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Healthcare
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Depression: Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Challenges
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Depression: Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Challenges

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 1423

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lara Guedes de Pinho

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Guest Editor
Escola Superior de Enfermagem de São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal
Interests: mental disorder; psychoeducation; clinical assessment; clinical nursing; psychopathology; depression; psychotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Manuel José Lopes

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Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, University of Évora, 7000-811 Évora, Portugal
Interests: aging, health policies; mental health, interventions; nursing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elisabete Alves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escola Superior de Enfermagem São João de Deus, Universidade de Évora, Largo do Sr. da Pobreza, 2B, 7000 - 811, Évora, Portugal
Interests: chronic diseases; health-related outcomes; mental health, patient-centered care; quality of life
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mental disorders are one of the leading causes of global health-related burden, with depressive disorders being leading contributors to this burden. Depression is a mental disorder characterized by lasting feelings of sadness, hopelessness, negativity, lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities, and a persistently low mood. Along with being linked to cognitive dysfunctions such as dementia and increased suicide rates, this condition can result in great suffering, disability, and major limitations in the person's daily functioning. Despite major advances in the methods and findings of mental health research described in recent decades, depression remains a common, costly, life-quality-impairing condition that is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Thus, immediate attention on a global scale is needed.

In this context, we are pleased to invite you to submit papers on mental health challenges related to depression awareness, assessment, treatment, and relapse throughout the life course.

This Special Issue aims to publish original studies and reviews, including both clinical trials and observational studies, that assess and explore challenges related with depression and mental health. We are particularly interested in papers that maintain a high academic standard while also focusing on optimal solutions for clinical practice.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Lara Guedes de Pinho
Prof. Dr. Manuel José Lopes
Dr. Elisabete Alves
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chronic diseases
  • depression
  • interventions
  • health-related outcomes
  • mental health
  • nursing
  • life course
  • patient-centered care
  • quality of life
  • psychotherapy

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1149 KiB  
Article
The Functional Profile, Depressive Symptomatology, and Quality of Life of Older People in the Central Alentejo Region: A Cross-Sectional Study
by César Fonseca, Bruno Morgado, Elisabete Alves, Ana Ramos, Maria Revés Silva, Lara Pinho, Ana João and Manuel Lopes
Healthcare 2024, 12(22), 2303; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12222303 - 18 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Background: Europe’s aging population presents challenges such as a shrinking labor force, pressure on health services, and increased demand for long-term care. This study assesses the functional profile, depressive symptoms, and quality of life of older adults in the Central Alentejo region [...] Read more.
Background: Europe’s aging population presents challenges such as a shrinking labor force, pressure on health services, and increased demand for long-term care. This study assesses the functional profile, depressive symptoms, and quality of life of older adults in the Central Alentejo region of Portugal. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of 868 older adults in Portuguese long-term care facilities across the Évora district. A structured questionnaire collected sociodemographic data, elderly nursing core set patient information, a health questionnaire with nine responses, and WHO Quality of Life Assessment (short version) scores. Results: Nearly half of the participants needed assistance with care. Women (OR = 1.46) and those with cognitive impairment (OR = 10.83) had higher impaired functionality, while education (OR = 0.52) and being overweight (OR = 0.52) were inversely related to functional dependence. Quality of life scores ranged from 56.4 (physical) to 66.6 (environmental). Moderate depressive symptoms were found in 17.1% of participants, with 9% having moderately severe to severe symptoms. Higher dependence doubled the likelihood of depressive symptoms (OR = 2.18). Discussion and Conclusions: High rates of depression and functional dependence correlate with a low perception of quality of life, highlighting the need for research to promote and protect the health of older adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression: Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Challenges)
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17 pages, 624 KiB  
Article
Associations between the Number of Children, Depressive Symptoms, and Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
by Yongze Zhao, Huaxin Mai and Ying Bian
Healthcare 2024, 12(19), 1928; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12191928 - 26 Sep 2024
Viewed by 782
Abstract
Background: China’s rapidly aging population presents challenges for cognitive health and mental well-being among the older adults. This study examines how the number of children affects cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults and whether depressive symptoms mediate this relationship. Methods: [...] Read more.
Background: China’s rapidly aging population presents challenges for cognitive health and mental well-being among the older adults. This study examines how the number of children affects cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults and whether depressive symptoms mediate this relationship. Methods: This study analyzed data from waves 1 to 5 (2011–2020) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), involving 5932 participants aged 45 and older. Participants were grouped by the number of children: childless, only child and multiple children. We used Logarithmic Generalized Linear Models (LGLMs) to explore the relationships among the number of children, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function. Indirect effect coefficients and 95% bias-corrected and accelerated confidence intervals (BCaCI) were estimated using Simultaneous Equation Models (SEM) with three-stage least squares (3SLS) and the bootstrap method to assess the mediating effect of depressive symptoms. Results: In middle-aged and older adults, a negative association was observed between the number of children and overall cognitive functioning (all p < 0.01). This association remained significant even after adjusting for covariates in groups with three (β = −0.023, p < 0.05) and four or more children (β = −0.043, p < 0.001). Conversely, the positive association between the number of children and depression also persisted after adjusting for covariates, although it weakened as the number of children increased (all p < 0.01). Depressive symptoms consistently correlated negatively with overall cognitive function (p < 0.001) and partially mediated the relationship between the number of children and cognitive function (pMe = 20.36%, p < 0.05). The proportion of the mediating effect attributed to depression was more pronounced in middle-aged and older adults who had experienced the loss of children (pMe = 24.31%) or had two children (pMe = 25.39%), with stronger mediating effects observed in males (pMe = 48.84%) and urban residents (pMe = 64.58%). Conclusions: The findings indicate that depressive symptoms partially mediate the relationship between the number of children and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults in China. These results highlight the significance of considering mental health factors when studying cognitive function in this demographic. Notably, in families without children and those with two children, depressive symptoms play a crucial role in explaining the decline in cognitive function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression: Recognizing and Addressing Mental Health Challenges)
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