Public Health

Current Awareness

Sexual assault has lasting effects on teenagers’ mental health and education.
NIHR Evidence; 2022.
(The mental and physical health symptoms reported in this study were higher than in the general population. Young people who had been involved with social services, or who had mental health problems before the assault had worse mental health problems and worse school attendance afterwards. Sexual assault can therefore increase health inequalities in this already vulnerable group.)

Autistic people’s healthcare information strategy for England.
NHS England; 2022.
(This document sets out an initial strategy for the development of information about the health of, and health care received by people with autism in England, from sources already collected or being established. It proposes the development of three dashboards, setting out statistics for: autism diagnosis services and transition from child to adult services; long-term health conditions, healthcare use and mortality for autistic people; more intensive inputs from mental health services.)

Suicide prevention – priorities in the next decade.
(Consultant psychiatrist JS Bamrah speaks to Professor Louis Appleby, who leads the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England and directs the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. The webinar will cover current suicide prevention priorities, tying in with the recently announced suicide prevention strategy from the UK Government, before answering questions from the chair and audience. The event is open to BMA members and non-members.)

Food poverty: households, food banks and free school meals
House of Commons Library; 2022.
(There is no widely accepted definition of ‘food poverty’. However, a household can broadly be defined as experiencing food poverty or ‘household food insecurity’ if they cannot (or are uncertain about whether they can) acquire “an adequate quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways”. The increase in the cost of living has increased household food insecurity.)

Library Bulletin

Serious Mental Illness Bulletin

With thanks to our colleagues at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust, the latest edition of the Serious Mental Illness Bulletin is now available to view and download.

Some articles are freely accessible, but others may require an Open Athens account. For any support accessing the articles or support with your Athens account please contact; academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

King’s Fund Podcast

What are the health and care challenges for the next Prime Minister?

What are the immediate health and care pressures the next Prime Minister will need to address once they’re in post? Join host, Jo Vigor, and a panel of colleagues from The King’s Fund: policy adviser, Charlotte Wickens, Head of Policy, Sally Warren and Senior Policy Fellow, Simon Bottery as they discuss the impact this may have on health and social care.

To listen click on the image below.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

ASH brief for local authorities on youth vaping.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH); 2022.
(This short briefing is to help local authorities respond to growing concerns about youth vaping in their communities. It is primarily for public health officials and trading standards officers, but also sets out important information for councillors, schools, parents and retailers. Links to further information are also provided.)

Quantifying health inequalities in England.
The Health Foundation; 2022.
(Results show health inequalities starting at a very early age and continuing to develop through adulthood. The early ages and changing structure of health inequalities reinforces the notion that nothing short of a joined-up policy approach can address the wide and complex health inequalities we see in England. We believe this new presentation of health inequalities shows powerfully that investing in the circumstances in which people live will help people stay healthier for longer.)

Advertising ban was linked to lower purchases of unhealthy food and drink.
NIHR Evidence; 2022.
(This is the first study to look at the implementation of the TfL advertising ban. It found that advertising restrictions are feasible, and could have a meaningful impact on population health. The findings could encourage governments and local authorities to consider similar policies to prevent obesity. The TfL restrictions were part of a childhood obesity strategy, but they could influence the whole population.)

Commission on Young Lives,
Centre for Mental Health; 2022.
(Alongside the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Centre for Mental Health have co-authored the fourth report from the Commission on Young Lives on rethinking mental health services for vulnerable young people. It reviews the latest data with a focus on those who are at higher risk, including those from racialised communities, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, young people with SEND, those in contact with the criminal justice and care systems, as well as LGBTQI+ communities.)

Domestic abuse and mental health: the amplified risks created during the pandemic.
Hisham I N. BJPsych Advances 2022;28(5):316-327.
[This article focuses on how COVID-19 and its anticipated aftermath exacerbate the risk factors for domestic abuse in the general population and discusses clinical implications for mental health practitioners in the UK. It aims to provide a point of learning based on previous disease outbreaks and recessions, with a focus on specific factors, such as unemployment and alcohol misuse, and how these contribute to increasing incidence and severity of abuse and how to mitigate these for patients…] Open Athens account required.

Library Bulletins

Dementia

The current bulletin for Dementia, produced by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, is now available to view and download.

For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletins please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Depression

The current bulletin for Depression, produced by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, is now available to view and download.

For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletin please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Suspected acute viral respiratory infections: managing outbreaks in schools. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2022.
(Guidance for local UKHSA centre health protection teams about assessing and managing outbreaks of suspected acute viral respiratory infections in schools.)

COVID-19: testing during periods of low prevalence.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2022.
(Explains the purpose of ongoing testing and sets out who is currently eligible for access to testing and when tests should be used.)

Moderate alcohol consumption linked with higher iron levels and poorer thinking skills Alzheimer’s Research UK (July 2022)

(UK researchers have found moderate alcohol consumption is linked with higher iron levels in a region of the brain and was associated with poorer thinking skills. Above seven units weekly was associated with higher iron levels in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia, which is responsible for movement.)

NHS to roll out variant busting booster jab from September ahead of winter (NHS England; August 2022)

(The NHS will become the first healthcare system in the world to use the next generation, bivalent COVID vaccine when it kickstarts the autumn booster rollout in early September.)


Library Bulletin

Depression

The current bulletin for Depression, produced by Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, is now available to view and download.

For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletin please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

COVID-19 vaccines for autumn 2022: JCVI advice, 15 August 2022.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2022.
(Statement setting out the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on COVID-19 vaccines for autumn 2022.)

NHS prescription charges in England.
House of Commons Library; 2022.
(The cost of an NHS prescription, who is entitled to free prescriptions and how to get help with prescription costs.)

Homeless hostel residents and staff struggle to access health and social care services.
The Mental Elf; 2022.
(In her debut blog, Ava Phillips summarises a paper that finds both people living in homeless hostels, and staff working there, feel marginalised and struggle to access the health and social care they need.)

As waiting lists grow for anxiety disorders, should we be turning to digital interventions?
The Mental Elf; 2022.
(Theo Kyriacou and Andie Ashdown explore a recent systematic review that brings together two decades of research, which suggests that digital health interventions for anxiety disorders may be a more effective alternative to inactive controls, such as waiting-list groups.)

No place for cheap alcohol: the potential value of minimum pricing for protecting lives.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2022.
(Pricing policies and taxation are among the most effective measures that policy-makers can use to address these harms, but they remain underutilized across the Region. This report reviews the status of implementation of minimum pricing globally, provides an overview of the most recent evidence behind the policy, addresses its main strengths and limitations and offers practical considerations for countries.)

Library Bulletin

Digital Mental Health

The current bulletin for Digital Mental Health, produced by Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, is now available to view and download.

Some articles may require an Open Athens account to read the full text articles. For support accessing any of the articles within the bulletin please contact: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk