The Care Quality Commission commissioned a rapid evidence review to assess vision-based monitoring systems (VBMS) in inpatient mental health settings. The study examined 68 documents and conducted 11 interviews to understand how VBMS are used and their impact on safety and care.
Key insights include:
VBMS can track location, activity, vital signs, and support informed interventions, helping reduce sleep disturbances, self-harm incidents, restraint use, and operational costs.
Some evidence shows reductions such as a 44% drop in bedroom self-harm incidents and a 26% fall in restraint use, though findings are limited and mixed.
Significant concerns around consent, privacy infringement, diminished patient dignity, and risk of re-traumatisation were raised.
The report highlights gaps in regulation, policy guidance, and evidence quality—calling for clearer oversight, ethical safeguards, and further independent research to inform CQC’s stance.
The latest Eating Disorder Bulletin is now available to view or download. Some articles are freely accessible, others require an Open Athens account. Please get in touch for support with this: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.
Current Awareness Bulletin With thanks to our colleagues from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust please find the latest bulletin attached. Some articles are freely accessible, others require an Open Athens account.
In this edition:
Older northerners struggle with “alarming” inequalities compared to people from the South
Understanding drivers of recent trends in young people’s mental health
Taking action on obesity: what do the public think?
Invest in better mental health support for people in the criminal justice system, say charities
Postnatal depression harming up to 85,000 new mums in England, warns RCPsych
Still the Government’s best-kept secret? Access to Work for people with mental health difficulties
For support accessing any of the articles, please contact academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.
The latest Suicide Prevention and Self Harm Bulletin produced by the Mersey Care Evidently Better team is now available.
In this issue:
Three Dads’ pride at suicide prevention lessons in schools
Provisional patient suicide data (2012-2024)
Effects of sandplay group therapy on children at risk of suicidal ideation
Suicide prevention starts before the crisis: intervention guidelines for university students
Work stress and its association with suicidal ideation, health and presenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional study in the UK health and university workforce
Plus much more
If you are unable to access any of the included articles please contact academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.
Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England 2023/4
NHS Digital
The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) series provides data on the prevalence of both treated and untreated psychiatric disorder in the English adult population (aged 16 and over). This survey is the fifth in a series and was conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, in collaboration with the University of Leicester and City St George’s, University of London, for NHS England.
Highlights included:
Increased prevalence across a range of indicators of poor mental health-The proportion of 16 to 64 year olds, identified with a common mental health condition, increased from 17.6% in 2007 and 18.9% in 2014, to 22.6% in 2023/4. The proportion was higher in women than men at each point. Lifetime non-suicidal self-harm was reported by 3.8% of 16 to 74 year olds in 2007, rising to 6.4% in 2014 and 10.3% in 2023/4 – Similarly, the proportion of adults screening positive for ADHD rose from 8.2% in 2007 and 9.7% in 2014, to 13.9% in 2023/4.
Young adults remain a key group– The proportion of young adults (aged 16 to 24), with a common mental health condition, rose from 17.5% in 2007 to 25.8% in 2023/4. Younger adults were also more likely to report lifetime non-suicidal self-harm and to screen positive for PTSD and ADHD than older age groups.
Socioeconomic inequalities in mental health persist– Adults with problem debt and those who were not in employment were more likely to have a common mental health condition, report lifetime non-suicidal self-harm and to screen positive for PTSD. Living in the most deprived fifth of areas was associated with increased prevalence of common mental health conditions, suicide attempts and PTSD.
Physical and mental health were strongly related– People with a doctor diagnosed physical health condition, that limited their activities, were more likely to have a common mental health condition, report non-suicidal self-harm and screen positive for PTSD.
Mental health treatment use increased in prevalence– The proportion of 16 to 74 year olds, with common mental health condition symptoms (CIS-R 12+), reporting receipt of treatment rose from 24.4% in 2007 and 39.4% in 2014, to 47.7% in 2023/4. Receipt of psychological therapies, among those with symptoms (CIS-R 12+), rose from 10.4% in 2007 to 17.9% in 2023/4; and receipt of medication rose from 19.6% in 2007 to 38.4% in 2023/4.
