News • "Critical" critical care
Study shows soaring mental health challenges for frontline Covid nurses
Nurses who worked in critical care during the Covid pandemic are at an increased risk of mental health problems, according to a new study.
Mental health
News • Mental health
Robots can be used to assess children’s mental wellbeing
According to a new study, robots can be better at detecting mental wellbeing issues in children than parent-reported or self-reported testing.
News • Surprising results
Experts expected smoking to increase during the pandemic – but the opposite happened
Danish smokers bought less tobacco and more quit smoking during the Covid pandemic, new research finds. This comes as a surprise given that mental health and exercise habits waned during the lockdown.
News • Effects on anxiety, depression
Is having a dog good for mental health? Yes and no, say experts
It is often believed that a close relationship between owners and their dogs can bring many mental health benefits to owners, but findings from a new study paint a more complicated picture.
News • During pandemic
Extent of moral injuries faced by healthcare workers
Staff across all levels of UK health and social care reported feeling betrayed, morally violated and being treated unjustly and unfairly at work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
News • Workforce exodus
A third of GPs plan to jump ship within five years
Around 33% of GPs are likely to quit direct patient care within five years, according to a UK survey. The high percentage of young physicians is especially alarming.
News • Coronavirus after-effects
Severe Covid-19 linked to increased anxiety and depression risk
People who were bedridden for at least a week due to Covid-19 are more likely to experience anxiety and depression for up to 16 months after the infection, a new study shows.
News • Decrease in wellbeing
Covid-19 pandemic has devastating effect on mental health, study shows
The Covid pandemic might be responsible for a “substantial decrease” in mental wellbeing in the UK, according to new research from the University of East Anglia and University of York.
News • UK study reveals
Many women feel 'brushed aside' by the healthcare system
Many women feel they are not being listened to about their health needs – and experience a lack of empathy around problems relating to menstruation, fertility, childbirth and menopause.
Article • Chatbots & co
E-mental health: A solution for a rising challenge
E-mental health services could provide a response to these challenges and offer effective ways for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare.
News • Stress, depression, anxiety
Suppress or sustain? How our brain handles traumatic memories
Two clusters of brain cells compete to promote either the persistence or disappearance of traumatic memories, according to a new study conducted in mice. The findings could provide important insights into human conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and associated problems such as alcohol use disorder (AUD) that can arise from the persistence of traumatic…
News • Post-traumatic stress disorder
Is PTSD on the rise - or just overdiagnosed?
Some clinicians are concerned that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis has risen throughout Western society since the late 1980s. Is this correct? And if so, has the true incidence of PTSD really spiralled out of control, or has it simply become overdiagnosed? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ this week. PTSD is a serious and uncommon condition resulting from severe trauma, but it…
News • Sex differences in medication
A drug that could help men help cope with fear (but might make things worse for women)
A research team from the Institut de Neurociències at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB) has showed that inhibition through a drug of the Tac2 neuronal circuit, involved in the formation of the memory of fear, has opposite effects on the ability to remember aversive events in mice according to sex: it is reduced in male mice and increased in female mice.
News • Reducing hospital-related stress and anxiety
Website helps children and parents to prepare for hospitalization
Every year, millions of children around the world are admitted to hospital for having anaesthesia and surgery. Many of them experience preoperative anxiety which negatively affects both their hospital experience and medical outcome, as well as their future relationships with healthcare services from both a short-term and long-term point of view. A new, internationally aimed website offers…
News • Prevalence of depression and anxiety
Covid-19 pandemic impacts mental health worldwide, study finds
A study conducted by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health researchers reports a high global prevalence of both depression and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also shows how the implementation of mitigation strategies including public transportation and school closures, and stay-at-home orders impacted such disorders. Results are published in Psychological Medicine.
News • How our brain handles the pandemic
Fear of Covid-19: The psychology of the pandemic
During pandemics, protective behaviors need to be motivated by effective communication. A critical factor in understanding a population’s response to such a threat is the fear it elicits, since fear both contributes to motivating protective responses, but can also lead to panic-driven behaviors. Furthermore, lockdown measures affect well-being, making it important to identify protective factors…
News • Detecting depression, psychosis
Machine learning could aid mental health diagnoses
A way of using machine learning to more accurately identify patients with a mix of psychotic and depressive symptoms has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham. Patients with depression or psychosis rarely experience symptoms of purely one or the other illness. Historically, this has meant that mental health clinicians give a diagnosis of a ‘primary’ illness, but with…
News • Eating disorders and the microbiome
Causes for anorexia: not just in the head (but also in the gut)
Anorexia is a debilitating eating disorder, and was long thought to be purely psychological. New research is challenging this by revealing that gut microbes may have a significant role in anorexia. A recent review examines the evidence that gut microbes can contribute to anorexia and may provide a new method to treat it.
News • Wearable technology
Smart watches and fitness trackers: useful, but may increase anxiety
Is my heart beating slightly fast? Is a heart attack coming? I didn’t sleep as much as I thought I had last night – is that bad for my heart? Health apps and fitness watches can shed considerable light on how our bodies work and make recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. However, self-measuring can have a downside too, according to a new study that examined the experiences of 27 heart…
News • Depression medication
New research may lead to more effective antidepressants
Depression is a common psychiatric disorder and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Antidepressants are the first-line treatment for moderate to severe major depressive episodes. Despite their effectiveness, only 40% of patients respond to the first antidepressant they try. A recent paper in Nature Communication strongly suggests that a particular protein, GPR56, is involved in the…
News • Werther effect
Media reports of celebrity suicide linked to increased suicide rates
Media reporting of suicide, especially celebrity suicides, is associated with increases in suicide in the general population, particularly by the same method as used by the celebrity, finds an analysis of the latest evidence published by The BMJ. The researchers say their findings support the continued use and promotion of guidelines on responsible media reporting of suicide, especially when…
News • Brain inflammation
AI could develop personalised psychosis therapies
A new multicentre study will investigate the link between brain inflammation and psychosis, and use artificial intelligence techniques to identify patients that might benefit most from novel treatments. The study, funded by UKRI Medical Research Council, is led by the Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge. Researchers will examine how and if activated inflammatory cells may act differently in…
News • Multiple sclerosis and the psyche
Depression speeds up appearance of MS symptoms
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who also have depression are more likely to suffer debilitating symptoms early than people with MS who are not depressed, according to a study at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden that is published in the journal Neurology. The findings highlight the need for early recognition and treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with MS. More than 2 million people…
News • Public health in the UK
'Every Mind Matters': NHS launches mental health campaign
A new awareness campaign launched by the National Health Service (NHS) aims to tackle the growing issue of mental disorders in the UK. 'Every Mind Matters' encourages adults to be more aware of their mental health and helps them to discover simple steps to look after their mental health and wellbeing. The campaign offers free, NHS-approved mental health resources, via the One You website, which…
News • Mental health
Does autism increase risk of suicidal behaviour?
The risk of suicide attempts and suicides among individuals with autism spectrum disorders is significantly higher than among the population in general. An especially high risk of suicidal behaviour is noted among women who in addition to autism also have ADHD. These are the findings of a population-based study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal Psychological Medicine.…