BMC Psychology最新文献

{"title":"Clinicians' practices and attitudes toward depression assessment: a cross-sectional survey study.","authors":"Damon Navandi, Veerle C Eijsbroek, Clara Wiebel, Aaron Marker, Katarina Kjell, Marc L Molendijk, Elizabeth C Stade, Oscar N E Kjell","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05036-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05036-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate psychological evaluation is crucial for early detection, intervention and evaluation of mental health disorders. The validity and reliability of psychological evaluation methods have been systematically researched for many decades. However, assessment methods used by mental health professionals in clinical settings have not consistently been empirically documented. This study examines the extent to which standardized assessment methods are used in clinical settings, and clinicians' attitudes toward these practices. Clinicians (N = 585) from the U.S. (25%), the U.K. (28%), the Netherlands (18%), Sweden (22%), and other countries (7%) completed an online survey reporting their depression assessment methods. Clinicians reported using many different data collection methods (e.g., unstructured clinical interviews [83%], rating scales [83%]) in various combinations. A majority (80%) primarily employed clinical data combination methods, as opposed to statistical data combination methods (11%). Although they were confident in their assessments, the time to carry out assessments varied widely (M = 87 [SD = 108] minutes). 77% agreed on the importance of standardized, valid, and reliable assessments, and 43% reported interest in receiving AI decision-support. We did not find many significant cross-cultural differences. A majority of clinicians have not fully adopted standardized assessment methods. Predominant reliance on clinical judgment suggests a disconnect between best practices supported by research and everyday clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13491592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148799115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Controlled by the game\"- interviews on why regaining control over gaming is difficult for patients with gaming disorder.","authors":"Annika Hofstedt, Kerstin Ulin, Anna Söderpalm Gordh","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05258-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05258-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on gaming disorder has grown substantially over the past two decades, but few studies have used qualitative methods. The focus on quantitative studies risks overlooking nuances of gaming disorder. For treatment purposes it is important to have knowledge about the full range of factors maintaining gaming disorder. The aim of this study was to explore how individuals with gaming disorder experience their gaming, with a particular focus on factors that make it difficult to control the amount of time spent gaming.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twelve patients diagnosed with gaming disorder were recruited at an outpatient clinic treating gaming disorder in Gothenburg, Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine factors that hindered them from reducing their gaming. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirteen subthemes were identified, forming five main themes: Being committed, Enjoying the game, Filling the void, Climbing an eternity ladder and Being controlled by the game. The themes represent a wide range of reasons why it is difficult to control the amount of gaming, including aspects of the games, individual characteristics of the gamers and their life circumstances outside the games.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results highlight that gaming disorder is multifaceted and maintained by a combination of reduced self-control, structural game characteristics and the fact that gaming satisfies many basic human needs. For clinical purposes, it is important to address game-specific challenges, individual vulnerabilities and factors related to everyday life outside gaming to deliver effective treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13681908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149225024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of self-compassion interventions in reducing anxiety and depression among university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Maryam Sobhaninia, Roya Rasuli, Simin Hosseinian, Abbas Abdollahi","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05392-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05392-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>The aim of present systematic review and meta-analysis study was to evaluate the role of self-compassion interventions in reducing anxiety and depression in university students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE (Ovid), and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials published between January 2015 and December 2025. Study selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted using Hedges' g as the standardized effect size because different validated outcome measures were used across studies. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA/MP version 17 (College Station, TX, USA). The review protocol was prospectively registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD420261443161).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven randomized controlled trials involving 803 participants were included. Self-compassion interventions significantly reduced anxiety compared with control conditions (Hedges' g = - 0.854, 95% CI: -1.088 to - 0.620; p < 0.001), with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 48.5%). Similarly, self-compassion interventions significantly reduced depression symptoms (Hedges' g = - 0.694, 95% CI: -0.904 to - 0.485; p < 0.001), with low heterogeneity (I² = 41.1%). Leave-one-out sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the pooled estimates remained statistically significant after sequential exclusion of each study, indicating robust findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Self-compassion-based interventions are a promising, complementary approach to reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among university students.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13573455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148971616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dysfunctional romantic beliefs of heterosexual women undergraduate students: the role of traditional media and social media.","authors":"Gökçe Sancak Aydın","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05377-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05377-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to explore dysfunctional romantic beliefs among women undergraduate students and the meanings they attribute to romantic messages received from traditional media and social media. Using a qualitative research design, twenty heterosexual undergraduate women participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using content analysis, and findings were supported with participants' direct quotations to enhance interpretive depth.The findings indicated that participants perceived both traditional and social media as influential sources of messages about romance. While they emphasized that the content and presentation of these messages differed across media channels, they reported being consistently exposed to romantic narratives through both. At the same time, participants generally did not describe themselves as directly internalizing these messages; rather, they viewed many of the romantic relationships portrayed on social media as artificial, idealized, and inconsistent with real-life. Nevertheless, the results suggested that repeated exposure to media messages contributes to constructing romanticism as a relational necessity, potentially shaping romantic expectations in dysfunctional ways. Among the romantic beliefs identified, the strongest endorsement was for the belief in a \"one and only\" partner, followed by the \"idealization\" and the belief that \"love conquers all.\" In contrast, the belief in \"love at first sight\" received the lowest level of endorsement. The findings are discussed within the broader context of gender roles and Turkish cultural norms, highlighting how media representations intersect with culturally embedded expectations surrounding romantic relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13579883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Personal values and mental health among Chinese university students: a dual-factor model perspective.","authors":"Wenjuan Zhang, Zihua Li","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05380-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05380-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Personal values may be important for university students' mental health. However, most studies focus on single indicators such as anxiety, depression, or well-being, with limited attention to overall mental health profiles. How different value dimensions relate to mental health heterogeneity from a dual-factor perspective remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, latent profile analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used to identify mental health profiles and examine their associations with personal values. A total of 14,929 Chinese university students completed self-report measures of personal values, anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three mental health profiles were identified: complete mental health, vulnerable, and troubled. The symptomatic but content profile was not found. Multinomial logistic regression showed that self-transcendence was linked to more favorable profiles, whereas self-enhancement was linked to less favorable profiles. Openness to change showed a conditional pattern: it was generally linked to lower likelihood of vulnerable or troubled membership, but among vulnerable and troubled students, higher openness to change was linked to higher likelihood of troubled membership. Conservation showed a weaker role and mainly distinguished the complete mental health and vulnerable profiles.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides a person-centered view of mental health heterogeneity among Chinese university students. The findings suggest that personal values are differentially associated with overall mental health profiles and support integrating symptom screening, value guidance, and positive psychological resource development in university mental health education.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523488/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148841467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Validation of the multi-dimensional scale for Anti-Social Behavior in a higher education setting (ASB) in a sample of Afghan students.","authors":"Mohammad Sajjad Afsharzada, Sajjad Saadat, Basir Ahmad Azizi, Wahidh Talbian","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05383-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05383-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Antisocial behavior extends across multiple layers of society, including communities, workplaces, and educational systems. Consequently, the study of Antisocial behavior in children, adolescents, and adults has attracted considerable interest from researchers across a wide range of disciplines.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The present study aimed to translate and validate the Anti-Social Behavior in a Higher Education Setting (ASB) in a sample of Afghan students. The present study employed a descriptive and validation-based approach.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The statistical population of this study consisted of 230 undergraduate students at Herat University, Afghanistan, who were enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year. In this study, students were selected using convenience sampling and completed an online survey (Qualtrics). To calculate test-retest reliability, 40 individuals were also selected and completed the ASB within two weeks. In this study, the ASB and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were administered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The confirmatory factor analysis (CFI) indicated that ASB had a good fit as a two-factor model (X2/df = 1.84, CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.06). Convergent validity results showed that ASB had positive and significant relationships with depression, anxiety, and stress (P < 0.05). The findings also showed that ASB had good reliability, as indicated by internal consistency, test-retest reliability, composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest that the Dari/Farsi ASB questionnaire demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability and may be used to assess antisocial behavior among Afghan university students.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13476914/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between boredom and mind-wandering weakens with increasing depressive symptom severity.","authors":"Johannes P-H Seiler, Florian Müller-Dahlhaus, Flávio Kapczinski, Tiago Figueiredo","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05362-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05362-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Boredom is an aversive state commonly elicited by monotonous or insufficiently engaging situations. Mind-wandering has been proposed as one possible response to boredom, but the association between these phenomena may vary with depressive symptom severity, particularly when mind-wandering is habitual, excessive, or poorly regulated. We therefore examined whether depressive symptom severity moderates the association between state boredom and habitual excessive mind-wandering in psychiatric patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study examined self-reported state boredom, depressive symptoms, and habitual excessive mind-wandering in 94 psychiatric outpatients spanning multiple diagnostic categories and age groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Depressive symptom severity was reliably associated with state boredom across diagnostic categories (R_P=0.623, p < 0.001). In addition, when studying the moderating effects of depressive symptom severity on the association between boredom and excessive mind-wandering, we observed a positive association of boredom and mind-wandering that progressively weakened with increasing degrees of depression (interaction of depression and boredom: β=-0.184, p = 0.039, ΔR² = 0.033).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate a robust correlation of state boredom and depression in various mental health disorders. Moreover, higher severity of individual depressive symptoms is associated with an attenuation of the coupling between state boredom and excessive mind-wandering tendencies. Replication in larger and more homogeneous samples is required to determine the generalizability of these observations.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13474920/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational stress, psychological resources, coping responses, and job satisfaction among healthcare workers in Ho Chi Minh City: a three-wave prospective cohort study.","authors":"Hoang Phuc Do, Thi Hang Le","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05279-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05279-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthcare workers (HCWs) in Vietnam face compounding occupational stressors placing them at elevated risk for diminished job satisfaction, depression, and anxiety. Longitudinal within-person evidence linking occupational stress to job satisfaction remains sparse in Southeast Asian low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A three-wave prospective cohort study enrolled 1,500 healthcare workers (HCWs; physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technicians) from 15 healthcare facilities in Ho Chi Minh City (T1: January-March 2023; T2: July-September 2023; T3: January-March 2024). Occupational stress (Effort-Reward Imbalance, ERI), psychological resources (resilience, perceived social and organizational support), coping responses (adaptive and maladaptive coping), and mental health outcomes were assessed at each wave using established self-report instruments adapted for Vietnamese use. Latent growth curve (LGC) modeling characterized job satisfaction trajectories across three waves; Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Modeling (RI-CLPM) estimated within-person indirect associations between psychological resources and job satisfaction as the primary outcome. Multiple imputation and cluster-robust standard errors were applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twelve-month retention was 92.6%. Mean job satisfaction (JSS) scores declined from T1 to T2 (mixed-effects contrast: b = -5.10, p < .001) and, to a significantly smaller degree, from T2 to T3 (b = -1.25, p < .001; contrast-of-contrasts b = 3.85, p < .001). Exploratory comparisons suggested heterogeneity in decline magnitude across professional groups; partial scalar invariance provided incomplete support for these comparisons, which remain exploratory because they were unadjusted for group-level occupational and demographic differences. Deviations in observed ERI composite scores at T1 were associated with subsequent deviations in resilience, adaptive coping, maladaptive coping, total perceived social support, and organizational support at T2. These variables were, in turn, associated with job satisfaction at T3, including a primary resilience (Brief Resilience Scale, BRS) pathway indirect association (ERI→BRS→JSS = -1.28, 95% Monte Carlo CI [-1.71, -0.85]). All five primary indirect associations were statistically significant (Benjamini-Hochberg q < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Job satisfaction declined across the study period, with exploratory evidence of heterogeneity across professional groups. Within-person patterns were consistent with Conservation of Resources theory. These preliminary findings identify candidate targets for future intervention research; pre-registered replication is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13621476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149076076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric properties and symptom profiles of the PHQ-9 and DASS-21 among medical and non-medical university students: a cross-sectional study in Pakistan.","authors":"Taimoor Asghar, Ali Hassan, Ifrah Sahar, Muhammad Tahir, Bilal Shahid, Komal Komal","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05332-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05332-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Depression is a leading cause of disability among university students. While medical students are often assumed to be at highest risk, cross-disciplinary comparisons in South Asia remain scarce. This study examined depressive symptom differences between medical and non-medical students in Pakistan and evaluated the concurrent psychometric performance of the PHQ-9 and DASS-21.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey of 602 undergraduate students (424 medical, 178 non-medical) was conducted at universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Measures included the PHQ-9 and DASS-21. Analyses comprised descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, multivariable linear regression (separate models for PHQ-9 and each DASS-21 domain), confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory using a graded response model, and symptom network analysis with stability testing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Non-medical students had higher PHQ-9 scores than medical students (median 10.0 vs. 9.0). In adjusted models, non-medical students scored higher on PHQ-9 (β = -1.43, p = 0.004), DASS Depression (β = -1.82, p = 0.003), and DASS Anxiety (β = -2.31, p = 0.001); the DASS Stress difference was non-significant (β = -0.89, p = 0.089). Female gender predicted higher scores across all domains (all p < 0.001). Each additional hour of sleep was associated with lower PHQ-9 scores (β = -0.37, p = 0.010). Prior depression treatment was the strongest predictor (β = 4.15, p < 0.001). DASS-21 confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate fit (CFI = 0.954, TLI = 0.948, RMSEA = 0.052), but latent factor correlations were very high (Depression-Stress r = 0.939; Anxiety-Stress r = 0.949). Cronbach's α ranged 0.82-0.88 across scales. Item response theory indicated that self-worth, concentration, down, and appetite items showed the highest discrimination; interest (anhedonia) showed the lowest (a = 0.468). In network analysis, self-worth, concentration, and downheartedness were the most central nodes; stability coefficients ranged 0.31-0.44. Measurement invariance across discipline was supported. Model R² values were low (0.029-0.041).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Non-medical students reported higher depressive and anxiety symptoms than medical students in this Pakistani sample, although academic discipline explained only a small proportion of variance. Both instruments performed adequately, though the DASS-21's near-unity latent correlations may raise questions about subscale distinguishability in this population. Cognitive and self-worth symptoms emerged as the most informative for screening purposes. Campus mental health strategies should address the whole student population, with particular attention to female students and sleep health.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13617949/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149076108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The immediate and follow-up effects of EMDR therapy for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.","authors":"Han Yang, Zhiheng Xiong, Xiangxiang Chen, Yijing Wo, Hao Tang, Mengxuan Qiao, Yu Chen, Zhilin Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40359-026-05349-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40359-026-05349-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is recommended as an effective psychotherapy for adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior meta-analyses lacked follow-up data or data on comorbid symptoms, and exhibited high heterogeneity. The aims of this meta-analysis were to investigate the immediate and follow-up effects of EMDR on adult patients with PTSD, especially those with comorbid anxiety and depression.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sixty-five studies (including 3342 participants) were analyzed to assess intervention effects and moderating factors such as trauma type, control group type, geography, early intervention, and intervention duration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study found that EMDR approach has immediate and follow-up effects on PTSD, with sustained effects at follow-up. It also has an immediate effect on anxiety and depression. Some factors like control group type, trauma type, moderated the immediate effects on PTSD, while for depression, factors like early intervention and number of sessions had moderating effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>EMDR is an effective intervention for adults with PTSD, with sustained effects and additional benefits for anxiety and depression. Early, brief EMDR shows superior efficacy.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251012356.</p>","PeriodicalId":37867,"journal":{"name":"BMC Psychology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13599145/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149026229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}