Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.

6 papers

Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress

Peter Salmon
Clinical Psychology Review Summary & key facts 2001 1,332 citations

This 2001 review looked at studies on exercise, anxiety, depression, and stress. It found that short-term emotional effects of exercise are mixed, but many cross-sectional and longitudinal studies report that regular aerobic exercise training reduces anxiety and depression symptoms and may protect against the harmful effects of stress. The clearest…

Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Eating Disorders and Behaviors Mental Health Research Topics

Midlife as a pivotal period in the life course

Margie E. Lachman, Salom M. Teshale, Stefan Agrigoroaei

Using long-term data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, the authors show that physical health, thinking skills, and well-being in midlife can change in different directions for different people. They describe these changes as multidirectional (some things get better, some worse), variable between people, and plastic (open…

Aging and Gerontology Research Health disparities and outcomes Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction

Gender Felt Pressure, Affective Domains, and Mental Health Outcomes among Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review with Developmental and Clinical Implications

Selene Mezzalira, Cristiano Scandurra, Fabrizio Mezza, Marina Miscioscia, Marco Innamorati, Vincenzo Bochicchio

This systematic review looked at mental health in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and adolescents by examining 33 studies found in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science using PRISMA guidelines. It found that TGD youth often have higher levels of anxiety, depression, and other emotional or behavioral problems (such…

Gender Roles and Identity Studies LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

The Enhancement of Natural Resilience in Trauma Interventions

Mark Burton, Andrew A. Cooper, Norah C. Feeny, Lori A. Zoellner

This article says simple daily routines help people feel safer and less anxious by making life more predictable. It reviews research and examples showing that steady schedules (at work, at home, or in families) can protect mental health, while unpredictable schedules or long stretches without structure are linked with worse…

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research Resilience and Mental Health Traumatic Brain Injury Research

The correlation between resilience and mental health of adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Luo, Shulai, Hu, Jiangtao, Zhang, Junshuai, et al.
www.frontiersin.org Summary & key facts 2025 9 citations

This study pooled data from 19 observational studies with 17,746 adolescents and young adults (ages 10–25) to measure how resilience and mental health are related. The authors found that higher resilience was linked to fewer negative mental-health signs (correlation r = -0.391) and to stronger positive mental-health outcomes (r =…

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Resilience and Mental Health Traumatic Brain Injury Research

Post-pandemic mental health: Understanding the global psychological burden and charting future research priorities

Wei Ding, Yuan Zhang, Min-Zhong Wang, Shu Wang
PubMed Central (PMC) Summary & key facts 2025 4 citations

This review says the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread and lasting mental health problems around the world. It reports higher rates of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and substance use linked to long periods of isolation, money problems, and grief. The review also looks at who was hit hardest, what makes care…

Resilience and Mental Health
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