Young adulthood is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood characterised by unique stressors that increase the risk of food insecurity and poor mental health. This study examined the association between food insecurity and mental health outcomes among U.S. young adults aged 18–25.

A cross-sectional survey was completed by young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years between January and April 2022. Key measures included food insecurity, perceived stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and insomnia. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were used to determine the prevalence of and associations between food insecurity and mental health outcomes, controlling for key demographic and social factors.

Online survey.

1630 U.S. young adults.

Among the analytic sample of 1041 young adults, nearly 70 % of participants identified as being food insecure in the last year. Participants reported moderate to high levels of perceived stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and insomnia. Food insecurity was positively associated with each mental health outcome including perceived stress (β = 2·28, P< 0·01), anxiety (β = 2·84, P< 0·01), depressive symptoms (β = 2·74, P< 0·01) and insomnia (β = 1·28, P< 0·01) after controlling for all other factors.

Food insecurity is associated with mental health problems among young adults. Future efforts should explore the directionality of this relationship to determine if food insecurity initiates or exacerbates poor mental health outcomes or if poor mental health contributes to food insecurity. Interventions to improve food security status may also help support mental health among young adults.

Stress, a major risk factor for mental health problems, is influenced by hormonal fluctuations from the menstrual cycle and hormonal oral contraceptives (OC). Despite widespread use, the impact of hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) on stress is limited to one study.

This study examines psychoendocrine stress responses in women using IUDs, OCs and women with a natural, regular menstrual cycle (NC) to better understand how endogenous and exogenous hormones influence stress.

Using a repeated-measures design, we investigated stress responses in IUD and OC users and NC women. The Maastricht Acute Stress Task and its control task were applied twice within 4 months to assess subjective, endocrine and physiological stress correlates. Detailed endogenous and exogenous hormonal profiles were obtained, and women completed a 7-day diary (via ecological momentary assessment) after each appointment.

Based on subjective, physiological and cortisol responses, stress induction was successful in all groups. IUD users reported higher subjective stress, negative affect and anxiety and lower positive affect compared to NC women. OC users exhibited a blunted cortisol response and higher heart rate but reported less acute stress and negative emotions than the other groups in the 7-day diary. Oestradiol and progesterone were suppressed in OC and IUD users compared with NC women. Progesterone, testosterone and oestradiol were differently associated with skin conductance, socio-emotional stress and negative affect.

IUD and OC use distinctly affect stress response, possibly because of their diverging metabolic pathways and hormone levels. IUD users showed higher emotional reactivity to stress in both lab and daily life, while OCs influenced physiological correlates. These findings highlight that exogenous hormone administration, previously thought to have limited systemic effects, affects women’s psychological well-being, underscoring the need for further research into stress-related disorders among women using hormonal contraceptives.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of relaxation-based exercises on individuals experiencing post-earthquake stress-related symptoms in an earthquake-prone region.

This randomized, waitlist-controlled, parallel group study included 46 participants with moderate post-traumatic stress levels (Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, PDS) and anxiety for over 1 month (Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI score > 8). Participants were randomly assigned to a relaxation-based exercise group (REG, n = 24) or a waitlist control group (CG, n = 25). The REG received relaxation-based structured, supervised exercises for 4 weeks, while the CG awaited treatment. Assessments included the PDS, BAI, Beck Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and SF-12 Quality of Life Scale at baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention.

Within-group analysis showed significant improvements in anxiety (P = 0.001), depression (P = 0.001), perceived stress (P = 0.001), and sleep quality (P = 0.001) for the REG. The CG showed decreased depression symptoms (P = 0.011) and improved sleep quality (P = 0.012). There were no significant group differences in quality-of-life outcomes (P > 0.05), though REG showed greater improvement in depression and perceived stress scores (P < 0.05).

Relaxation-based exercises can improve sleep quality in individuals experiencing post-earthquake stress, and reduce depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. This approach can be used as a novel rehabilitation model in preventive mental health for the community.

Extreme events (e.g. floods and disease outbreaks) can overwhelm healthcare workers (HCWs) and healthcare systems. During the COVID-19 pandemic, high levels of distress and mental ill health were reported by HCWs.

To examine and synthesise research findings reported in the qualitative literature regarding the stressors, and their psychosocial impacts, faced by HCWs in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide lessons for future support.

Qualitative articles were identified in EMBASE and OVID (preregistered on PROSPERO: CRD42022304235). Studies were required to have been published between January 2021 and January 2022 and to have examined the impact of COVID-19 on UK HCWs. We included 27 articles that represented the experiences of 2640 HCWs, assessed their quality using National Institute for Health and Care Excellence criteria and integrated their findings using thematic synthesis.

Several secondary stressors were identified, including lack of personal protective equipment, ineffective leadership and communication, high workloads and problems stemming from uncertainty and a lack of knowledge. Stressors were related to adverse psychosocial outcomes including worry, fatigue, lack of confidence in oneself and senior managers, impacts on teamwork and feeling unappreciated or that one’s needs are not recognised.

Our thematic synthesis moves beyond simply mapping stressors faced by HCWs by considering their antecedents, origins and psychosocial impacts. Utilising a theoretical framework that points towards systemic deficiencies, we argue that secondary stressors can be modified to remove their negative effects. Consequently, workforce planning should shift from focusing on individual change towards amending psychosocial environments in which HCWs work.

Acknowledging the impact of chronic kidney disease on caregivers’ quality of life (QoL) and psychological well-being has become a global priority, highlighting the need for supportive interventions specifically aimed at caregivers.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression among family caregivers of Omani patients undergoing haemodialysis and to explore its association with QoL.

The study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of 326 participants completed the study’s surveys, including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, WHOQOL-BREF scale and a demographic scale.

The survey indicated that 68.4% of the participant caregivers experienced varying degrees of depression. In addition, 48.4% of caregivers reported experiencing stress levels ranging from mild to extremely severe. For anxiety, 65.6% (n = 214) of caregivers noted varying levels, from mild to extremely severe anxiety. Significant negative associations were found among caregiver age, number of chronic illnesses, number of medications, daily hours spent on caregiving, physical health, stress, anxiety and depression, on the one hand, and the physical domain of QoL, on the other hand. Regarding the psychological domain of QoL, significant negative associations were observed with daily caregiving hours, physical health, stress, anxiety and depression.

This study highlights the significant psychological burden faced by caregivers of patients undergoing haemodialysis. Systematic screening and practical interventions, such as support groups and mental health programmes, are essential to improve caregiver well-being. Future research should explore the effectiveness of these interventions and the long-term impact of caregiving.

Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disorder with a range of risk factors. Dysregulation in the systems involved in the stress response is a key component of its pathophysiology. Individuals at risk of developing schizophrenia exhibit hyperreactivity to stress and altered cognitive performance, both known as vulnerability markers. This study aims to determine whether stimulation of the prefrontal cortex can reduce reactivity to stress in unaffected siblings of patients with schizophrenia.

In a randomized, sham-controlled trial, 27 participants were assigned to receive either active (n = 14) or sham (n = 13) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the prefrontal cortex for 30 min during exposure to an acute stressor. The stress response was measured biologically, via salivary cortisol levels, and cognitively, through a reality monitoring task, which serves as an intermediate cognitive vulnerability marker.

In contrast to the sham condition, active stimulation significantly reduced cortisol release in response to stress (F(9,216) = 1.972; p = 0.04) and prevented stress-induced impairment in reality monitoring (F(1,23) = 9.954; p = 0.004).

These findings suggest that tDCS should be a promising tool for reducing stress-induced biological and cognitive reactivity in a population at risk of schizophrenia.

Mindfulness is a promising psychological resource that can alleviate dysfunctional fear responses and promote mental health. We investigated how mindfulness affects fear and depression in isolated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and whether it acts as a mediator.

We conducted an online survey of COVID-19 patients undergoing at-home treatment from February to April 2022. The survey included a questionnaire on fear of COVID-19 (measured by the Fear of COVID-19 Scale), mindfulness (measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), and depression (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire). A total of 380 participants completed the questionnaire. We analyzed the correlation between each variable and performed a mediation analysis using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping to verify the statistical significance of the mediating effects.

Each variable was significantly correlated. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that the association between the fear of COVID-19 and depression decreased from 0.377-0.255, suggesting that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression. Bootstrapping analysis showed that the indirect effect of the mediating variable (mindfulness) is 0.121, which accounts for 32.3% of the total effect.

Interventions that promote mindfulness in patients with acute COVID-19 may be beneficial for their mental health.