What works in domestic abuse and sexual violence services? Encouraging signals, fragmented evidence, and an urgent measurement problem

Broken,Glass,Hole.,Photo,Of,Cracks,On,The,Window.,Texture

Services for domestic abuse and sexual violence are widely delivered and highly valued, but how confident can we be that they work? A new UK-focused systematic review of what the evidence actually shows.

[read the full story...]

The hidden health burden of intimate partner and child sexual violence

Featured

A new Global Burden of Disease analysis links intimate partner violence and child sexual abuse to far more health outcomes than we previously counted.

[read the full story...]

When the treatment doesn’t work: what predicts difficult-to-treat postpartum depression?

feat

Swedish nationwide study of 58,618 women found 6% experienced treatment-resistant postpartum depression. Risk factors included lower socioeconomic status, smoking, pre-existing health conditions, caesarean or preterm birth.

[read the full story...]

Midlife women: self-harm and suicide are not interchangeable

Thoughtful,Senior,Indian,Woman,In,Casual,Sitting,On,Home,Couch,

Women aged 55-59 present far less often with self-harm than women aged 40-44, yet experience twice the suicide mortality. Different expressions of distress require different responses.

[read the full story...]

Prevention, screening and treatment of peripartum depression for women: new clinical guidelines

Featured

International group developed 44 evidence-based recommendations for peripartum depression, supporting psychological interventions and universal screening with clear referral pathways.

[read the full story...]

Autism and menstruation: scoping review reveals unmet healthcare needs

valentina-giarre-yubngy75AGw-unsplash

This review found autistic individuals face increased mood changes, sensory overload and menstrual disorders during menstruation, but encounter barriers accessing appropriate care.

[read the full story...]

“It’s not all in your head”: Sexual assault raises risk of functional somatic disorders

feat

Sexual assault survivors face six-fold increased risk of multiorgan functional somatic disorder (unexplained physical symptoms like chronic pain and fatigue).

[read the full story...]

Is it a gut feeling? How the microbiome may shape perinatal mental health in women with higher body weight

feat

What if perinatal mental health started in the gut? New research from Finland suggests certain bacteria may be associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and after birth, raising questions about inflammation, causality, and the future of microbiome-based screening and treatment.

[read the full story...]

From menstruation to menopause: how sex-steroids shape women’s mental health across the life course

feat

Sex and gender differences in mental health are real; the mechanisms are under-explored. This review pulls together evidence on sex-steroids, brain development, neuroinflammation, and the social world to show where practice and policy must catch up.

[read the full story...]

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

reproductive-health-supplies-coalition-MXgfgt2hIQg-unsplash

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

[read the full story...]