This descriptive study analysed five years of incident data from a private mental health provider, finding that headbanging incidents were most common among younger female patients with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder in low secure and CAMHS wards. However, the study only describes patterns without exploring why headbanging occurs or differentiating between self-harm, sensory regulation and communication.
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Are hair-pulling and skin-picking disorders linked to deeper beliefs formed in childhood? This study found that early maladaptive schemas were common across trichotillomania, skin-picking and OCD, with stronger associations to focused (emotionally-driven) behaviours.
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Do people with ADHD have higher rates of behavioural addictions? This study compared 209 adults with ADHD to 137 healthy controls, finding increased impulsivity, compulsivity and problematic internet use in the ADHD groups.
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This large-scale quality improvement project across 55 mental health wards tested Board Relay, Zonal Observations, and Life Skills activities to improve therapeutic engagement. Results showed promising reductions in aggression, restrictive practices, and staff sickness.
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This Danish study of over 3 million people found that having a first-degree relative with depression increased risk 2.35-times, resulting in 15% lifetime risk (compared to 7.8% in the general population). However, 60% of depression cases occurred in people with no affected close relatives, highlighting that family history is only part of the story.
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Healthcare workers have twice the risk of fatal drug overdose compared to other workers. This study of 58 coroner reports found that occupational hazards (workplace access to drugs, clinical knowledge, prescribing power) combined with mental health problems and work stress contributed to these deaths, highlighting the need for systemic workplace interventions.
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PsyRiskMR is a new database that helps researchers investigate risk factors for common psychiatric disorders using Mendelian randomization.
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This twin study of nearly 14,000 UK adolescents found that body dissatisfaction at age 16 was linked to eating disorder symptoms at 21 and depression at 26. Comparing twins helped researchers show these were likely causal relationships, not just correlations, though genetics also played a substantial role.
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This network meta-analysis of 76 trials found that slow tapering (over 4 weeks) combined with psychological support was most effective for preventing relapse when stopping antidepressants. Abrupt discontinuation and fast tapering substantially increased relapse risk and should be avoided.
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Although a flu vaccine activated the immune system and raised cytokine levels in this randomised trial, participants didn’t feel substantially different from the placebo group. Vaccine models can help study subtle inflammation effects.
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