Tag: PLOS Mental Health

Reading of the Week: Physicians, Heal Thyselves – the New Nature Study; Also, Med Student Mental Health and Rodriguez on Her Depression & Healing

July 24, 2025 /

From the Editor

Today, we talk more about physician mental health problems than even a few years ago. But what would meaningful action look like? What are the evidence-based interventions?

Katherine Petrie (of the University of New South Wales) and her co-authors attempt to answer these questions in a new Nature Mental Health paper. They did a systematic review and meta-analysis by examining 24 studies involving almost 2 400 practicing physicians. “Our results indicate that a range of physician-directed interventions produce positive effects on symptoms of common mental disorders and that these moderate effects are maintained over time (up to 12 months).” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, from BMJ Mental Health, Yusen Zhai (of The University of Alabama) and co-authors draw on US survey data to look at trends of clinically significant anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and service utilization among medical students. The findings are troubling. “This study reveals a rising prevalence of clinically significant anxiety and depression self-reported by US medical students from 2018 to 2023.”

Finally, in the third selection, Ph.D. candidate Alexandra K. Rodriguez discusses her struggles with severe depression when she attended medical school. In a personal essay for PLOS Mental Health, she speaks about her recovery and the power of the arts. “When I dealt with suicidality, I could not conceptualize a future, let alone one with meaning. Sharing time creating with friends and singing lyrics that resonated with me helped me reframe my lowest period as an inflection point, one from which I could envision both fulfillment and joy.”

DG

Continue reading

Reading of the Week: Dating Advice for Patients? The New PLOS Mental Health Paper; Also, SSRIs at 50 and Lifestyle Psychiatry

May 22, 2025 /

From the Editor

My advocacy for him included speaking with his parents, calling his landlord, and completing his insurance-related paperwork. But I rarely asked him about his relationships, and I never offered advice on dating or finding a partner. During a tearful session, he spoke at length about his profound isolation. Should I have done more?

In a new study published in PLOS Mental Health, Angelica Emery-Rhowbotham (of University College London) and her co-authors explore the problem of relationships and our patients. They report both qualitative and quantitative data from 63 providers. “Staff were willing to help service users seek an intimate relationship but may need specific training or guidance to facilitate this confidently and safely.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, the Editors of The Lancet reflect on the fiftieth anniversary of SSRIs. They note controversies over time, including the argument that clinicians are overly reliant on this type of depression treatment. “50 years on from landmark developments in drug treatment that were the cause of so much hope, we remain a long way from providing the level of care that so many people need, and this need continues to demand the attention of the scientific and medical communities.”

And in the third selection, from World Psychiatry, Joseph Firth (of The University of Manchester) and his co-authors describe the priorities and opportunities for lifestyle psychiatry. In a letter, they present the consensus of the LifePsych Society. “As lifestyle psychiatry is poised to become an integral component of global mental health care, the LifePsych Society aims to facilitate global collaborations, establish shared priorities, and enhance the capacity for meaningful research across diverse settings.”

DG

Continue reading