🌍 The Lancet Commission on self-harm Self-harm is a global public health issue, yet it remains under-recognised and poorly addressed. This landmark report reframes self-harm as a complex behaviour shaped by culture, society & inequality. 🧵 THREAD #SelfHarm #GlobalHealth #MentalHealth

If you are a therapist, read the paper - or at least read the conclusions. With thanks as always to @thementalelf.bsky.social for making important research more accessible.

🧩 Therapy through the lens of autism What makes therapy feel safe & effective for autistic adults? This new qualitative study highlights the adjustments that matter most — from flexible communication to sensory-friendly environments. 🧵 THREAD #Autism #Therapy #MentalHealth

Prescribing in borderline personality disorder 💊 No drug is officially approved for BPD, yet prescribing is widespread. Why? 🧵 THREAD #BPD #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #MentalHealthCare #Prescribing #OverPrescribing #Polypharmacy #Comorbidity

Who gets included in psychedelics research? 🌿💊 A new systematic review shows clinical trials overwhelmingly centre White participants, despite psychedelics’ deep roots in Indigenous & minoritised communities. 🧵 THREAD #Psychedelics #MentalHealthResearch #EquityInScience #Racism #HealthInequality

🌈 Psychedelics & queerness have always been intertwined—through harm & healing. But queer voices are still rare in research. 🧵THREAD #QueerVoices #Psychedelics #MentalHealth

The genetic link behind sleep problems, cognitive dysfunction, and neuroticism in treatment-resistant depression. A new study of nearly 300,000 people suggests some genetic traits may make depression harder to treat. 🧵 THREAD #TreatmentResistantDepression #Genetics #BiologicalPsychiatry

Excited to be reporting live from the 15th Annual International Psychiatric Pharmacy Conference in Liverpool, 10–11 Oct! 🎉 The programme covers everything from menopause & mental health to climate distress, trauma-informed care, and health equality. 🧵 #CMHP25 @cmhpcommunity.pharmsky.app

Does young people's decision-making impact their wellbeing? We just posted a blog offering a deep dive into an exciting new project led by @dralexlloyd.bsky.social that looks at how the 'Explore-Exploit paradigm' relates to young people's mental health. Click to find out more! buff.ly/KZHlafL

Targeting teenage worry: anxiety symptoms over time This large Chinese study (65k students) mapped how anxiety symptoms shift from early adolescence to young adulthood. 👉 Anxiety networks tighten with age 👉 Different symptoms matter at different stages 🧵 THREAD #Anxiety #YouthMentalHealth

Shaping a Better Future for Young People with Eating Disorders. Get your ticket for the EDIFY conference now! estore.kcl.ac.uk/conferences-...

“Necessary evil” or hidden harm? This scoping review mapped how informal coercion shows up in psychiatric inpatient care. From persuasion 👉 to manipulation 👉 to threats, it’s a continuum often missed in research. 🧵 THREAD #MentalHealth #Psychiatry #PatientRights

Closing the care gap 🌍 New data from 21 countries shows fewer than 7% of people with a mental disorder got effective treatment. The study maps the “treatment cascade” — where people drop out of care. 🧵 THREAD #GlobalMentalHealth #TreatmentGap #MentalHealthCare

⚠️ Mental health is deteriorating in the UK. Our chances of having good mental health are shockingly unequal, and too few people get the support they need. But it doesn't have to be this way. With your support, we can build a mentally healthier future: tinyurl.com/4vd4kubb

🚨 New research alert! Women with ADHD are up to 4x more likely to experience severe premenstrual mood symptoms (PMDD) — especially if they also live with depression or anxiety. 🌀 🧵 THREAD #ADHD #PMDD #WomensHealth #MentalHealth

🧭 GUIDED SELF-HELP 🛠️ It’s widely used in NHS Talking Therapies, but are we giving PWPs the tools to do it well? 👇 THREAD

Under the skin: childhood maltreatment & multimorbidity. 🧒 Early adversity doesn’t just affect mental health — it’s also linked to heart disease & diabetes. A new genetic study shows how metabolic changes may connect maltreatment to multimorbidity. 🧵 #ChildhoodTrauma #Multimorbidity

#TheMostInterestingThinginMentalHealth: What if I told you that the core beliefs “you’re useless”, “you’re worthless” could actually impact voice hearing experiences and worsen mental health. New @thementalelf.bsky.social Blog by Dr. Nicola Airey and I ! www.nationalelfservice.net/mental-healt...

Great to have written this blog with my colleague Dr Nicola Airey on this important review of core beliefs and psychosis!

Through the mental lens: core beliefs & psychosis. Negative beliefs like “I’m worthless” or “others can’t be trusted” are strongly linked to hallucinations, paranoia & suicidality. A new systematic review analysed 79 studies. 🧵 #Psychosis #CoreBeliefs

💡 New hope for difficult-to-treat depression Many people don’t respond to first-line treatment. What else works? This webinar shares the latest evidence on meds, psychotherapies, neuromodulation, psychedelics, diet and exercise. 🧵 THREAD #DifficultToTreatDepression #TreatmentResistantDepression

Nowhere to turn: Mental health & homelessness among women with severe mental illness. 🆘 Women who are homeless are 3x more likely to face mental health problems, and their average age of death is just 43. New study from India explores a phased housing model. 🧵 #Homelessness #WomensHealth

Mental Elf Monthly for August 2025 is now LIVE Catch August’s most-read blogs, from trauma to CBT harms, and book your free spot at our difficult-to-treat depression webinar. national-elf-service.kit.com/posts/mental...

Pragmatic prescribing: why GPs offer beta-blockers for anxiety, despite guideline gaps. 📈 Prescribing of propranolol for anxiety has increased in UK primary care, even though national guidelines don’t recommend it. This new study asked GPs why. 🧵 #Anxiety #PrimaryCare #BetaBlockers #Prescribing

🍎🍊 Psychotherapy or medication for youth depression: can we really compare them? This new analysis shows why the trial evidence may be too different to draw fair conclusions. #Depression #ChildMentalHealth #YouthCare #RCTs #Psychotherapy 🧵 THREAD

✐ Can classroom mental health lessons actually harm some students? This new scoping review looked at CBT & mindfulness-based school interventions and found troubling signs of harm in some cases. #Schools #YouthMentalHealth #CBT #Mindfulness #UniversalInterventions 🧵 THREAD

Went to a FANTASTIC conference last year #OxBFRBConf - such a wealth of info and speakers, from sleep experts to Black hair experts to Neuroscientists. Absolutely hope they get it together again.

🧬 Do psychiatric disorder genes overlap with their drug targets? And does that actually matter? 🤔 New study explores whether GWAS-identified genes for depression, bipolar, ADHD & schizophrenia align with the targets of psychiatric drugs. #Genetics #MentalHealthResearch #Psychiatry #GWAS 🧵 THREAD

🌀 PTSD, anxiety, depression: these are common after disasters like floods, fires or hurricanes. But can mental health problems be prevented after these events? New meta-analysis asks: do psychological or psychosocial interventions help survivors & first responders? 🧵 THREAD #DisasterRelief

✈️ Reaching safety isn’t the end of the journey. It can be the start of a new struggle. This new qualitative review brings together the voices of 490 refugees to ask: 👉 What makes integration so hard? #Refugees #Migration #MentalHealth #Integration #Trauma 🧵 THREAD

🏳️‍⚧️⚧️ Trans & gender diverse people face some of the highest rates of violence worldwide. But what happens after that violence? Do health services help or harm? 👇 This new systematic review brings lived experience to the forefront. 🧵 THREAD #TransHealth #LGBTQHealth #ViolencePrevention

Loved writing this - thank you to the wonderful @sbradstreet.bsky.social . And I got to squeeze in a mention of The AI Con from @alexhanna.bsky.social and @emilymbender.bsky.social The joy of writing after PhDone!

Dementia affects 55 million people globally, and that's expected to rise to 139 million by 2050. So how are countries responding? A new study reviewed 16 national dementia plans from Western countries. The results? Inconsistent action. Limited ambition. Few clear prevention strategies. #Dementia 🧵

📱 Peer support has gone digital. This new meta-analysis suggests apps, chats & video calls can help mental health, but there’s a big problem… nobody agrees what “digital peer support” even means. Are we digitising care, or diluting it? #DigitalMentalHealth #PeerSupport #LivedExperience 🧵

🧵 Does harsh parenting raise the risk of self-harm in young people? New review in The Lancet Psychiatry looked across 38 cohort studies on parenting, family dynamics & youth suicide risk. The findings aren’t what you might expect. 👇 #YouthMentalHealth #Parenting #SelfHarm #SuicidePrevention

🩺 Psychotropic meds save lives, but they can also affect almost every system in the body. From weight gain to heart rhythm changes, sexual side effects & sleep problems; these impacts are often overlooked. Lancet Commission OUT TODAY offers evidence-based ways to prevent & manage them. 🧵 THREAD

Can digital mental health support cut costs & help people on sick leave get better? Swedish RCT tested a nurse-led, person-centred intervention for people with depression, anxiety & stress-related disorders. Findings? It saved money, but did it improve health? #DigitalHealth #SickLeave 🧵 THREAD

🧩 Sensory processing in ADHD isn’t one-size-fits-all. New meta-analysis reveals a wide range of patterns: some people are hypersensitive, others under-responsive, and many experience both. Think fire alarms, not fidget spinners. #ADHD #SensoryProcessing #Neurodivergent #MentalHealth 🧵 THREAD

Hello @asylummagazine.bsky.social @thementalelf.bsky.social @lighthousebks.bsky.social please share this link with your followers in Edinburgh who may be interested in joining us on Tues 12 August 7pm at the Outhouse www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/euphoric-m...

⚡️ Trauma is more than PTSD. It’s a public health issue affecting minds, bodies & systems across the globe. This 15-year review takes a lifespan, gendered & transdiagnostic lens; exploring diagnosis, comorbidity, neurobiology & moral injury. #Trauma #MentalHealth #PTSD #PublicHealth 🧵 THREAD

💥 When illness hits hard: how medical conditions raise your risk of depression 🇩🇰 This Danish study followed 6.5 million people and found being diagnosed with a medical condition doubles your risk of major depressive disorder. #PublicHealth #Depression #ChronicIllness #Comorbidities 🧵 THREAD

Can a ketogenic diet support mood and metabolism in bipolar disorder? This new pilot study explored what happens when people with BD go keto for 6–8 weeks. Early findings suggest links between ketones, mood, & brain chemistry. 🥑 #BipolarDisorder #KetogenicDiet #NutritionalPsychiatry 🧵 THREAD

Can inflammation shape how depression feels & how we treat it? New RCT used an immune challenge (LPS) to test how ppl w depression & high inflammation responded. The results? Fascinating insights into anhedonia & inflammatory subtypes of depression. #Depression #Inflammation 🧵 THREAD

GLP-1 receptor agonists (like semaglutide) are transforming diabetes & weight management. But what about mental health effects? This new meta-analysis reviewed 80 RCTs to explore risks & benefits across 60,000+ participants. #GLP1 #Diabetes #MentalHealth #Obesity 🧵THREAD

What's going so wrong for young women - and why aren't we talking about it?

Which parts of collaborative care actually improve depression outcomes? This new IPD meta-analysis analysed 35 RCTs and 20,000+ patients to find out. Key insights for clinicians, service leads, & policymakers. #Depression #CollaborativeCare #PrimaryCare 🧵THREAD

Diving into how #CBT tackles a wide range of mental health conditions in my new blog, reviewing @pimcuijpers.bsky.social and co new meta-analysis. If you care about evidence-based therapy and when to explore options beyond the basics, check it out on @thementalelf.bsky.social ➡️ buff.ly/DbNCq8k ☀️

My new blog covering @pimcuijpers.bsky.social and collegues paper on CBT's effectiveness across a wide range of mental disorders is out now on the @thementalelf.bsky.social ! Take a look below 👇

Is CBT equally effective across all mental disorders? This unified meta-analysis looked at 375 RCTs & nearly 33,000 people with 11 different diagnoses. Spoiler: it’s not a one-size-fits-all therapy. 🧠 #CBT #MentalHealth #Psychotherapy 🧵THREAD

Talking about suicide in psychosis: does a targeted therapy make a difference? People with psychosis face unique suicide risks, but few treatments are built for them. A new RCT tested a suicide-focused CBT intervention. What did it find? #Psychosis #SuicidePrevention THREAD 🧵 buff.ly/ZMNVBSx