Social connection interventions and depression in young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Early adulthood is a period which may increase vulnerability to loneliness and mental health difficulties among young adults. Social networks play an important role in buffering against adverse mental health, but there is a lack of evidence around whether social connection interventions could play a role in preventing mental health difficulties for young adults.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023395595).

Interventions targeting social determinants of mental disorders and the Sustainable Development Goals: a systematic review of reviews.

Globally, mental disorders account for almost 20% of disease burden and there is growing evidence that mental disorders are socially determined. Tackling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which address social determinants of mental disorders, may be an effective way to reduce the global burden of mental disorders. We conducted a systematic review of reviews to examine the evidence base for interventions that map onto the UN SDGs and seek to improve mental health through targeting known social determinants of mental disorders.

"Somebody was standing in my corner": a mixed methods exploration of survivor, coach, and hospital staff perspectives and outcomes in an Australian cancer survivorship program.

Purpose: Cancer survivorship in Australia continues to increase due to new methods for early detection and treatment. Cancer survivors face challenges in the survivorship phase and require ongoing support. A telephone-delivered cancer survivorship program (CSP), including health and mental health coaches, was developed, piloted, and evaluated in Eastern Australia.

'Like fumbling around in the dark': Young people's perceptions and realities of healthy relationships.

Learning to negotiate relationships is a key feature of adolescence, yet insight into young people's perspectives on what constitutes healthy relationships is lacking. In this study, therefore, insights were sought on healthy relationship qualities, common issues encountered, and relevant educational experiences. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 18 young people (11 self-identified as female, 5 male, and 2 trans/gender-diverse) aged 14-20 years, residing in Adelaide, South Australia.

Considering ecological determinants of youth mental health in the era of COVID-19 and the Anthropocene: A call to action from young public health professionals.

In 2019, young Australians reported that two of their top concerns were 'climate change and the environment' and 'mental health'. The events of 2020/2021, such as the ongoing climate emergency, the Australian bushfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic, reflect the human-induced environmental issues young people are most worried about and have also exacerbated the mental health issues which they already reported to be at a crisis point back in 2019. Given experiences of mental illness in adolescence are associated with poorer mental health across the lifespan, it is becoming increasingly important to address ecological determinants of youth mental health in the Anthropocene.

Determining what constitutes an effective psychosocial 'return to work' intervention: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Purpose: Work can offer a myriad of social and health benefits. Long-term sick leave can be detrimental to employers, individuals, families, and societies. The burden of long-term sick leave has motivated the development of return to work (RTW) interventions.

It's what's under the hood that counts: comparing therapeutic outcomes when using Australian versus UK-produced clinical materials in an Australian mental health program.

Objective MindStep™ is an Australian low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (LICBT) program for individuals with mild-to-moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. UK-produced LICBT guided self-help (GSH) materials were originally used in the MindStep™ program. In 2017, Australian LICBT GSH materials were developed to better suit Australian users.

Mental Health of Young Australians during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Roles of Employment Precarity, Screen Time, and Contact with Nature.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is widely understood to have contributed to mental health problems. In Australia, young people (18-24 years) have been disproportionately affected. To date, research has predominantly focused on the presence or absence of mental illness symptoms, while aspects of mental well-being have been overlooked.

Exploring the acceptability of a digital mental health platform incorporating a virtual coach: The good, the bad, and the opportunities.

Digital Mental Health Platforms offer feasible options to increase access to mental health support. This study aimed to examine the acceptability of a Low Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Digital Mental Health Platform, containing a Virtual Coach, with University Students ( = 16) and Mental Health Professionals ( = 5). Semi-structured interviews, exploratory focus groups, and inductive thematic analysis were conducted.

Psychological impacts of "screen time" and "green time" for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review.

Technological developments in recent decades have increased young people's engagement with screen-based technologies (screen time), and a reduction in young people's contact with nature (green time) has been observed concurrently. This combination of high screen time and low green time may affect mental health and well-being. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to collate evidence assessing associations between screen time, green time, and psychological outcomes (including mental health, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement) for young children (<5 years), schoolchildren (5-11 years), early adolescents (12-14 years), and older adolescents (15-18 years).

Impact of male factor infertility on offspring health and development.

Monitoring the safety of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been impeded by uncertainties regarding the extent to which offspring health is influenced by paternal characteristics linked to male infertility or the processes that ICSI treatment entails. Few studies examining long-term health and developmental outcomes in children conceived with ICSI have considered the influence of paternal infertility adequately. In the available literature, large population-based studies suggest underlying male factors, and the severity of male factor infertility, increase the risk of mental retardation and autism in offspring, as does the ICSI procedure itself, but these findings have not been replicated consistently.

The impact of specific fertility treatments on cognitive development in childhood and adolescence: a systematic review.

Study Question: Does fertility treatment influence cognitive ability in school aged children, and does the impact vary with the type of treatment?

Summary Answer: The available high-quality evidence indicates that specific treatments may give rise to different effects on cognitive development, with certain treatments, including ICSI, associated with cognitive impairment.

What Is Known Already: Previous reviews of the literature concerning cognitive outcomes among children conceived with medical assistance have concluded that study findings are generally 'reassuring', but limited attention has been paid to the quality of this research. In addition, no review has separately assessed the range of treatment modalities available, which vary in invasiveness, and thus, potentially, in their effects on developmental outcomes.