Suicide prevention must address homelessness, not just mental health

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A large population cohort study finds that homelessness is an independent driver of suicide risk, pointing to the limits of mental health-focused prevention alone.

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Culturally inclusive parenting programme benefits families in deprived urban areas

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This RCT of 674 diverse, disadvantaged parents found that Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) group parenting support improved wellbeing and parent-child relationships at modest cost.

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People in prison face disproportionate mental and physical illness

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Umbrella review of global prison populations finds 40% with antisocial personality disorder, 39% with drug use disorder, 24% with alcohol use disorder, 18% with hepatitis C, and 11% with major depression. Healthcare provision inadequate.

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Global alcohol consumption: why the world is failing to meet the WHO’s reduction target

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Alcohol causes 2.6 million premature deaths each year, yet remains the world’s favourite drug. This new global analysis exposes how weak policy, powerful industry lobbying and slow action are undermining WHO’s efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm.

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From pills to people: the rise of social prescribing

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Can we reduce our reliance on medication by prescribing nature walks, art classes and community groups instead? Two new 2025 studies shed light on who’s getting referred to social prescribing, and who isn’t.

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Are dementia prevalence and incidence declining? Findings from a review of cohort studies

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Clarissa Giebel summarises a recent review global cohort studies, which asks the question – is dementia on the downturn, and are the risks the same in high-income or low to middle income countries?

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Suicide prevention: expanding the narrative to preventing the crisis, not just treating the crisis

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Something a bit different today, as Kirsten Lawson summarises the recent Lancet Public Health series on suicide prevention, which looks at public health interventions, addressing the risk factors and determinants of suicide, and the transmissibility of suicide.

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Improving the health of sex workers: education and empowerment are key

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In her debut blog, Eve Wang summarises a recent systematic review in The Lancet Public Health of interventions to improve the health and the determinants of health among sex workers in high-income countries.

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The burden of perinatal mental illness in migrant women: new evidence on prevalence and risk factors

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In her debut Mental Elf blog, Gilda Spaducci explores the global prevalence of perinatal mental disorders among migrant women; summarising a recent review which finds that “one in four experience perinatal depression, one in five perinatal anxiety, and one in eleven perinatal PTSD”.

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Risk factors for suicide in prison

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In her debut blog, Alice Dawson summarises an updated systematic review on risk factors for suicide in prison. The strongest risk factors identified were suicidal ideation, previous suicide attempt, history of self-harm, single-cell occupancy, and current psychiatric diagnosis.

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