COVID-19 increased depression and anxiety disorders by >25% during 2020

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Dona Matthews summarises a recent study in The Lancet which estimates that worldwide COVID-19 increased depression and anxiety disorders by more than 25% in 2020.

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The North American Opioid Crisis: how it came about and how to manage it

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Rob Poole explores the recently published Stanford-Lancet Commission report on the North American Opioid Crisis, which aims to understand the opioid crisis, propose solutions to the crisis in the USA and Canada, and attempt to stop its spread internationally.

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Quarantine: infection prevention, but at what cost for mental health?

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As the COVID-19 lockdown enters its second week in the UK, Matthew Iveson and Andrew McIntosh consider the psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it.

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The global drug problem: who cares? #LxAddictions19

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Ian Hamilton shares his thoughts on the new Drug Use series published yesterday in The Lancet: The global drug problem – change but not progression.

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MARQUE training to reduce agitation in dementia in care homes

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A group of UCL Mental Health Masters students summarise an RCT on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the MARQUE intervention (Managing Agitation and Raising Quality of Life) for agitation in people with dementia in care homes.

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Police killings and the mental health of black Americans

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Ian Cummins provides the context and perspective to consider the implications of a population-based, quasi-experimental study of police killings and their spillover effects on the mental health of black Americans.

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After the crisis: self-management and peer-support

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Jenny Collom, Maria Giorgalli and Derek Tracy welcome a new RCT published yesterday in The Lancet which demonstrates the benefits of peer-supported self-management for people discharged from a mental health crisis team.

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The burden of mortality and morbidity carried by marginalised populations

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Noortje Uphoff appraises a systematic review and meta-analysis of morbidity and mortality in homeless individuals, prisoners, sex workers and individuals with substance use disorders in high-income countries.

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Inclusion health: a new perspective on health inequalities?

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Noortje Uphoff writes her debut elf blog on a recent paper in The Lancet, which looks at what works in inclusion health; providing an overview of effective interventions for marginalised and excluded populations.

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Early life deprivation, neurodevelopment, mental health and resilience: ERA study

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André Tomlin summarises the latest instalment of the ERA (English and Romanian Adoptees) study, which explores the neurodevelopmental and mental health trajectories of Romanian orphans who experienced severe levels of early life deprivation.

Today’s blog features a podcast interview with lead author of the ERA study: Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke.

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