The 2023 Kahramanmaraş-Hatay earthquakes caused widespread collective trauma across Türkiye, affecting both directly and indirectly exposed populations. This crisis underscored the urgent need to understand psychological factors that foster resilience and mental well-being in disaster-affected groups. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are key developmental assets that shape mental health across the lifespan. Yet, the mechanisms through which these early relational strengths influence adult well-being, particularly in non-Western and ecologically disrupted contexts, remain underexplored. Drawing on resilience theory and psychological flexibility frameworks, this study tested a serial mediation model in which resilience and psychological flexibility sequentially mediate the relationship between PCEs and adult mental well-being. Data were collected from 952 adults (91.5% female; Mage = 39.48, SD = 8.71, range = 18-66) across 75 Turkish cities in the post-earthquake period, offering a unique context to examine protective psychological mechanisms under macro-level adversity. Structural equation modeling confirmed the hypothesized model, revealing significant indirect effects of PCEs on mental well-being through both resilience and psychological flexibility. This study contributes to the literature by (1) offering a dynamic, process-oriented framework explaining how early developmental strengths promote adult mental health; (2) extending resilience theory to a national post-disaster context, emphasizing how early assets buffer against collective trauma; and (3) broadening positive psychology research through a socioeconomically and geographically diverse Turkish sample. The findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive interventions that strengthen early relational resources and promote adaptive psychological capacities to sustain lifelong mental well-being.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is increasingly recognized as a pivotal adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia, aiming to address persistent symptoms and enhance functional recovery beyond pharmacotherapy. Despite a significant growth in CBT-related publications in recent years, comprehensive bibliometric and scientometric syntheses remain scarce. This study aims to systematically analyze the global research landscape, intellectual structures, and emerging thematic trends in CBT for schizophrenia, providing an evidence-based overview of developments and research gaps from a bibliometric perspective. The Core databases of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were utilized to retrieve articles on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Schizophrenia that were published up to December 2025. Bibliometrics was applied to perform both quantitative and qualitative analyses of authors, institutions, countries, journals, references, and keywords, leveraging tools such as VOSviewer, Microsoft Excel. A total of 1,587 articles were encompassed in this study, comprising 1,210 original research articles and 377 review papers. The United States emerged as the country with the highest productivity and citation counts, contributing 486 publications and accumulating 21,412 citations, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada. King's College London stood out as the leading institution in the field, with the highest number of publications and citation impact among academic centers. However, the article with the highest average citation rate was authored by Douglas Turkington, highlighting his pivotal role in CBT research for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin proved to be the most influential journal in this domain, with its articles being cited over 7,800 times, positioning it as a core platform for scholarly dissemination. This bibliometric and scientometric study comprehensively maps global research on CBT for schizophrenia, highlighting key contributors, collaboration networks, and thematic evolutions from inception to 2025. Current research hotspots focus on integrating CBT with antipsychotic treatments and evaluating efficacy through randomized trials. Future research trends are anticipated to pivot towards digital health interventions, teletherapy modalities, and AI-assisted assessments, with an urgent need to develop standardized outcome measures and age-adapted CBT protocols. Addressing these conceptual and methodological gaps, alongside fostering broader international collaborations, will be essential for advancing evidence-based, patient-centered CBT applications in schizophrenia.

This review aimed to fill the literature gaps and provide a robust and up-to-date account of the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions on the quality of life and psychological well-being of individuals with obesity. The prevalence of overweight and obesity are gaining more prominence globally; and several studies have highlighted the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in assisting psychological issues associated with obesity. However, the awareness of MBIs' impact is yet to be established globally. A systematic review adhering to the PRISMA protocol was conducted, involving searches across five electronic databases. The review encompassed English language publications from January 2013 to July 2023. The inclusion criteria were met by twenty-two eligible randomized controlled trials (RCT) and quasi-experimental studies, involving a total of 1,729 participants. These studies assessed the impact of MBIs on quality of life and various psychological well-being components. The majority of the reviewed studies revealed a positive effect of MBIs on the quality of life and psychological well-being among individuals with obesity. However, more research is needed, particularly studies incorporating an active control group, focusing on Asian populations, and utilizing larger sample sizes, in order to ascertain the effectiveness of MBIs comprehensively. The findings of this review have significant implications and offer directions for the development of MBIs tailored to address weight-related challenges and enhance both physical and psychological well-being.

An existential vacuum is a pervasive sense of emptiness and meaninglessness that highlights an individual's struggle to find purpose and fulfillment. This article aims to create a valid and reliable Existential Vacuum Scale for adults and test it in a hypothetical model. Accordingly, this research, carried out in three studies, collected data from 28 different countries. In Study 1 (N = 547), confirmatory factor analysis validated the 15-item Existential Vacuum Scale. Item Response Analysis showed satisfactory scale item discrimination. The scale's reliability was confirmed by reliability analyses. In Study 2 (N = 368), correlations was analyzed. Existential vacuum, depression, anxiety, stress, mental well-being, and Big Five personality traits were strongly correlated. In Study 3 (N = 401), structural equation modelling revealed that intolerance of uncertainty partially mediated the relationship between existential vacuum and loneliness. People who feel life lacks meaning may have a lower tolerance to uncertainty and be more lonely. In other words, individuals with high existential vacuum may show lower tolerance for uncertainty, which may contribute to increased levels of loneliness. The presence of partial mediation suggests that intolerance of uncertainty is an important mechanism, but that the relationship between existential vacuum and loneliness can also be explained by other factors. In broadening the literature on existential vacuum, this research pioneers.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), maternal depression remains a public and social challenge. Available studies from high-income countries suggest that affected women do not constitute one homogeneous group in terms of severity, chronicity, and onset of symptoms. However, few studies have captured the distinct characteristics of such depression patterns in SSA. This study adds to the literature by examining depressive symptoms trajectories and associated factors among reproductive age women in Khwisero, western Kenya. It provides a unique contribution by generating evidence from community-based longitudinal data, using a semiparametric, group-based trajectory modeling to identify heterogenous subgroups of women, each following a distinct pattern of depressive symptom development over time, with their own trajectory pattern and growth parameters. We used data collected from community-based longitudinal household surveys from 2019 to 2023. A total of 257 reproductive age (18-49 years) women were assessed for depressive symptoms using Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scores and included in the analyses. Latent class growth curve mixture and generalized estimating equation models were used to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms and examine factors associated with each trajectory group, respectively. Bayesian information criterion, the probability of group memberships, average posterior probability, odds of correct classification, and biological plausibility were used to identify and determine the trajectory groups. A p-value of 0.05 was set to examine associations of each trajectory with factors. We found four distinct patterns of depressive symptoms among reproductive age women, namely moderately stable depression (19.8%, Group 1), mildly stable depression (56.8%, Group 2), higher but improving depression (18.6%, Group 3), and unstably high depression (4.8%, Group 4). We also found that reproductive age women who reported better self-rated health status and food security were less likely to experience unstable or moderately increasing depressive symptoms. Reproductive age women exhibit distinct forms of depressive symptoms trajectories, underscoring the need to recognize and address heterogeneity in design, development, and delivery of maternal mental health interventions. These findings also provide deeper insights into the dynamic nature of depressive symptoms in under-researched rural African settings. Further research should focus on examining the effect of time varying factors and understanding potential mechanisms of underlying, proximal, and early life factors, including time varying factors, in a more diversified population using life course model and/or socioecological model. The differential impact of belonging in distinct groups of trajectories on women's future health and their children's health, development, and nutritional outcomes also requires further investigations.

Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) provide tools to seek mental health resources, providers, and facilitate and/or complement in-person treatment. Limited research has examined what factors are associated with DMHI uptake. We used California Health Interview Survey data to examine DMHI use among California adults (2019-2022), estimating three multi-variable logistic regression models to assess if DMHI use to seek mental health support (Model 1), connect with mental health professionals (Model 2), and connect with others with similar concerns (Model 3) varied by psychological distress or sociodemographic variables. We used Wald Chi-square statistics tests to examine reasons for not using DMHIs by the same variables. DMHI use to seek mental health support (OR = 1.6) and connect with professionals (OR = 1.4) increased between 2019-2022. High psychological distress individuals used DMHIs for all three outcomes significantly more than low/no distress individuals (Model 1: OR = 14.9; Model 2: OR = 11.9; Model 3: OR = 13.0). The top reason for not using online tools regardless of distress was in-person treatment. The second reasons were low perceived treatment utility (high/medium distress individuals), and low perceived need (low/no distress individuals). Overall, younger, female, more educated, insured, unmarried, and non-Hispanic White participants were more likely to use DMHIs than older, male, less educated, uninsured, married, and Asian counterparts. Adult DMHI use to seek mental health support and professional treatment increased between pre-pandemic and pandemic years. Many respondents who did not use DMHIs sought in-person support. Future research can examine how to increase perceived DMHI efficacy among people with high/medium distress.

In 2017, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) conducted a survey in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic that revealed a high rate of mental health disorders. To address the shortage of mental health services, ISMMS collaborated with the Instituto Terapéutico y Psicológico para la Familia (INTEP) to provide training sessions to local primary care providers (PCPs) and psychologists in psychopharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the training on providers' confidence about and attitudes towards providing mental health care. Trainees were administered a survey pre, immediate post, and three-months following training sessions to assess their comfort in diagnosing and treating psychiatric conditions. Post-training interviews were conducted to assess the impact of the training. A total of 78 PCPs participated in the initial training session. Chi-squared and Fisher Exact analyses conducted on PCPs' responses to individual survey items revealed significant increases in the proportion of respondents agreeing to feeling comfortable managing targeted psychiatric conditions after training as compared to before training. Interviews with 28 PCPs supported these results. Five of the 12 trained psychologists were interviewed and endorsed success in integrating the training into their practice, noting improved patient outcomes. Both PCPs and psychologists described an enhanced sense of confidence in managing patients with mental health disorders after training, emphasizing the positive impact that psychiatric training initiatives in primary care settings have in promoting sustainable mental healthcare systems in low-resource settings.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is marked by excessive worry and cognitive difficulties, yet its neurometabolic mechanisms remain unclear. 41patients with GAD and 41 healthy controls (HC) were assessed using neuropsychological tests: Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test (TMT-A/B), Digit Span Test (DST), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Stroop Test, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Blood samples were analyzed for kynurenine pathway metabolites including kynurenic acid (KYNA), quinolinic acid (QUIN), tryptophan (TRP), 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK), kynurenine (KYN), and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-HAA) via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Patients with GAD performed significantly worse than healthy controls on executive function and attention tasks, including WCST (p = 0.014), TMT-A (p < 0.001), TMT-B (p = 0.015), and Stroop tests (p < 0.001). Patients with GAD showed elevated QUIN levels and reduced KYNA/QUIN ratios (p < 0.001), while HC group had higher 3-HK/KYN ratios (p = 0.008) than the patient group. Among anxiety measures, only state anxiety was positively correlated with KYN levels (r = 0.34, p = 0.032) in the patient group. Notably, a higher KYNA/QUIN ratio was independently associated with lower odds of GAD (p = 0.001; OR = 0.531), suggesting a potential neuroprotective role of this balance. Dysregulation in kynurenine pathway, particularly elevated neurotoxic QUIN and reduced KYNA/QUIN ratio, may lead to executive dysfunction in GAD. The KYNA/QUIN ratio emerges as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in GAD.

We aimed to examine the relationship between impulsivity and Internet Addiction (IA) evaluating autism symptoms, inattention, hyperactivity, loneliness, anxiety, and depression in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We also investigated whether symptoms of autism, anxiety or depression moderate and/or mediate the relationship between impulsivity and study variables in predicting the severity of IA. Participants (n = 46 adolescents with ASD, ages 12-18) were assessed through Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ), Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales, Turgay DSM-IV-Based Disruptive Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale, The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief, Young Internet Addiction Scale, and UCLA Loneliness Scale. For all the mediation models, total effect of impulsivity on IA was statistically significant (b = 0.329, p < 0.05). The mediator effects of Separation Anxiety Disorder (SpAD) (b = 0.495, CI = 0.039-1.256), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (b = 0.786, CI = 0.113-1.811) were statistically significant on the path between impulsivity and IA. The direct effect of impulsivity on SpAD was moderated by ASSQ (b = 0.041, p < 0.05). SpAD and GAD mediates the relationship between impulsivity and IA. The higher the autism level, the more likely the individual with ASD is to become an internet addict, strengthening higher relationship between impulsivity, SpAD, and GAD.

Doomscrolling, the repetitive consumption of distressing online content, has been linked to heightened emotional strain, yet the psychological processes that may underlie its association with trauma-like outcomes remain less understood. This study examined whether psychological distress and general belief in a just world (GBJW) function as intermediary mechanisms in the association between doomscrolling and secondary traumatic stress symptoms associated with social media exposure (STS-SM). A cross-sectional sample of 235 adults in Singapore completed validated self-report measures assessing doomscrolling behavior, psychological distress, GBJW, and STS-SM. Regression-based mediation analyses indicated that psychological distress was associated with the link between doomscrolling and STS-SM, with indirect pathways observed across depression, anxiety, and stress subdomains. GBJW did not emerge as an independent mediator. However, a sequential pathway was observed: higher levels of doomscrolling were related to greater psychological distress, which was in turn was linked to variations in GBJW, and subsequently to STS-SM. These findings suggest that psychological distress may represent a proximal emotional process, whereas GBJW may function as a conditional cognitive resource mobilized in response to heightened strain. While the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, the results highlight potential affective and cognitive pathways through which doomscrolling may be linked with trauma-like responses. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to further clarify these mechanisms and to inform strategies for supporting psychological well-being in digitally saturated contexts.

Chronotype, a biological trait that determines an individual's sleep-wake preferences, influences depression risk. However, the psychological and behavioral mechanisms underlying this relationship have only been examined to a limited extent in longitudinal studies. Thus, this study aims to test the impact of chronotype on depression via perceived stress and insomnia, both separately and through serial mediation. The study uses data collected at three-month intervals via a two-wave longitudinal design to explain this relationship. The study included 234 participants (51 men and 183 women) with a mean age of 22.02 (range 18-49). Perceived stress, insomnia, and depression were measured at T2 for chronotype at T1. Path analysis results showed that chronotype negatively affected perceived stress and insomnia, which indirectly predicted depression levels. Perceived stress and insomnia play a role, both separately and serially, in the longitudinal relationship between chronotype and depression. The findings show that as morningness increases, perceived stress and insomnia decrease; consequently, the risk of depression decreases as well. It should be noted that the sample predominantly consisted of young adult female university students, which may limit generalizability. These results suggest that interventions targeting stress management and sleep quality, particularly for evening-type individuals, could effectively reduce the risk of depression.

Negative symptoms pose a significant burden in patients with schizophrenia; currently, there are no specific pharmacological therapies available to helping address this problem. Pilot studies suggest a promising role of curcumin as an adjunct to standard treatment for negative symptoms management, but the totality of clinical evidence remains to be comprehensively assessed. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to provide a comprehensive summary of the evidence regarding the effects of curcumin on symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. We performed a systematic search in Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to May 2024; no language restriction was applied. Only randomized controlled trials using curcumin as an intervention were included. The certainty of the evidence (CoE) was measured using the GRADE approach. After screening 647 articles and full-text review, four studies were included, all interventions were in patients with schizophrenia. The use of curcumin showed no significant effect on positive (SMD -0.33, 95% CI [-0.76; 0.09], CoE: Low) and total symptoms (SMD -0.47, 95% CI [-1.08; 0.14], CoE: Very low), but a statistically significant decrease on negative symptoms (SMD -0.37, 95% CI [-0.70; -0.03], CoE: Low) and general psychopathology (SMD -0.68, 95% CI [-1.18; -0.17], CoE: Very low) was found. No significant differences were observed for depression (CoE: Very low). Curcumin supplementation as an adjunct to standard treatment may result in a small decrease in negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. However, it may have little to no effect on positive symptoms. The evidence for total symptoms, depression and general psychopathology was very uncertain. Due to the low certainty of the evidence, our confidence in these effect estimates is limited, and implementation into clinical practice is not yet recommended. Future studies should be focused on unravelling the molecular targets of negative symptoms regulation to generate specific therapies.

Repeated admissions to psychiatric inpatient services affect patients' quality of life and may be indicative of the quality of care received during the previous inpatient admissions and/or follow-up outpatient care. Therefore, identifying patient characteristics associated with higher risk of readmission is critical to facilitate appropriate inpatient and follow-up outpatient care to reduce readmissions. In this study, we investigated veteran socio-economic and clinical characteristics associated with the odds of 30-day readmission to Veterans Health Administration Inpatient Mental Health services. Logistic regressions were performed on the total study cohort (N = 88,954), and four sub-groups defined by aggregated principal diagnoses. Our findings suggest that the risk of a 30-day readmission increased for veterans who had a principal diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, had co-occurring physical and mental health comorbidities, and were at risk of experiencing homelessness. We also found consistently lower readmission rates among non-Hispanic black veterans. Our data is limited to associative relationships, but future work should investigate potential mechanisms including quality of inpatient services and follow-up outpatient care and identity-specific barriers to receiving care.

Important stressors were at play during the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a burden for healthcare professionals around the world. Some of these stressors were related to the available structure and experience these professionals had, while others were related to being in frontline positions. Evaluating which of these characteristics was associated with the worsening of mental and sleep health in these individuals remains fundamental even in the aftermath of the pandemic. This study sought to analyze the impacts of direct contact between healthcare professionals and COVID-19 patients by gauging the correlation between psychiatric symptoms, sleep impairment, general health and sleep health in different healthcare professions. The influence of the type of institution, the professionals' work shifts, and individual perception when comparing the health impacts before and after the pandemic was also investigated. Volunteers answered an online questionnaire applied using the Google Forms platform and disseminated on multiple digital networks. The questions were designed based on previously validated questionnaires about sleep, mental health and quality of life. The analysis was divided into seven blocks to better explore each topic. Among our findings, nurses were identified as one of the professionals with most impairments to sleep and mental health. We observed that age had a generally positive association with better sleep and mental health outcomes. There was an effect of working both in private and public institutions and in morning/night shifts, as well of years of experience on mental health and sleep. These data demonstrate how work and workplace characteristics exerted an effect on the health parameters of healthcare professionals during the pandemic. We hope that the evidence hereby exposed about this previous crisis is used in the future as a basis for the betterment of working conditions in this area. We expect that this study helps in the development of measures that mitigate deterioration of wellbeing of those operating in the frontlines in potential future large-scale emergencies.

A seismic event profoundly disrupts psychological health; however, a sense of coherence and meaning-focused coping, cultivated by positive childhood experiences, may transform the suffering. The current study aimed to examine the mediating role of sense of coherence and meaning-focused coping in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and posttraumatic growth among survivors of the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes. Data were gathered from 489 survivors of the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes. Mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro. The findings of the study demonstrated the mediating role of sense of coherence and meaning-focused coping in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and posttraumatic growth. These findings underscored that positive childhood experiences promote posttraumatic growth through a sense of coherence and meaning-focused coping. This study suggests that reinforcing positive childhood experiences may help mitigate the impact of challenging life events in adulthood. Targeted strategies that integrate a sense of coherence and meaning-focused coping may promote posttraumatic growth.

With the increased popularity of play-to-earn (P2E) games with nonfungible tokens (NFTs), the introduction of tap-to-earn games has further reduced the distinction between online gaming and cryptocurrency-related activities. Hamster Kombat (HK) is a P2E game with NFTs that has attracted a large user base, with over 300 million users reported since its launch in March 2024. The present study examined factors associated with HK engagement among Iranian users, where the game's income-generating features may be perceived as more appealing in the context of Iran's currency devaluation. Among a sample of 529 Iranian HK players (71.6% females; mean age = 26.2 years [SD ± 7.1]) recruited in July 2024, the present study examined demographic characteristics, socioeconomic vulnerabilities (financial worries and subjective social status [society and individuals around]), psychological vulnerabilities and dispositional traits (impulsivity, mental distress, and self-esteem), and online behavior and reinforcement-based mechanisms (problematic internet use [PIU], fear of missing out [FoMO], cryptocurrency trading addiction [CTA], online gaming activity, cryptocurrency trading activity, and HK game performance). The analysis showed that higher financial worries, greater mental distress, FoMO, higher impulsivity, and PIU were associated with greater levels of problematic HK playing. Higher subjective social status was associated with lower levels of problematic HK playing. In regression analysis, CTA, subjective social status, and PIU were significantly associated with problematic HK playing. It was also found that 15% of the participants scored high (in the 90th percentile or above) on both problematic HK playing and CTA scales. The findings suggest that P2E games may differ from other general online games, given their observed association with CTA.

Despite extensive research, identifying reliable diagnostic biomarkers for MDD remains an open question. This systematic review quantifies the most promising diagnostic biomarkers for major depressive disorder (MDD) that can be utilized in clinical settings. We performed a comprehensive electronic search across PubMed, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, covering the literature from January 2013 to December 2023. Inclusion criteria consisted of studies with human participants ages 18 and above, focusing on diagnostic biomarkers in bodily fluids and comparing patients with MDD with healthy controls. Exclusion criteria included comorbid physical or psychological illnesses, animal studies, and neuroimaging studies. We quantified 312 diagnostic biomarkers of MDD from 175 selected studies and found that interleukin-6 (IL-6), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were the most frequently appearing biomarkers in the selected studies. Meta-analyses of these top five biomarkers indicated that IL-6, BDNF, cortisol, and TNF-α were significantly associated with MDD, but further validation in different populations needs more work. Future research may focus on developing panels of diagnostic biomarkers and standardizing methodologies for diverse populations to enhance the diagnostic accuracy for MDD.

Case formulation (CF) is central to personalized mental health care, yet little is known about how artificial intelligence (AI) may simulate theory-informed processes. This exploratory study examined how ChatGPT-4.0 generated CFs for adolescent gaming disorder using cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic frameworks. Eight standardized fictional vignettes describing demographics, gaming behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and family context were submitted with prompts requesting framework-specific formulations. Outputs underwent thematic analysis with structured parallel frameworks and reflexive coding. Cognitive-behavioral formulations emphasized schemas, distortions, avoidance, gaming's psychological functions, and motivational themes, yielding three exploratory subtypes: Avoidant-Anxious, Defiant-Externalizing, and Depression-Driven. Psychodynamic formulations highlighted intrapsychic conflict, defense mechanisms, relational templates, and symbolic meanings, producing four subtypes: Shame-Regulating, Grief-Avoidant, Inhibited/Anxious-Avoidant, and Control-Oriented. Across frameworks, convergences emerged around low self-worth, avoidance, family dysfunction, and gaming as emotional regulation. These findings suggest that large language models can approximate framework-based case formulations and highlight clinically relevant themes, though they are not generalizable beyond simulated cases. With ethical oversight, such tools may support integrative clinical thinking, education, and reflective supervision. Future work should compare AI- and clinician-generated formulations with real patient data to evaluate validity and utility. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Migrants are often systematically exposed to ethnic microaggressions. It is important to understand the extent to which and how microaggressive experiences affect psychosocial processes in the process of interacting with the local population. In addition, understanding the demographic structures that determine this process will facilitate the handling of the problem as a whole. The aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty in the effect of ethnic microaggressions on minority stress among Syrian migrants, as well as the moderating effects of age and length of stay. The sample of the study, which was structured according to a cross-sectional design, consisted of 395 Syrian migrants, and the data were collected between January and February 2024. The effect of moderation and mediation was tested with the PROCESS macro (Model 5) for SPSS 23.0 by Hayes using 5000 bootstrap samples. Intolerance of uncertainty has a mediating effect on the relationship between ethnic microaggression and minority stress. Age moderated the relationship between ethnic microaggression and minority stress, while length of stay did not have a significant moderating effect on the same relationship. Excessive exposure to ethnic microaggressions may increase Syrian migrants' intolerance to uncertainty and minority stress, and such psychosocial problems are at higher risk in older migrants.