anxiety Scale. Patients with high dyspnea levels also had high levels of anxiety and death anxiety (p < 0.001).

The patients with COPD had high levels of dyspnea, anxiety, and death anxiety. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended to plan evidence-based studies to alleviate dyspnea, anxiety, and death anxiety in patients with COPD.

Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health disorders. While sleep duration has been extensively studied, sleep regularity may play a critical role. We aimed to examine associations between objectively measured sleep regularity and incident depression and anxiety and to investigate whether meeting recommended sleep duration modifies these associations.

In 79,666 UK Biobank participants without baseline depression or anxiety, wrist accelerometers worn for 7 days yielded a sleep regularity index (SRI) and average sleep duration. SRI was categorized as irregular (≤51), moderately irregular (52–70), or regular (≥71). Sleep duration was classified by age-specific recommendations (7–9 hours for ages 18–64 years; 7–8 hours for over 65 years). Cox regression models assessed associations between sleep parameters and mental health outcomes.

During a median follow-up of 7.5 years, 1,646 participants developed depression, and 2,097 developed anxiety. Compared to irregular sleepers, regular sleepers had a 38% lower depression risk (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52–0.73) and a 33% lower anxiety risk (HR, 0.67; 95%CI, 0.58–0.77). Participants with both irregular sleep and nonrecommended duration exhibited the highest risks (depression HR, 1.91; 95%CI, 1.55–2.35; anxiety HR, 1.61; 95%CI, 1.35–1.93). Notably, irregular sleepers who met duration guidelines still faced elevated risks (depression HR, 1.48; 95%CI, 1.18–1.86; anxiety HR, 1.35; 95%CI, 1.11–1.64).

Greater sleep regularity is independently associated with lower depression and anxiety risk regardless of sleep duration, suggesting that sleep–wake consistency should be considered in mental health promotion strategies alongside traditional sleep duration recommendations.

Chronic pain (CP) and mental disorders often coexist, yet their relationship lacks comprehensive synthesis. This first hierarchical umbrella review examined systematic reviews and meta-analyses, also observational studies and randomized controlled trials (where reviews are currently lacking) to report CP prevalence, risk factors, and treatment across mental disorders.

We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL, identifying 20 studies on anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, or dementia, and CP. Quality was assessed using AMSTAR and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Prevalence varied widely—23.7% (95% CI 13.1–36.3) in bipolar disorder to 96% in PTSD—consistently exceeding general population rates (20–25%). Risks were elevated, with bidirectional links in depression (OR = 1.26–1.88). Risk factors included female gender, symptom severity, and socioeconomic disadvantage, though data were limited beyond PTSD and depression. Treatment evidence was sparse: cognitive behavioral therapy showed small effects on pain (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI -0.08–0.61), acupuncture with medication improved pain (MD = -1.06, 95% CI -1.65–-0.47), and transcranial direct current stimulation reduced pain in dementia (d = 0.69–1.12). Methodological issues were evident, including heterogeneous designs and inconsistent pain definitions.

This review confirms CP as a significant comorbidity in mental disorders. Clinicians should prioritize routine pain screening and multimodal treatments. Researchers need longitudinal studies with standardized assessments to clarify causality and improve interventions. Taken together, this work highlights an urgent need for integrated psychiatric care approaches, emphasizing that addressing CP could enhance mental health outcomes and overall patient well-being.

Noradrenergic activation in the central and peripheral nervous systems is a putative mechanism explaining the link between hypertension and affective disorders.

We investigated whether these stress-sensitive comorbidities may be dependent on basal noradrenergic activity and whether vascular responses to centrally acting stimuli vary according to noradrenergic activity.

We examined the relation of affective disorders and stress-mediated vascular responses to plasma concentrations of normetanephrine, a measure of noradrenergic activity, in subjects with primary hypertension (n = 100, mean ± s.d. age 43 ± 11 years, 54% male). The questionnaires Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDSSR-16) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used for evaluation of symptoms of depression and anxiety. Forearm blood flow (strain gauge plethysmography) was used to assess vascular responses to mental stress and to device-guided breathing (DGB), interventions that respectively increase or decrease noradrenergic activity in the prefrontal cortex and locus coeruleus.

Low mood and high anxiety were two- to threefold higher for hypertensive subjects in the highest compared with the lowest normetanephrine tertiles (each P < 0.005). Forearm vasodilator responses to mental stress and vasoconstrictor responses to DGB were attenuated in those with high compared with low normetanephrine (28.3 ± 21% v. 47.1 ± 30% increases for mental stress and 3.7 ± 21% v. 18.6 ± 15% decreases for DGB for highest versus lowest tertiles of normetanephrine, each P ≤ 0.01).

A hyperadrenergic state in hypertension is associated with mood disturbance and impaired stress-modulated vasomotor responses. This association may be mediated by chronic stress impinging on pathways regulating central arousal and peripheral sympathetic nerve activity.