Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42459470›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2026

Money and mental health: a scoping review of financial variables, data sources, and analytical methods.

Oluwadara Adedeji, Andreas Balaskas, David Coyle, Keith Gaynor, Mark Matthews

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Oluwadara AdedejiSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Andreas BalaskasSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
David CoyleSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Keith GaynorSchool of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Mark MatthewsSchool of Computer Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The relationship between financial circumstances and mental health is well-established. New financial data sources such as bank transactions and digital payments offer new opportunities to better characterize this relationship. However, the prior financial data sources and analytical approaches have not been systematically reviewed. Understanding these is essential to guide future research and inform integrated interventions that address both financial and mental health outcomes. Objective: This scoping review systematically maps the research on money and mental health, examining: (1) the financial variables and data sources used, (2) modeling methods employed, and (3) methodological gaps that novel objective data might address. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Scopus. Papers were screened against predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and data extracted using a standardized spreadsheet. Analysis employed deductive coding guided by our research questions, refined iteratively through engagement with the data. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was followed for reporting. Results: Of the 43 included studies, most ( Conclusion: This review reinforces the complex, bidirectional relationship between financial circumstances and mental health. Most studies examined how financial difficulty affects mental health, while only a few explored how mental illness influences financial behavior, indicating a clear research gap. There is substantial opportunity to use objective financial data and more diverse analytical methods, particularly machine learning, to deepen understanding of the relationship and interactions between money and mental health and inform targeted interventions.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersMental HealthHumansfinancefinhealthmachine learningmental healthmental wellbeingmoneystatistical analysis

Identifiers

PMID42459470
PMCPMC13368922

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.