Compulsive buying behaviour (CBB) is a growing concern with detrimental impacts on mental health. Females’ mental health, compared with males, is reported to be increasingly affected by CBB. Despite existing research on CBB, the mental health factors influencing it remain understudied, especially among this demographic in urban settings.

To explore differences in mental health between females with high and low CBB; to evaluate the effects of stress, anxiety and depression on CBB in female urban office workers, and whether mental well-being mediates these relationships.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 369 female office workers, aged 20–50 years, living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Data were collected using online surveys distributed via social media platforms. The study used the Compulsive-Buying Index (CBI), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the World Health Organization-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5). Data were analysed using SPSS 25.0 and SmartPLS 4 to assess the relationships among variables and the mediating effect of well-being.

Stress and anxiety were significantly higher among those with higher CBB. Additionally, significant findings revealed that stress and well-being both positively predicted CBB (β = 0.43, p < 0.001 and β = 0.15, p = 0.010 respectively). Well-being was found to mediate the indirect relationship between depression and CBB (β = −0.08, p = 0.018), whereas anxiety had no significant effect. Stress and well-being explained 23.3% and 12.9% of the variance in well-being and CBB respectively.

The study shows that both stress and well-being directly influence CBB, whereas depression has an indirect effect via well-being, highlighting multifaceted relationships between mental health and CBB.

The Healthy Minds Study (HMS) Questionnaire is an assessment tool that examines mental health, service awareness and help-seeking behaviour (including stigma and knowledge) among university students.

A shortage of tools specifically designed to cater to student populations has resulted in limited data from Arabic-speaking countries on mental health in university students. Our study aimed to describe the prevalence of mental health symptoms, service awareness, stigma and help-seeking attitudes among medical students at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) University.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 87 medical students at the UAE University, using the HMS Questionnaire.

A total of 73.6% reported at least mild depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) ≥ 5), 35.8% met criteria for probable major depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10), 46% screened positive for anxiety, 11.5% reported non-suicidal self-injury, 9.2% reported seriously thinking of suicide, 13.8% reported symptoms of an eating disorder, 8.1% agreed that they would think less of a person who has received mental health treatment and 69% agreed that most people would think less of a person who has received mental health treatment.

We found a high prevalence of mental health difficulties and a reluctance to report and seek help for mental health difficulties among medical students in the UAE, which may be associated with a negative perceived public stigma.

Societal pronatalist ideologies link womanhood to motherhood and create social pressures that often cause psychological distress when unmet. While previous research has documented the impact of these external pressures, much less is known about how women’s internal belief systems shape their responses to societal expectations. Recognising this gap, we examined the perspectives and concerns about motherhood and childlessness among child-free Greek women, their psychological distress and the potential mediating role of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) in this relationship. To provide context, we compared these findings with those of mothers, considering both their mental health and their assessments of similar issues after becoming parents.

We conducted an online, cross-sectional survey comparing child-free Greek women and mothers aged 30–50 years. Through custom-designed questionnaires, we evaluated concerns about motherhood and childlessness among child-free women, and we asked the mother group to assess the same aspects post-motherhood. Mental health was assessed using Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale 21, while EMS were measured with the Young Schema Questionnaire. We used mediation analysis to examine whether EMS mediated the connection between pronatalist pressures and mental health outcomes.

The study included 1341 women, comprising 503 without children and 838 with children. Child-free women, who were predominantly involuntarily child-free, tended to be younger, more educated and had lower household incomes than mothers. They also reported more diverse sexual orientations, higher levels of depression and anxiety and elevated scores on EMS, which appear to exacerbate distress caused by societal pronatalist pressures. In contrast, mothers were typically older and more financially stable. Although they reported fulfilment from motherhood, they also faced challenges, including demanding caregiving responsibilities and financial or logistical barriers to having more children. Mothers’ psychological profiles were characterised by lower EMS scores and less overall distress.

This study revealed distinct demographic and psychological profile differences between child-free women and mothers. Our findings underscore that women’s mental health in the context of reproduction is shaped by a complex interaction of social pressures, psychological schemas and structural factors. Specifically, EMS – particularly in the domains of Emotional Deprivation, Mistrust/Abuse and Vulnerability to Harm – were identified as a key mechanism, mediating the relationship between pronatalist pressures and psychological distress. Furthermore, occupational disparities emerged as a significant stressor, affecting both child-free women in high-pressure careers and mothers who were home-makers.

Psychosis and bipolar I disorder are severe mental disorders with significant adverse impacts on patients, their families and society overall. Patients’ follow-up in rural areas is often challenging owing to stigma and limited access to mental health services.

The primary aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of follow-up by a mobile mental health unit (MMHU) operating in underserved rural areas of Crete in preventing readmissions to hospital across its 10 years of operation. Additionally, we investigated sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with patients’ readmissions.

The study included 288 patients with psychosis (n = 201) or bipolar disorder (n = 87). The effectiveness of the MMHU is assessed by comparing patients’ voluntary and involuntary admissions pre- and post-follow-up.

Hospital readmissions were reduced by half and involuntary readmissions by 50–70%. This effect was significant for patients with both single and multiple prior admissions. Regression analysis revealed that older age, depot medication, no substance misuse history and being ever married were associated with reduced readmissions. Also, the normative visit frequency of 5–9 visits per year (approximately 1 visit every 1.5 months) was associated with reduced readmissions.

The operation of an MMHU in rural Crete is effectively preventing overall and involuntary readmissions, particularly when patients are followed up on a regular basis. These findings highlight the effectiveness of community services in addressing the mental health needs of people living in rural and remote areas with limited access to mental health services.

Menopausal transition is a period of psychological vulnerability, yet suicidality remains underassessed. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may influence mood symptoms, but its mental health effects – particularly regarding suicidality – are poorly understood.

To evaluate changes in depressive symptoms, menopause-related distress and suicidality among menopausal women attending a specialist clinic, and explore whether outcomes differed across HRT regimens and baseline risk factors.

We analysed routinely collected data from 957 women attending a UK menopause clinic. All participants received some form of treatment following their initial consultation. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Menopause Depression Rating Scale (MENO-D) at baseline and follow-up (2–6 months later). Mixed-design analyses of variance assessed changes over time, including interaction effects for HRT type and baseline risk factors (body mass index (BMI), smoking, suicidality, antidepressant use).

Depressive symptoms and menopause-related psychological distress significantly declined over time (around 46% reduction on average). The largest improvements were observed among women receiving oestrogen–progesterone–testosterone combinations, although similar gains were also seen in oestrogen–progesterone and oestrogen–testosterone groups. Suicidality (PHQ-9 item 9) decreased by 92% among those with baseline ideation, but this was not moderated by HRT type. Self-worth (MENO-D item 4) also improved, but similarly showed no significant moderation by HRT regimen. Higher BMI was associated with worse baseline mental health, but did not moderate treatment outcomes.

Combined HRT, including formulations with testosterone, was associated with substantial improvements in mental health outcomes. Suicidality was a distinct symptom profile, often underdetected by general depression scores. However, findings are exploratory and should be interpreted cautiously because of the lack of a control group, observational design and small sample sizes in some subgroups. These results highlight the need for menopause-sensitive mental health assessments and integration of psychological screening into routine menopausal care.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a rapidly growing public health challenge in developing countries across socioeconomic divides. In sub-Saharan Africa, the situation of SUD is particularly concerning and largely unexplored, with projections indicating a worsening trend.

This study seeks to fill the gap by generating insights into the multifaceted nature of alcohol and drug use disorders among a young adult population in Nigeria.

This is a cross-sectional survey of 192 current students at a university of a metropolitan city in North-Western Nigeria, using the NIDA-Modified ASSIST version 2.0, adapted from the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test.

About half of the participants (49.7%) were heavy drinkers, 36.5% and 56.8% reported past year tobacco smoking and use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, but only 7.4% had used illegal drugs daily in the past year. Cannabis and sedatives were the most used substances in the lifetime (56.2% and 47.9%, respectively) and past 3 months (52.4% and 51.1%, respectively). Men had greater odds of substance use in their lifetime (odds ratio 4.167, 95% CI 1.61–10.77; d.f. = 1, P = 0.003) and past three months (odds ratio 6.059, 95% CI 2.20–16.69; d.f. = 1, P ≤ 0.001), compared with women.

The burden of SUD remains a major public health concern in Nigeria despite existing legislation, regulations and policies in the country. There is an urgent need improve diagnostic, treatment and preventative resources by engaging a massive public health campaign to alert the public of the dangers of SUD.