We’ve been talking about VR for voices for more than a decade. Are the results finally catching up with the hype? A new multi-site RCT from Denmark tests a refined, immersive version of AVATAR therapy for people with schizophrenia who continue to hear distressing voices despite medication.
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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.
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Psychiatric hospitalisation can save lives, but it also carries major personal and economic costs. Could early warning scores help predict who’s most at risk, allowing for earlier, more targeted support? This new BMJ Mental Health study by Taquet and colleagues explores the potential.
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What if therapy focused not on thoughts or voices, but on the vivid images that often accompany them? The iMAPS-2 trial tested a novel imagery-focused therapy for psychosis, showing it’s safe, acceptable, and ready for a full-scale trial.
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People with severe mental illness are more than twice as likely to die from respiratory disease than those without. This new systematic review highlights the scale of the problem and why action on public health and social inequality is just as vital as stop-smoking advice.
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Guidelines say metformin can help prevent weight gain from antipsychotics like olanzapine, but this large UK study shows it’s rarely prescribed. What’s stopping us?
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How safe is it to treat ADHD in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders? New long-term data offers pragmatic reassurance, but also some warnings.
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Clozapine is described as the gold standard treatment for schizophrenia but a new cohort study suggests it is associated with an increased risk of infections, particularly in older patients, further solidifying the case for holistic care.
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People with severe mental illness often face years of poor health before diagnosis. A new study uses machine learning and clinical notes to map the early warning networks of symptoms that could help us intervene earlier.
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This big meta-analysis pooled 155 studies from 37 countries and found many more delusional themes than standard assessment tools capture. Clinicians should watch for “non-classical” content, and researchers should widen how we measure delusions.
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