Learning Disabilities & Autism

The latest Learning Disabilities & Autism bulletin is ready for you to view at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/learning-disability-autism/2026/01/27-january-2026-2/


In this edition:

  • Symptom change in depression and anxiety during psychological therapy for autistic adults
  • Influence of posture during mastication on body composition and nutritional intake in individuals with Down syndrome
  • Autism Act: government response to Lords Select Committee report
  • NSPCC produces new resources on puberty and learning disabilities
  • Demand for occupational therapy mounts due to multiple and complex long-term conditions
  • Study now recruiting: Inclusive Talk
  • Plus much more

Please let me know if you think there are other people who would benefit from receiving this and I will add them to the mailing list.

Thank you

Forensic Psychiatry

Current Awareness Bulletin

With thanks to our colleagues at Greater Manchester Mental Health, the latest forensic psychiatry bulletin can be accessed: forensic-psychiatry-january-2026pdf.pdf. Some articles are freely accessible, others require an Open Athens account. You can create an account here: OpenAthens | Login or get in touch wit the library team (academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk) for further support.

Forensic-Psychiatry-january-2026Download

Depression & Anxiety Bulletin

The latest Depression & Anxiety Bulletin from Mersey Care Evidence and Library Service is ready for you to view at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/depression-anxiety/2026/02/2-february-2026/

In this edition:

  • Supporting student mental health after natural disasters: What role can schools play?
  • Long-term effectiveness and side-effects of intranasal esketamine in treatment-resistant

depression: real-world, single-arm study of over 100 sessions

  • Epidemiologic features of depression and anxiety among homeless adults with healthcare

access problems in London, UK: descriptive cross-sectional analysis

  • Are play and screen time associated with British preschoolers’ mental health? Cross-sectional

findings from the British Preschool Children’s Play Survey

  • Plus much more

Please let us know if there are other people who you think might benefit from receiving this bulletin.

The Costs of Tackling Drug Harms in Prisons

Report

National Audit Office (NAO); 2026.
https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/the-costs-of-tackling-drug-harms-in-prisons/
(This report focuses on how the prison and health services are using public funds to tackle drug harms in prisons. It highlights widespread drug use, rising security threats, and major gaps in investment, coordination, and service delivery.)
Freely available online

Suicide Prevention Bulletin

The latest Suicide Prevention and Self Harm bulletin from Mersey Care Evidence and Library Service can now be viewed at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/bulletins/suicide-prevention/

This webpage features key links and emerging reports about suicide prevention.

In this issue:  
   

  • Generating actionable insights to support point-of-care suicide risk decision-making in a safety-net healthcare system: a machine learning approach to predicting dynamic risk of intentional self-harm
  • Child and Family Characteristics as Predictors of the Severity of Self-injurious Behaviours in Autistic Children and Adolescents
  • Initial Suicide‐Related Disclosure Characteristics, Motivations, and Outcomes Based on Sexual Orientation
  • Translational Needs: Informing Tools to Close the Knowledge‐to‐Practice Gap in Suicide Prevention
  • Plus much more

Please let me know if there are any other colleagues who you think might benefit from receiving this bulletin

NICE Endorses Online Programme for Bulimia and Binge Eating

Source: Medscape UK

An online therapy programme can be offered to people aged 16 or over with eating disorders while they wait for specialist NHS treatment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has said.

In new guidance, the regulator said the programme could be used in the NHS in England while further clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence is generated.

The Overcoming Bulimia Online unguided self-help programme is aimed at people who binge eat, including those with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and similar conditions. It is based on eating-disorder-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and is designed to be completed independently over eight sessions.

NICE Endorses Online Programme for Bulimia and Binge Eating

Suicide Prevention and Self Harm Bulletin

January 2026

The latest Suicide Prevention and Self Harm bulletin from Mersey Care Evidence and Library Service can now be viewed at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/bulletins/suicide-prevention/

This webpage features key links and emerging reports about suicide prevention.

In this issue:  

  • LGB+ people in England and Wales ‘much’ more likely to die by suicide than straight people
  • Suicidal ideation among people with different gambling behaviour profiles: analysis of a longitudinal survey of people who gamble regularly in the UK
  • Visual content and thematic analyses of images shared on social media before and after episodes of self-harm in a UK clinical youth sample
  • What lies beneath hair-pulling and skin-picking behaviours? The role of early maladaptive schemas
  • Plus much more
suicide prevention Jan 2026Download

Supporting clients who want to stop vaping

National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT); 2025.

NCSCT stopping vaping v9

This guidance is directed to stop smoking practitioners to guide clients who ask about stopping vaping. The NCSCT guidance provides practical advice for stop‑smoking practitioners on how to support people who want to stop vaping, while ensuring they do not relapse to smoking. It recognises that many people use vaping as an effective stop‑smoking aid, but some eventually want to quit vaping — either gradually or immediately.

Key Points:

Clients can choose to stop vaping gradually (reducing nicotine strength, reducing frequency) or in one step, depending on personal preference and relapse risk.

Vaping is an effective quitting tool, and NICE recommends using vapes for as long as they help prevent relapse to smoking. The main priority when assisting someone to quit vaping is avoiding a return to cigarette use. [ncsct.co.uk]

Support should be tailored to the person’s stage of quitting and their risk of relapse. This includes understanding their reasons for wanting to stop vaping.

Stopping vaping does not require a full behavioural support programme. Instead, practitioners should offer information, reassurance, and guidance. [ncsct.co.uk]

The guidance suggests using the familiar Ask, Advise, Act model to structure conversations with clients.

Guiding Principles of Deaf Awareness in Healthcare Settings for Adults

Guidance Document

British Society of Audiology; 2026.

Effective clinician-patient communication is critical for patient care. Deaf awareness ensures that healthcare providers understand the communication needs of people who are deaf or have hearing loss (PDHL), leading to improved communication and better health outcomes. This practice guidance and the underpinning research has been developed in line with the best available evidence and in consultation with PDHL.


https://www.thebsa.org.uk/guidance-and-resources/current-guidance/