Depression represents a major contributor to the global disease burden. As a complementary strategy, dietary interventions have attracted increasing interest in mental health care. Culinary spices, traditionally used as flavoring agents, are now increasingly regarded as functional foods due to they contain diverse plant-derived bioactive compounds with neuroprotective potential. Growing evidence suggests that several commonly used spices, such as turmeric, chili pepper, black pepper, ginger and saffron, all show similar antidepressant effects. These effects are achieved by regulating neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, monoaminergic neurotransmitter, neuroplasticity and gut-brain axis. Different from traditional antidepressants, culinary spices are typically consumed as a part of daily diet in low doses over extended periods, which may allow for gradual biological effects through multiple pathways while maintaining a favorable safety profile. This review systematically summarizes the evidence of antidepressant effects of major culinary spices, explains the molecular mechanisms, and discusses the key issues related to bioavailability, safety and dietary therapy potential. Understanding the role of culinary spices in emotional regulation may provide valuable insights for nutrition-based depression prevention and auxiliary management strategies.

This study examines the complex interplay between childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation among Chinese female college students within China's collectivistic context, examining affective balance as a mediator and expressive suppression as a culturally contingent moderator.

A cross-sectional design was employed with 2,280 female undergraduates from 11 universities across eight Chinese provinces. Participants completed validated measures, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Bradburn Affect Balance Scale, and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by conducting moderated mediation analysis with bootstrapping procedures to test the hypothesized pathways.

Affective balance significantly mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicidal ideation (indirect effect = 0.12, 95% CI [0.08, 0.16]). Expressive suppression moderated this mediation pathway, with higher levels of suppression attenuating the adverse effects of childhood maltreatment on affective balance (interaction effect = -0.09, p < 0.01). The protective buffering effect was particularly pronounced at moderate to low levels of childhood trauma.

Consistent with prior cross-cultural psychology research, the present findings substantiate the adaptive role of expressive suppression in China's collectivistic cultural context. Rather than challenging Western emotion regulation models, this study extends the existing evidence by demonstrating context-specific patterns of emotion regulation among Chinese participants. These results underscore the importance of incorporating cultural variability into models of emotion regulation and suggest that culturally informed approaches are essential for understanding emotional adjustment and mental health across societies.

Professors play a crucial role in the educational process, making their well-being a key area of interest in research on universities as health-promoting settings. The scientific literature emphasizes that various contextual, personal, and behavioral factors have a direct impact on faculty health. To estimate the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among Spanish university professors, and to examine their associations with lifestyle habits and indicators of physical and mental health.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1560 participants (mean age 47.39 ± 11.29 years) from thirteen universities that are part of the Spanish Network of Health-Promoting Universities. The variables assessed included stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, health-related quality of life, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, dietary patterns, sleep quality, and vocal fatigue.

Regression analyses revealed that, across all three outcomes, lower mental well-being, greater emotional exhaustion, and more frequent sleep disturbances were significant predictors of psychological distress. For stress and anxiety, being female and younger also emerged as significant demographic predictors. Stress was additionally associated with increased emotional eating and reduced vocal recovery, whereas anxiety was linked to greater physical vocal discomfort. Depression was predicted exclusively by lower mental well-being, higher emotional exhaustion, and more sleep problems.

The psychological health of university faculty is influenced by a complex interplay of well-being, occupational, and lifestyle factors. Interventions aimed at enhancing emotional regulation, promoting sleep hygiene, ensuring balanced workloads, and providing psychosocial support, along with institutional measures that address early-career vulnerabilities and gender disparities, may help mitigate stress, anxiety, and depression among university professors.

Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important outcome in healthcare. Identifying correlates of SWB among economically vulnerable populations can inform healthcare delivery and policy decisions. Objective: This study examines whether social capital is more strongly associated with evaluative SWB than mental health among financially insecure households in the U.S. South. Methods: Data were drawn from the SR-Stat Baseline Survey 2024. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relative associations of interpersonal trust, institutional trust, and mental health with evaluative SWB, while controlling for socioeconomic-demographic characteristics. Results: Interpersonal trust, institutional trust, and mental health were each significantly associated with evaluative SWB. Institutional trust exhibited the largest standardized association, followed closely by mental health and interpersonal trust, with differences in magnitude remaining modest across variables. Several control variables, particularly age, income, and health insurance coverage, were also independently associated with SWB. Healthcare systems and policymakers may benefit from incorporating trust-building practices, such as transparent communication and equitable service delivery, alongside mental health screening and support, to address multiple dimensions of well-being in economically vulnerable populations. Conclusions: Evaluative SWB among financially insecure households is associated with mental health and trust-based social capital at both interpersonal and institutional levels. These findings highlight the importance of addressing individual functioning and broader institutional contexts when designing interventions aimed at improving well-being.

Background and Objectives: Public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly impact individuals and families, particularly in educational settings. School closures and changes in daily routines reduced students' opportunities for learning and social interaction, affecting their mental health. Caregivers also faced increased responsibilities and stressors. This study aimed to evaluate a predictive model of mental health outcomes-specifically posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) and posttraumatic growth (PTG)-in Chilean schoolchildren and their caregivers. Materials and Methods: A total of 489 students (48% female sex; aged 10-17) from educational communities in various Chilean cities participated in the study, along with their caregivers (aged 21-69; 86.5% female), including mothers, fathers, and guardians. Mental health variables were assessed through self-report instruments. Hierarchical linear regression and path analyses were used to evaluate predictive models for PTSSs and PTG in students. Results: The model predicting PTSSs in students was significant. Key predictors included female sex, aggressive behavior, coping strategies such as keeping problems to oneself, cognitive avoidance, and intrusive rumination, and caregiver PTSSs. The model for PTG was also significant, with predictors including active problem-solving, communication, a positive attitude, and deliberate rumination. These results indicate distinct psychological processes underlying negative and positive outcomes following trauma. Conclusions: The findings underscore the complexity of mental health outcomes among school-aged children and the influence of caregiver well-being. The study highlights the importance of supporting both students and caregivers through targeted interventions. Multi-level strategies addressing emotional regulation, communication, and coping mechanisms may foster resilience and psychological growth in educational communities facing the aftermath of public health emergencies.

South Asian Americans experience multifaceted sociocultural and acculturative stressors that influence mental well-being, yet few studies have applied contemporary behavioral theories to understand relaxation behaviors in this population. This cross-sectional study examined predictors of initiating and sustaining relaxation behaviors using the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) of health behavior change. A web-based survey of 271 South Asian adults incorporated the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), MTM constructs, and sociodemographic characteristics. Reliability was high across MTM subscales (Cronbach's α = 0.81-0.93). Structural equation modeling demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI > 0.90, TLI > 0.90, RMSEA < 0.08, SRMR < 0.08). Hierarchical regressions revealed that among participants practicing relaxation (n = 202), behavioral confidence significantly predicted initiation (β = 0.481, p < 0.001), followed by participatory dialogue (β = 0.194, p < 0.05) and changes in the physical environment (β = 0.242, p < 0.01). Emotional transformation strongly predicted sustenance (β = 0.395, p < 0.001), along with practice for change (β = 0.307, p < 0.05) and changes in the social environment (β = 0.210, p < 0.05). MTM constructs explained 69.8% of initiation variance and 70.4% of sustenance variance. Among non-practitioners, participatory dialogue predicted initiation (β ≈ 0.18-0.34, p < 0.05), and emotional transformation predicted sustenance (β = 0.570, p < 0.001). These findings underscore MTM's strong predictive utility and support culturally tailored interventions enhancing confidence, emotional regulation, and social/environmental supports to promote relaxation behaviors in South Asian communities in the United States.

The mental health of students in university has become an increasingly pressing concern due to rising academic pressure, career uncertainty, and major life transitions. Identifying students' psychological support needs requires an understanding of the challenges they face, as well as their expectations regarding support forms, intervention methods, and service providers. This study employed a mixed-methods cross-sectional design, combining large-scale questionnaire surveys (701 respondents) with qualitative interviews to assess the mental health status and psychological support needs of students at economics universities in Vietnam. The findings reveal that students commonly experience negative emotional states, particularly anxiety related to academic workload, financial instability, personal health, and future career orientation. A proportion of students reported depressive symptoms such as persistent sadness, prolonged stress, and physiological disturbances including insomnia and disordered eating. While severe behavioral disorders are uncommon, signs of declining academic motivation, social withdrawal, and weakened interactions with lecturers are evident. Students express a strong demand for mental health support, especially in career guidance, learning strategies, emotional regulation, and interpersonal problem-solving. Individual, professional, confidential counseling services are the most preferred forms of support, highlighting the need for a comprehensive mental health and psychological support system tailored to the context of Vietnamese universities.

The metabolism of the four major substances-glucose, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides-constitutes the most prominent metabolic phenotype of schizophrenia. The pathological axis shared by these substances involves energy pathway imbalances, redox stress, immune-inflammatory activation, and abnormalities in neurotransmitter synthesis/degradation. Existing research confirms that key metabolites within these pathways hold potential as biomarkers for diagnosis or progression monitoring. In recent years, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to improve psychotic symptoms while exerting broad regulatory effects on neurogenesis, immune homeostasis, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-target gland axis, though its precise mechanisms remain unclear. Recent studies indicate that ECT treatment can also regulate changes in brain and peripheral metabolism. We propose an integrated "metabolism-immunity-neuroendocrine" hypothesis to systematically elucidate how metabolic reprogramming during ECT treatment cascades sequentially to the immune, neural, and endocrine systems, thereby revealing the molecular basis of its antipsychotic effects. Furthermore, we conduct a comparative analysis of the effects of antipsychotic drugs on the same metabolic network and explore the universality and specificity of metabolic regulation in other physical therapies (such as rTMS, tDCS) and psychiatric disorders like depression and bipolar disorder. This research aims to provide novel biomarkers and intervention targets for the precision diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.

With the rapid pace of economic development and intensifying social competition, adolescent depression has emerged as an escalating global public health concern. The present study investigated the relationship between family functioning and adolescent depression, with particular attention being paid to the parallel and serial mediating roles of academic stress and emotion regulation strategies. A total of 437 adolescents from Anhui Province were surveyed using the Chinese versions of the Family Assessment Device, the Academic Stress Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The results revealed that (1) the prevalence of depression was 27.7%, with 31.2% of participants experiencing moderate to high levels of academic stress; (2) family functioning was identified as a key predictor of adolescent depression; and (3) academic stress and expressive suppression sequentially mediated the relationship between family functioning and depression, while academic stress and cognitive reappraisal functioned as parallel mediators. In conclusion, healthy family functioning plays a crucial role in reducing adolescent depression, both directly and through the mediating effects of academic stress and emotion regulation strategies. These findings highlight the importance of family support and the adoption of adaptive coping mechanisms in promoting adolescent mental health.

Conversational systems based on large language models (LLMs) are being increasingly used as advisors in mental health and self-regulation contexts, yet causal evidence remains limited about whether such guidance strengthens human agency rather than shifting responsibility to the system. We propose a dual framework in which the advice style reflects two dimensions, namely a structural stance (power distance) and a relational stance (psychological safety). In an online vignette experiment in China (N = 980), participants sought job search guidance from an LLM and read either a baseline reply or one of eight discourse variants, while holding the advice content constant. Relative to the baseline, a low power distance and a high psychological safety increased the self-efficacy, whereas a high power distance and a low psychological safety decreased it. Combination conditions revealed an asymmetric constraint: when the power distance was high, the self-efficacy declined even when the psychological safety was high, suggesting that authority allocation can override relational reassurance. Mediation analyses showed that the perceived self-control accounted for 26.3% of the low power distance effect and perceived belongingness accounted for 40.9% of the high psychological safety effect, with no cross-mediation. Although mental health outcomes were not directly measured, our results position conversational stances as actionable levers that shape self-efficacy and agency-related mechanisms, which are critical for persistence and adherence in mental health-relevant behavior change.