BMC Psychiatry

ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify characteristics that define population need groups with similar mental health service needs within prisons and describe the mix of services required to meet those needs. MethodsMixed methods were used, including three iterative, semi-structured focus groups, followed by an online survey, seeking information on the characteristics that define service needs, how these can identify groups of people who require mental health care in prisons and the services req...

BackgroundDespite widespread recognition of the value of lived experience (LE) involvement in healthcare research and increased LE involvement activity, we lack established implementation methods and instruments for reporting and evaluating impact. We present a protocol for an innovative LE-led Impact Log tool and co-production framework, which may help to address some fundamental barriers to co-production. The Impact Log will be implemented within a five-year multidisciplinary transdiagnostic r...

BackgroundUp to one-third of medical inpatients experience clinically relevant mental distress, yet many remain untreated. Stepped and collaborative care (SCC) models may improve access to mental health care, but predictors of service uptake are unclear. We examined patient- and ward-level predictors of psychosomatic-psychiatric consultation (PPC). MethodsWe analyzed data from SomPsyNet, a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial targeting SOMatic inpatients across three Swiss tertiary hospitals,...

Structured AbstractO_ST_ABSObjectiveC_ST_ABSThis mixed-methods study investigated the lived-experience perspectives of receiving a novel, brief digital mental health intervention after psychological trauma. The online gamified imagery-competing task intervention (ICTI) involves one researcher-guided session followed by self-use. Tested in two randomised controlled trials (GAINS-01; GAINS-02), ICTI led to fewer intrusive memories at week-4, with the reduction sustained over 24 weeks, alongside re...

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have not been widely implemented in mental health settings, representing a significant gap in digital health care transformation. A reason for underutilisation includes concerns from healthcare professionals regarding the collection and storage of patients sensitive information. Language use can positively influence clinician-patient relationships, and stigmatising language in EHRs viewed by patients could undermine trust. This is concerning as using EHRs have be...

The COVID-19 pandemic had substantial impact on healthcare systems across the globe, including psychiatric services. Use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a lifesaving intervention for severe mental illness, was reported to have declined during the pandemic in several countries, but nationwide data remain scarce. Using nationwide data from the Danish National Patient Register, we examined all ECT treatments administered in Denmark from September 2019 to May 2025. Weekly treatment numbers were ...

ObjectiveTo analyze the structure of mental disorders in children in the outpatient practice of a specialized mental health center for optimization of care organization for this patient category. MethodsA retrospective analysis of medical records of 23 children (out of 44 patients) at the Insight Mental Health Center (Dushanbe, Tajikistan) was conducted for the period from December 9, 2025, to January 8, 2026. Diagnosis was performed according to ICD-10 criteria using standardized instruments: ...

IntroductionSepsis is a life-threatening ailment caused by an exaggerated immune response to infection that poses a major health problem, with increasing prevalence, high costs, and poor outcomes. Improved outcomes are seen in patients when providers follow the Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommended clinical practice guidelines for identifying and treating sepsis using a 3-hour and 6-hour bundle after sepsis is suspected. Previous research has shown patients with mental health issues receive wors...

BackgroundAs digital communication becomes central to daily life, psychotherapy increasingly has access to patients electronic media data. While digital phenotyping has been widely studied, less is known about whether incorporating personal communication data, such as text messages, improves clinical outcomes in psychotherapy. ObjectiveTo determine whether integrating personalized text message data into psychotherapy improves depression, anxiety, health related quality of life, and therapeutic ...

Digital therapeutics for mental health often face low patient engagement, which limits their clinical impact. Interventions that deliver treatment using a video game medium may improve engagement and therapeutic efficacy, but the putative emergence of gaming-related problems remains a concern among clinical stakeholders. We examined whether long-term engagement with Meliora, a video game therapeutic for adult major depressive disorder, was associated with changes in gaming-related problems in a ...

Background At present, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for people at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). We sought to assess the acceptability of cannabidiol (CBD): a promising candidate treatment for this population. Methods CHR-P individuals completed a survey which assessed their views on the acceptability of CBD, its expected effectiveness and side effects, and on formulation preferences. Results The sample comprised 55 CHR-P individuals (24.3 years and 69% female). Mo...

Background and HypothesisSchizophrenia is a disease characterized by various symptoms and has severe lifelong impacts on patients and their families. Despite various hypotheses and associated studies, the key mechanism in schizophrenia is not fully elucidated. In the present study, we focused on adropin, a peptide regulating energy metabolism, antioxidation, and neuroprotection. Study DesignIn both the group of healthy volunteers (HV) and the group of patients with some schizophrenia spectrum a...

Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by positive and negative symptoms and cognitive impairments. The present study aimed to investigate the potential interference of ambient noise on the performance of executive function (EF) tasks in individuals with schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 40 participants, divided equally into two groups: a group of individuals with schizophrenia (SchG) and a healthy control group without neuropsychiatric disorders (HC). All partici...

BackgroundIn 2020, Oregon became the first U.S. state to establish a regulated framework for adults to access psilocybin services using naturally-derived mushroom products. No studies have examined mental health outcomes among individuals receiving psilocybin in this context. AimsTo evaluate changes in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and well-being 30-days post-psilocybin session under the Oregon state-regulated model , and document session-related adverse events and doses consum...

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder characterized by enhanced sensory-perceptual alterations. We investigated face identity recognition in people with schizophrenia with the Facial Identity Recognition Structured Task (FIRST) develop at our laboratory. This was created with natural interference features (beard, makeup and mask). This task consists in six block-trails of six images for identity recognition. Forty three adult volunteers divided into two groups: a Health Control (HC) and a g...

ImportanceLarge language models (LLMs) have demonstrated diagnostic potential in several medical specialties, but their application to psychiatry - where diagnosis relies heavily on clinical judgment, narrative interpretation, and reasoning under uncertainty - remains insufficiently evaluated. ObjectiveTo evaluate diagnostic accuracy and clinician-judged reasoning quality of multiple large language models using psychiatric case vignettes. DesignMixed-methods evaluation study of diagnostic accu...

Background and HypothesisClozapine is the only antipsychotic with protective effects against suicide in schizophrenia (SCZ). Newer third-generation antipsychotics (TGA) have better tolerability and modulate serotonin, dopamine, and N-methyl-d-aspartate neurotransmission pathways implicated in suicide. We aimed to investigate the effects of TGAs on suicide in SCZ. MethodsWe searched seven databases up to December 2023 for SCZ studies that reported suicide data. The primary outcome was suicide de...

PurposeTo address high levels of depression and anxiety among college students, innovative, feasible, and effective treatment approaches with high potential for dissemination in university counseling centers are needed. This pilot study aimed to develop a toolkit and training intervention to support implementation of nature-based physical activity into group therapy in a university counseling center, and to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the interventio...

IntroductionSevere mental illness is associated with high mortality rates and cardiovascular disease. Obesity and dysmetabolism associated with antipsychotic treatment comprise modifiable risk factors, which remain undertreated. Interventions such as antipsychotic-switching, lifestyle-interventions and weight-reducing medication have shown varying results indicating a need for a more individualized approach. The Meta-Care Trial aims to assess the effectiveness of a pragmatic, individualized, evi...

Depression is a common and clinically significant mental health condition among university students, particularly those experiencing academic failure and course repetition, and is associated with adverse effects on cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and academic performance. This study evaluated the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) intervention, MoodGYM, in reducing depressive symptoms among repeating undergraduate students at the University of Zambia ...