Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (670 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A generic term for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances primarily by verbal or nonverbal communication.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Psychotherapies.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Behavioral Disciplines and Activities
- Narrower topics
- Animal Assisted Therapy; Aromatherapy; Art Therapy; Behavior Therapy; Bibliotherapy; Color Therapy; Crisis Intervention; Dance Therapy; Dignity Therapy; Emotion-Focused Therapy; Feedback, Psychological; Feedback, Sensory; Gestalt Therapy; Grief Therapy
- See also
- Psychology, Clinical
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 244,498 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Psychotherapy” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 48,492 of them (19.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 93,063 records.
Reviews account for 36,593 records (15.0%) and meta-analyses for 6,079. Randomized controlled trials number 30,980 (12.7%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 93,063 |
| 2000-2009 | 38,420 |
| 2010-2019 | 64,523 |
| 2020 onward | 48,492 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 36,593 | 15.0% |
| Meta-analyses | 6,079 | 2.5% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 30,980 | 12.7% |
Method: PubMed query "Psychotherapy"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in psychiatry and psychology
Research on mental health and behaviour relies on questionnaires, interviews and rating scales rather than physical measurements, so how a condition was defined and measured shapes every result. Many studies are observational or small, placebo responses can be large, and findings in one group or culture may not carry over to another. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; anyone worried about their mental health should talk to a qualified clinician. Check how outcomes were measured, who took part and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neurofeedback for functional neurological disorders: future directions for research and clinical practice | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42750445 · DOI · PMC13644786 |
| MELODY trial: study protocol for a 12-week randomised controlled trial of adjunctive melatonin, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia or pill placebo to improve depressive symptoms in young adults with mood disorders | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42637255 · DOI · PMC13504852 |
| Relative effects of four resurgence-mitigation strategies informed by behavioral momentum theory | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42633797 · DOI · PMC13500207 |
Neurofeedback for functional neurological disorders: future directions for research and clinical practice [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Functional neurological disorder (FND) is increasingly conceptualized as a disorder of network-level dysfunction involving altered salience processing, impaired motor intention-execution coupling and disrupted self-agency.
- Closing excerpt
- This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Digital healthcare for the management of functional neurological disorders'.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (214 words)
Functional neurological disorder (FND) is increasingly conceptualized as a disorder of network-level dysfunction involving altered salience processing, impaired motor intention-execution coupling and disrupted self-agency. Despite advances in multi-disciplinary rehabilitation, a proportion of individuals experience persistent or fluctuating symptoms, highlighting the need for mechanistically informed adjunctive interventions. Neurofeedback, a closed-loop technique enabling individuals to modulate neural activity in real time, offers a theoretically grounded approach to targeting dysfunctional circuits implicated in FND. This opinion article synthesizes current neuroscientific models of FND with evidence from neurofeedback research in motor, affective and pain-related conditions. We examine modality-target considerations (e.g. electroencephalography versus functional magnetic resonance imaging), learning mechanisms including operant and associative paradigms and the relevance of network-based interventions for heterogeneous FND phenotypes. Given the limited direct evidence in FND, we critically appraise methodological variability in existing neurofeedback applications and outline pragmatic steps towards greater standardization, including transparent reporting of neural targets, feedback modality, training dose and transfer assessment. We also discuss translational challenges, including integration within established physiotherapy frameworks, patient-centred personalization and digitally enabled delivery models. While empirical evidence remains preliminary, neurofeedback represents a biologically informed and potentially scalable intervention that warrants systematic investigation within multi-disciplinary FND care pathways. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Digital healthcare for the management of functional neurological disorders'.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42750445 · DOI · PMC13644786
MELODY trial: study protocol for a 12-week randomised controlled trial of adjunctive melatonin, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia or pill placebo to improve depressive symptoms in young adults with mood disorders [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are proposed to be pathophysiological mechanisms underlying some cases of depressive and bipolar (mood) disorders.
- Closing excerpt
- ACTRN12624000017527.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (312 words)
Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are proposed to be pathophysiological mechanisms underlying some cases of depressive and bipolar (mood) disorders. An unresolved clinical question is whether sleep and circadian-based therapies are effective antidepressants for young adults (18-30 years) with a mood disorder. MELODY (Melatonin for Depression in Youth) is an investigator-initiated, single-centre, phase 3, randomised controlled trial with two blinded pharmacological arms (melatonin vs placebo) and one open-label digital intervention arm (digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (dCBT-I)). The trial is testing whether 12 weeks of adjunctive melatonin or dCBT-I are more effective than pill placebo at reducing depressive symptoms in 660 young people aged 18-30 years with a Structured Clinical Interview for (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition; SCID-5) diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder type II, moderate to severe depressive symptoms and significant sleep or sleep-wake complaints. The week 12 primary outcome is depressive symptoms (Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Adolescent version). Secondary outcomes include partial remission of the Major Depressive Episode (SCID-5) and change in other mental health symptoms, sleep, functioning or quality of life. A subset of participants will undergo in-home assessment of sleep physiology (Sleep Profiler) and in-lab assessment of circadian rhythms (dim-light melatonin onset) to examine biological changes. A 6-month follow-up will explore durability of treatment effects. Mediation analyses will test whether sleep or circadian rhythm changes play a causal role in antidepressant effects. MELODY has been reviewed and approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of the Sydney Local Health District (HREC Approval Number: X23-0450, Protocol version: 1.4, 7/7/25). The findings of the MELODY trial will be disseminated into the scientific and clinical communities via refereed publications, talks and other professional and media outlets. The Brain and Mind Centre's Lived Experience Working Group will contribute to dissemination of MELODY's findings via youth-friendly methods (eg, social media videos, explainers). ACTRN12624000017527.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42637255 · DOI · PMC13504852
Relative effects of four resurgence-mitigation strategies informed by behavioral momentum theory [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Behavioral momentum theory (BMT) posits that particular independent variables may be adjusted during routine differential-reinforcement treatments (e.
- Closing excerpt
- We contextualize these findings in relation to BMT's account of resurgence and implications for practice.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (144 words)
Behavioral momentum theory (BMT) posits that particular independent variables may be adjusted during routine differential-reinforcement treatments (e.g., functional communication training) to reduce resurgence of severe destructive behavior. Across four consecutive studies using similar preparations and participants, our research group investigated four BMT-informed mitigation strategies: (a) lean reinforcement rates for target behavior during baseline, (b) lean reinforcement rates for alternative behavior during treatment, (c) a longer treatment duration, and (d) a combined approach including all three refinements. In the current study, we analyzed the relevance of each BMT-informed strategy sourced from four published studies and included three additional participants resulting in a total of 24 data sets. Lean reinforcement rates during baseline and the combined approach resulted in the largest reductions in resurgence when analyzed as a proportion of baseline. We contextualize these findings in relation to BMT's account of resurgence and implications for practice.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42633797 · DOI · PMC13500207
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The efficacy of psychological interventions for infertile women: a systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Psychological Therapy Quantity and Depressive Symptom Reduction in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [5]
- Research article Efficacy of behavioural therapies for irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Long-Term Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Managing Subclinical Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [7]
- Research article Effect of Cognitive Training on Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [8]
- Research article A meta-analysis of the effects of mindfulness meditation training on self-reported interoception [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
The Contribution of “Individual Participant Data” Meta-Analyses of Psychotherapies for Depression to the Development of Personalized Treatments: A Systematic Review
Pim Cuijpers, Marketa Ciharova, Soledad Quero et al. · Journal of Personalized Medicine 2022 · CC BY 4.0
Ethical Issues in Online Psychotherapy: A Narrative Review
Julia Stoll, Jonas Adrian Müller, Manuel Trachsel · Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Di Basilio D, Casson AJ, Jones A. Neurofeedback for functional neurological disorders: future directions for research and clinical practice. . 2026. PMID 42750445 · DOI · PMC13644786
- Crouse JJ, Shin M, Hockey SJ, Jeon E, Bradshaw N, Nichles A, et al.. MELODY trial: study protocol for a 12-week randomised controlled trial of adjunctive melatonin, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia or pill placebo to improve depressive symptoms in young adults with mood disorders. . 2026. PMID 42637255 · DOI · PMC13504852
- Mitteer DR, Fisher WW, Greer BD, Helvey CI. Relative effects of four resurgence-mitigation strategies informed by behavioral momentum theory. . 2026. PMID 42633797 · DOI · PMC13500207
- Jackson PL, Saunders P, Mizzi S, Hallam KT. The efficacy of psychological interventions for infertile women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Womens Health. 2025. PMID 41121216 · DOI · PMC12542105
- Florineth GA, Klima I, Boeker AL, Catzeflis P, Wopfner A, Denier N, et al.. Psychological Therapy Quantity and Depressive Symptom Reduction in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2026. PMID 41563753 · DOI · PMC12824788
- Thakur ER, Khasawneh M, Moayyedi P, Black CJ, Ford AC. Efficacy of behavioural therapies for irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025. PMID 41077057 · DOI
- Chan RCF, Chen M, Chan JLM, Shum DHK, Cao Y. Long-Term Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Managing Subclinical Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Depress Anxiety. 2025. PMID 40861245 · DOI · PMC12373477
- Sánchez-Gómez C, Fernández-Rodríguez EJ, Jiménez-Sánchez S, Fonseca-Sánchez E, Perez J, Navarro-López V, et al.. Effect of Cognitive Training on Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychooncology. 2025. PMID 40790842 · DOI · PMC12340179
- Treves IN, Chen YY, Wilson CL, Verdonk C, Qina Au J, Pustejovsky JE, et al.. A meta-analysis of the effects of mindfulness meditation training on self-reported interoception. Sci Rep. 2025. PMID 41198766 · DOI · PMC12592345
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.