Public Health

Current awareness updates

A retrospective investigation of the prodromal stages of eating disorders and use of health services in young patients the year prior to the diagnosis. [Abstract]
Gómez Del Barrio A. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2022;16(2):162-167.
[CONCLUSIONS: The majority of reasons for consultation were related to symptoms that could be prodromal symptoms, but the patients were not diagnosed with an eating disorder. These findings highlight the importance of professionals understanding how to identify the warning signs of an eating disorder, so they can refer patients to a specialized unit to establish an early treatment.]

State of the nation 2021: children and young people’s wellbeing.
Department for Education (DfE); 2022.
[This report collates and presents new analysis of published evidence on the wellbeing of children and young people over the period of August 2020 to July 2021, including a wider set of indicators on their: mental and physical health; education and skills; relationships; activities and time use; views on the self, society, and future; an analysis of Covid-19 and the psychological health of young adults; and an analysis of individual predictors of school attendance in 2020 to 2021.]

Subnational indicators explorer.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2022.
[A core set of indicators which align with some of the metrics selected to measure the progress of levelling-up, where data is available. Indicators are grouped in three broad categories: boosting living standards, spreading opportunity and improving public services, and restoring local pride. Measures include healthy life expectancy, smokers, overweight, anxiety, happiness, internet capability. Searchable by UK local authority.]

Emotional Support

Online resources – Wot Wud U Do?

Wot Wud U Do is an interactive and thought provoking resource, designed to help professionals to educate the younger generation on topics that impact them daily, such as mental health, relationships and sex. 

Their vision is simple; to change how young people think when confronted with day to day challenges on mental health, relationships and/or sex. They support their vision with three main aims, which are:

  • To educate young people to think critically when it comes to making decisions
  • To raise their awareness of how their level of self-esteem affects their ability to make decisions
  • To stimulate a lively debate within the classroom by simply asking ‘Wot Wud U Do’.

For more information visit the website or watch the video below.

Carnegie UK Trust

Race inequality in the workforce: exploring connections between work, ethnicity and mental health

This report, a joint initiative with Operation Black Vote and UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, presents new data from Next Steps, a longitudinal study of the ‘millennial generation’ in England. The work reveals persistent issues around the relationships between employment, ethnicity and mental health and underlines that there are enduring inequalities in the workplace between ethnic groups. The report presents recommendations for actions – for government, for mental health services and for employers.

Read the report here

Love Life: resources for young people with learning disabilities

NSPCC, March 2019
These films and supporting resources are aimed at young people with a learning disability aged 11 to 25 to help them learn strategies for staying safe as they grow up and gain independence.
They enable adults to start conversations with young people about:

  • feelings
  • privacy and boundaries
  • friendship
  • different kinds of love
  • online safety.

Click here to access the resource.