Older adults with diabetes exhibit heightened risks of depression and frailty, with chronic inflammation proposed as a potential mechanism. This study investigates the combined association of depressive symptoms and pro-inflammatory diets with frailty. This study utilized data from older adults with diabetes collected during the 2007–2018 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Dietary inflammatory potential was evaluated using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Participants were classified into six mutually exclusive groups: No depressive symptoms & Low-DII, No depressive symptoms & High-DII, Mild depressive symptoms & Low-DII, Mild depressive symptoms & High-DII, Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms & Low-DII, and Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms & High-DII. Frailty was defined by a modified 35-item Frailty Index. Weighted multivariable logistic regression evaluated individual/joint associations of DII and depressive symptoms with frailty. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses assessed robustness. A total of 2667 older adults with diabetes (weighted mean age 69.7 years, 53% male) were recruited. Elevated depressive symptoms score and higher DII independently increased frailty risk (adjusted OR per unit increase: depression OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.12–1.21; DII OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02–1.23). Compared with reference group (No depressive symptoms & Low-DII), participants with Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms & high DII exhibited the highest frailty risk (adjusted OR = 13.82, 95% CI = 7.67–24.92). The combined depressive symptoms-DII association with frailty was stronger in subgroups of males, older adults < 70, and non-Hispanic Whites. Anti-inflammatory nutritional patterns and psychological well-being may jointly associate with lower frailty risk, supporting multidimensional care models to alleviate health burdens. Not applicable.

This randomized controlled trial compared AI-driven and human peer counselor-delivered internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) for depressive symptoms (primary outcome) in young adults. Addressing a gap in literature, we explored the comparative effectiveness and acceptability/perception of these two modalities of online intervention. Ninety young adults were randomized to AI-driven iCBT, human peer counselor iCBT (participant-blinded), or a waitlist control. Interventions consisted of eight hours over four weeks. Depressive symptoms (primary outcome), suicidal ideation, and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline, week two, and week four. Qualitative analysis explored participant perceptions. Both iCBT interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between intervention groups at week two. The AI group improved significantly from baseline to week two (p = 0.004) but showed no further significant reduction by week four (a plateau effect), while the human group demonstrated continued improvement. Qualitative analysis indicated that participants valued AI’s convenience and accessibility but expressed concerns regarding its emotional understanding and personalization. AI-iCBT shows promising short-term efficacy, comparable to human counseling up to week two, but its limitations in emotional perception and sustaining therapeutic momentum resulted in a plateau effect. Future AI development must focus on improving emotional interaction and personalized support. ChiCTR2400088423. Registered on 19 August 2024.

Understanding young people’s and professionals’ attitudes towards ways to deal with mental health problems is important to overcome barriers to care. We investigated the short- and long-term perceived helpfulness of a list of coping strategies and help-seeking behaviors in a vignette study. Differences between stakeholder groups were also assessed. Belgian youth (N = 919), aged 16–24 years, and professionals (N = 569) in youth work, social welfare services, and mental health services took part in the study. Young people were either recruited from a random community sample (N = 5000), a school/university setting or via social media. For professionals convenience sampling was used (mailing list, informing relevant services in the sector). Each participant read one out of six vignettes describing a young person with mental health complaints and the help that young person had received. Descriptive statistics were used to assess consensus about perceived helpfulness. Expectations of the impact of mental health interventions were also assessed. Regression analyses were performed to examine differences between stakeholder groups. Young people showed positive attitudes towards the helpfulness of professional resources. For the short term, they slightly preferred some personal coping strategies and informal sources of help over professional resources. Performing a hobby and talking to a confidant were found the most helpful coping strategy and help-seeking behavior, respectively, by young people both for the short and the long term. Professionals’ views were mostly consistent with those of young people. Nevertheless, and somewhat counterintuitive, young people had more positive expectations of the impact of professional help than professionals themselves. Whilst informal strategies still play an important role when dealing with mental health complaints, young people showed generally favorable attitudes towards helpfulness and particularly the impact of professional resources. The list of helpful personal coping strategies identified in this study may provide a focus for implementation in first-line care and for future empirical studies. We highlight the need for educating young people about where to find professional help, and what treatment involves to set realistic expectations.

Advances in gene–environment (GE) research underscore the need for novel statistical methods to clarify how social stress and genetic liability jointly influence Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). This study examined the effect of Stressful Life Events (SLEs) on past-year DSM-5 AUD severity using propensity score matching and tested whether Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) moderated the association between stress exposure and AUD severity. A secondary analysis was performed using the data from National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III (NESARC III; N = 36,309) and the newly available NESARC III genomic dataset (N = 22,848). Of 10,775 self-reported White subjects, individuals in the high-stress group (i.e., more than two stressors) (N = 4436) were matched to those in the low-stress group (N = 5048) using propensity score matching. Further, a moderation analysis was conducted to evaluate the interaction between PRS and SLE. Exposure to two or more SLEs in the past year significantly increased the odds of AUD severity after covariate adjustment (estimate: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.27–0.48; t-value: 6.96; p < 0.001). PRS was independently associated with higher AUD criteria counts after adjustment (estimate: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.07–0.39; t-value: 2.87; p = 0.01). PRS significantly moderated the relationship between the stress exposure and the AUD severity (interaction effect = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.06–0.54; t = 2.47; p = 0.01), indicating stronger stress-related effects among individuals with higher genetic risk. Additional sensitivity analyses suggested that PRS moderation by stress exposure is small and sensitive to model specification. This novel GE interaction model provides evidence that polygenic risk can potentiate the effects of high-stress exposure on the severity of AUD, thereby advancing post-GWAS modeling efforts and support precise identification of high-risk subpopulations for targeted prevention and intervention. Not applicable.

The NICU admission of an infant with a congenital anomaly is a major source of parental psychological distress. Family-Centered Care (FCC) is a supportive approach hypothesized to mitigate this distress. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured FCC intervention on reducing post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and aggression among parents of these infants. This prospective, multicenter, assessor-blind randomized controlled trial included 74 parents with clinically significant baseline PTSD symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to either the FCC intervention group (n = 37), which received structured educational and supportive sessions, or a control group receiving standard care (n = 37). The primary outcomes of PTSD (measured by the IES-R) and aggression (STAXI-2) were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at a one-month follow-up. The FCC intervention significantly reduced PTSD (scores decreased from 44.65 ± 5.57 pre-intervention to 24.22 ± 8.11 at one-month follow-up, p < .001, representing a 45.8% reduction) and aggression (scores decreased slightly from 93.30 ± 8.85 pre-intervention to 93.11 ± 3.69 at one-month follow-up, p < .001). In contrast, the control group showed a slight increase in aggression (from 99.57 ± 1.77 to 101.14 ± 3.7, p < .001). These results demonstrate sustained improvements in parental mental well-being one-month post-intervention, highlighting the effectiveness of FCC in reducing psychological distress. The findings of this study suggest that the FCC intervention was associated with reductions in PTSD symptoms and aggression among parents of infants with congenital anomalies, with effects maintained at one-month follow-up. While the observed improvements in parental mental well-being indicate the potential value of FCC in addressing psychological distress, further research is needed to confirm these results in larger, more diverse populations and over longer follow-up periods. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), Registration date 2022-09-10; URL: https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/64784 (registration code: IRCT20220605055080N1).

Body dysmorphic disorder is a common mental disorder among dermatology patients and causes significant psychological distress. However, its screening is usually missed in clinical settings. Moreover, limited studies have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Hence, this study aimed to assess the magnitude and associated factors of body dysmorphic symptoms among dermatology patients in an Ethiopian setting. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of body dysmorphic disorder among dermatology patients during follow-up. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 404 study participants from September 1 to 30, 2023. Systematic random sampling was utilized to recruit participants. The Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire (BDDQ), a screening tool based on DSM-IV criteria, was used to assess body dysmorphic disorders. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to evaluate the strength of associations. A P-value less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance. A total of 399 patients participated in the study, for a response rate of 98.8%. The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder was 70(17.5%) with a 95% CI: (13.8, 21.30). Female sex (AOR = 2.81, 95% (CI = 1.30-6.08), low family income (AOR = 2.26, 95% (1.09-4.69), sexual abuse (AOR = 3.65, 95% (CI = 1.45-9.15), physical abuse (AOR = 2.85, 95% (CI = 1.10-7.39), low self-esteem (AOR = 3.31, 95% (CI = 1.14-9.61), depression (AOR = 2.64; 95% (CI = 1.26-5.53), anxiety (AOR = 2.23, 95% (CI = 1.07-4.63), stress (AOR = 2.76, 95% (CI = 1.34-5.684) and perceived stigma (AOR = 2.46, 95% (CI = 1.20-5.02) were factors associated with body dysmorphic disorder. The prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder among dermatology patients was high and positively associated with symptoms such as depression, anxiety, stress, sexual and physical abuse, low self-esteem, and perceived stigma. Therefore, skin health care providers are recommended to screen the patients for body dysmorphic disorder among dermatology patients and facilitate referral to mental health care.

Cognitive impairment is a globally prevalent public health disorder following rapid population aging. Although depression can trigger cognitive decline, few studies have focused on how anxiety and its comorbidity with depression can affect cognitive decline development. Cognitive impairment was recognized based on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while dementia was diagnosed with self-/proxy-reported evaluations. The 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) were employed for evaluating depressive and anxiety symptoms. The impact of comorbidity on cognitive outcomes was assessed with logistic and linear regression models. The study involved 13,792 adults (age ≥ 65 years; mean age: 84.2 ± 11.5 years) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Among them, comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms occurred in 7.7% of older adults. Prevalence was 9.2% for cognitive impairment and 1.4% for dementia. Compared to individuals with only depressive or anxiety symptoms, those with both symptoms exhibited a higher probability of developing cognitive impairment (adjusted OR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.44, 2.97) and dementia (adjusted OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.39, 4.69), with adults aged ≥ 80 years exhibiting a stronger association. Additionally, women, particularly the oldest-old, were at a higher risk of comorbidity-associated dementia. We also observed an identical correlation for MMSE scores, where psychiatric comorbidity correlated significantly with lower scores. The interaction between individual characteristics and depression and anxiety showed no significant effects on cognitive impairment or dementia. Comorbidity of depression and anxiety shows an association with dementia and cognitive impairment in Chinese older adults, particularly in oldest-old individuals. Early screening and interventions targeting psychiatric comorbidity may delay dementia progression in this population. Not applicable.

The bidirectional communication between the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostatic balance.The present study aims to understand the gut-brain axis and how this complex interaction relates to inflammatory bowel disease and the development of anxious and depressive symptoms. The search for articles was conducted in the MEDLINE, LILACS, and Cochrane databases. Reviews published between 2009 and 2025 that addressed the gut-brain interaction with a focus on the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and anxious and/or depressive signs were included. Incomplete studies and those that addressed only one aspect were not selected. The search resulted in 87 studies; after four selection stages, 15 articles remained according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The highest number of publications was from the period of 2021 to 2024. The level of evidence collected consistently reported that patients with IBD were more likely to develop depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. Studies further indicate that inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), explain a large part of the risk for psychiatric conditions. The gut-brain axis should be understood as a potential factor in the development of mood disorders (anxiety and depression) in patients with IBD, due to the shared dysbiotic and immunological characteristics. By providing a comprehensive view of this complex bidirectional interconnection, the clinical significance of this association is reiterated, as well as the urgency to deepen the understanding of its pathophysiology. Not applicable.