Thinking outside the box: alternatives to standard inpatient mental health care

Red arrow stands out from the others and changes direction to go out of order. Thinking outside the box. New strategies and solutions. Atypical, leadership qualities. Denial of conformism.

Amber Jarvis summarises a new typology of alternatives to standard inpatient care produced by the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Mental Health, which suggests there are multiple alternatives to ‘traditional’ inpatient mental health care, which planners and commissioners should consider.

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Increased risk of respiratory disease in bipolar means it’s time to breathe new life into physical healthcare

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Risk of respiratory disease is greatly heightened for people with bipolar disorder but we are missing opportunities to intervene to improve lung health.

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Evidence-based safe staffing levels on mental health wards: there’s no such thing

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The relationship between staffing and incidents of violence and aggression on wards is complex. Today Emily Wood reminds us that there is an urgent need for high quality evidence to inform guidelines and practice.

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Tackling social determinants will reduce the global mental health burden: mega-blog of current prevention strategies

Social determinants such as early life adversity, socioeconomic disadvantage and ethnoracial discrimination all contribute to the development of mental ill health, with marginalised and minoritised communities being impacted the most.

Xiaolin Guo, a MSc student in Global Mental Health at the University of Glasgow, and Nina Higson-Sweeney summarise a recent narrative review exploring the social determinants of mental health and associated prevention strategies.

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“How do I see a doctor?” Implementing the Refugee Health Screener-13 in Sweden

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KCL MSc student Rachel Rowan Olive considers the best ways to screen for mental health problems in refugees, exploring a recent Swedish paper evaluating the Refugee Health Screener-13 tool.

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Cannabis, psychosis and the structural realities for ethnic minorities

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KCL MSc student Geetika Sharma reviews a study that looks at the contribution of cannabis use to the increased psychosis risk among minority ethnic groups in Europe.

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Understanding the role of psychodynamic therapy in NHS services for complex needs

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KCL MSc student Yunyi Chen explores a study on the effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy in an NHS service for service-users with complex mental health needs, with promising findings that span over a decade of work.

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Brushstrokes and breakthroughs: how can gallery-based art therapy improve young people’s mental health?

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KCL MSc student Amanda Lunsford explores the impact of gallery-based art therapy on mental wellbeing, self-expression, and personal growth. What could this creative, community-based approach mean for young people?

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Beyond the Binary: Understanding the mental health toll of gender non-conformity

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KCL MSc student, Jingyi Zhang, considers a recent meta-analysis on gender non-conformity and common mental health problems, which suggests that governments should prioritise inclusive laws and gender-affirmative care to protect mental health.

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When help feels out of reach: mental health and the menstrual cycle

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KCL MSc student Chiara Roux considers a survey study on help-seeking behaviours and experiences for mental health symptoms related to the menstrual cycle.

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