News
Virtual reality could be used as part of eating disorders treatment
People with lived experience of eating disorders and clinicians experienced in treating eating disorders were excited about the potential of using virtual reality (VR) to treat eating disorders, according to the results of a study published in JMIR XR and Spatial Computing. Study participants felt VR may…
Pressure to lose weight in adolescence linked to sense of self-worth later in life
Women, people who are not heterosexual, those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage and those who, as teenagers, felt pressure to lose weight from family or from the media are most at risk of ‘internalised’ weight stigma, according to research from the University of Bristol. The study is published in…
Alcohol-free beer on draught nudges people to make 'healthy choices’
Making alcohol-free beer more widely available on draught in pubs and bars may help people switch from alcoholic to alcohol-free beer, a new study published in Addiction today [21 March], has found. Pubs and bars taking part in the University of Bristol-led trial saw an increase in…
Low- and middle-income countries aren't reflected in global suicide prevention evidence base
Over 80 per cent of systematic reviews on suicide deaths do not provide an accurate summary of findings with relation to geographic relevance, according to research published in Archives of Suicide Research. This affects their generalisability, as findings from high-income countries are reported as if they are…
NIHR Bristol BRC Director’s Fund award for three new research projects
Three new research projects have secured funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Bristol Biomedical Research Centre’s (Bristol BRC) Director’s fund. The Director’s Fund supports exciting new projects across all our research themes which we hope will be developed into something that could directly benefit patients.
Autistic people find taking part in research studies acceptable
Autistic people find the idea of taking part in randomised controlled trials acceptable, according to the results of a study partly funded by the Bristol BRC and published in Autism journal. They link their positive attitude towards research participation to a heightened sense of fairness, a preference…
Trauma-informed approaches in healthcare: strategy and evidence
The implementation of trauma-informed approaches in UK healthcare requires policy commitment, leadership support and a solid evidence base. According to a recent study by researchers at the University of Bristol, these approaches can prevent re-traumatisation in services and improve experiences and outcomes for both patients and staff.
Developing online remote screening for memory problems
This blog was written by Victoria Gabb, a researcher from the Research into Memory and the Brain (ReMemBr) group at the Bristol Brain Centre in Southmead Hospital. In it, she reflects on working with a patient and public involvement (PPI) group to develop an online screening tool…
Applying a commercial determinants perspective to suicide and self-harm prevention
Nearly 800,000 people die by suicide each year – that’s more deaths than due to HIV, malaria, or war. Effective methods for preventing suicide exist but they are not being implemented. We need to ask why. Suicide and self-harm are important public health issues the world over.