News
Video gives young people top tips to support mental health when using social media
A new animation aims to give young people five evidence-based top tips to help them support their mental health when using social media. The video was the brainchild of University of Bristol researcher Lizzy Winstone. She co-wrote the script with members of the NIHR ARC West Young People’s Advisory Group, who…
Tracking the rise in prescribing for anxiety in UK primary care
An increase in medication prescriptions for anxiety between 2003-2018 has been uncovered by new research from the University of Bristol. This increase is thought to be a result of new patients starting treatment, rather than increases in long-term use. Better detection of anxiety and patients being more accepting of medication…
How can involvement in research support survivors of domestic abuse?
Hard Evidence is a theatre piece written and performed by Shass Blake and Alison Prince. It follows the story of two friends, Jan and Christine, who both have experience of domestic abuse, but are at different points in their journey to finding support. It shines light on how involvement in…
Assessing whether levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids alter risk of schizophrenia
Research funded by the National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) aims to determine whether levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids affect risk of schizophrenia in some people. Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that places a substantial burden on patients, their families,…
Exploring trends in recording anxiety symptoms in UK primary care
The way GPs record anxiety in patient records could be leading to a reduction in formal anxiety diagnoses, new research from the University of Bristol has found. Anxiety disorders are common in the UK, with the level of anxiety symptoms being recorded by GPs increasing between 1998 and 2008. However,…
No evidence of a significant increase in risk of suicide in first months of the pandemic, but continued monitoring needed
A new observational study is the first to examine suicides occurring during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in multiple countries and finds that suicide numbers largely remained unchanged or declined in the pandemic’s early months. The study, led by an international team including University of Bristol researchers, is…
Warning over effects of pandemic on young people’s mental health
A warning about the effects of the pandemic on children’s and young people’s mental health is published today (11 March) in The BMJ. Professor David Gunnell, co-lead of Bristol BRC’s Mental Health theme, has co-authored an editorial ‘Mental health of children and young people during pandemic’, which argues that…
GPs need training to spot patients at risk of psychosis
GPs are in a good position to identify patients who are at risk of developing psychosis. However, it is not always easy for them to do so. In a recent study of the possible barriers, researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and Centre…
Risk of self-harm increases for boys and girls who experience earlier puberty
Boys and girls who experience puberty earlier than their peers have an increased risk of self-harm in adolescence, a study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) and published in the journal Epidemiology & Psychiatric Sciences has found. This is the…