Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-09-05eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2728328
Marco Iván Peñaranda-Larios, Adalberto Campo-Arias, Edwin Herazo
{"title":"Relationship between knowledge and stigma in mental health among emerging adult students in night schools.","authors":"Marco Iván Peñaranda-Larios, Adalberto Campo-Arias, Edwin Herazo","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2728328","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2728328","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study's objective was to quantify the relationship between mental health knowledge and mental health stigma and discrimination among Colombian emerging adults. A cross-sectional study was designed with adult school students attending evening classes. The variables of interest were quantified using the Universal Mental Health Literacy Scale Adapted for Adults. This instrument comprises three subscales: mental health knowledge, knowledge of mental disorders, and mental health stigma. Adjusted odds ratios (<i>OR</i>) and 95% confidence intervals (<i>95%CI</i>) were calculated. 361 students aged 18 to 29 years (<i>M</i> = 19.30, <i>SD</i> = 2.24) participated; 50.42% were women. 49.86% presented limited knowledge about mental health; 19.67% presented limited knowledge about mental disorders; and 61.50% presented high mental health stigma. Limited knowledge about mental health (adjusted <i>OR</i> = 1.58, <i>95%CI</i> 1.02-2.44) was significantly associated with high mental health stigma; however, limited knowledge about mental disorders (adjusted <i>OR</i> = 1.66, <i>95%CI</i> 0.94-2.92) was not associated with mental health stigma. In conclusion, limited knowledge about mental health is related to mental health stigma, and limited knowledge about mental disorders is not associated with mental health stigma. It is essential to identify other factors linked to mental health stigma among emerging Colombian adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2728328"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13552311/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148914226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-08-11eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2716621
John Robert C Rilveria
{"title":"Whose alliance shapes whose appraisal? Longitudinal actor-partner associations between therapeutic alliance and session quality, clinical severity, and global improvement among Filipino client-therapist dyads.","authors":"John Robert C Rilveria","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2716621","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2716621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined longitudinal actor-partner associations between client- and therapist-rated alliance and three appraisal domains: session quality, clinical severity, and global improvement. Using an intensive longitudinal dyadic design, 54 unique Filipino client-therapist dyads were followed across eight to ten psychotherapy sessions. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models tested whether each dyad member's alliance rating at session t predicted their own and the other member's appraisal at session t + 1, controlling for prior appraisal, observed session number, and between-dyad alliance means. Descriptive trajectories showed that alliance ratings were relatively stable, session quality fluctuated across sessions, clinical severity declined over time, and global improvement increased across observed treatment sessions. Actor effects were supported primarily for session quality: stronger-than-usual client-rated alliance predicted higher subsequent client-rated session quality, and stronger-than-usual therapist-rated alliance predicted higher subsequent therapist-rated session quality. Therapist-rated alliance also predicted lower subsequent therapist-rated clinical severity. Partner effects were not statistically significant across the primary models. Cross-domain comparisons indicated that actor effects were most evident for session quality, whereas partner effects did not vary meaningfully across appraisal domains. Findings suggest that alliance fluctuations are most consistently associated with each dyad member's own subsequent session appraisal and highlight the value of bidirectional alliance monitoring in psychotherapy practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2716621"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13463515/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148725540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-08-04eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2711571
Shwikar Othman, Mitra Javanmard, Lauren Roberts, Lisa Conlon, Mary Steen
{"title":"The influence of self-compassion on the mental health and well-being of women experiencing infertility: a systematic review.","authors":"Shwikar Othman, Mitra Javanmard, Lauren Roberts, Lisa Conlon, Mary Steen","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2711571","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2711571","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Infertility can cause significant distress to women, increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. This systematic review examined the influence of self-compassion interventions on mental health and well-being among women experiencing infertility. The review was conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and reported following PRISMA guideline. Databases searched included Medline, Embase, Ovid nursing database, Emcare, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library from inception to November 2024. Quality assessment was conducted using JBI critical appraisal tools. Title and abstract screening was conducted by three reviewers, and data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, seven intervention studies (<i>n</i> = 591 participants) and nine cross-sectional studies (<i>n</i> = 3005 participants). Intervention studies reported a reduction in depression, anxiety, shame and feelings of defeat, alongside improvements in self-compassion, well-being, quality of life (QoL), self-efficacy, emotion regulation difficulties and coping strategies. Meta-analysis was not undertaken due to substantial clinical, methodological and outcome heterogeneity across included studies. Cross-sectional studies indicated that higher self-compassion was associated with lower fertility-related stress and better psychological outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that self-compassion interventions, including education-based approaches, may improve psychological health and resilience in women experiencing infertility. Incorporating multi-faceted education-based strategies to enhance self-compassion may provide further support and resilience for this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2711571"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13446050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148686890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-07-21eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2683019
Andrew Sweetmore, Heidi Singleton, Ann Luce, Debbie Holley, Morad Margoum
{"title":"Early interventions for self-harm among children and young people in educational and primary-care settings: a scoping review.","authors":"Andrew Sweetmore, Heidi Singleton, Ann Luce, Debbie Holley, Morad Margoum","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2683019","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2683019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Self-harm among children and young people is a major public-health concern associated with substantially elevated risk of adverse outcomes including suicide. Educational and primary-care settings are frequent points of contact, prompting diverse prevention and early-intervention efforts, yet the scope and effectiveness of these remain unclear. This scoping review mapped and synthesised empirical studies evaluating interventions designed to prevent or reduce self-harm in individuals aged 25 years or younger within educational or general-practice contexts. Following JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidance, seven databases and grey-literature sources were searched to July 2025. Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria: five randomised controlled trials, five other quantitative evaluations, four mixed-methods studies, seven qualitative enquiries, and one implementation report. Most were delivered in educational settings; primary care remained under-represented. Psycho-educational programmes were most common, followed by screening or early-identification approaches, mindfulness or expressive-therapeutic interventions, an integrated service model, professional training, and a digital self-help app. Of twelve studies with quantitative outcomes, four reported significant reductions in self-harm thoughts or behaviours, although most were small-scale and short-term. Adverse-event reporting and harm monitoring were limited. Evidence indicates potential benefits of psycho-educational and brief psychotherapeutic interventions in schools, but further multi-site trials with longer follow-up and robust harm-monitoring protocols are needed, particularly within primary care.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2683019"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13393056/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148581233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-06-10eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2686466
Ayuk Ngwi Tanyi Ashu
{"title":"Stigma, culture, and mental health help-seeking among Black African immigrants in the United States: an integrative literature review.","authors":"Ayuk Ngwi Tanyi Ashu","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2686466","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2686466","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stigma surrounding mental health continues to be a significant obstacle to seeking help and using services among Black African immigrant communities in the United States. Despite rapid population growth, Black African immigrants are frequently grouped with African Americans or omitted from mental health research, obscuring culturally specific experiences and needs. This integrative literature review synthesizes peer-reviewed research published between 2012 and 2025 to examine how stigma shapes mental health perceptions, help-seeking behaviors, and access to care among Black African immigrants. A systematic search was conducted across five databases: PsycINFO, APA PsycNET, PubMed, Infokat UKY, and Google Scholar. Of the 72 screened articles, only 22 met the inclusion criteria. The selected studies included qualitative, quantitative, integrative/scoping, conceptual/theoretical, and reports articles. Using an integrative synthesis approach, three main themes emerged: the cultural and spiritual understandings of mental illness; the influence of family and community norms on help-seeking behaviors; and structural and migration-related barriers in U.S. healthcare systems. Guided by Afrocentric and intersectionality frameworks, the review shows how stigma manifests at individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels, reinforced by religiosity, community expectations, immigration stressors, and structural racism. Across the studies, stigma consistently shaped perceptions of mental illness, delayed help-seeking, and reduced engagement with formal services. The findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive, community-based, and anti-racist social work and mental health interventions tailored to the varied experiences of Black African immigrants.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2686466"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13255193/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148254704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-04-23eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2664163
Brian Yim, J Christopher Muran, Qianying Ren, Bernard Gorman
{"title":"Exploring the application of large language models in coding the experiencing scale (EXP).","authors":"Brian Yim, J Christopher Muran, Qianying Ren, Bernard Gorman","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2664163","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2664163","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Psychotherapy process measures like the Experiencing Scale (EXP) offer valuable insight into clinical interactions but are time-intensive to code. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have the potential to streamline this process, but empirical validation is nascent. This exploratory study aimed to provide a proof-of-concept coding the EXP using ChatGPT with special attention to ethical considerations, limitations, and future directions. ChatGPT was used to code 79 psychotherapy transcripts drawn from the EXP manual. Multiple models of ChatGPT were tested using varied few-shot learning prompt engineering protocols. Data collection occurred in three phases, during which models rated both modal and peak EXP scores for all transcripts. ChatGPT demonstrated moderate agreement with manual reference ratings. An efficient configuration (o3-mini, 5-shot prompting) yielded moderate reliability for both modal EXP scores (ICC[3,1] = .67, 95% CI [.53, .79]) and peak EXP scores (ICC[3,1] = .71, 95% CI [.58, .81]). LLMs may feasibly augment or replace human EXP coders under certain conditions. However, evidence is preliminary and ethical and technical limitations remain. Future research should validate the present methodology using out-of-manual data, assess potential pretraining exposure, and explore locally hosted LLM applications to mitigate privacy concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2664163"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13107987/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-04-07eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2653852
Hongjun Tan, Louis G Castonguay, Rebecca A Janis, Jeffrey A Hayes, Sultan A N Magruder, Caitlin L Chun-Kennedy, Brett E Scofield
{"title":"The role of social support in the effectiveness of counseling for international students.","authors":"Hongjun Tan, Louis G Castonguay, Rebecca A Janis, Jeffrey A Hayes, Sultan A N Magruder, Caitlin L Chun-Kennedy, Brett E Scofield","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2653852","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2653852","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous studies on college counseling have shown that international student clients experience higher psychological distress and benefit less from individual psychotherapy in a university counseling center (UCC) setting compared to domestic student clients. International students face many challenges during adjustment to a foreign country, and social support plays a crucial role during this process and in their psychological well-being. This study aimed to compare the levels of pre-treatment symptoms and treatment outcomes between international and domestic student clients, and examine how perceived social support was related to these differences. The study used data collected from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH), including 4876 clients treated by 1679 therapists in 98 UCCs, of which 2438 were international student clients from 142 countries. Multivariate general linear models were constructed to explore our research questions. International student clients reported lower perceived social network support and higher family support, and higher depression, academic distress and anger/frustration at pre-treatment than domestic student clients, but there were limited differences in treatment outcomes. Both perceived social network support and family support were predictive of pre-treatment symptoms, and family support was shown to be positively related to better treatment outcomes in patients with depression, anxiety and academic distress. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2653852"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13059032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147647563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-03-15eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2643551
Emma F Ehrenzeller, Paul J Smith, Timothy O Mousseau, Girija Chatufale, Sarah A Bennett, Michela N Thomsen, Kay James
{"title":"The neural impacts of gun violence exposure on adult attentional mechanisms: an EEG pilot study.","authors":"Emma F Ehrenzeller, Paul J Smith, Timothy O Mousseau, Girija Chatufale, Sarah A Bennett, Michela N Thomsen, Kay James","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2643551","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2643551","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adolescents and young adults experience a disproportionately high risk of gun violence victimization while also undergoing a sensitive neurodevelopmental period for cognitive processes like attention. Consequently, in this exploratory study, we evaluated the impact of gun violence exposure (GVE) on neural indices of attentional systems in late adolescents and young adults. We hypothesized that GVE decreases efficiency of the primary attentional mechanisms in the brain: alerting, orienting, and executive control. We recorded electroencephalography while participants completed the Attention Network Test (ANT) to elicit N1, N2, and P3 event-related potentials (ERPs), indices of alerting, orienting, and executive control. Participants provided self-reports of mental health and violence exposure. Behavioral and ERP differences between participants with and without GVE were evaluated. Results from 13 participants (ages 18-35; <i>M</i> = 25.54; <i>SD</i> = 4.16) demonstrated that participants with GVE experienced less efficiency in the attentional alerting mechanism compared to participants with no GVE. These findings may relate to hypervigilance associated with anxiety disorders that can arise following traumatic firearm exposure. Preliminary evidence for the disruptive effects of GVE on the neural correlates of attention indicates a need for more robust research to understand the effects of firearm-related harms on neural and cognitive functions.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2643551"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12990279/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147476534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cogent mental healthPub Date : 2026-02-17eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1080/28324765.2026.2631209
Barbara Lopes, Rusi Jaspal
{"title":"An identity-based cognitive model of self-schemata, perceived social support and paranoid ideation: data from lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.","authors":"Barbara Lopes, Rusi Jaspal","doi":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2631209","DOIUrl":"10.1080/28324765.2026.2631209","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people experience mental health inequalities but there are limited data on paranoid ideation in this population. Using cross-sectional survey data from 257 LGB people, this study tests an identity-based cognitive model of self-schemata, perceived social support and paranoid ideation. Specifically, it examines associations between the maladaptive self-schemata of uncertainty intolerance and rejection sensitivity and paranoid ideation directly and indirectly through the mediation of perceived social support, as well as the moderating role of the adaptive self-schema of identity resilience. An advanced moderated mediation generalized linear model (GLM) showed that uncertainty intolerance and rejection sensitivity were associated directly and positively with paranoid ideation and indirectly through the mediation of lower perceived social support. In addition to directly and negatively impacting paranoia, identity resilience moderated these direct and indirect relationships, essentially weakening the associations between the maladaptive self-schemata and paranoid ideation, the maladaptive self-schemata and lower perceived social support and lower perceived social support and paranoid ideation. Identity resilience may perform protective effects against paranoia notwithstanding the presence of maladaptive self-schemata.</p>","PeriodicalId":72633,"journal":{"name":"Cogent mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2631209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12918275/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147273212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}