Tag: Young People

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe 2022 – 2020 data (2022).
World Health Organization (WHO); 2022.
[The report presents a regional and European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) overview, including traffic-light maps for priority drug–bug combinations of public health relevance, as well as 42 country and area profiles.]

Commentary: Climate change worry among adolescents-on the importance of going beyond the constructive-unconstructive dichotomy to explore coping efforts-a commentary on Sciberras and Fernando (2021). [Abstract]
Ojala M. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):89-91.
[This opinion piece comments on Sciberras and Fernando’s (2021) article in which an 8-year longitudinal study is presented. The authors investigate trajectories of climate change worry through adolescence and associations with measures of depression and engagement with news and politics in late adolescence. Their objective is to explore whether climate change worry is a constructive or unconstructive psychological phenomenon.]

Commentary: Three tasks for eco-anxiety research – a commentary on Thompson et al. (2021). [Abstract]
Pihkala P. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):92-93.

Commentary: Proactive practices to support youth coping with climate change – a commentary on Martin et al. (2021). [Abstract]
Flanagan C. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):94-95.
[Based on the scoping review of literature on youths’ anxieties and worries associated with their understanding of climate change, I suggest three practices for supporting youth coping: emphasizing what they can do through environmental action; emphasizing group over individual efforts – working in peer teams and networking with adult organizations dedicated to environmental action; and focusing on human impact in the place where they reside and ways they can observe and monitor that impact.]

Limitations of the new ISO standard for health and wellness apps.
Neal D. The Lancet Digital Health 2022;4(2):e80-e82.
[Software apps for health and wellness are proliferating rapidly. Policy makers, health-care providers, and consumers can benefit from assessment and standardisation of these apps, to support decision making in a rapidly developing field. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a standard in July, 2021. However, we fear that, in its current form, the standard could stigmatise some app users and worsen inequalities in access to digital health technologies.]

Young people’s engagement with climate change issues through digital media – a content analysis.[Abstract]
Parry S. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):30-38.
[The reporting of climate change issues through social media can influence young people’s mental health and engagement. However, there has been little research undertaken directly with young people in relation to social and digital media’s reporting of climate change, and how this is experienced by young people. This study aimed to explore the interface between climate change and social media reporting for young people.]

Place-based civic science-collective environmental action and solidarity for eco-resilience.[Abstract]
Gallay E. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):39-46.
[We explored how place-based civic science (PBCS) can provide opportunities to engage youth in environmental understanding through teamwork in which youth feel that they belong to a group larger than themselves and gain a sense of hope from working with others toward shared goals. We argue that combining PCBS pedagogies of collective action and collaborative learning spaces can help to buffer against distress as CYP grapple with global environmental crises.]

Case study: Digital media for sexual health promotion.
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR); 2022.
[This case study provides an overview of a research project carried out by a team of researchers at University College London. The scoping review found that interactive digital interventions (IDIs) are effective for sexual health promotion and HIV prevention. They could be rolled out much more widely to complement school sex and relationships education and sexual health services.]

Physical health checks for people living with severe mental illness: a partnership approach to improving health checks in primary care.
Equally Well UK; 2022.
[This resources provides a partnership approach to improving physical health checks for people living with severe mental illness. Through data and intelligence, a summary of key strategic drivers and policy commitments and accessible check lists, the resource aims to provide guidance on the prioritised action required to prevent premature mortality, morbidity and inequalities experienced by people with severe mental illness.]

Leading the change: social prescribing within the fitness and leisure sector.
UKActive; 2022.
[This report calls for public health initiatives to help raise awareness of social prescribing in gyms, pools and leisure centres in order to reduce the pressure on the NHS. The report, sponsored by Matrix, makes four key recommendations to develop and grow social prescribing within the fitness and leisure sector.]

Signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation in children and adolescents.
Carried out by Frankie Marcelline from Sussex Health on 26/1/2022
[This is a broad evidence search for a new training course for social workers working with children and adolescents with, or at risk of, suicidal ideation/ behaviours and their families. It includes results on signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation in those under18 years old.]


Public Health

Current awareness updates

Children and young people’s mental health.
House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee; 2021.
[According to NHS data, the mental health of children and young people in England has worsened since 2017. Even before the pandemic, children and young people were facing a mental health crisis. Three lockdowns and the social distancing requirements of the pandemic have exacerbated the struggle with the loss of normal social structures, being unable to socialise in person with peers and not being able to attend school or university.]

Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation.
Trades Union Congress (TUC); 2021.
[Every workplace risk assessment should include aerosol transmission, and outline what steps are being taken to improve ventilation where necessary. Ventilation being one of the most effective ways to mitigate risk, but it’s the one employers are least likely to be paying attention to.]

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen by IARC. It is causally linked to 7 types of cancer. Besides female breast cancer, it increases the risk of developing oral cavity (mouth), pharynx (throat), oesophagus (gullet), liver, larynx (voice box) and colorectum (large intestine and rectum) cancers. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption. The risk of breast cancer increases with each unit of alcohol consumed per day.]

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome: diagnosis and management.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers diagnosing and managing myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy)/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in children, young people and adults. It aims to improve awareness and understanding about ME/CFS and when to suspect it, so that people are diagnosed earlier. It includes recommendations on diagnosis, assessment and care planning, safeguarding, access to care and managing ME/CFS and its symptoms.]

Eligible for a free flu vaccine this winter? Don’t wait, book it.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2021.
[With flu and COVID-19 expected to be in wide circulation together this winter, UK Health Security Agency is urging more people than ever to get their free flu vaccine, if they are eligible. In this blog the UK Health Security Agency answers some common questions about this year’s flu season.]

The use of wearables and health apps and the willingness to share self-collected data among older adults.
Seifert A. Aging and Health Research 2021;1(3):100032.
[The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which older adults utilize mobile health tracking tools in everyday life and their willingness to share the collected health-related data with doctors, health insurance companies, or research institutions. 75.0% of the participants used at least one mobile device; 22.9% used health-related apps. Participants were more often willing to share their data with doctors than with health insurance companies or researchers.]

Changes in childhood experimentation with, and exposure to, tobacco and e-cigarettes and perceived smoking norms: a repeated cross-sectional study of 10–11 year olds’ in Wales.
BMC Public Health; 2021.
[Children’s experimentation with and exposure to tobacco, and their perceptions of smoking as a normative behaviour, have continued to decline alongside growth in exposure to e-cigarettes. Although a large majority of pupils reported they minded people smoking around them, there was some evidence of diminishing disapproval of secondhand smoke since 2007.]

Understanding Sexual Aggression in UK Male University Students: An Empirical Assessment of Prevalence and Psychological Risk Factors.
Sexual Abuse; 2021.
[University-based sexual aggression is an international public health issue; however, to date, there have been no formal assessments of the prevalence or psychological indicators associated with the proabuse behaviors of the most common perpetrators at UK universities: heterosexual male students.]

Patients as team members: Factors affecting involvement in treatment decisions from the perspective of patients with a chronic condition.
Health Expectations; 2021.
[From the patients’ perspective, this study shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to involving patients more actively in their healthcare journey. Strategies aiming to enhance active patient involvement among patients with a chronic condition should consider this diversity in perspectives among these patients.]

Lead exposure in children: surveillance reports (from 2021).
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2021.
[Results of laboratory-based surveillance of elevated blood lead concentrations in children in England.]

Seasonal flu vaccine uptake in children of school age: monthly data, 2021 to 2022.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2021.
[Cumulative vaccine uptake data for the childhood seasonal flu programme in England.]

Review: Physical activity interventions for the mental health and well-being of adolescents – a systematic review. [Abstract]
Hale GE. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2021;26(4):357-368.
[Rates of physical activity decline throughout adolescence, and evidence indicates that this has an adverse impact on psychological health. This paper aims to synthesise available evidence for physical activity interventions on the mental health and well-being of young people (11-19 years) from the general population.]

Telehealth interventions: remote monitoring and consultations for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [Abstract]
Janjua S. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021;7:CD013196.
[BACKGROUND: Face-to-face visits with health professionals can be hindered by severity of COPD or frailty, and by people living at a distance from their healthcare provider and having limited access to services. Telehealth technologies aimed at providing health care remotely through monitoring and consultations could help to improve health outcomes of people with COPD.]

Strategies to improve smoking cessation rates in primary care. [Abstract]
Lindson N. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021;9:CD011556.
[OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of strategies intended to increase the success of smoking cessation interventions in primary care settings. To assess whether any effect that these interventions have on smoking cessation may be due to increased implementation by healthcare providers.]

Living with dementia: my life, my goals.
Alzheimer’s Society; 2021.
[A new self-help guide for people living with dementia. The guide helps people with dementia achieve their goals step-by step. It was created by researchers from the GREAT trial in collaboration with people living with dementia.]

Emotional Support

Online resources – Master the Mind Master Anything podcast

Source: Mindset by Dave podcast

Today’s resource is the Master the Mind Master Anything podcast presented by Dave Cottrell (Mindset by Dave). This episode features Sam Tyrer (Change Talks), talking about his experiences and taking mental health awareness into schools.

Listen to the podcast here.

Emotional Support

Online resources – Butterfly and Phoenix

The Butterfly and Phoenix Project has a team of counsellors supporting young people aged 11-18 in various areas across Lancashire. As part of n-compass, they are a trusted service with over 10 years’ experience in support and advice.

If any families need support with a young child age 11-19, this service can provide support via texts, phones calls and video links. They aim to help the young person cope better with difficult circumstances, preventing them from escalating into more serious issues.

For more information visit the website here.

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Tick bite risks and prevention of Lyme disease: resources.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Toolkit and resources for local authorities and other stakeholders to raise awareness of the potential risks created by ticks and tick-borne disease in England. You can choose to co-brand leaflets and posters with PHE by adding your logo to the Word files or simply download the PDFs.]

Holiday activities and food programme 2021.
Department for Education (DfE); 2021.
[This document provides information for local authorities delivering the holiday activities and food programme in 2021. In 2020 the government announced that the holiday activities and food programme, that covers the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays, will be expanded across the whole of England in 2021. There will be up to £220 million available to local authorities to coordinate free holiday provision, including healthy food and enriching activities.]

New cross-government unit to tackle drug misuse following major independent review.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Home Office, and Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[The new unit aims to end illegal drug-related illness and deaths. The rise in drug misuse poisoning deaths has been driven by increases in heroin deaths which have doubled in this time and other substances such as cocaine have seen notable recent increases. The proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds who use drugs has increased in recent years with one in three 15-year-olds saying they took drugs in the last year.]

Tackling obesity: the role of the NHS in a whole-system approach.
The King’s Fund; 2021.
[Rates of obesity in England are high and rising, with a strong systemic relationship between obesity and deprivation. Rates are also higher in women than in men, and in some ethnic minority groups compared to the white British group. This briefing explores the role of the NHS in tackling obesity, focusing on how the NHS can work with local partners and engage with communities to deliver targeted interventions to treat and prevent obesity.]

Effectiveness of complementary therapies in cancer patients: a systematic review.
Guerra-Martin MD. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health 2021;18(3):1017.
[The findings reveal some effective complementary therapies: auriculotherapy and acupuncture, laser moxibustion, hypnosis, Ayurveda, electroacupuncture, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery, yoga, phytotherapy, music therapy and traditional Chinese medicine. On the other hand, electroacupuncture, laser moxibustion and traditional Chinese medicine presented adverse effects, and kinesiology did not show effectiveness.]

Wellbeing toolkit for Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD).
Penumbra; 2021.
[As well as providing important medical information about ARBD and alcohol use, the toolkit covers key practical and holistic information on recovery – including information on reducing stress, improving memory, coping with challenging emotions without using alcohol, nutrition and exercise, connecting with others and the community, along with guidance on improving digital skills, budgeting and knowing your rights. It includes a podcast of relaxation exercises.]

What support do young people with sickle cell disease need when moving into adult services?.
NIHR Evidence; 2021.
[This research suggests that non-specialist healthcare services are failing young people with sickle cell disorder. This is a critical period in their development when they are learning to live as adults. It is difficult to manage conflicting demands, such as wanting to work hard at school but needing to rest to avoid pain. Researchers suggest healthcare professionals shouuld work with schools to create supportive services that can help young people to achieve their life goals.]

Loneliness is strongly linked to depression in older adults in a large, long-term study.
NIHR Evidence; 2021.
[Depression is a major public health problem that is growing worldwide. The causes are complex and vary from person to person. However, new research estimates that up to one in five cases of depression among older adults could be prevented by reducing loneliness. The study therefore has important public health implications, highlighting the need for comprehensive action across society to combat loneliness.]

HIV infection and AIDS.
Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS); 2021.
[This CKS topic has been updated.]

Could a decision support tool help to guide mental health treatment in primary care?
The Mental Elf; 2021.
[Linda Gask reviews a recent randomised controlled trial on the clinical efficacy of a Decision Support Tool (Link-me) to “guide the intensity of mental health care in primary practice”.]

Improving the care of patients discharged following a pulmonary embolism, in line with NICE Guidelines (NG158).
[Shared learning from Nottingham Universities Hospitals Trust. Project started out as audit looking into how to improve discharge process for patients following a PE, however upon understanding limitations of care provided on discharge, practice was changed in line with NICE guidelines to ensure safest possible discharge for these patients.]

Risk factors for LGBTQ+ youth self-harm and suicide.
The Mental Elf; 2021.
[In her debut blog, Hazel Marzetti reviews a recent systematic review and meta-analysis on victimisation and mental illness prevalence among LGBTQ+ young people with experiences of self-harm and suicide.]

European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net).
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[The report found some differences in the use of antibiotics between two sets of countries, the ECDC’s European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net) and WHO/Europe’s Antimicrobial Medicines Consumption (AMC) Network. Findings show a significant decrease in the consumption of antibacterials in eight ESAC-Net countries including the United Kingdom. However, figures for the AMC Network were less clear, reflecting the more complicated nature of data collection.]

Transition to adulthood and transfer to adult care of adolescents with congenital heart disease: a global consensus statement.
Moons P. European Heart Journal 2021;:ehab388.
[This consensus document describes issues and practices of transition and transfer of adolescents with CHD. Transitional care ought to be provided to all adolescents with CHD, taking into consideration the available resources. When reaching adulthood, patients ought to be transferred to adult care facilities capable of managing their needs, and systems have to be in place to ensure continuity of high-quality care.]

Children and young people’s mental health – policy, CAMHS services, funding and education.
House of Commons Library; 2021.
[Research briefing on children and young people’s mental health policy, June 2021.]

Community mental health and wellbeing : what does gold standard look like?
Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, Scotland; 2021.
[Following interviews and meetings with key stakeholders a range of tools were developed to support collaborative discussion around gold standard community mental health and wellbeing, key relationships and challenges to implementation. This report presents findings of the resulting workshop.]

Emerging lessons from the commissioning and delivery of a gambling treatment service.
Woodall J. Public Health 2021;196:69-73.
[This article offers a unique contribution to understanding more about the provision of gambling treatment services. This is crucial, given that a greater number of people face challenges as a consequence of gambling harms, and such services should be seen part of forming a coherent public health response.]

PHE women’s reproductive health programme 2020 to 2021.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[Progress update on the PHE reproductive health programme, including a new return on investment tool and the next steps for 2021 to 2022. Use these documents and tools to understand how this programme integrates with the upcoming women’s and sexual and reproductive health strategies. Links to new tools, publications and examples of best practice can also be used as a reference point for colleagues across the healthcare system, to inform prioritisation and planning.]

National flu immunisation programme plan.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[The annual flu letter for 2021 to 2022 describes the national flu immunisation programme and outlines which groups are eligible for flu vaccination.]

Life Sciences Vision.
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; 2021.
[This document outlines the government’s and the life science sector’s ambitions for the sector over the next decade. It sets out the government’s plans to stimulate a thriving UK life sciences sector. It also focuses on how the sector can address some of the UK’s most significant health care challenges, including cancer, dementia and obesity.]

Alcohol consumption and harm during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Health England (PHE); 2021.
[A report collating data on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in England during the COVID-19 pandemic and comparing it to data from previous years. The report improves our understanding of how alcohol consumption and harm changed in England while physical and social restrictions to prevent and control coronavirus were in place. The findings help to understand whether pandemic-related changes have affected rates of alcohol hospital admissions and deaths as well as health inequalities.]

Early evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme.
University of Birmingham; 2021.
[The programme was launched in December 2018 to improve the prevention of mental health problems and early intervention for children and young people with mild to moderate mental health problems. The early evaluation is following the experiences of the initial group of mental health support teams, which are based in 25 areas across England (called Trailblazers) and work with more than 1,000 schools and colleges.]

Covid 19

Current awareness updates

Fairer foundations: How has the pandemic affected young people’s mental health? Infographic
The Health Foundation; 2021.

[This infographic highlights the unequal mental health effects of the pandemic among young people. Young people’s lives have been significantly impacted by the pandemic – disrupted schooling, lost employment and not being able to see friends. But the effects of the crisis have not been the same for everyone, including a divergence of mental health experiences.]

Coronavirus and depression in adults, Great Britain: January to March 2021.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2021.

[Analysis of the proportion of the British adult population experiencing some form of depression in early 2021, by age, sex and other characteristics. Includes comparisons with 2020 and pre-pandemic estimates.]

Care pathway and prioritization of rapid testing for COVID-19 in UK hospitals: a qualitative evaluation.[Abstract]
Hicks T. BMC Health Services Research 2021;21(1):532.

[This study sought to understand the care pathways in place in UK NHS hospitals during the first wave (March-July 2020) for identification of patients with COVID-19 and to learn lessons to inform optimal testing strategies within the COVID-19 National Diagnostic Research and Evaluation Platform (CONDOR). During the winter months, priority for provision of rapid testing at admission should be given to hospitals with limited access to laboratory services and single room availability.]

Adult social care and COVID-19 after the first wave: assessing the policy response in England: Our analysis of the national government policy response for social care between June 2020 and March 2021.
The Health Foundation; 2021.

[In this briefing, the Health Foundation analyse policies to support adult social care during the height of the second wave of the pandemic in January and February 2021, and in the months leading up to it. We provide a narrative summary of central government policies related to adult social care in different areas, such as policies on testing and support for the workforce. We also provide a summary of the latest publicly available data on the impacts of COVID-19 on adult social care.]


Happy to help: the welfare effects of a nationwide micro-volunteering programme.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); 2021.

[This paper estimates the wellbeing benefits from volunteering for England’s NHS Volunteer Responders programme, which was set up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that active volunteers report significantly higher life satisfaction, feelings of worthwhileness, social connectedness, and belonging to their local communities. A social welfare analysis shows that the benefits of the programme were at least 140 times greater than its costs.]


Coronavirus Act report: May 2021.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.

[The seventh two-monthly report on which powers in the Coronavirus Act 2020 are currently active.]


Vivaldi study: results.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.

[Results for the Vivaldi study for antibody and cellular immune responses to coronavirus (COVID-19) in approximately 340 care homes.]

Deaths involving COVID-19 in the care sector, England and Wales: deaths registered between week ending 20 March 2020 and week ending 2 April 2021.
Office for National Statistics (ONS); 2021.

[Provisional figures on deaths involving the coronavirus (COVID-19), an investigation into wave 1 versus wave 2 within the care sector, in England and Wales.]

Public Health

Current Awareness

Suicide awareness materials: do they help people with suicidal ideation?
The Mental Elf; 2020.

(Hanzla Amir and Derek Tracy summarise a recent online randomised controlled trial on the effects of suicide awareness materials on people who feel suicidal, which finds that the Papageno effect is real and that stories of hope and recovery can help.)

Whole systems approach to obesity.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(A guide and set of resources to support local authorities with implementing a whole systems approach to address obesity and promote a healthy weight.
7 December 2020: Added ‘Engaging NHS system leaders in whole systems approaches to physical activity’.)

Supporting public health: children, young people and families.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Documents to support local authorities and providers in commissioning and delivering maternal and child public health services from preconception up to 24 years. 8 December 2020: Updated to include the 6 maternity high impact area guides.)

How England will end new cases of HIV: final report and recommendations.
HIV Commission; 2020.

(The HIV Commission is an ambitious, independent process to find the path to ending new HIV transmissions and HIV-attributed deaths in England by 2030. Its report sets out 20 achievable and evidence-based actions that need to be taken if this goal is to be met.)

Obesity Profile: December 2020 update.
Public Health England (PHE); 2020.

(Obesity Profile online data tool: update with new data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for academic year 2019 to 2020.)

What people are telling us: a summary, July – September 2020 Healthwatch, 2020

(Between July and September 2020, more than 38,082 people shared their experiences of using health and social care with Healthwatch. This briefing is a summary of the key issues that the public are telling us about, including access to NHS dental care; the support provided in care homes; and accessing Covid-19 tests.)

Interventions to prevent intimate partner and sexual violence Public Health England (PHE), 2020

(A guidance resource from PHE to help tackle the root causes of violence and
change behaviours that lead to violence. It includes a summary of research and good practice in bystander interventions.)