Once symptoms stabilise after a first episode of psychosis, should medication continue? A four-year RCT explores the risks and rewards of dose reduction.
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First evaluation of specialist psychology in NHS Major Trauma Centre finds psychologists improve recovery outcomes and support frontline staff facing emotional toll.
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Qualitative study reveals young people on CAMHS waiting lists feel alone and dismissed, with mental health deteriorating while they wait. Communication and interim support urgently needed.
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Mental health admissions to acute medical wards rose 65% for young people in England (2012-2022), with eating disorder admissions up 515% and anxiety admissions doubling in 10 years. Self-harm admissions accounted for more than half of the total. Adolescent girls by far the biggest group affected.
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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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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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The Co-Pact study uses powerful images and narratives from 48 people to reveal how compulsory admission under the Mental Health Act is experienced by racially minoritised communities. Participants described coercive care, institutional racism, and being “voiceless”, but also what could prevent crisis admissions.
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Brief Admission allows people with BPD to self-refer for short respite stays, offering a person-centred alternative to emergency hospitalisation. This 4-year longitudinal study from Sweden reveals who uses it, how it works, and how services could adapt.
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The UPSIDES trial demonstrates that peer support is effective across diverse global contexts, from high-income to low-income countries. While overall social inclusion scores didn’t reach significance, participants showed reduced isolation and increased empowerment and hope. This landmark study proves peer support can be successfully adapted to different cultural settings while maintaining core recovery-oriented principles.
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Informal coercion – the subtle pressure patients feel in psychiatric care – is common but poorly understood. A new scoping review sheds light on how it’s defined, where it happens, and why it matters for patients and professionals alike.
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