Although adolescent depression has been linked to individual chronic conditions, its broader role in shaping multimorbidity risk remains understudied.

A total of 87,562 UK Biobank participants were included, of whom 18,851 had documented adolescent depression. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to evaluate associations between adolescent depression and 24 chronic diseases, followed by stratified analyses by sex and age. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was then conducted to infer causality for diseases showing significant associations. Genomic colocalization analyses were performed using relevant GWAS data to identify shared causal variants. Mediation analyses were performed to detect possible mediating factors, including the frailty index, KDM biological age acceleration, allostatic load and 30 circulating biomarkers.

Adolescent depression was associated with elevated risk for 12 chronic diseases, with strongest associations for hypothyroidism (HR = 1.29 [1.18–1.42]), diabetes (HR = 1.25 [1.13–1.38]) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (HR = 1.74 [1.50–2.01]). Risks were notably higher among females and younger adults. MR confirmed likely causal relationships for hypothyroidism (OR = 1.45 [1.03–2.05]), diabetes (OR = 1.01 [1.01–1.02]) and COPD (OR = 1.04 [1.02–1.06]). Genomic colocalization revealed a shared genetic signal at the CDSN/PSORS1C1 locus between adolescent depression and hypothyroidism. Mediation analyses revealed disease-specific pathways: creatinine for hypothyroidism, testosterone for diabetes, KDM biological ageing for COPD and frailty index across all three conditions.

Adolescent depression confers systemic vulnerability through genetic and metabolic mechanisms, with amplified risks in females and individuals aged ≤55 years. These findings support early, integrated interventions to mitigate long-term multimorbidity.

Self-report checklists are commonly used to collect health information in social and epidemiological studies. Little is known about the reliability of such self-report data. This study examined the 6-month test–retest reliability of 28 clinical diagnoses and health histories as self-reported by a sample of adult female mental health service users.

A convenience sample of female mental health service users (N = 293) provided self-report data on their health histories – including physical, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and functional domains – two times, approximately 6 months apart. We calculated the agreement rates and Cohen’s kappa of the results.

The results demonstrated high levels of temporal consistency. Agreement rates were ≥84.5% for all conditions, while Cohen’s kappa values were above 0.50 for 21 out of 28 conditions.

Self-report checklists, as widely used in survey studies, can yield reliable health data. Social and health science researchers can employ such checklists to collect health background information of research participants, especially when clinical validation is not feasible or when hospital records are not accessible.

Identifying cognitive impairment in routine care is essential, yet many brief screening instruments exhibit ceiling or floor effects. To our knowledge, no widely used brief cognitive screening instrument has incorporated the qualitative Clock Drawing Test (CDT) command–copy discrepancy, in which the copied clock is better organized than the clock drawn to command, into a composite score.

In this cross-sectional study, patients with amnestic multidomain mild cognitive impairment (aMD-MCI) or early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were consecutively recruited from a tertiary memory clinic at Salamanca University Hospital, Spain, and compared with cognitively unimpaired community-dwelling controls. All participants underwent the Mini-Mental State Examination and the CDT. CogniScan was derived post hoc from nine elements retained through binary partial least squares regression: five temporal-orientation items, three delayed-recall words and one CDT command–copy discrepancy indicator. Factor maps from the fitted model were used to visualize group separation, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to estimate apparent discriminative performance and candidate cutoffs.

The final sample included 183 older adults (median age, 75 years): 35 with aMD-MCI, 75 with early AD and 73 cognitively unimpaired controls. All nine CogniScan elements were strongly associated with cognitive status, with large effect sizes. In the primary binary analysis, discrimination was excellent (area under the curve [AUC] 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.98–1.00). The Youden-optimized cutoff was ≥2 errors (sensitivity 96%, specificity 99%). In secondary exploratory analyses restricted to cognitively impaired participants, discrimination between aMD-MCI and early AD was lower (AUC 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.82–0.97), consistent with partial overlap on the latent maps. In exploratory models, categorical educational level was not significantly associated with CogniScan score among controls and was not an independent predictor of cognitive status in the adjusted model.

CogniScan showed excellent apparent discriminative performance, but external validation across broader cognitive phenotypes and wider age and educational ranges is needed. It appears best suited as a binary detector of impairment rather than as a definitive stage classifier.

People with depressive disorder have increased premature mortality and higher rates of diabetes mellitus than general population. Evidence shows that diabetes may further increase their risk of premature death from diabetes-related complications, especially cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Earlier studies examining depression-associated outcomes in diabetes patients have shown mixed results and were hindered by important limitations, especially the use of self-reported questionnaires to ascertain depression, causing misclassification bias by identifying subclinical symptoms or diabetes distress. Associations of depression with specific diabetes complications have not been systematically evaluated. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the risk of mortality and complications among patients with depression and co-occurring diabetes (depression-diabetes group) relative to patients with diabetes-only (diabetes-only group), on their all-cause mortality rates, and if applicable cause-specific mortality rates, and occurrence of specific diabetes complications.

We systematically reviewed and quantitatively synthesized diabetes-related outcomes in patients with depression by searching Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo and Web-of-Science from inception to 20 December 2024, and included studies that examined mortality and complication outcomes in depression-diabetes group relative to diabetes-only group. Results were synthesized by random-effects meta-analytic models, with stratified-analyses (subgroup analyses and meta-regression) by study-level characteristics, including age, gender, study period, geographic region, follow-up duration and nature of diabetes sample. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024595145).

Twenty-six studies were identified from nine geographic regions. Regarding mortality risk, depression-diabetes group exhibited increased risks of all-cause mortality (RR = 1.30 [95% CI: 1.21–1.39]) and CVD-specific mortality (1.15 [1.02–1.29]) relative to diabetes-only group. Regarding complication risk, depression-diabetes group showed increased risk of complications (1.28 [1.18–1.40]) relative to diabetes-only group, especially in incident-diabetes sample signifying advanced disease stage upon presentation, with stratified-analyses showing higher risk of metabolic complications (1.63 [1.33–1.99]) and cardiovascular complications (1.20 [1.11–1.29]), and lower likelihood of retinopathy (0.84 [0.76–0.94]), albeit comparable rates of cerebrovascular complications (1.36 [0.99–1.87]), nephropathy (1.09 [0.93–1.27]) and peripheral-vascular complications (0.97 [0.79–1.18]). Both overall mortality and complication risks were present in various regions and persisted over time. Heterogeneities were noted and could not be entirely explained by stratified analyses.

Our study demonstrated that patients with depression and co-occurring diabetes were associated with elevated overall mortality risk and complication risk (particularly metabolic and cardiovascular-complications) than non-depressed counterparts, suggesting an overall poorer glycemic control that might eventually drive their earlier death. Comprehensive and multipronged interventions are needed for individualized risk estimation of diabetes-related outcomes, with consequent early interventions to minimize the avoidable physical morbidity and premature mortality in this vulnerable population.

Lung cancer patients have a higher risk of suicide, but the long-term patterns and how they differ by treatment type have not been fully characterized. To investigate longitudinal suicide risk among lung cancer patients who underwent surgery compared to matched controls and to examine variations over time by treatment modality and patient characteristics.

We identified 37,215 individuals newly diagnosed with lung cancer between 2010 and 2017 who underwent lung resection within 1 year of diagnosis, along with 1:3 age- and sex-matched controls. Subdistribution hazard ratios (sHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for suicide were estimated using a competing risk analysis.

The cohort (mean age 64.0 years; 62.5% male) was followed for a mean of 7.6 years. There were 154 suicides among lung cancer patients (incidence rate 0.6 per 1,000 person-years). Suicide risk peaked during the first year after surgery (sHR 1.88, 95% CI 1.23–2.87) and declined in subsequent years. Patients who underwent surgery alone had a higher risk in the first year (sHR 1.66, 95% CI 1.02–2.69), which gradually decreased over time. In contrast, patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy experienced a substantially higher initial risk (e.g., sHR 7.00, 95% CI 3.00–16.37 for surgery + radiotherapy) and maintained a moderate increase in suicide risk even beyond 5 years. Subgroup analyses showed an especially elevated first-year suicide risk among younger adults aged 20–49 years, males, and never smokers.

Suicide risk for lung cancer patients is highest during the first postoperative year, particularly for those who receive multimodal therapy, or are younger adults, males, or never smokers. These findings emphasize the need to prioritize early, tailored psychosocial support in survivorship care to help mitigate long-term suicide risk.

The relationship between retirement and mental health remains unclear, with mixed evidence likely driven by methodological challenges and heterogeneity across population subgroups. This study explores the relationship between retirement, time since retirement and mental health, focusing on differences between those living alone and cohabiting.

We used data from 10,698 participants (48,815 observations) in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, waves 1–8, spanning 20 countries and 16 years. Participants were included if they were employed at baseline and retired during follow-up. We applied a triangulated approach using (1) multilevel linear spline models to examine trajectories and (2) fixed-effects instrumental variable analyses (IV) using statutory retirement age as an instrument to establish causal effects. The outcome was depressive symptoms measured using the EURO-D scale (higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms).

Multilevel spline models showed minimal change in depressive symptoms before retirement. At retirement, a small decline in EURO-D scores was indicated (−0.07 points per year [95% CI: −0.13 to −0.0003]), followed by an increase starting two years post-retirement (0.09 per year, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.16). IV analyses showed that retirement was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (−0.26, 95% CI: −0.45 to −0.07). Individuals living alone reported higher depressive symptoms, but cohabitation status did not moderate the relationship between retirement and mental health.

Retirement is associated with a short-term reduction in depressive symptoms, but the effect diminishes over time. While individuals living alone consistently report higher depressive symptoms, cohabitation status does not moderate the retirement-mental health relationship.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder associated with significantly elevated mortality. While antipsychotics are the cornerstone of treatment, their long-term effects on survival remain uncertain, particularly in non-Western populations. We aimed to assess the real-world association between antipsychotic treatment patterns and all-cause mortality among adults with schizophrenia in China.

This population-based cohort study included 435,816 adults from the Community Schizophrenia Registry System of Guangdong Province, China. Patients were classified into four groups: antipsychotic monotherapy, polytherapy, non-antipsychotic treatment and non-drug treatment. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for mortality.

Over a median follow-up of 7.2 years, 73,527 deaths (16.9%) occurred. Antipsychotic polytherapy (57.6%) was the most common regimen, followed by monotherapy (27.6%). Compared with the non-drug group, mortality risks were significantly lower for polytherapy (aHR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.18–0.19), monotherapy (aHR: 0.24; 95% CI: 0.24–0.25) and non-antipsychotic treatment (aHR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.21–0.23). Both first- and second-generation antipsychotics showed comparable mortality benefits. While most polytherapy regimens performed similarly to or better than monotherapy, combinations like risperidone–sulpiride were associated with higher mortality. Subgroup analyses showed stronger benefits in women, younger individuals, rural residents and those with less severe illness.

Antipsychotic treatment is associated with significantly reduced mortality among patients with schizophrenia in China, with effects varying by patient characteristics and drug regimen.

Substance-induced mental disorders (SIMD) are an under-recognized consequence of psychoactive substance use, despite major implications for treatment needs, health service demand and outcomes. In the context of British Columbia’s (BC’s) ongoing toxic drug emergency, we aimed to (1) estimate the incidence and prevalence of SIMD in the provincial population and (2) describe socio-demographic, geographic, clinical and substance-specific patterns over a two-year period.

We conducted a retrospective, population-based study using linked administrative health data from Population Data BC for residents aged ≥12 years between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2023. SIMD cases were identified using a novel algorithm combining diagnostic codes with temporal linkage between substance-related events (poisoning, withdrawal or substance use disorder) and subsequent psychiatric diagnoses. Incident cases had no record of the same mental disorder in the previous two years; prevalent cases met SIMD criteria at any point in the study period. We calculated monthly, annual and cumulative incidence and prevalence rates per 10,000 population, stratified by sex, age group, health authority, urban/rural residence, neighbourhood income, psychiatric diagnosis, substance class, concurrent substance use disorder, involuntary treatment and mortality.

We identified 37,474 incident and 83,307 prevalent SIMD cases over two years, corresponding to a cumulative incidence of 77.5 and prevalence of 171.4 per 10,000 population. Monthly rates fluctuated in 2022, followed by a rise through 2023, with highest incidence (35.2 per 10,000) and prevalence (328.3 per 10,000) in May 2023. Males accounted for 62% of incident and 59% of prevalent cases; mean age was 43 years, with highest proportions in the 25–44 age range. Northern and Vancouver Island Health Authorities had the greatest burden. On average, individuals with SIMD had 3.2–3.6 healthcare visits per month. Cannabis- and hallucinogen-induced disorders were concentrated among younger people, while alcohol- and tobacco-related SIMD predominated in older adults; stimulant-related SIMD showed the highest hospitalization and involuntary treatment rates. Only about one-third of prevalent and fewer than one in five incident cases had a recorded concurrent substance use disorder.

SIMDs are common, clinically complex and unevenly distributed across demographic and geographic groups in BC. The high rates, substantial service use and frequent occurrence outside documented substance use disorder diagnoses underscore the need for improved detection of SIMD, integration of psychiatric and addiction care and regionally tailored prevention and treatment strategies within the ongoing toxic drug emergency.

Populations affected by humanitarian crises, including conflict, disasters and displacement, are frequently exposed to elevated psychological distress, while access to mental health services remains scarce. Problem Management Plus (PM+), a low-intensity psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization, has shown clinical efficacy. However, evidence on its implementation in humanitarian contexts remains limited. This systematic review aimed to synthesize available evidence on the implementation outcomes of PM+ and its delivery formats (individual, group and digital) in such settings. The review included individual PM+, group PM+ and Step-by-Step.

Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically searched four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and CENTRAL) for studies published up to June 2025. Eligible studies included populations in humanitarian settings receiving PM+ in any format and reported at least one implementation outcome based on Proctor’s framework (acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, cost, penetration and sustainability). Data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted independently by two reviewers. The protocol for this systematic review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (Registration No. CRD42024551943).

Of 2093 records screened, 23 studies met inclusion criteria, representing 5377 participants across diverse humanitarian contexts. Feasibility (70% of studies) and acceptability (65%) were the most frequently assessed outcomes, with consistently positive findings, including adequate recruitment, retention and cultural adaptability of PM+. Evidence was strongest for participant and provider acceptability and feasibility of delivery, whereas system-level outcomes such as sustainability, adoption, penetration and cost were rarely reported. Delivery by trained non-specialist providers was common and supported by supervision structures. Fidelity assessments (43%) demonstrated high adherence to intervention manuals. In contrast, sustainability (9%) and cost evaluations (17%) were infrequently reported. Barriers to implementation included stigma, population mobility and resource constraints, while facilitators included contextual adaptation, community engagement and ongoing supervision.

PM+ demonstrates strong feasibility and acceptability when delivered by trained non-specialist providers in humanitarian contexts. However, gaps remain in evidence on long-term sustainability, cost-effectiveness and policy integration. The limited availability of system-level implementation data constrains conclusions regarding large-scale integration of PM+ in humanitarian settings. Future research should employ standardized implementation science metrics and focus on strategies to enhance scalability and embed PM+ within existing health systems.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) shape children’s socioemotional development, yet longitudinal evidence from low- and middle-income countries remains limited. This study examined how ACEs relate to internalizing, externalizing and prosocial behaviours from childhood to adolescence in a rural Pakistani cohort.

Data were drawn from the Bachpan Cohort, a longitudinal study including 1,791 observations across three waves: ages 4–5, 8–9 and 12–15 years. ACEs were assessed using an adapted ACE-International Questionnaire. Outcomes were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Network analysis, dose-response modelling and moderation analyses were employed.

Emotional neglect was the most prevalent ACE (83.7%). Parental psychiatric issues, parental trauma exposure and emotional neglect were the most central ACE stressors. A dose-response relationship emerged: compared to children with no ACEs, those with four or more ACEs showed higher internalizing (incidence ratio [IR] = 4.24) and externalizing problems (IR = 3.42) and lower prosocial behaviour (IR = 0.90). Girls showed greater internalizing vulnerability; boys showed more externalizing problems. ACE effects on internalizing problems strengthened with age.

ACEs are strongly associated with internalizing, externalizing and prosocial outcomes from childhood to adolescence. Findings highlight the need for tiered, gender-sensitive and developmentally appropriate interventions in low-resource settings.

Refugees bear the highest burden of mental health issues; however, they often underuse available mental health services. Interventions aimed at those with diagnosed conditions frequently do little to prevent the onset of disorders. Problem Management Plus for Immigrants (PMP-I) is a prevention intervention adapted from the World Health Organization’s Problem Management Plus (PMP). PMP-I includes psychoeducation, problem-solving, behavioural activation, social support and networking, and mind-body exercises. This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the impact of PMP-I on mental, social and emotional well-being outcomes among Bhutanese refugees resettled in Massachusetts.

Bhutanese individuals aged 18 or older who had resettled in Massachusetts and scored ≤14 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were randomly assigned to two groups: PMP-I (n = 58 families) and a talk programme with a community support services pamphlet (n = 58 families). Trained community interventionists delivered five sessions of PMP-I to intervention participants in their family settings. Primary outcomes included scores on measures of stress (Cohen Perceived Stress Scale-10), and anxiety and depression (Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25), assessed at baseline, 6-week and 3-month post-intervention. Secondary outcomes included hair cortisol, coping, coping self-efficacy, social support, social network, family conflict resolution and family satisfaction. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyse differences in changes in outcomes between the intervention and control groups, adjusting for baseline scores on the primary outcomes, as well as age, duration of residence, marital status and history of chronic diseases.

All 232 participants recruited (116 families) were retained throughout the project. The intervention group evidenced a significantly greater decrease than the control group at both 6-week and 3-month post-intervention assessments on the primary outcomes of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptom scores. Similarly, the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher scores at both the 6-week and 3-month periods after the intervention compared to the control group on measures of coping, family conflict resolution, self-efficacy, family satisfaction and social networking with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d > 0.8, p < .01). Hair cortisol concentrations did not differ significantly between the intervention and control groups at either baseline or 3-month post-intervention.

The PMP-I improved the mental, social and emotional well-being of Bhutanese adults (PHQ-9 score ≤ 14) resettled in Massachusetts. Peer-delivered, family-centred PMP-I offers a significant public health benefit; however, a large-scale, RCT involving diverse refugee groups is necessary to replicate its success nationwide and beyond.

Campaigns to enhance public awareness and attitudes towards mental health problems have been a feature of mental health policy and practice for several decades. In Australia, Beyond Blue, an independent, not-for-profit organisation which was launched in 2000, marked a turning point in the national approach to improving population mental health. From the outset, it prioritised a systemic approach including national awareness campaigns, support for consumers and carers, early intervention, primary care reform and investment in research.

Over the past 25 years, Australia has seen substantial improvements in mental health literacy, stigma and help-seeking. To explore Beyond Blue’s contribution, we drew on nationally representative surveys of mental health literacy, stigma and service use. Analyses of surveys from the mid-2000s showed that respondents in states with greater exposure to Beyond Blue had higher awareness, better recognition of depression and more accurate treatment beliefs. Later studies confirmed that engagement with Beyond Blue was associated with higher mental health literacy, including among young people. National surveys have also shown significant reductions in stigma towards people with depression, changes not observed in other countries. Longitudinal data suggest that engaging with Beyond Blue predicts lower stigma and greater help-seeking over time.

National Surveys of Mental Health and Wellbeing have shown steady increases in professional help-seeking and perceived need for support since the late 1990s. While there are multiple reasons for this, recent national survey data link engagement with Beyond Blue to increased contact with health professionals and informal supports.

Globally, Beyond Blue is unique in its long-term, multi-pronged approach to improving population mental health. Its sustained focus and demonstrated impact on mental health literacy, stigma and help-seeking for depression and anxiety remain largely unmatched among comparable national initiatives.

Research on the link between threat-related and deprivation-related adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases in later life remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the independent associations of threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs with the development of GI and liver disorders in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

This prospective cohort study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, which included participants aged 45 and older who had complete ACE data, two health assessments, and no pre-existing GI or liver conditions at baseline. Participants reported on five threat-related and deprivation-related ACEs before age 17. GI and liver diseases were classified based on self-reported physician diagnoses.

The outcomes of GI and liver diseases are based on self-reported physician diagnosis and broad categories. Compared with no exposures, participants with two or more threat-related ACEs exhibited a higher risk of both chronic liver disease (hazard ratio [HR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.52; P = 0.016) and GI disease (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.20–1.55; P < 0.001); two or more deprivation-related ACEs showed stronger associations with GI disease (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.28–1.70; P < 0.001); and no significant associations with liver disease risk across all exposure levels. Additionally, depressive symptoms accounted for 10.7% (P = 0.003) of the association between threat-related ACEs and liver disease risk and accounted for 12.7% (P < 0.001) of the association between threat-related ACEs and GI disease risk. Midlife loneliness accounted for 5.3% (P = 0.001) of the association between threat-related ACEs and incident GI diseases and for 3.7% (P = 0.004) of the association between deprivation-related ACEs and incident GI diseases.

Threat-related ACEs are directly associated with an increased risk of liver and GI diseases. A modest proportion of this observed relationship is partially mediated through depressive symptoms and loneliness in middle age.

Childhood maltreatment has been associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment in later life, but little is known about whether distinct joint trajectories of social isolation and depression across midlife predict this risk.

Using a prospective cohort design with documented childhood maltreatment and matched controls (N = 1196) followed from ages 0 to 11 into late midlife, we modelled joint trajectories of social isolation and depression (ages 29–47) using group-based trajectory modelling (GBTM) and examined their associations with cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND) at age 59 through modified Poisson regression, controlling for risk factors related to neurodegenerative outcomes (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, obesity, limited physical activity, hearing impairment, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and traumatic brain injury).

GBTM identified four groups: ‘Not isolated or depressed’ (67.7%), ‘Moderately isolated’ (11.7%), ‘Moderately depressed’ (16.5%) and ‘Chronically isolated and depressed’ (4.1%). Using the ‘Not isolated or depressed’ group as the reference category, membership in the highest-risk trajectory (‘Chronically isolated and depressed’) was associated with a 41.5% higher risk of CIND, whereas the ‘Moderately isolated’ and ‘Moderately depressed’ groups did not differ significantly from the reference group. Black non-Hispanic participants and those with documented childhood maltreatment histories had 32.8% and 21.2% higher risk of CIND, respectively, and each additional year of education was associated with a 4.9% reduction in CIND risk.

Sustained co-occurring social isolation and depression from early to mid-adulthood predicted increased risk of CIND independent of established risk factors, highlighting prolonged social and emotional difficulties as modifiable targets for late midlife cognitive health.

Unipolar mania (UM), defined by the occurrence of manic episodes without a history of depression, is a topic of debate within the classification of affective disorders. However, its epidemiological burden remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of UM among individuals with bipolar type I disorder (BD-I) while exploring potential sources of heterogeneity.

The study protocol was registered in Open Science Framework on 27 March 2025. Embase, MEDLINE and APA PsycInfo were searched. We included observational studies reporting data on UM prevalence rates in adults with BD-I. Pooled prevalence was estimated using the Freeman–Tukey double arcsine transformation, employing a restricted maximum likelihood random-effects model. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were implemented to explore sources of heterogeneity.

We included 26 studies, encompassing 35 independent samples and 17,716 individuals with BD-I. The pooled prevalence of UM was 21.1% (95% confidence interval: 15.5–27.4%). Although potential publication bias was detected (Egger’s p = 0.010), the trim-and-fill method did not impute any missing studies. No differences were found between clinical and community-based studies (p = 0.966). However, prevalence estimates were influenced by both geographical area (p = 0.020) and study quality (p = 0.014). Rate differences across studies may also be attributable to variations in UM diagnostic definition.

People with UM represent a significant subset of BD-I cases worldwide, warranting greater clinical awareness. The observed rate variability emphasizes the impact of sociocultural and methodological factors on UM diagnosis. Further research is necessary to refine diagnostic criteria and evaluate optimal treatment approaches for individuals with UM.

Social inclusion is increasingly recognised as a key determinant of health and well-being, encompassing participation in social, economic, political and cultural life through access to resources, opportunities and relationships. Individuals with mental disorders are at increased risk of social exclusion, yet existing evidence often relies on broad population-level indicators that fail to capture the multidimensional nature of inclusion. This systematic review aimed to compare levels of social inclusion between these groups using validated psychometric instruments and to identify the dimensions in which disparities are most pronounced.

The review followed PRISMA guidelines. A two-step search strategy was conducted across PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL and Web of Science. First, validated measures of social inclusion and related constructs were identified. Second, studies applying these instruments in individuals with and without mental disorders were retrieved. Eligible studies included adults with clinician-established or self-reported diagnosis of mental disorders and comparison groups from the general population. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between the two groups, while a thematic narrative synthesis explored domain-specific inequalities.

Ten studies met inclusion criteria, and six were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 844 individuals with mental disorders and 1086 controls. Individuals with mental disorders reported significantly lower levels of social inclusion than the general population (SMD = −0.91; 95% CI: −1.25 to −0.56). The narrative synthesis identified inequalities across several interconnected domains. Individuals with mental disorders experienced weaker social relationships, lower perceived support, reduced community participation and fewer opportunities for meaningful engagement. Marked disadvantages were also observed in employment, income, education and housing, including financial hardship, insecure living conditions and neighbourhood dissatisfaction. Several studies highlighted discrepancies between objective indicators of participation and subjective experiences of inclusion, indicating that participation alone may not reflect a sense of belonging or access to valued social roles. Socioeconomic position, gender and ethnicity appeared to intensify exclusion across domains.

Individuals with mental disorders experience substantial inequalities in social inclusion across interconnected relational, community and socioeconomic domains. These disparities are shaped by broader structural conditions and compounded by intersecting forms of disadvantage, including socioeconomic position, gender and ethnicity. The findings highlight the need for multidimensional, intersectional and person-centred approaches that recognise both the cumulative nature of exclusion and individuals’ subjective experiences of inclusion. Policies and interventions should address the social determinants that constrain opportunities for meaningful inclusion.

OSF: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/USXWG.

Childhood maltreatment and adolescent mental health problems are unequally distributed, with the highest burdens among marginalised groups including females and those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. However, little is known about how the psychological consequences of maltreatment vary across intersecting social positions (e.g., socioeconomically disadvantaged females). Prior quantitative work has largely focused on average differences across a limited number of groups, obscuring non-additive intersectional patterning. Because social realities are structured by overlapping systems of privilege and oppression (e.g., relating to gender, socioeconomic position, ethnicity, age, and place), we leveraged recent methodological advances to address this gap. Accordingly, this study aimed to (i) map inequalities in adolescent emotional problems and the effects of maltreatment across intersectional positions; and (ii) describe the extent to which inequalities in emotional problems reflect additive and non-additive (intersectional) effects.

Data were analysed from 19 590 students aged 11–16 years who participated in the OxWell 2023 Student Survey in England, United Kingdom. Within a random-coefficient Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy (MAIHDA), individuals were nested in 180 intersectional strata defined by combinations of social positions relating to gender, ethnicity, household poverty, school year group, and school-level deprivation (also entered as additive main effects). Emotional problems (Revised Child Depression and Anxiety Scale; RCADS-11) were regressed on maltreatment exposure (Short Childhood Maltreatment Questionnaire) as the primary effect of interest. Stratum-specific predicted emotional problems and maltreatment effects were estimated, and between-stratum variance was partitioned into additive and residual non-additive components.

Maltreatment was associated with higher levels of emotional problems, with stratum-specific increases ranging from +3.20 to +6.14 scale points. Socioeconomically disadvantaged females and individuals who selected ‘other’ or ‘prefer not to say’ for gender showed the highest levels of emotional problems and among the strongest maltreatment effects. Between-stratum inequalities in emotional problems were largely accounted for by maltreatment exposure and the additive contributions of the included social positions. However, residual non-additive effects were also evident, particularly among individuals exposed to maltreatment, where 5.25% of between-stratum variance remained unaccounted for by additive effects (compared with 3.46% among those not exposed).

In this large community sample of adolescents in England, the detrimental effects of maltreatment on emotional problems appear pervasive but not uniform across intersectional social positions. Applying an intersectional MAIHDA framework suggests that inequalities in adolescent emotional problems largely reflect additive social patterning, with additional non-additive contributions suggestive of intersectional dynamics that are more pronounced with maltreatment exposure. These findings motivate deeper investigation into the social-structural mechanisms that shape vulnerability and resilience in adolescence, and support the need for trauma-informed, equity-focused interventions and policy action to reduce unequal exposure to maltreatment and the contexts that amplify its harms.