To address the treatment gap for common mental disorders in low- and middle-income countries facing humanitarian challenges, it is crucial to build the capacity of primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) and integrate mental healthcare into primary care settings.

To investigate the effectiveness of a Mental Health Gap Action Programme Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG) adapted for use in Pakistan to build the capacity of PHCWs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Six mhGAP-HIG training workshops were conducted, each lasting for 5 days, across six districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A total of 105 PHCWs (74 primary care physicians and 31 clinical psychologists) were trained through these workshops. We used multiple triangulations for data collection and analyses. Paired-sample t-tests were applied to compare scores on knowledge questionnaires pre- and post-training and after 8 months. We also conducted thematic analysis to examine participants’ feedback regarding the training, and performed content analysis on the participants’ reflections on the adapted guide.

Our findings demonstrated significant improvements in PHCWs’ knowledge related to the mental health conditions in the mhGAP-HIG. Their scores improved by 12.08%, increasing from 73.86% pre-training to 85.94% post-training. Noticeable improvements in knowledge were recorded for the modules ‘Harmful use of alcohol and drugs’ (22.56%), ‘General principles of care’ and ‘Other significant mental health complaints’ (15.15%), ‘Acute stress’ (13.80%) and ‘Suicide’ and ‘Epilepsy’ (13.13%). The thematic analysis of the feedback of the PHCWs and trainers recommended the use of the guide to strengthen pre-service training and broaden the scope of the initiative to train PHCWs across the province.

This study underscores the feasibility of implementing an adapted mhGAP-HIG for training primary care physicians and clinical psychologists within the existing healthcare resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The preliminary findings endorse the scalability across other districts in the province.

Iraq is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and it is faced with extreme heat, drought and environmental degradation.

To examine the prevalence of climate anxiety and its association with depression and generalised anxiety disorder in the Iraqi population.

A cross-sectional survey recruited 1019 adult participants (47.8% males, 52.2% females). Most participants were aged 18–41 years (n = 854, 83.8%); 16.2% (n = 165) were aged 42–72 years. Regionally, 75.6% (n = 770) were from the Kurdistan Region and 24.4% (n = 249) from provinces in central and southern Iraq. The study used the Climate Change Anxiety Scale (CCAS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Statistical analyses, included descriptive analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests, Pearson’s correlations and regression models, examined variations in climate anxiety by demographics and associations with depression and anxiety.

Overall, 71.4% of participants reported severe climate anxiety, with a higher prevalence in the Kurdistan Region (73.2%) compared with central and southern Iraq (65.9%). Five provinces were found to have significantly higher levels of climate anxiety: Ninawa, Basrah, Najaf, Duhok and Erbil. Age was a significant predictor, and older participants (42–72 years) reported higher levels than younger participants (P = 0.008). A positive correlation was observed between climate anxiety and both depression (r = 0.382, P < 0.001) and generalised anxiety (r = 0.361, P < 0.001). Simple linear regression revealed that climate anxiety was significantly associated with both depression (β = 0.25, P < 0.001) and generalised anxiety (β = 0.214, P < 0.01), accounting for the 14.6 and 13% variance, respectively.

Climate anxiety is prevalent in Iraq and significantly associated with mental health problems. The findings endorse the need for integration of mental health into Iraq’s national climate adaptation and public health policies.

In the North-West Region of Cameroon (NWR) there is limited research available to shape mental health programmes and policy, and this gap has been compounded by the ongoing sociopolitical crisis. Developing a comprehensive research agenda is crucial to guiding mental health research and informing evidence-based interventions.

This paper presents a proposed research agenda for priority mental health, mental disorders and related issues in the NWR. It aims to enhance awareness about the need for research on mental health issues, including evidence about what is needed and effective.

The study used a modified Delphi process with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and mental health practitioners. The study included a literature review, consultation with participants and reaching agreement on the most pressing research needs and approaches.

Priority mental health research areas include (a) broad studies (e.g. situational analysis, prevalence studies); (b) mental health interventions; and (c) understanding mental health issues in depth, especially research involving persons with lived experience of mental health conditions and their families. Intervention studies are needed to better develop and evaluate treatments for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, and interventions that are grounded in local realities. Research exploring mental distress and poverty, and gendered analysis of mental health conditions, were also identified as key research priorities. Locally appropriate methods for conducting mental health research, reviewing of mental health-related research conducted at universities and supporting students in research were recognised as relevant to achieving these goals.

This work provides priorities to guide future mental health research in the NWR. This agenda has the potential to enhance understanding of local mental health challenges and to accelerate the development of contextually relevant, evidence-based solutions. Sustained commitment and multi-stakeholder partnerships will be crucial for translating this agenda into impactful research and practice.

Previous studies have indicated that depression is common among young adults. However, these studies have mainly focused on risk factors rather than protective factors, especially in the context of Vietnam.

To explore protective factors such as self-compassion and the mediating role of gratitude, crucial for informing targeted interventions aimed at reducing depression in this population.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2023 using convenience sampling of individuals aged 18–25 years (n = 356, mean age 21.23 years) living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, recruited via online surveys distributed through social networks. The required sample size was determined using Monte Carlo power analysis to ensure adequate statistical power for mediation analysis. Data were analysed to examine the mediating role of gratitude (Gratitude Questionnaire – Six Item Form, GQ-6) in the relationship between self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale – Short Form, VSCS-SF) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ-9).

Self-compassion showed a significant negative association with depression (β = −0.50, t = −11.42, p < 0.001), accounting for 27% of the variance in depression scores. Gratitude significantly mediated this relationship, with an indirect effect of a × b = −0.07 (s.e. = 0.02, 95% CI −0.11 to −0.04]). Specifically, self-compassion positively predicted gratitude (β = 0.34, t = 6.80, p < 0.001), and gratitude, in turn, negatively predicted depression (β = −0.20, t = −4.42, p < 0.001). The direct effect of self-compassion on depression remained significant after controlling for gratitude (β = −0.43, t = −9.52, p < 0.001), indicating a complementary partial mediation. Bootstrap analysis with 5000 resamples further confirmed the robustness of the indirect effect.

The pivotal roles of self-compassion and gratitude in mitigating depression among young adults were explored, informing tailored intervention strategies for mental health practitioners.