Clinical guidelines for personality disorder emphasise the importance of patients being supported to develop psychological skills to help them manage their symptoms and behaviours. But where these mechanisms fail, and hospital admission occurs, little is known about how episodes of acutely disturbed behaviour are managed.

To explore the clinical characteristics and management of episodes of acutely disturbed behaviour requiring medication in in-patients with a diagnosis of personality disorder.

Analysis of clinical audit data collected in 2024 by the Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health, as part of a quality improvement programme addressing the pharmacological management of acutely disturbed behaviour. Data were collected from clinical records using a bespoke proforma.

Sixty-two mental health Trusts submitted data on 951 episodes of acutely disturbed behaviour involving patients with a personality disorder, with this being the sole psychiatric diagnosis in 471 (50%). Of the total, 782 (82%) episodes occurred in female patients. Compared with males, episodes in females were three times more likely to involve self-harming behaviour or be considered to pose such a risk (22% and 70% respectively: p < 0.001). Parenteral medication (rapid tranquillisation) was administered twice as often in episodes involving females than in males (64 and 34% respectively: p < 0.001).

Our findings suggest that there are a large number of episodes of acutely disturbed behaviour on psychiatric wards in women with a diagnosis of personality disorder. These episodes are characterised by self-harm and regularly prompt the administration of rapid tranquillisation. This has potential implications for service design, staff training, and research.

Literature has shown that a significant minority of bereaved people are at risk of prolonged grief disorder (PGD). However, studies on its prevalence and correlates within Italian samples remain scarce.

This study aimed to explore the prevalence and correlates of PGD symptom severity among 1603 bereaved Italian adults.

Self-reported data on PGD, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety and stress were gathered. Descriptive characteristics and bereavement-related information were also collected.

Among participants who lost a close other person at least 12 months prior, the prevalence of probable PGD and severe suicidal ideation was 7.7% (n = 104) and 0.7% (n = 9), respectively. The overall prevalence of severe suicidal ideation in the sample was 4.5%, rising to 18.2% among those with probable PGD. The probable PGD diagnosis showed minimal agreement with reported depression (phi = 0.25), anxiety (phi = 0.19), and stress (phi = 0.26), suggesting potentially limited overlap and supporting their distinctiveness. The severity of PGD symptoms was significantly positively associated with older age and suicidal ideation, and negatively associated with lower educational background and time since loss. PGD severity also varied by kinship, cause of death and place of residence. Specifically, bereaved individuals who lost a grandparent due to natural causes associated with ageing and lived in small- to medium-sized cities reported lower PGD symptom severity relative to others.

These findings contribute to the understanding of PGD symptomatology in bereaved individuals in Italy, although the results may not generalise to the entire Italian population.

Emotional processing difficulties represent the core psychopathology of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear.

To investigate neural alterations associated with emotion reactivity and regulation in individuals with NSSI and examine whether emotional valence is related to these neural patterns.

During functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, unmedicated young adults with NSSI (n = 29) and matched controls (n = 25) completed an emotion regulation task in which they viewed pictures of different emotional categories with instructions to either attend to or regulate their emotions.

Individuals with NSSI showed increased neural activation in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG), right parahippocampal gyrus and right supramarginal gyrus during negative emotion reactivity and increased activation in the right middle temporal gyrus and left STG during positive emotion reactivity. Conversely, those with NSSI exhibited reduced activation in the left supplementary motor area, left inferior frontal gyrus, right putamen, right thalamus and right STG during negative emotion regulation and reduced activation in the left ventral striatum during positive emotion regulation. Notably, both hyperactivation of the STG during negative emotion reactivity and hypoactivation of the supplementary motor area during negative emotion regulation were associated with emotion dysregulation in individuals with NSSI.

We observed distinct neural patterns of emotional processing among individuals with NSSI, characterised by hyperactivation during emotion reactivity and hypoactivation during emotion regulation. Our findings provide a neurophysiological basis for therapeutic interventions that facilitate adaptive emotional processing in individuals with NSSI.

Specific phobias are common in the community, and much is known from epidemiological surveys about their subtypes and sex ratio.

To determine the subtypes and sex ratio in a treatment-seeking sample of people with a specific phobia.

Patients with a specific phobia were identified by a retrospective search of clinical case records from patient notes in electronic health records at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (the largest secondary mental healthcare provider in Europe).

We identified 1017 patients over 5 years as having a specific phobia. The adult female to male sex frequency ratio for having any specific phobia was 3.9, with the ratio of specific phobia subtypes ranging from 2.4 (natural environment) to 8.2 (animal). The child female to male ratio of specific phobia subtypes ranged from 0.7 (natural environment) to 1.8 (other subtypes). Phobia of vomiting was the most common specific phobia presenting in both adults (n = 161, 17.8% of all specific phobias) and children (n = 26, 23.4%). In adults with a phobia of vomiting, the female to male ratio was 9.1 compared with 3.4 in all other specific phobias, and 4.2 versus 0.98 for children.

There is a stark contrast between the apparent prevalence of phobia of vomiting in epidemiological surveys and being the most common presentation clinically. A very high female to male ratio in phobia of vomiting and animals in adults seeking treatment is also in contrast to findings in the community. This has implications for clinician training and public education.

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has recently emerged as a prospective therapeutic approach for addressing trauma- and stressor-related disorders (TSRDs).

We assessed findings from randomised controlled trials for the safety and efficacy of VNS as a viable treatment for TSRDs.

We systematically searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Central databases, trial registries, preprint servers and Google Scholar from inception to December 2023. Rayyan software was used for screening procedures. Two reviewers independently completed data extraction based on the inclusion criteria.

We synthesised data by using a narrative approach. A total of 322 abstracts were identified and assessed, and seven studies were included in the review. Based on evidence synthesis, the present state of VNS as a treatment intervention for TSRDs, namely post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is limited and does not meet clinical expectations. The overall certainty of evidence was very low. However, evidence shows that VNS may alter and reduce specific aspects associated with PTSD phenomenology, including the reduction of anger responses and the attenuation of hyperarousal during psychological interventions.

Although preliminary analyses provide evidence that transcutaneous VNS temporarily increases parasympathetic activity under specific conditions, these effects appear to be short-lasting, and the impact of repeated administration on long-term autonomic function remains unknown. Future randomised control trials should evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of VNS for treating TSRDs.

Adults with mood and/or anxiety disorders have increased risks of comorbidities, chronic treatments and polypharmacy, increasing the risk of drug–drug interactions (DDIs) with antidepressants.

To use primary care records from the UK Biobank to assess DDIs with citalopram, the most widely prescribed antidepressant in UK primary care.

We classified drugs with pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic DDIs with citalopram, then identified prescription windows for these drugs that overlapped with citalopram prescriptions in UK Biobank participants with primary care records. We tested for associations of DDI status (yes/no) with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and with cytochrome 2C19 activity, using univariate tests, then fitted multivariable models for variables that reached Bonferroni-corrected significance.

In UK Biobank primary care data, 25 508 participants received citalopram prescription(s), among which 11 941 (46.8%) had at least one DDI, with an average of 1.96 interacting drugs. The drugs most commonly involved were proton pump inhibitors (40% of co-prescription instances). Individuals with DDIs were more often female and older, had more severe and less treatment-responsive depression, and had higher rates of psychiatric and physical disorders. In the multivariable models, treatment resistance and markers of severity (e.g. history of suicidal and self-harm behaviours) were strongly associated with DDIs, as well as comorbidity with cardiovascular disorders. Cytochrome 2C19 activity was not associated with the occurrence of DDIs.

The high frequency of DDIs with citalopram in fragile groups confirms the need for careful consideration before prescribing and periodic re-evaluation.

Impulsivity and aggression are known risk factors for suicide, with observed age and sex differences in their impact.

To explore variations in impulsivity and aggression based on sex and age and examine their roles in predicting suicide.

We examined 582 participants (406 individuals who died by suicide, 176 non-suicidal sudden-death controls) using the psychological autopsy method. Measures of impulsivity and aggression included the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and the Brown–Goodwin History of Aggression (BGHA). Participants were categorised into four groups: suicide male, control male, suicide female and control female. For group comparisons, we used analyses of variance and Spearman’s rank correlation to assess the relationship between age and BIS and/or BGHA ratings. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify predictors of suicide for each sex.

Higher levels of BIS and BGHA ratings were found in the suicide group compared with controls (BIS: 51.3 v. 42.2, P = 0.002, η2 = 0.017; BGHA: 7.1 v. 4.1, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.028), with no significant sex differences. BIS and BGHA ratings decreased with age in the suicide groups (suicide male: impulsivity ρ = −0.327, P < 0.001; suicide female: aggression ρ = −0.175, P = 0.038) but not among controls. Logistic regression analysis revealed that for men, aggression (odds ratio 1.072, 95% CI: 1.032–1.112) was a key predictor. For women, younger age (odds ratio 0.970, 95% CI: 0.948–0.993), low BIS impulsivity ratings (odds ratio 1.018, 95% CI: 1.001–1.036) and living with children (odds ratio 0.448, 95% CI: 0.208–0.966) were protective factors.

Impulsive and aggressive behaviours are critical factors in suicide risk among younger individuals, indicating an age effect but no sex dimorphism, with aggressive behaviours being a better predictor for men and impulsive and aggressive behaviours for women.

Group cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) has been shown to improve cognition and quality of life of people with dementia in multiple trials, but there has been scant research involving people with intellectual disability and dementia. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial of group CST for this population.

To assess the feasibility of participant recruitment and retention, the appropriateness of outcome measures, and the feasibility of group CST (adherence, fidelity, acceptability), as well as the feasibility of collecting data for an economic evaluation.

Participants were recruited from six National Health Service trusts in England and randomised to group CST plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU only. Cognition, quality of life, depression, and use of health and social care services were measured at baseline and at 8–9 weeks. Qualitative interviews with participants, carers and facilitators were used to explore facilitators of and barriers to delivery of CST. Trial registration number: ISRCTN88614460.

We obtained consent from 46 participants, and 34 (73.9%) were randomised: 18 to CST and 16 to TAU. All randomised participants completed follow-up. Completion rates of outcome measures (including health economic measures) were adequate; 75.7% of sessions were delivered, and 56% of participants attended ten or more. Fidelity of delivery was of moderate quality. CST was acceptable to all stakeholders; barriers included travel distance, carer availability and sessions needing further adaptations. The estimated cost per participant of delivering CST was £602.

There were multiple challenges including recruitment issues, a large dropout rate before randomisation and practical issues affecting attendance. These issues would need to be addressed before conducting a larger trial.

Malignant catatonia represents a severe and life-threatening neuropsychiatric syndrome that demands prompt recognition and intervention. This condition poses particular diagnostic and management challenges in adolescents, especially when genetic predispositions and neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities complicate the clinical picture.

This report examines a complex case of malignant catatonia in a 17-year-old female with developmental delay but no prior psychiatric diagnoses, who developed severe cognitive and behavioural deterioration. We explore the diagnostic complexities, therapeutic challenges and potential genetic contributions to her presentation.

We present a comprehensive case analysis documenting clinical progression, treatment responses and genetic findings through whole-exome sequencing. The patient’s journey spans from initial presentation to long-term follow-up, with systematic assessment using standardised catatonia rating scales.

The patient’s condition manifested as severe psychomotor impairment, mutism and autonomic instability, showing minimal response to initial treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy yielded significant but temporary amelioration of symptoms. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous mutation in the pogo transposable element derived with zinc finger domain (POGZ) gene – a gene implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders – suggesting this variant contributed to her neurobiological vulnerability. Concurrent features of functional neurological disorder further compounded the diagnostic complexity, illustrating the intricate interplay between genetic susceptibility and clinical presentation.

This case illuminates the challenges clinicians face when diagnosing and treating complex neuropsychiatric presentations in adolescents, particularly when genetic predispositions intersect with functional neurological symptoms. The findings emphasise how comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches remain essential for optimal patient care. Moreover, this case highlights the selective utility of genetic investigation in elucidating potential underpinnings of complex, treatment-resistant malignant catatonia, whilst demonstrating that genetic variants may confer vulnerability rather than direct causation.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders. We developed a lifestyle intervention, named LIFT, aimed at improving lifestyle habits (physical activity, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, stress, sleep) and reducing cardiometabolic risk factors in OCD.

This study aimed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of LIFT, evaluate its preliminary efficacy and explore experiences of participation.

Individuals with OCD and at least three cardiometabolic risk factors (e.g. physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, overweight/obesity, dyslipidaemia) were offered LIFT, consisting of one individual session to set individual goals, six educational group sessions and 12 exercise group sessions, delivered over 3 months. We collected baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up measures. Preliminary efficacy variables were analysed with linear mixed models and within-group effect sizes. Qualitative interviews were conducted.

Out of 147 screened individuals, 25 were included (68% women, mean age 37.4, s.d. = 10.9). Credibility and satisfaction were high, attrition rates were low (16%) and the programme was generally safe. Recruitment and adherence to the intervention were challenging. Statistically significant improvements were observed in dietary habits, alcohol consumption, stress, OCD symptom severity and general functioning (within-group effect sizes ranging from 0.27 to 0.56). No changes were observed in physical activity, sleep or any physiological or laboratory measures.

Overall, LIFT was a feasible intervention for individuals with OCD. Effects on lifestyle habits, mental health and functioning are promising. Fully powered randomised controlled trials are needed to evaluate its efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

Refugee mothers represent a significant proportion of the migrant population worldwide. Their resilience has important implications for their health and the positive adjustment of their family units. However, refugee mothers have received little attention in research.

This review provides an overview of factors that may promote or hinder resilience among refugee mothers and a foundation for identifying potential targets for clinical and policy interventions.

A scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) reporting guidelines, using pre-defined criteria and a relevant search strategy on four databases: Web of Science Core Collection, APA PsycINFO, Ovid Medline, and Ovid Embase Classic+Embase. Study characteristics and data on resilience promotion and hindrance factors were extracted, and results were narratively synthesised.

Five articles met our inclusion criteria. Four studies described resilience promotion factors, and two studies described resilience hindrance factors. External (social or instrumental, community or professional, economic, and cultural) and internal (individual or psychological, and spiritual or religious) resilience resources were perceived as important for building resilience among refugee mothers.

The most recurrent resilience promotion factors related to possessing strong social networks and instrumental support, while the most recurrent resilience hindrance factors related to community and professional stressors, such as accessing healthcare. These findings serve as a first step towards identifying potential clinical and policy intervention targets to strengthen resilience in refugee mothers – a vulnerable and currently under-studied population. This review can provide a guide for policymakers, health professionals, refugee charities and local communities in prioritising the efforts to address refugee mothers’ needs.

There are critical gaps within implementation science concerning health equity, particularly for minoritised ethnic groups. Implementation framework adaptations are important to facilitate health equity, which is especially relevant for psychiatry due to ethnic inequities in mental health; however, the range of potential adaptations has yet to be synthesised.

This systematic scoping review aimed to identify and map the characteristics of adaptations to implementation frameworks for minority ethnic groups to improve health equity.

Bibliographic searches of the MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases were conducted, spanning the period from 2004 to February 2024 for descriptions of implementation frameworks adapted for minority ethnic groups. The characteristics of those meeting the criteria were narratively synthesised.

Of the 2947 papers screened, six met the eligibility criteria. Three different types of implementation frameworks were adapted across the six papers: evaluation, process and determinant frameworks. Most of the adaptations were made by expanding the original framework, and by integrating it with another model, theory or framework with an equity focus. The adaptations primarily focused on putting equity at the forefront of all stages of implementation from intervention selection to implementation sustainability. No studies measured the effectiveness of the adapted framework.

The findings demonstrate that implementation frameworks are modifiable, and different elements can be adapted according to the implementation framework type. This review provides a starting point for how researchers and healthcare providers can adapt existing implementation frameworks to promote health equity for minoritised groups across a range of healthcare settings.

Noradrenergic activation in the central and peripheral nervous systems is a putative mechanism explaining the link between hypertension and affective disorders.

We investigated whether these stress-sensitive comorbidities may be dependent on basal noradrenergic activity and whether vascular responses to centrally acting stimuli vary according to noradrenergic activity.

We examined the relation of affective disorders and stress-mediated vascular responses to plasma concentrations of normetanephrine, a measure of noradrenergic activity, in subjects with primary hypertension (n = 100, mean ± s.d. age 43 ± 11 years, 54% male). The questionnaires Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDSSR-16) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were used for evaluation of symptoms of depression and anxiety. Forearm blood flow (strain gauge plethysmography) was used to assess vascular responses to mental stress and to device-guided breathing (DGB), interventions that respectively increase or decrease noradrenergic activity in the prefrontal cortex and locus coeruleus.

Low mood and high anxiety were two- to threefold higher for hypertensive subjects in the highest compared with the lowest normetanephrine tertiles (each P < 0.005). Forearm vasodilator responses to mental stress and vasoconstrictor responses to DGB were attenuated in those with high compared with low normetanephrine (28.3 ± 21% v. 47.1 ± 30% increases for mental stress and 3.7 ± 21% v. 18.6 ± 15% decreases for DGB for highest versus lowest tertiles of normetanephrine, each P ≤ 0.01).

A hyperadrenergic state in hypertension is associated with mood disturbance and impaired stress-modulated vasomotor responses. This association may be mediated by chronic stress impinging on pathways regulating central arousal and peripheral sympathetic nerve activity.

No research has assessed Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HRSA) psychometric properties in Ethiopian university students, using item response theory (IRT) and classical theory.

This study aimed to assess psychometric properties of the English HRSA in Ethiopian students, using IRT and classical theory.

University students (N = 370, age 21.44 ± 2.30 years) in Ethiopia participated in a cross-sectional study. Participants completed a self-reported measure of anxiety, a sociodemographics tool and interviewer-administered HRSA.

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) favoured a one-factor structure because fit indices for the one-factor model; and two distinct two-factor models were similar, but high interfactor correlations violated discriminant validity criteria in two-factor models. This one-factor structure showed structural invariance as evidenced by multi-group CFA across gender groups. No ceiling/floor effects were seen for the HRSA total scores. Infit and outfit mean square values for all the items were within the acceptable range (0.6–1.4). Four threshold estimates (τi1, τi2, τi3 and τi4) for each item were ordered as expected. Differential item functions showed item-level measurement invariance for all the 14 HRSA items across gender for both uniform and non-uniform estimates. McDonald’s ω and Cronbach’s α for the HRSA tool were both 0.88. The convergent validity of the interviewer-administered HRSA with self-reported anxiety subscale of the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale was weak to moderate.

The findings favour the validity of a one-factor structure of the HRSA with adequate item properties (classical and rating scale model), convergent validity, reliability and measurement invariance (structural and item level) across gender groups in Ethiopian university students.

Understanding the effect(s) of the COVID-19 pandemic is key for planning for future pandemics.

This study examines change in self-reported mental health difficulties during three months of the pandemic among adolescent (10- to 15-year-olds) participants from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (waves 7, 9 and 11 of the main survey and waves 4, 5 and 8 of the COVID-19 surveys).

We focused on mental health difficulties using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), using repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses to examine data among 6471 adolescents who responded to at least one survey since 2015, and 2,300 who responded to at least one COVID-19 survey during July 2020, November 2020 or March 2021.

Repeated cross-sectional data showed similar mean total SDQ across surveys before and during the pandemic (range during pandemic 11.4 to 11.9; range pre-pandemic 11.1 to 11.8). Longitudinal analyses provided no evidence of mental health change compared with pre-pandemic trends (estimated change mean SDQ (β) = 0.05, 95% CI −0.42 to 0.51; p = 0.85), or differential sociodemographic effects, except greater effects in rural households (β = 0.67, 95% CI −0.08 to 1.41) than urban environments (β = −0.18, 95% CI −0.69 to 0.33). Though subscales generally saw higher scores during the pandemic than before, these were consistent with pre-pandemic trends, excepting a slight improvement in conduct problems (β = −0.26, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.40).

The study offers evidence among a representative sample that mental health difficulties did not, on average, deteriorate for adolescents during three months of the pandemic.

Initially prescribed for schizophrenia and psychosis, antipsychotics are increasingly prescribed for other indications. Since the late 1990s, prescribing shifted from first-generation to second-generation antipsychotics.

To examine overall initiation and prevalence of antipsychotic drug prescribing in UK primary care from 1995 to 2018, stratified by gender.

Cohort studies using UK anonymised electronic primary care data from IQVIA Medical Research Data, including over 790 general practices and registered individuals aged 18–99 years.

Antipsychotic drug initiation was stable in the late 1990s, at 6–7/1000 person-years at risk (PYAR) in men and 9–11/1000 PYAR in women. From 2001, initiation declined, stabilising from 2005 onward at 4/1000 PYAR in men and 4–5/1000 PYAR in women. Prevalence remained consistent from 1995 to 2018: 12/1000 in men and 14/1000 in women by 2018. Initiation and prevalence were higher in women than men, but increased with age in both genders: (18–39 v. 80–99 years; incidence rate ratio (IRR) 4.85, 95% CI 4.75–4.95 in men; IRR 5.90, 95% CI 5.78–6.02 in women; prevalence rate ratio (PRR) 2.22, 95% CI 2.19–2.25 in men; PRR 4.28, 95% CI 4.24–4.33 in women). Initiation and prevalence were greater in individuals with greater socioeconomic deprivation (Townsend score of 5 v. 1; IRR 2.69, 95% CI 2.64–2.75 in men; IRR 2.19, 95% CI 2.15–2.24 in women; PRR 3.87, 95% CI 3.82–3.92 in men; PRR 2.80, 95% CI 2.77–2.83 in women).

Antipsychotic drug initiation decreased after 2001, stabilising from 2005 onward. Prevalence remained relatively consistent throughout the study period. Women had higher initiation and prevalence than men. However, both genders showed increased prescribing with age and socioeconomic deprivation.

Trauma plays a critical role in psychosis, but the nature of the relationship between specific symptoms and trauma history remains unclear.

The aim of the study was to explore the experience of positive symptoms and their association with trauma and life events from the perspective of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP).

Seventeen participants who were enrolled in an FEP programme participated in a qualitative interview examining their life and trauma events, the onset of their symptoms, their experience of positive symptoms and their perceived associations between symptoms and life and trauma events. The interview was based on a semi-structured interview of six main questions and follow-up questions. Participants also completed the Trauma and Life Experiences Checklist (TALE), and were asked about the relevance of the whole interview. Thematic content analysis, exploratory cluster analysis and matrix queries coding were performed.

Fifteen participants described the experience of psychotic symptoms as distressing or traumatic. Eleven participants attributed the onset of positive psychotic symptoms to trauma and life events. Ten participants described explicit thematic associations between their symptoms and trauma and life events. Twelve participants evaluated the interview as relevant and helpful.

Our findings give insight into the lived experience of positive symptoms and potential psychological interventions valuing causal theories of participants and the association with life and trauma events.