Wang QQ, Sun ZS, Wang JS. Non-right-handedness and psychiatric disorders: A synthesis of epidemiological, genetic, and neurobiological evidence. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(1): 111010 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i1.111010]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jie-Si Wang, PhD, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. wangjs@psych.ac.cn
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Psychiatry
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Review
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Jan 19, 2026 (publication date) through Dec 31, 2025
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Wang QQ, Sun ZS, Wang JS. Non-right-handedness and psychiatric disorders: A synthesis of epidemiological, genetic, and neurobiological evidence. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(1): 111010 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i1.111010]
World J Psychiatry. Jan 19, 2026; 16(1): 111010 Published online Jan 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i1.111010
Non-right-handedness and psychiatric disorders: A synthesis of epidemiological, genetic, and neurobiological evidence
Qing-Qing Wang, Zhong-Sheng Sun, Jie-Si Wang
Qing-Qing Wang, Jie-Si Wang, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Qing-Qing Wang, College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
Qing-Qing Wang, Zhong-Sheng Sun, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Zhong-Sheng Sun, HIM-BGI Omics Center, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, Zhejiang Province, China
Zhong-Sheng Sun, Beijing Children’s Hospital, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing 100054, China
Author contributions: Wang QQ and Wang JS conceptualized and designed the study and created the artwork; Wang QQ, Sun ZS, and Wang JS supervised and made critical revisions; Wang QQ conducted the literature review, the analysis and interpretation of data, and drafted the original manuscript; All authors prepared the draft and approved the submitted version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jie-Si Wang, PhD, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China. wangjs@psych.ac.cn
Received: June 23, 2025 Revised: July 29, 2025 Accepted: October 23, 2025 Published online: January 19, 2026 Processing time: 193 Days and 19 Hours
Abstract
Non-right-handedness (NRH), encompassing left-handedness and mixed-handedness, has been frequently reported at elevated rates in individuals with various psychiatric disorders. The consistency of this association across multiple conditions and its underlying mechanisms is the subject of ongoing investigation. This review synthesized current evidence to explore the association between NRH and psychiatric disorders from epidemiological, genetic, and neurobiological perspectives. We systematically identified and appraised relevant literature investigating NRH prevalence in psychiatric populations and potential explanatory mechanisms. Epidemiological evidence indicates an elevated prevalence of NRH, particularly within neurodevelopmental disorders. Potential contributing mechanisms identified include early developmental disruptions, shared genetic predispositions, and atypical patterns of brain lateralization. While the association between NRH and psychiatric conditions, especially neurodevelopmental disorders, is evident, the causal pathways and relative contributions of identified mechanisms are complex and debated. This review highlighted key areas requiring further research to elucidate these relationships.
Core Tip: Despite prior studies on non-right-handedness and psychiatric disorders, this review uniquely integrated epidemiological, genetic, and neurobiological evidence. It revealed higher non-right-handedness prevalence in schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism spectrum disorder, etc. It is linked to early developmental disruptions, genetic variants, and abnormal brain lateralization. Bidirectional causality is proposed. The review offered a novel framework and highlights future research needs.
