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World Mental Health Day: reflections on care in emergencies and crisis

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · 5d

Please join us this World Mental Health Day at 3pm BST for a live panel discussion chaired by our co-EiC @thewrittenro.bsky.social in which we will focus on mental health support during emergencies and catastrophes

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-ment...

Join us for this free online World Mental Health Day 2025 webinar, hosted by UCL Institute for Global Health and PLOS Mental Health Journal

www.eventbrite.co.uk

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · 19d

Inside the mind of the reviewer...

If you are interested in understanding what reviewers look for, either because you want to review or you want to improve your academic writing, take a look at this free workshop that we hosted for #PeerReviewWeek

speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2025/09/19/p...

Peer Review Week 2025: Focusing on the aspects that must stay uniquely human - Speaking of Medicine and Health

This week is Peer Review Week. The theme for this year is ‘Rethinking Peer Review in the AI Era’ and we are…

Youth Mental Health Day 2025 at PLOS Mental Health: The Importance of Sharing Support - Speaking of Medicine and Health

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · 19d

For Youth Mental Health Day last week, we hosted an international roundtable (with representation from USA, Uganda and India), which discussed the importance of sharing support when tackling stigma among young people.

speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2025/09/18/y...

The theme for Youth Mental Health Day this year is ‘share support’. With this theme, we are encouraged to help young people…

UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for insomnia

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Aug 28

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

A new study led by @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social assesses the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based medicinal products for insomnia:

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Insomnia affects approximately 10% of adults globally. Current treatments have their limitations, and there is growing evidence on the therapeutic potential of cannabis-based medicinal products for in...

Lived Experience is Our Superpower: Narratives from Four Global Shapers, World Economic Forum (WEF) Youth Mental Health Leaders Journeys

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Aug 25

#NewPLOSMentalHealthOpinion

Matthew Jackman (Australian Centre for Lived Experience) and colleagues call for leadership to be defined by the ability to transform personal challenges into advocacy, empathy, and collective growth, and not by authority/position.

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

A performing arts intervention to decrease suicide stigma on campus: A three time point assessment of “Every Brilliant Thing”

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Aug 15

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

"Every Brilliant Thing”, an interactive play now in the West End starring @lennyhenryofficial.bsky.social, has been shown by University of North Carolina to reduce suicide-associated stigma among students, even a month post-performance

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Suicidality is stigmatized, with discussions on the topic considered taboo by some. Fine arts may tackle subjects that people find hard to address. In 2024, a tour of “Every Brilliant Thing,” an inter...

Accessing mental health care: A population-level exploration of the impact of immigration duration in the United States 2019–2023

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Aug 12

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

Using National Health Interview Survey data, researchers from University of British Columbia highlight the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms that address disparities in mental health service use among immigrants. journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Immigrant populations in the United States are known to experience worsening mental health as time since immigration increases, with consistently lower rates of mental health service engagement compar...

Towards a more ambitious mental health agenda for Scotland

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Aug 4

#NewPLOSMentalHealthOpinion

Money alone is not enough.

Professor Martyn Pickersgill at @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social calls for a more ambitious mental health agenda in Scotland. He outlines his recommendations, with a focus on collaboration and community

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

A critical review of the evolution and interrelation of traumatic stress disorders

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 31

#NewPLOSMentalHealthReview

Dr @jekpsych.bsky.social and mental health professionals from all continents, critically evaluate the extent to which current understanding of traumatic stress disorders captures the complexity of trauma across global contexts. journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Trauma is a complex and often contentious psychopathological construct. The term trauma has become ubiquitous within mental health literature and practice. It is often used interchangeably to describe...

Does food insecurity cause anxiety and depression? Evidence from the changing cost of living study

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 31

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

Researchers from @northumbriauni.bsky.social‬, @newcastleuni.bsky.social, @ensdelyon.bsky.social and @york.ac.uk explore the rapid changes in mental health that occur alongside changes in food security.

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Food insecurity is associated with increased odds of anxiety and depression, but it is unclear whether this effect is causal, and if so, the timescale over which it occurs. We conducted a preregistere...

Getting to know PLOS Mental Health: Socio-economics & Political Approaches - Speaking of Medicine and Health

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 22

In our latest ‘Getting to know PLOS Mental Health‘ blog, we speak with Dr Soumitra Pathare at Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy, Pune, who co-leads our ‘Socio-economics and Political Approaches’ section with Dr China Mills at Healing Justice London.

speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2025/07/22/g...

In the latest blog from our ‘Getting to know PLOS Mental Health‘ series, we speak with Dr Soumitra Pathare, who co-leads our…

Co-involvement of stimulants with opioids in North America: A 'silent epidemic'

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 17

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

A study from @ualberta.bsky.social and @ucalgary.bsky.social sheds light on the public awareness of a ‘silent epidemic’ occurring alongside the opioid crisis, involving co-ingestion of stimulants (e.g. methamphetamine and cocaine)

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

The opioid epidemic unfolded in three distinct waves, with the latest comprising of deaths attributed to illegally manufactured synthetic opioids. We discuss evidence for a 'silent epidemic' alongside...

Arts engagement for mental health: A strengths-based opportunity

Reposted by PLOS Mental Health

Alex Rodriguez @alexkrodriguez.bsky.social · Jul 9

I hope that by sharing my own lived experience w/arts & mental health, I can not only shed light on my “why” in this work, but also engage others in considering their own.

I would like to dedicate this writing to my late father, Reynaldo Rodriguez, who taught me the importance of joy in our lives.❤️

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 8

#NewPLOSMentalHealthOpinion

'Arts engagement for mental health: A strengths-based opportunity'

Alex Rodriguez from University of Florida shares her experience of how art helped her recovery from a mental health crisis

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Arts engagement for mental health: A strengths-based opportunity

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 8

Thank you @gabefabreau.bsky.social and Yasir Essar for sharing this powerful Opinion piece with us. We will continue to shine a spotlight on this throughout the year...

Gabriel Fabreau MD, MPH, FRCPC @gabefabreau.bsky.social · Jun 20

🌍 Today is #WorldRefugeeDay.
122M+ people are forcibly displaced, and youth are hardest hit.

So proud of Yasir Essar:
“Community as a Superpower” in @plosmentalhealth.org

Yasir’s story—from Kabul to Canadian academia—shows the power of inclusion, education, & mentorship.
doi.org/10.1371/jour...

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 8

#NewPLOSMentalHealthOpinion

'Arts engagement for mental health: A strengths-based opportunity'

Alex Rodriguez from University of Florida shares her experience of how art helped her recovery from a mental health crisis

journals.plos.org/mentalhealth...

Efficacy of transformational breath for anxiety management in professional voice users

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jul 1

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

A pilot study from Dr Philippa Wheble at Swansea University and Dehan Elçin ‪Tulane University explores the potential of 'Transformational Breath' for alleviating anxiety in professional voice users doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Music Performance Anxiety, a subset of social anxiety disorder (SAD), can significantly impede the lives of professional voice users (PVUs). This pilot cohort study evaluates the efficacy of Transform...

Primary care health screening in patients with severe mental illness: What influence do financial incentives have?

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jun 10

#NewPLOSMentalHealthOpinion

When organizations become legacies...

@kidshelpphone.bsky.social describe the ripple effects when organizations invest in, and empower, their volunteers.

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jun 5

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

What influence do financial incentives have?

A study from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social & @liverpooluni.bsky.social explores how changes in incentivization of health monitoring affects people with severe mental health conditions.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

The Quality-of-Care Framework (QOF) aims to improve patient care for at risk groups through financial incentivisation. This study assesses the effect of changes in incentivisation of four health indic...

Psychoanalysis in India: A legacy in search of relevance

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Jun 3

#NewPLOSMentalHealthOpinion

Psychologists at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Institute of Mental Health (Amritsar) & Chirayu Medical College and Hospital call for cultural adaptations of psychotherapy in India due to persisting colonial era influences doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Differential influence of habit components on compulsive and problematic reward-seeking behavior

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · May 28

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

How do habits drive our mental health?

A study from University of Geneva explores how different components of habitual behavior relate to mental health.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Habitual behavior has been identified as a key process involved in a variety of mental health problems. Previous research has shown that habit is not a unitary construct. The present study examined ho...

Sick leave or work sick? Examining the antecedents and conceptualizations of presenteeism and absenteeism among teleworkers during COVID-19: A scoping review

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · May 21

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

Sick leave or work sick?

A Systematic Review from @uoft.bsky.social‬, University of Malta & @uofguelph.bsky.social explores presenteeism and absenteeism in the (tele)workplace to better inform organizational policies and strategies.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

Many organizations have shifted to hybrid or remote work arrangements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Illness, whether physical or psychological, can manifest during telework (remote or home-bas...

The Power Of Community: Mental Health Awareness Week at PLOS Mental Health - Speaking of Medicine and Health

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · May 12

It's #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and the theme is 'Community'.

When it comes to mental health, community is not always about physical location. We are all part of the same, diverse community and we can (and should!) all learn from and accept each other.

speakingofmedicine.plos.org/2025/05/12/t...

This year, May 12th – 18th is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK and the theme is ‘Community’. Mental health discussions…

Developing guidelines for culturally relevant informed consent: an example from Lebanon

PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · May 5

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

Researchers at @lshtm.bsky.social, @warchilduk.bsky.social, @beyondtext.bsky.social and Saint Joseph's University work with communities in Lebanon to explore the importance of, and develop guidelines for, culturally relevant informed consent.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

This study addresses the prominent gap in literature and practice by exploring the facilitators and barriers to informed consent and developing culturally relevant informed consent guidelines in Leban...

Contribution of narrative therapy in reduction of anxiety, depression and PTSD among survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 in Rwanda

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PLOS Mental Health @plosmentalhealth.org · Apr 29

#NewPLOSMentalHealthArticle

Researchers at University of Rwanda assess the impact of narrative therapy on reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in survivors of genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda caused profound psychological trauma among survivors, with long-lasting effects such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Na...