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.

14 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

Midlife in the 2020s: Opportunities and challenges.

Frank J. Infurna, Denis Gerstorf, Margie E. Lachman
American Psychologist Summary & key facts 2020 343 citations

This paper says midlife (roughly ages 40–60) is an important, understudied life stage with both new opportunities and new challenges. The authors review evidence that some common ideas—like a widespread "midlife crisis"—are misleading, and they show that middle age often involves balancing many roles, linking younger and older generations, and…

Aging and Gerontology Research Health disparities and outcomes Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving

Burnout phenomenon: neurophysiological factors, clinical features, and aspects of management

R A G Khammissa, Simon Nemutandani, Gal Feller, J Lemmer, Laura Feller

Burnout is described as an occupational phenomenon of long-term work stress that leads to emotional exhaustion, physical tiredness, and trouble thinking clearly. The review says both job factors and personal traits matter, and that long-lasting burnout is linked to worse sleep and to some health problems (for example mild cognitive…

Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation Stress and Burnout Research

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

Nature and Mindfulness to Cope with Work-Related Stress: A Narrative Review

Elisa Menardo, Donatella Di Marco, Sara Ramos, Margherita Brondino, Alicia Arenas, Patricia Costa, et al.
PubMed Central (PMC) Summary & key facts 2022 50 citations

This review says work-related stress has grown and harms both workers (for example, depression and anxiety) and companies (for example, more absenteeism and lower productivity). It describes two prevention approaches: individual approaches that teach coping and resilience (including mindfulness) and organizational changes that alter work conditions (including adding natural elements).…

Animal and Plant Science Education Educational Environments and Student Outcomes Urban Green Space and Health

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

‘Shine bright like a diamond!’: is research on high‐functioning ADHD at last entering the mainstream?

Klaus‐Peter Lesch

This ADDA article explains “high‑functioning ADHD” as when a person has ADHD symptoms but still manages daily life, often by using special strategies. It says high‑functioning ADHD is not an official diagnosis, can be hard to spot because coping methods hide symptoms, and that these workarounds can be tiring and…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Functional Brain Connectivity Studies

Compassion fatigue in helping professions: a scoping literature review

Amelia Mohd Noor, Dodi Suryana, Engku Mardiah Engku Kamarudin, Noor Banu Mahadir Naidu, Siti Rozaina Kamsani, Priyalatha Govindasamy
BMC Psychology Summary & key facts 2025 11 citations

This scoping review looked at research on compassion fatigue in helping jobs like nursing, counselling, social work, and teaching. The authors found 43 articles and say compassion fatigue is a complex, hard-to-define idea that has been studied most in health care—especially nursing—and that different personal and work factors are linked…

Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout Optimism, Hope, and Well-being Resilience and Mental Health

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

Life Gets Better: Important Resilience Factors When Growing Up With ADHD

Cecilie Dangmann, Gunhild K. W. Skogli, Mira Elise Glaser Holthe, Anne Kjersti Myhrene Steffenak, P. Andersen

Growing up with ADHD was associated with both challenges and positives, but the main resilience theme was that life gets better. A variety of resilience factors contributed to this, but relational and environmental factors seemed particularly important. Acceptance, both from society and self-acceptance, were related to all resilience factors in…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Traumatic Brain Injury Research
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