Learning Disabilities & Autism Bulletin

The latest Learning Disabilities & Autism bulletin is ready for you to view at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/learning-disability-autism/2025/06/4-june-2025-2/


In this edition:

  • The association between cardiorespiratory fitness and resting‐state functional connectivity in adults with Down syndrome
  • The influence of indoor temperature and noise on autistic individuals
  • Atypical antipsychotics for autism spectrum disorder: a network meta‐analysis
  • Cast no shadow: how common are psychiatric conditions among people with intellectual disability?
  • Get me to hospital: When and how to use the Mental Capacity Act to convey a person to hospital for physical health treatment
  • New report on commercial sexual exploitation of women with learning disabilities
  • 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

Adult ADHD assessments and diagnosis: data and service provision

King’s Fund Report

Adult ADHD assessment services in the UK face inconsistent data collection, hindering national planning. Standardised data is essential to improving waiting times, service delivery and outcomes.

Adult ADHD Assessments And Diagnosis: Data And Service Provision | The King’s Fund

Current Awareness Bulletins

The latest version of the current awareness bulletin is now available.

NHS England have a new online form to subscribe to their bulletins: KLS Technology bulletin & Technology Update 

James Padget has reduced frequency of their Autism Spectrum Disorder Bulletin to twice a year.  And Botulinum toxin for spasticity in adults

by York & Scarborough is now biannual.

A fond farewell to Long Term Conditions Bulletin by York & Scarborough,

Dartford & Grasham has launch a new Legalised Assisted Dying Bulletin, contact christine.williams60@nhs.net to sign up.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust have really gone for it this time with a raft of new KnowledgeShare based monthly bulletins (Well done):

Contact emily.cieciura@uhd.nhs.uk for:

  • Dietetics
  • Elderly Medicine
  • Mental Health in Schools
  • Neurodiversity
  • Neurology
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Paediatrics
  • Physiotherapy
  • Project Management
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Suicide Prevention

Contact richard.daly@uhd.nhs.uk for:

  • Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Innovation
  • IT & AI
  • Leadership
  • Oncology
  • Oral Maxillofacial
  • Palliative Care
  • Pain
  • Staff Wellbeing
  • Trauma & Orthopaedics
  • Wellbeing

Contact barbara.peirce@uhd.nhs.uk for:

  • Armed ForcesBiochemistry
  • CAHMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
  • Gynaecology
  • Haematology
  • Histology
  • Maternity
  • Microbiology
  • Neonatal
  • Psychology
  • Radiology
  • Respiratory
  • Urology

Contact library@uhd.nhs.uk for:

  • Alcoholism Bulletin
  • Anaesthetics Bulletin
  • Auditory Bulletin
  • Continence Bulletin
  • Diversity and Inclusion Bulletin
  • General Surgery Bulletin
  • Ophthalmology
  • Podiatry Bulletin
  • Smoke Free Bulletin
  • Stroke
  • Substance Misuse Bulletin
  • Wound Care Bulletin

Dementia Bulletin

The latest dementia bulletin has now been published at https://www.evidentlybetter.org/dementia/2025/06/9-june-2025/

In this issue:

  • What are the effects of music‐based therapeutic interventions for adults with dementia?
  • Cold sore viral infection implicated in development of Alzheimer’s disease
  • Improving early dementia diagnosis: the READ-OUT study
  • Qualitative study exploring knowledge and attitudes towards dementia risk prediction, barriers to dementia services and service improvement recommendations with diverse populations in England
  • Cost-consequence analysis of an e-health intervention to reduce distress in dementia carers: results from the iSupport randomised controlled trial
  • Plus much more

Muslim leaders’ views on mental health disorders

An overview from one of the Trust’s Consultant Psychiatrists

Shafiq (UK) Muslim leaders’ views on mental health disorders: focus group. GlobalPsychiatryArchives

Salman Shafiq (LSCFT) shares the outcome of his research paper and key themes identified within his research. Learn about the focused group discussion among religious leaders and some members of South Asian community.

Watch the short clip above or read the article here:

Views of British South Asian Muslim leaders on mental health: a focus group study

Cochrane Review: Music-Based Interventions for Dementia Show Modest Benefits

A recent Cochrane review evaluated the effects of music-based therapeutic interventions on individuals with dementia. Analysing data from 30 studies involving 1,720 participants, the review found that, compared to usual care, music-based interventions probably lead to slight improvements in depressive symptoms and may reduce overall behavioural problems. However, evidence regarding benefits for agitation, emotional well-being, cognition, and long-term effects remains limited or uncertain.

These findings suggest that while music therapy can offer some benefits for people with dementia, further high-quality research is needed to fully understand its impact.

Read the full review: Cochrane Library – Music-Based Therapeutic Interventions for People with Dementia

New ONS Report Reveals Elevated Self-Harm and Suicide Rates Among LGB+ Adults

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released a ground breaking analysis linking 2021 Census data with NHS records, revealing that adults identifying as LGB+ in England and Wales face significantly higher rates of self-harm and suicide compared to their heterosexual counterparts.

Key Findings:

  • The age-standardised rate of intentional self-harm for LGB+ individuals was 1,508.9 per 100,000 people between March 2021 and December 2023, compared to 598.4 per 100,000 for heterosexual individuals.
  • The suicide rate among LGB+ adults stood at 50.3 per 100,000 people, more than double the rate of 23.1 per 100,000 observed in heterosexual adults.
  • Bisexual individuals exhibited the highest self-harm rates within the LGB+ group, at 1,669.5 per 100,000 people.
  • The risk of self-harm was notably higher among LGB+ females, with a rate 2.8 times greater than that of heterosexual females.
  • Young adults aged 16 to 24 identifying as LGB+ had a self-harm rate 2.8 times higher than their heterosexual peers.

These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted mental health support and suicide prevention strategies within the LGB+ community.

Read the full report: ONS – Self-harm and suicide by sexual orientation, England and Wales

WHO Report Calls for Urgent Action on Health Inequities

The World Health Organization’s 2025 World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity highlights the persistent health disparities driven by factors like income, education, housing, and discrimination. The report emphasizes that without targeted, equity-focused policies, these gaps will continue to widen.

It urges governments and institutions to implement structural changes that address the root causes of health inequities, advocating for cross-sector collaboration and inclusive policy-making.

Read the full report: WHO – World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity

Eating Disorder Bulletin May 2025

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.

May 2025Download