Category: Child Health

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Source: KnowledgeShare

Apps to support the mental health of young people: flashy and available versus evidence-based and hidden?
The Mental Elf; 2022.
(Belinda Platt highlights a new review of mental health apps for young people, which finds there are many apps which seem appealing to young people but have no evidence-base, but only a handful of apps with a sound evidence-base which are available to young people. The post Apps to support the mental health of young people: flashy and available versus evidence-based and hidden? appeared first on National Elf Service.)

Supporting healthy relationships among parents with mental health difficulties: A practical guide.
Early Intervention Foundation (EIF); 2022.
(This practical guide for local areas has been developed to improve understanding of how risk factors among parents with mental health difficulties can impact on parental conflict and in turn on child outcomes, how to effectively engage these parents, what evidence-based support can be offered, and how to appropriately assess progress for these families.)

UK Biobank: a globally important resource for cancer research.
Conroy MC. British Journal of Cancer 2022;:doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-02053-5.
(UK Biobank is a large-scale prospective study with deep phenotyping and genomic data. Its open-access policy allows researchers worldwide, from academia or industry, to perform health research in the public interest. UK Biobank is uniquely placed to transform our understanding of the causes of cancer development and progression, and drive improvements in cancer treatment and prevention over the coming decades.)

Parental perception of mental health needs in young children.[Abstract]
McGinnis EW. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(4):328-334.
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(There is evidence of unmet psychiatric needs in children under 6. These young children are dependent on their parents to identify their mental health needs. This study tested child and parent associations with parent perception of young child mental health need. CONCLUSIONS: Most preschool children that meet criteria for a psychiatric disorder are not perceived as needing help by their parents, which is dependent on both child and parent factors.)

Talking to young people about online safety: the who, what, when and how.
The Mental Elf; 2022. (In his debut blog, Luke Bayliss explores a Delphi study that will help mental health practitioners to converse with young people about their online activities and impact on mental health. The post Talking to young people about online safety: the who, what, when and how appeared first on National Elf Service.)

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Public Health

Current Awareness

Source: KnowledgeShare

Financial wellbeing: applying All Our Health.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2022.
(Evidence and information for health and care professionals and the wider workforce to promote the benefits of financial wellbeing. The resource illustrates how money can impact on wellbeing and identifies how frontline health and care staff can use their trusted relationships with patients, families and communities to promote the benefits of financial wellbeing. It also recommends important actions that managers and staff holding strategic roles can take.)

Young Black Men and Mental Health Programme.
Islington Council; 2022.
(This pioneering and innovative programme is designed to improve mental health wellbeing, and wellbeing life outcomes for young Black men. The video promotes the Barbers Project, which is part of Islington Council’s larger Young Black Men and mental health programme.)

A Torn Safety Net: How the cost of living crisis threatens its own last line of defence.
Theos; 2022.
(A report on the effect the cost of living crisis has had on social and economic security. This report is the culmination of a year–long project exploring how economic and social insecurity is affecting churches, faith groups and local communities.)

Child and maternal health statistics.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2022.
(Statistics to support improvements in decision making when planning services for pregnant women, children, young people and families. Change made: Added the following publications: ‘Child development outcomes at 2 to 2 and a half years: annual data 2021 to 2022’, ‘Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth: annual data 2021 to 2022’ and ‘Health visitor service delivery metrics experimental statistics: annual data 2021 to 2022’.)

Why can’t I get care? Older people’s experiences of care and support.
Age UK; 2022.
(This report aims to answer the question as to why 14,000 people per week are having their requests for care turned down by councils, many of which are facing growing demand and static or reducing resources with which to respond. It highlights the number of unpaid carers who provide hours of care for their loved ones, often at the expense of their own health and wellbeing.)

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Institute of Health Equity

Fuel poverty, cold homes and health inequalities in the UK

Source: The King’s Fund

This report reviews the evidence on both the direct and indirect impacts of fuel poverty and cold homes on health; the inequalities in who this affects the most; and the relationship between health inequalities and climate change. It makes the case for prioritising reducing fuel poverty through policy suggestions at both the national and local level.

For more information click here.

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Family hubs and start for life programme: local authority guide.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022.

(Guidance and sign up form for local authorities pre-selected to take part in the family hubs and start for life programme.)

Commissioning quality standard: alcohol and drug services.
Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID); 2022.
(Guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas.)

Direct and indirect health impacts of Covid-19 in England: emerging Omicron impacts

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022 This paper (produced together with the Office for National Statistics) gives an overview of the direct health impacts of Covid-19 in terms of morbidity and mortality and the indirect impacts arising through behavioural changes and health system pressures.

Public Health Outcomes Framework: August 2022 data update

Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID); 2022.

The Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) examines indicators that help health and care professionals and the public to understand trends in public health. The data is presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view it in a user-friendly format. The data tool also provides links to further supporting information, to aid understanding of public health in a local population.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Weight loss outcomes achieved by adults accessing an online programme offered as part of Public Health England’s ‘Better Health’ campaign.
Toon J. BMC Public Health 2022;22(1456):-.
(This service evaluation shows that an online programme, offered as part of a national campaign, can offer effective support to a large number of people with different starting BMIs and from different socioeconomic backgrounds. An increased level of engagement leads to better weight losses.)

National operational framework: asylum accommodation.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Home Office; 2022.
(This framework contains the minimum standard principles to support the health and wellbeing needs of asylum seekers living in initial and contingency sites.)

Supporting healthy relationships among parents of children with behaviours that challenge: A practical guide.
Early Intervention Foundation (EIF); 2022.
(This practical guide for local areas has been developed to improve understanding of how risk factors among parents of children with behaviours that challenge can impact on parental conflict and in turn on child outcomes, how to effectively engage these parents, what evidence-based support can be offered, and how to appropriately assess progress for these families.)

Heads Up: Rethinking mental health services for vulnerable young people.
Commission on Young Lives; 2022.
(The report looks at the growing crisis of mental health problems among children and young people in England and puts forward ambitious and innovative proposals to redesign young people’s mental health services, particularly for those young people at risk of harm.)

How can NHS anchors support communities to create health: Learning from the community response to COVID-19.
The Health Creation Alliance; 2022.
(This report provides real-world insight into how NHS anchor institutions are working in partnership communities, capitalising on both their strengths to address health inequalities.)

Public Health

Current awareness updates

The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health.
The Mental Elf; 2022.
(Rachel Milligan summarises the recently published Lancet Psychiatry Commission on Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health, which establishes a roadmap for strengthening responses across mental health services, research, and policy.)

Indicator: Hospital admissions as a result of self-harm in children and young people.
Nuffield Trust; 2022.
(Early identification, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of mental health conditions can help to prevent self-harm and suicide in children and young people. Self-harm is when somebody intentionally damages or injures their body, and is a common way of coping with or expressing overwhelming emotional distress. Hospital admission rates are a useful measure of intentional self-harm, and an indicator of how well we are preventing this suffering from occurring.)

Finding an NHS dentist in England.
House of Commons Library; 2022.
(This page provides information on how to find an appointment with an NHS dentist in England, including a summary of guidance from the NHS and Healthwatch websites. It also provides information on NHS dental charges. The Commons Library debate pack on NHS Dentistry in England (June 2022) – https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2022-0112/ – provides more in-depth, contextual information on Government policy, dental contracts and provision.)

Improving the way family support services work for minority ethnic families.
Early Intervention Foundation (EIF); 2020.
(This report explores the experiences of minority ethnic families in accessing and receiving family support, to better understand the challenges and opportunities in how family support services work for minority ethnic families and young people.)

Improving children and young people’s mental health services Local data insights from England, Scotland and Wales.
The Health Foundation; 2022.
(This briefing presents analysis from the Health Foundation’s Networked Data Lab (NDL) about children and young people’s mental health. The analysis highlighted three key areas for urgent investigation, to help ensure children and young people get the care they need. These are: rapid increases in mental health prescribing and support provided by GPs; the prevalence of mental health problems among adolescent girls and young women; stark socioeconomic inequalities across the UK.)

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Alcohol and self-harm: A qualitative study.
Alcohol Change UK; 2021.
[This study explores how and why alcohol and self-harm are related, and how alcohol, self-harm, and related services, are experienced and understood. Eleven people who had experience with self-harm and alcohol use were recruited through mental health support organisations across England and Wales. Interviews invited participants to ‘tell their stories’ about self-harm, alcohol use, the relationship between the two practices and their experiences with services in relation to these.]

Chronic kidney disease: assessment and management.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers care and treatment for people with, or at risk of, chronic kidney disease (CKD). It aims to prevent or delay the progression, and reduce the risk of complications and cardiovascular disease. It also covers managing anaemia and hyperphosphataemia associated with chronic kidney disease.]

Bonded By Blood: A Mothers Story.
ACLT; 2021.
[A new nationwide blood donation campaign, created by a group of Black health charities and community organisations with support from NHS Blood and Transplant, the campaign will focus on amplifying the need for more blood donors of Black heritage to donate. It is launched in memory of sickle cell patient Richard Okorogheye. The campaign will share the stories of mothers with children who receive regular blood transfusions.]

Good Childhood Report 2021.
The Children’s Society; 2021.
[Our Good Childhood Report 2021 shows that modern life continues to erode the happiness of young people. Dissatisfied with school, friendships and how they look, children deserve drastic change. Our tenth annual report finds that 7% of 10 to 15 year-olds (an estimated 306,000 children) in the UK are not happy with their lives.]

The health impacts of Sure Start.
Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS); 2021.
[This briefing note from the Institute for Fiscal Studies extends the evidence from its previous 2019 report to show how Sure Start has influenced children’s health. Specifically it assesses the programme’s impact on hospitalisations of very young children, who are still eligible to use its services (ages 1-4), and of adolescents (ages 12-15), who may still enjoy medium-term benefits from Sure Start exposure.]

Building Connections Fund evaluation final reports.
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; 2021.
[The £11.5 million Building Connections Fund (BCF) was the first ever government fund dedicated to tackling loneliness in England. There are two separate reports for this evaluation: part one, the evaluation report, which covers findings before the Covid-19 pandemic; and part two, focusing on the evaluation activity following the Covid-19 pandemic.]

Health Information Week

Health Information Week is a national, multi-sector campaign promoting high-quality information for patients and the public

High quality health information can have a huge impact on people’s ability to stay healthy and manage illnesses effectively, giving them a better quality of life.

In response to these needs, Health Information Week 2021 runs from 5th to 11th July and focuses on the themes of:

  • Quality Marks
  • Health information for children and young people
  • Uplifting resources for the NHS from the NHS
  • Digital health
  • “Oh, I don’t know what to believe…”
  • Health information for everyone
  • Vaccines

Read more about today’s theme, Health information for children and young people

United Nations Population Fund

The state of the world’s midwifery 2021

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

This report presents findings on the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) workforce from 194 countries and identifies the barriers and challenges to future advancement. It finds that there is a a global shortage of 1.1 million SRMNAH workers, the largest shortage (900,000) being midwives.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

COVID-19: long-term health effects.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.

(Information and guidance on persistent health problems reported following acute COVID-19 disease. There is accumulating evidence to suggest that cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) who have experienced both mild and severe symptoms can experience long-term health effects. This document provides information on the health problems reported in COVID-19 cases following acute disease, and guidance for healthcare professionals on how to advise recovering COVID-19 patients.)

COVID-19 in schools: study shows drop in infections Public Health England (PHE); 2021

(Round 4 of the Schools Infection Survey (SIS) shows a significant drop in the number of secondary school pupils and staff testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).)

Women’s Health Strategy: Call for Evidence.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.

(DHSC are seeking your views to help inform the development of the government’s Women’s Health Strategy. The easiest way to participate in the call for evidence as an individual is by completing the public survey. They also welcome written submissions from individuals or organisations who have expertise in women’s health, such as researchers and third-sector organisations. Written submissions can include the contribution of data, research and other reports of relevance to women’s health.)

Teachers’ concerns about pupils’ mental health in a cross-sectional survey of a population sample of British schoolchildren.[Abstract]
Mathews F. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2021;26(2):99-105.

(Understanding how well a teacher concern predicts mental disorder in a child or young person is important for mental health teams who need to respond to referrals. CONCLUSION: While teacher concern does identify those with poorer mental health, it is only moderately predictive of a disorder. When concerned about a child or young person, discussions with parents or others who know them may help teachers identify those who most need support.)

The relationship between alcohol-related hospital admission and specialist alcohol treatment provision across local authorities in England since passage of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.
British Journal of Psychiatry 2021;:https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2020.120.


(The results suggest that the local authority areas in England most in need of adequately funded specialist alcohol treatment are not receiving targeted increased funding, and that the national rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions may be fuelled by local authority funding cuts to specialist alcohol treatment.)

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