Selected contributions to global health neurology and psychiatry from JoGH group journals in 2025

The output of the JoGH group of journals in neurology and psychiatry in 2025 was characterised by deeply integrated, systems-oriented, and increasingly intervention-driven contributions. Compared to previous years, the defining characteristic of this year’s work was its ability to connect multiple layers of influence: from molecular and physiological processes to social structures, environmental exposures, and even the meta-science of how ideas themselves are generated and prioritised. This breadth signals a transition from describing burden to actively shaping the future direction of research, policy, and practice.

A central theme throughout 2025 is the emergence of complex, interconnected models of brain and mental health. Many studies move beyond single risk factors to examine clusters of exposures and outcomes, such as the concept of “circadian syndrome” linking sleep, metabolic, psychological, and cognitive multi-morbidities, or analyses integrating sleep, depression, cognitive decline, and daily functioning through mediation models. Similarly, bidirectional relationships, such as those between loneliness and cognitive function, or sleep disturbances and stress-related behaviours, highlight a growing recognition that mental and neurological health are dynamic systems rather than linear cause–effect pathways. This systems perspective is one of the most important conceptual advances of the year.

Closely related is a strong focus on environmental and planetary determinants of brain health. Several studies demonstrate how external conditions shape mental and cognitive outcomes at scale: light exposure at night as a risk factor for depression, greenness as a protective factor with measurable global impact, heatwaves influencing mortality from mental disorders, and climate extremes contributing to disability, depression, and cognitive decline. Together, these papers position neurology and psychiatry firmly within the broader agenda of planetary health, suggesting that environmental change is not only a physical health issue, but also a major determinant of global mental well-being.

A second dominant theme is the life-course approach, which is more comprehensive in 2025 than in previous years. Studies span from early childhood, examining neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants, the cognitive effects of childhood stunting, and behavioural interventions for young children, to adolescence, where research highlights the mental health burden associated with early marriage, substance use, and post-conflict recovery. In adulthood, work explores workplace violence, construction workers’ mental health, and the interplay between food insecurity, sleep, and depression. In older age, numerous studies address dementia, frailty, cognitive decline, and the long-term effects of early-life experiences, such as parental favouritism. This full-spectrum perspective reinforces the idea that brain health is shaped continuously across the lifespan, with cumulative and interacting influences.

Another major theme is the continued expansion of intervention science, with a notable emphasis on scalability, innovation, and real-world applicability. Randomised trials and quasi-experiments evaluated diverse interventions, including memory training for adolescents in post-conflict settings, tongue and chin resistance training for frailty-related cognitive decline, and nursing interventions for cognitive dysfunction following brain injury. Digital and mobile health approaches also feature prominently, such as coach-supported mHealth interventions for dementia prevention. In parallel, there is a growing emphasis on health system integration, exemplified by studies exploring how to sustain mental health services within primary care in Nigeria or improve prescribing practices for depression. These contributions collectively suggest a field that is increasingly focused on implementation and impact rather than efficacy alone.

Social determinants of mental health remain an important theme, and they are being explored in increasingly greater detail. Studies on violence, occupational burnout, food insecurity, gender inequality, and adolescent marriage all demonstrate how structural and cultural factors shape mental health outcomes. Importantly, several papers move beyond documenting associations to examining mediating pathways, such as burnout linking workplace violence to depression, or depressive symptoms mediating the relationship between food insecurity and sleep deficiency. This analytical sophistication improves the potential for identifying some practical real-world intervention points.

A further important theme is the intersection between mental health and non-communicable diseases. Research linking depression with diabetes, examining blood pressure trajectories in stroke patients, and exploring inappropriate prescribing in older adults highlights the bidirectional relationship between mental and physical health. This reinforces the need for integrated care models that address comorbidities rather than treating conditions in isolation.

Notably, 2025 also includes a strong meta-scientific and conceptual dimension. The introduction of ideometrics as a framework for generating, evaluating, and prioritising ideas, alongside reflections on the evolution of the CHNRI method, signals an ambition to formalise how knowledge itself is produced in global health. This represents a unique contribution, extending the scope of neurology and psychiatry beyond empirical research into the domain of scientific methodology and decision-making.

Finally, the continued use of large-scale global datasets and cross-country analyses, such as studies spanning dozens of countries or modelling global burdens of dementia and depression, demonstrates an ongoing commitment to generalisability and equity. At the same time, many studies remain grounded in specific contexts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, ensuring that global insights are informed by local realities.

In conclusion, the 2025 output of the JoGH group of journals offers a compelling model of where the field is heading. It shows the importance of embracing complexity, integrating environmental and social determinants, and adopting a life-course perspective. It highlights the need for scalable, context-sensitive interventions and the value of linking mental health with broader health and policy agendas. It also demonstrates that a field is increasingly capable not only of analysing problems, but of shaping the systems and ideas needed to solve them. Below, we present our selection of these contributions, listed in reverse chronological order of publication:

• Rudan I, Sheikh A. Ideometrics: a scientific approach to generating, evaluating, and prioritising ideas. J Glob Health. 2025 Dec 19;15:04360.

• Li D, Li Z, Zhang W, Ge H, Su M, Guo X. Association of parental favouritism in childhood and depression in old age: a longitudinal survey. J Glob Health. 2025 Dec 22;15:04343.

• Bi J, Pan Y, Guo W, Ji P, Xing Z, Feng L, Xie Y. Association of circadian syndrome with the risk of physical, psychological, and cognitive multimorbidities: a prospective cohort study based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. J Glob Health. 2025 Dec 19;15:04351.

• Chou YF, Banda KJ, Chen R, Sung CM, Chiang KJ, Chang LF, Su PY, Chou KR. Effects of synergistic tongue and chin resistance training on swallowing function, oral intake, and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly individuals with frailty: a double-blind randomised controlled trial. J Glob Health. 2025 Nov 5;15:04358.

• Mo C, Li X, Wang S, Wang J, He L, Peng R, Zheng J, Liang F, Gu D. Long-term systolic blood pressure and cardiovascular risks among patients with ischemic stroke: a register-based cohort study. J Glob Health. 2025 Nov 7;15:04321.

• Adewuya AO, Ola B, Abimbola S, Abdulmalik J. Exploring contextual barriers and facilitators to sustaining mental health integration in primary care: a mixed-methods analysis of adaptive mechanisms and multi-level dynamics in Lagos, Nigeria. J Glob Health. 2025 Nov 7;15:04305.

• Li X, Li S, Geng Q, Wang B, Guo X, Yan S, Zhang J, Cai J, Chen J, Zhang X. Light at night exposure and risk of depression: a meta-analysis of observational studies. J Glob Health. 2025 Oct 31;15:04304.

• Díaz-Castro L, Vega-Rosas GA, Ramírez-Rodríguez GB, Cabello-Rangel H, Hoffman KL. Prevalence of depression among adolescents in rural communities of Mexico. J Glob Health. 2025 Oct 17;15:04238.

• Li Y, Liu H, Xie Y, Wu H, Jiang J, Ren L, Wu J. The effect of climate extremes on disability, depression, and cognitive decline in middle-aged and older Chinese adults under different healthy lifestyle. J Glob Health. 2025 Oct 10;15:04266.

• Wu J, Di W, Ruan J, Li S, Ying J, Zhou J, Rudan I, Song P. The global, regional, and national preventable burden of depression attributable to greenness and inequalities: a scenario-based health impact analysis. J Glob Health. 2025 Oct 3;15:04280.

• Zhu Y, Cheng S, Luo Z, Shen J, Cao J, Yao L, Zhou J, Shan S, Song P, Yuan C. Global burden, quality of care, and cross-country inequalities in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias from 1990 to 2021. J Glob Health. 2025 Oct 3;15:04269.

• Rudan I. Two decades of the CHNRI method (2006-2025): Tracking its evolution and contribution to the emerging field of ideometrics. J Glob Health. 2025 Oct 1;15:01006.

• Rotheram-Borus MJ, Christodoulou J, Asarnow LD, Norwood PP, Yalch M, Vogel SL, Tomlinson M. The relationship of sleep problems between eight-year-old South African children and their mothers. J Glob Health. 2025 Sep 26;15:04122.

• Sideropoulos V, Draper A, Munoz-Chereau B, Ang L, Dockrell JE. Childhood stunting and cognitive development: a meta-analysis. J Glob Health. 2025 Sep 26;15:04257.

• Shetty A, Issac A, Dhiraaj S, Vr V, Thimappa L, Balakrishnan D, Nath B, Sinha S, Singh S, Mishra P, Halemani K. Global prevalence of post-miscarriage anxiety, depression, and stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Glob Health. 2025 Sep 26;15:04245.

• Kapilashrami A, Kokkinidis G, Checchi M; INNOVATE Consortium. Rethinking mental healthcare: operationalising intersectionality through a community-driven social clinic model. J Glob Health. 2025 Sep 19;15:03034.

• Zhang R, Qu G, Feng J, Sun Y, Li X, Shen A, Jiang H, Luo Y, Xu Z, Song X, Lv C, Zuo Y, Li Z, Gan Y, Lu Z. Relationship between workplace violence and depressive symptoms among emergency department physicians in China: the mediating role of occupational burnout. J Glob Health. 2025 Sep 19;15:04259.

• Sun J, Li H, Deng J, Liu J, Hu N, Liu H, Fan Y, Shi L. The impact of sleep duration, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function on daily activity among Chinese older adults: a serial multiple mediation model. J Glob Health. 2025 Sep 12;15:04267.

• Domingo DGC, Chen TY, Cruz G, Mgabhi PS, Lim KL, Mandiwa C, Saito Y. Food insecurity and sleep deficiency among older Filipinos: the mediating roles of depressive symptoms and frailty phenotypes. J Glob Health. 2025 Aug 29;15:04235.

• Gao Y, Zhou W, Wang Y, Zhou L. Evidence-based nursing interventions in cognitive dysfunction among adults with brain injury: a quasi-experiment. J Glob Health. 2025 Aug 29;15:04253.

• Pires M, King C, Shaha S, Kuddus A, Ahmed N, Morrison J, Copas A, Ahmed SAU, Nahar T, Haghparast-Bidgoli H, Azad K, Fottrell E. The burden of common mental disorders and their association with diabetes in rural Bangladesh: findings from a population-based cross-sectional study. J Glob Health. 2025 Aug 8;15:04220.

• Tao J, Yu H, Hu J, Wang X, Cai R, Jin S, Liu J, Cheng W, Gai Y, Wang C, Chen X, Cheng J. Temporal variation in the association between heatwave and mortality from mental disorders: population-based evidence from a megacity of China. J Glob Health. 2025 Aug 4;15:04231.

• Ling Z, Xu Y, Tao M, Zhang B, Zhang M, Zhang Z, DA X, Liu X, Huang L. Construction workers’ depression, anxiety, stress, and risk factors in China: a cross-sectional study. J Glob Health. 2025 Jul 21;15:04167.

• Rahman MM, Amin MT, Haider MM, Khan SH, Nusrat S, Nahar Q, Rahman M, Jamil K. Depression among married female adolescents in Bangladesh: the toll of marriage, pregnancy, and violence. J Glob Health. 2025 Jul 11;15:04033.

• Tian F, Chen Z, Zhang Y. Prevalence and factors with potentially inappropriate prescribing among older outpatients with depression: a multicentre study across China. J Glob Health. 2025 Jul 11;15:04216.

• Li L, Chen Z, Huang D, Li F, Pan M, Zhu Y, Ma C, Sun J. Association of substance use with stress-related sleep disturbance among adolescents in 76 countries: a global population-based study. J Glob Health. 2025 Jun 27;15:04195.

• Xu L, Wang Z, Li M, Li Q. Global incidence trends and projections of Alzheimer disease and other dementias: an age-period-cohort analysis 2021. J Glob Health. 2025 May 23;15:04156.

• Tomasso LP, Białowolski P, Spengler JD. Stress reduction from landscape painting and live nature viewing: a comparative experimental study. J Glob Health. 2025 May 16;15:04146.

• Li R, Luo L, Yuan C, Zhu Q. Association of smoke exposure with cognitive function trajectories among middle and old-aged adults: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. J Glob Health. 2025 May 5;15:04150.

• Jobson L, Malallah H, Ahmadi SJ, McAvoy D, Earnest A, Vaughan K, Berzenji LS, Mohammad S, Berzengi A. Randomised clinical trial investigating memory training for recovery-adolescents in addressing psychiatric concerns among adolescents in Iraq. J Glob Health. 2025 May 5;15:04111.

• Chaabane S, Chaabna K, Khawaja S, Aboughanem J, Mamtani R, Cheema S. Epidemiology of sleep disturbances among medical students in the Middle East and North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Glob Health. 2025 Apr 25;15:04099.

• Sultana S, Horiuchi S, Homer CS, Baqui AH, Vogel JP. The prevalence of long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm-born children in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of developmental outcomes in 72 974 preterm-born children. J Glob Health. 2025 Apr 4;15:04106.

• Zhang J, Hoevenaar-Blom MP, Jian X, Hou H, Ge S, Brayne C, Eggink E, Hafdi M, He M, Wang G, Wang W, Zhang W, Yu Y, Niu Y, Lyu J, Song L, Wang W, Wang Y, Moll van Charante EP, Song M; PRODEMOS study group. Implementation of a coach-supported mHealth intervention for dementia prevention in China: a qualitative study among Chinese participants and coaches in the PRODEMOS trial. J Glob Health. 2025 Mar 28;15:04036.

• Pan C, Cao N. Bidirectional associations between social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive function among Chinese older adults. J Glob Health. 2025 Mar 21;15:04077.

• Yang Y, Wu CH, Sun L, Zhang TR, Luo J. The impact of physical activity on inhibitory control of adult ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Glob Health. 2025 Mar 14;15:04025.

• Tang D, Long C, Wei Y, Tang S. The longitudinal relationship between night-time sleep duration, midday napping, and frailty among middle-aged and older people in China: a prospective analysis. J Glob Health. 2025 Feb 28;15:04059.

• Yang L, Xu Y, Zhao H, Wang K, Zheng C. Longitudinal patterns of cognitive function and depression: insights from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. J Glob Health. 2025 Feb 28;15:04060.

• Kassa GM, Yu Z, Minwuyelet F, Gross D. Behavioural interventions targeting the prevention and treatment of young children’s mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review. J Glob Health. 2025 Jan 24;15:04018.

We trust that the readers of the Journal of Global Health Neurology and Psychiatry will find these studies valuable for informing research, policy, and practice across diverse global contexts.