Psychological Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Positive affect as a buffer in the daily relationship between stress and psychotic experiences across the psychosis continuum.","authors":"Merel Karlijn Muller, Johanna T W Wigman, Sanne H Booij, David van den Berg, Robert A Schoevers, Lorna Staines, Sara van der Tuin, Larisa Morosan","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105558","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291726105558","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is growing interest in potential protective factors that may attenuate the impact of psychotic experiences (PEs), but research is still scarce. The present study investigates contemporaneous and temporal associations between daily reports of experienced stress and PEs in individuals at different early risk stages of psychosis, focusing on the possible moderating role of positive affect (PA) in these relationships (within-person moderation). Second, the buffering effect of PA differs across early risk stages (between-person moderation).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used 90-day daily diary data from 96 individuals allocated into 4 subgroups reflecting increasing psychosis risk: increased psychometric risk without current symptoms (subgroup 1; <i>n</i> = 25), low risk (subgroup 2; <i>n</i> = 27), mild risk (subgroup 3; <i>n</i> = 24), and ultra-high risk (subgroup 4; <i>n</i> = 20). Multilevel models, including double and triple interaction testing, applied to examine associations between experienced stress, PEs, and PA, and to compare these associations across subgroups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Experienced stress showed a significant contemporaneous effect on PEs, which was stronger in subgroup 4 than in other subgroups and stronger in subgroup 3 compared to subgroup 1. PA significantly moderated the contemporaneous effect of experienced stress on PEs; this moderating effect did not differ between subgroups. No significant temporal effect of experienced stress on PEs was found, nor was this effect moderated by either PA or subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Experienced stress is associated with PEs contemporaneously among individuals in early risk stages, and PA buffers this association, underscoring PA as a potentially important protective factor.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e287"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The uneven landscape of cognitive domains in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: A large consortium study.","authors":"Ania M Fiksinski, Rielle Wierenga, Donna McDonald-McGinn, Anne S Bassett, Carrie E Bearden, Bernice Morrow, Beverly Emanuel, Raquel E Gur, Ann Swillen, Stephen R Hooper, Eva W C Chow, Marianne B M van den Bree, Joris R Vermeesch, Michael J Owen, Stephan Eliez, Doron Gothelf, Celso Arango, Wendy R Kates, Tony Simon, Kieran C Murphy, Declan Murphy, Gabriela M Repetto, Jaume Morey Canyelles, Stefano Vicari, Joseph Cubells, Nicole Philip, Linda Campbell, Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja, Maude Schneider, Vandana Shashi, Marco Armando, Elemi J Breetvelt, Henriette de Veye, Therese van Amelsvoort, Jacob Vorstman","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291726105224","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is strongly associated with aberrant neurodevelopment, including decreased cognitive functioning and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). While the different core domains of IQ have distinct clinical ramifications, their collective profile has not been well-characterized in 22q11DS. Here, in the largest 22q11DS sample to date, we elucidate the overall IQ profile, including Verbal and Performance IQ (VIQ and PIQ), Processing Speed (PS), and Working Memory (WM), including associations with developmental stage and SSDs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We included 1,328 individuals with 22q11DS from the International Brain and Behavior Consortium. We derived an overall IQ profile using VIQ, PIQ, PS, and WM scores at initial assessment, from age-appropriate Wechsler scales. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal IQ data from a subset (<i>n</i> = 496; 37.35%) of individuals, we examined IQ profiles across three age groups and compared profiles between individuals with and without SSDs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>IQ profiles in 22q11DS exhibited differences between IQ domains (<i>p</i> < 0.001), ranked from relatively strongest to weakest: PS > WM > VIQ > PIQ. This profile was similar across age groups, with scores highest in children, lower in adolescents, and lowest in adults. Individuals without SSDs had higher IQ scores than those with SSDs (<i>p</i> < 0.001), with no significant domain-specific effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results indicate a tendency toward a characteristic IQ profile in 22q11DS, regardless of SSD status. A clinical implication of these divergent IQ domains, in particular the relative weakness in PIQ, is that functional expectations are likely to be overestimated. The domain-specific differences across age-groups highlight the need for repeated and comprehensive cognitive assessments in this high-risk population, and may suggest differing underlying mechanisms that require further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e283"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How should we teach psychiatric formulation? A systematic review of the evidence.","authors":"Giulia Ferrari, Gareth Knott, Gareth Owen","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105601","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0033291726105601","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We conducted a systematic review of literature on teaching psychiatric formulation with the aim of reflecting on the findings and proposing recommendations for enhancing formulation pedagogy within psychiatric education. We found categories of publication on formulation tools, educational strategies, and evaluation of outcomes with little continuity between them. Fourteen themes were identified that helped to understand the gaps in the evidence and the unresolved issues of conceptualization. Our review revealed a striking paradox: despite widespread agreement on the centrality of formulation as a core clinical competency in psychiatry, how to teach it remains fragmented, methodologically weak, and conceptually inconsistent. Based on the findings we propose eight recommendations to aid advance in the research of teaching psychiatric formulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e286"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of modernized collaborative care for depression on individual depressive symptoms: A secondary analysis of the eIMPACT trial.","authors":"Christopher A Crawford, Michelle K Williams, Aubrey L Shell, Zachary M Jones, Jihee Yoon, Krysha L MacDonald, Christopher M Callahan, John I Nurnberger, Jesse C Stewart","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105765","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0033291726105765","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Depression affects over 400 million adults worldwide and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Although symptoms vary in their responsiveness to treatment, clinical trials typically report total scores, obscuring symptom-level effects. Despite collaborative care's effectiveness for depression in primary care, its impact on individual depressive symptoms among racially and socioeconomically diverse patients remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a secondary analysis of the eIMPACT trial of 216 primary care patients (M_age = 59 years; 78% women; 50% Black; 46% with income <$10,000/year). Participants were randomized to 12 months of modernized collaborative care (internet cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT], telephonic CBT, and/or select antidepressants) or usual primary care. Two path analytic models estimated simultaneous item-level effects on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-20 (SCL-20) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The intervention outperformed usual care on 15 of 20 SCL-20 items and 7 of 9 PHQ-9 items. Seventeen symptoms - including hopelessness, anxious distress, depressed mood, self-blame, worthlessness, disturbed sleep, and fatigue - showed moderate-to-large between-group improvement (<i>β</i>s = -0.50 to -0.70). Smaller but significant gains were observed for six other symptoms (<i>β</i>s = -0.35 to -0.49). No significant advantage emerged for suicidality, loneliness, sexual dysfunction, appetite change, or psychomotor symptoms (<i>β</i>s = -0.03 to -0.37).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Modernized collaborative care improves most depressive symptoms in diverse primary care patients, though cross-measure persistent symptoms highlight clinically consequential domains that may be obscured by total scores. Symptom-level analyses may help identify persistent symptom domains requiring targeted adjunctive treatment to optimize recovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e284"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychological resilience and its genetic determinants: Insights from longitudinal analyses of surgery and trauma cohorts.","authors":"Hongxi Wang, Yanan Zhang, Lei Liu, Huazhen Yang, Jiesiwei Luo, Zian Cao, Wenwen Chen, Yu Zeng, Fang Fang, Jie Song, Jin Huang, Qian Li, Huan Song","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105790","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291726105790","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To identify resilience to trauma using longitudinal psychological assessments and uncover its genetic components.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective cohort study included 12,946 surgical patients from the China Surgery and Anesthesia Cohort (CSAC) with assessments of depressive symptoms from pre-surgery through 1, 6, and 12 months post-surgery, using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Linear mixed-effects models predicted post-surgery PHQ-9 scores; individuals with much lower observed PHQ-9 score than expected (i.e. lowest 25th percentile of residuals) were defined as resilient. We performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis to identify variants associated with psychological resilience. We examined the identified variant in 2,285 patients from the China Severe Trauma Cohort (CSTC) using genotype stratification and additive models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CSAC participants had a mean age of 52.2 years and 58.5% were female. Overall, 2,328 (18.0%) were identified as resilient and exhibited a lower prevalence of psychological symptoms. GWAS identified a lead single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs11766511, <i>P</i> = 3.082 × 10^-8) mapped to the gene sidekick cell adhesion molecule 1 (<i>SDK1</i>), as a candidate locus implicating neural signaling pathways in stress response and resilience. In CSTC, genotype stratification suggested a lower symptom burden among GG genotype of rs11766511 compared with AA carriers (e.g. Beta = -0.94 [-1.76 to -0.12] for PHQ-9 score). The additive genetic model showed a directionally consistent but non-significant protective pattern of the G allele across psychological symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Longitudinal assessments of depressive symptoms offer a reliable method for measuring psychological resilience. The rs11766511 locus mapped to SDK1 may represent a candidate genetic signal for psychological resilience and warrants confirmation.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e285"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenotypic and genetic relations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders.","authors":"Michael Setzer, Rachel Kember, Emily Hartwell, Zachary Piserchia, Joel Gelernter, Henry Kranzler, Joshua Gray","doi":"10.1017/S0033291725103103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291725103103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) commonly co-occur and have overlapping genetic liabilities. Less is known regarding the phenomenology and genetics of ADHD in a cohort enriched for SUDs and the extent to which ADHD genetic liability contributes to SUD risk when controlling for substance specific genetic risk.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used data from the Yale-Penn cohort, which comprises ~14,000 individuals ascertained for SUDs and/or as controls. Psychiatric and substance use phenotypes were ascertained from the semi-structured assessment for drug dependence and alcohol survey for all participants. Polygenic scores (PGSs) were developed for ADHD and multiple substance-related traits using summary statistics from large genome-wide association studies on participants with genetic data (<i>N</i> = 10,275).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants who met DSM-IV Criteria for ADHD had significantly increased odds for every DSM-5 SUD analyzed, greater polysubstance use, and younger age of onset of substance use. Among participants of European-like ancestry, ADHD PGS was associated with multiple SUDs, even after controlling for substance-specific PGS. Of the substance-related PGS, only the smoking initiation PGS was associated with ADHD diagnosis and criterion count and only among individuals of European-like ancestry.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this sample, ADHD was associated with increased risk for SUDs and earlier onset of substance use. Additionally, genetic liability to ADHD was independently associated with multiple SUDs and SUD criteria counts. PGS for substance-related traits tended to be less significantly associated with ADHD. Further studies in large, diverse populations are needed to enhance our understanding of these associations.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e281"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altered glutamate concentration in major depressive disorder during antidepressant treatment: A glutamate CEST MRI study.","authors":"Ximan Hou, Haonan Wang, Rui Liu, Fengxia Zhang, Qicheng Lu, Yi Zhang, Yuan Zhou, Yue Liu, Jingjing Zhou, Hongfang Li, Xiaoxuan Wei, Gang Wang, Aihong Yu","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291726105571","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) represent an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). This study employed glutamate chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare glutamate-sensitive signals in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of MDD patients before and after SSRI treatment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study included 35 unmedicated MDD patients and 39 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent baseline GluCEST imaging, using magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTR_asym) values to reflect regional glutamate levels. Twenty MDD patients completed follow-up GluCEST imaging after 8 weeks of SSRI treatment. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Rating Depression Scale (HAMD).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At baseline, the MTR_asym values in the left hippocampus and bilateral prefrontal cortex were significantly lower in MDD patients compared to the HCs. Following SSRI treatment, the 20 MDD patients who completed follow-up showed significantly increased MTR_asym values in the bilateral hippocampus and bilateral prefrontal cortex relative to baseline. Uncorrected correlation analyses showed that treatment-related differences in MTR_asym values in the left hippocampus and left prefrontal cortex were associated with changes in HAMD-17 total score, sleep disturbance, and retardation scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>GluCEST imaging suggested abnormal glutamate-sensitive signals in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of patients with MDD. SSRI treatment was associated with increased GluCEST signals across all regions of interest. The observed associations between regional GluCEST signal changes and symptom changes further suggest a potential role of glutamatergic-related modulation in the therapeutic effects of SSRIs.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e278"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychosocial interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder in low- and middle-income countries: a Bayesian meta-analysis.","authors":"Cosima Leithner, Smilla Gerst, Rebeca Niyaz, Luzia Heusler, Yannik Terhorst, Thomas Ehring, Verena Semmlinger","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105807","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0033291726105807","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent and debilitating in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), yet the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions remains poorly synthesized. This study presents the first comprehensive meta-analysis of their effectiveness for adults with PTSD symptoms in LMICs (PROSPERO CRD42024584333). A literature search was conducted using the PTSD Trials Standardized Data Repository. Additional searches were performed through backward citation tracking and in Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and PTSDpubs using terms for PTSD, nonpharmacological interventions, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) methodology. Trials published from 1 January 1980 to 23 June 2025 were included. Eligible studies were RCTs evaluating psychosocial interventions in LMICs, with participants exhibiting PTSD symptoms. Effect sizes were aggregated using three-level Bayesian random-effects meta-regressions. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane's RoB 2 tool. Fifty-five RCTs, comprising 5,041 participants, were included. At post-assessment, psychosocial interventions yielded large within-group (<i>g</i> = -1.88; 95% credible interval [CrI], -2.25 to -1.51) and between-group (<i>g</i> = -1.31; 95% CrI, -1.66 to -0.95) effects for PTSD symptoms, both sustained at follow-up. Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness of results across varying prior specifications. For the secondary outcomes of depression and anxiety, medium to large, sustained effects emerged. Treatments were particularly effective when trauma-focused, delivered face-to-face, and administered to older participants. This meta-analysis supports the use of psychosocial interventions for adults with PTSD symptoms in LMICs. Consistent with guidelines from high-income countries, trauma-focused interventions should be prioritized as first-line treatments. More high-quality research on PTSD treatment in LMICs is urgently needed, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e280"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Re-evaluating the predictive value of reinforcement motivation on outcome in anorexia nervosa: The role of affective symptoms.","authors":"Joseph A King, Clara M Breier, Suse Siegmund, Franziska M Korb, Julia Göbel, Svea Königsmann, Claudia Förster Ribet, Fabio Bernardoni, Veit Roessner, Stefan Ehrlich","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291726105674","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Reinforcement motivation, particularly heightened punishment sensitivity and its imbalance relative to reward sensitivity (\"motivational bias\"), can predict outcomes in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, previous studies did not account for affective symptoms, which are intertwined with reinforcement processes and illness trajectory. This study examined whether affective symptoms explain outcomes beyond reinforcement motivation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adolescent girls and young women with AN (<i>n</i> = 192; M_age = 16.33 years, SD = 2.61) completed self-report measures of punishment/reward sensitivity, depressive symptoms, and trait anxiety at treatment admission and at 1-year follow-up. Outcomes included ED symptoms, body mass index, and multidimensional recovery (Morgan-Russell outcome assessment schedule). Cross-sectional comparisons included long-term recovered individuals (<i>n</i> = 154) and healthy controls (<i>n</i> = 440); longitudinal associations were tested using nested linear regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients with AN and recovered individuals showed elevated punishment sensitivity (η²ₚ = 0.19) and stronger motivational bias (punishment>reward; η²ₚ = 0.17). At baseline, reinforcement motivation and affective symptoms showed limited predictive utility. Longitudinally, shifts in motivational bias were associated with ED symptoms and multidimensional outcomes (|<i>β|</i> > 0.248, <i>p</i>_FDR < .002), whereas changes in affective symptoms were the most robust and consistently associated predictors (|<i>β|</i> > 0.173, <i>p</i>_FDR < .017).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Depressive symptom improvement emerged as the key predictor of outcome, showing stronger associations with follow-up ED symptoms and psychosocial functioning than reinforcement motivation. While changes in reinforcement motivation accompanied ED outcomes, affective symptom change was more predictive across outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of prioritizing affective processes within developmentally tailored AN treatment frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e279"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148983414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental health.","authors":"Barbara J Sahakian, Vicki Perrin, Christelle Langley","doi":"10.1017/S0033291726105625","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291726105625","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Growing recognition of the importance of prevention in mental health has led to increased interest in modifiable lifestyle factors that support brain health, cognition, and well-being. This editorial examines evidence for an accessible and low-cost protective factor across the lifespan, namely reading for pleasure. Drawing on subjective surveys and objective studies using longitudinal, neuroimaging, and behavioral methods, we highlight converging findings that link reading engagement with improved brain and mental health, better cognitive performance, and reduced risk of cognitive decline. Survey data in adults suggested that reading was associated with reduced stress, greater empathy, enhanced well-being, and decreased loneliness. Longitudinal cohort studies further indicate that cognitively stimulating activities, particularly reading, are associated with a lower risk of dementia and slower cognitive decline, even among individuals with lower educational attainment. In childhood and adolescence, early reading for pleasure has been linked to better attention, memory, executive function, academic achievement, and fewer mental health problems. Neuroimaging findings suggest that reading is associated with structural and functional differences in brain regions supporting executive control, emotional regulation, and social cognition. Importantly, these benefits appear independent of socioeconomic background. Book club studies may suggest additional social benefits of reading in groups. Together, the evidence supports reading for pleasure and engaging in book clubs as scalable interventions, which may promote cognitive reserve, resilience, and lifelong mental well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":20891,"journal":{"name":"Psychological Medicine","volume":"56 ","pages":"e262"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148970862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}