Treatment guidelines for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are based on a relatively small number of randomized controlled trials and do not consider patient-centered perceptions of treatment helpfulness. We investigated the prevalence and predictors of patient-reported treatment helpfulness for DSM-5 GAD and its two main treatment pathways: encounter-level treatment helpfulness and persistence in help-seeking after prior unhelpful treatment.

To examine patterns and predictors of perceived treatment helpfulness for mania/hypomania and associated depression in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

Mental healthcare is delivered across service sectors that differ in level of specialization and intervention modalities typically offered. Little is known about the perceived helpfulness of the combinations of service sectors that patients use.

Previous global and regional studies indicate that adolescents and young adults (i.e., youth) are affected by various mental disorders with lifelong consequences. However, there are no national estimates of mental disorders prevalent among Saudi youth. Using data from the Saudi National Mental Health Survey (SNMHS), we examined the lifetime prevalence, treatment, and socio-demographic correlates of mental disorders among Saudi youth (aged 15-30). A total of 4004 interviews were conducted using the adapted Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). Cross tabulations and logistic regression were used to generate estimates for the SNMHS youth sample (n = 1881). The prevalence of a mental disorder among Saudi youth was 40.10%, where anxiety disorders affected 26.84% of the sample, followed by disruptive behavior disorders (15.44%), mood disorders (9.67%), substance use disorders (4%) and eating disorders (7.06%). Sex, education, parental education, income, marital status, region, and family history of disorders were significant correlates of various classes of mental disorders. Only 14.47% of Saudi youth with any mental disorder received treatment for a lifetime disorder. Age, parental education, and family history of disorders emerged as significant correlates of mental health treatment. Lifetime mental disorders are highly prevalent among Saudi youth. There is an unmet need for culturally sensitive and age-appropriate treatment of lifetime mental disorders among youth in Saudi Arabia.

We examined prevalence and factors associated with receiving perceived helpful alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment, and persistence in help-seeking after earlier unhelpful treatment.

Mental health service providers are increasingly interested in patient perspectives. We examined rates and predictors of patient-reported satisfaction and perceived helpfulness in a cross-national general population survey of adults with 12-month DSM-IV disorders who saw a provider for help with their mental health.

Socially assistive robots (SARs) present a promising intervention for addressing the increasing prevalence of childhood stress. This innovative technology has become increasingly common in practical implementation. However, empirical support has not kept pace with the robots' growing popularity. The present study set out to provide an empirical test of the stress-buffering capability of this technology. We examined the effects of the presence of an SAR on self-reported measures of stress in a community sample of 70 children (40 girls, 30 boys) between the ages of 7 and 10 years old. Child participants were randomly assigned to either a robot-present or a robot-absent condition during the Trier Social Stress Test for Children. Contrary to our predictions, we did not detect a stress-buffering effect of the presence of the robot. Instead, the primary analysis showed that the robot's presence led to a larger decrease in positive affect following the task. However, further analyses found no significant difference in positive affect when accounting for baseline group differences. Exploratory analyses of the nature of children's interactions with the SAR during the stressful task found that higher levels of parent-reported social anxiety were associated with greater prosocial behaviors towards the SAR, thus signifying a potential target for future interventions. Further work on SARs is needed to determine the optimal timing and robotic specifications that would maximize the potential of this developing technology to improve children's mental health care.

Mental healthcare organisation can either pursue specialisation, that is, distinct clinicians and teams for inpatient and outpatient care or personal continuity of care, that is, the same primary clinician for a patient across the two settings. Little systematic research has compared these approaches. Existing studies subject have serious methodological shortcomings. Yet, costly reorganisations of services have been carried out in different European countries, inconsistently aiming to achieve specialisation or personal continuity of care. More reliable evidence is required on whether specialisation or continuity of care is more effective and cost-effective, and whether this varies for different patient groups and contexts.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with significant morbidity, but efficacious pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are available. Data from the World Mental Health Surveys were used to investigate extent and predictors of treatment coverage for PTSD in high-income countries (HICs) as well as in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).