What happens when childhood trauma disrupts our ability to understand what others think and feel? This systematic review pulls together 29 studies across psychiatric diagnoses to explore how early neglect and abuse shape mentalisation, and what that means for prevention, assessment, and care.
[read the full story...]
People from racialised communities face higher risks of psychosis, yet racism itself is rarely studied. A new umbrella review shows why discrimination needs to be recognised as a genuine risk factor, not just a background influence.
[read the full story...]
What if perinatal mental health started in the gut? New research from Finland suggests certain bacteria may be associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and after birth, raising questions about inflammation, causality, and the future of microbiome-based screening and treatment.
[read the full story...]
Vaping is helping millions quit smoking, but concerns about teen uptake remain. A new blog explores whether the ‘gateway hypothesis’ stands up to scrutiny in the latest umbrella review of vaping harms in young people.
[read the full story...]
Depression, anxiety, and suicidality are higher among LGBTQ+ workers, especially in hostile or unsupportive workplaces. But are research and policy keeping up? This new review sets out the case for change.
[read the full story...]
Self-harm is common among adolescents and a strong predictor of suicide risk. A major new cohort study in the British Journal of Psychiatry explores how genetic risk and brain differences might explain who’s most at risk, and why.
[read the full story...]
Could years of commuting through city smog be leaving lasting marks on our brains? A major UK birth cohort study suggests that midlife exposure to nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants may lead to smaller hippocampal volumes and slower cognitive processing in later life, even after accounting for social and educational factors.
[read the full story...]
Not all childhood trauma has the same biological impact. A new study finds that adversity in late childhood is most strongly linked to immune dysregulation at age 24.
[read the full story...]
How safe is it to treat ADHD in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders? New long-term data offers pragmatic reassurance, but also some warnings.
[read the full story...]
Sex and gender differences in mental health are real; the mechanisms are under-explored. This review pulls together evidence on sex-steroids, brain development, neuroinflammation, and the social world to show where practice and policy must catch up.
[read the full story...]
