Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People Health Report.

LGBT Youth Scotland – 2023

The research published today identifies that long waiting times, misunderstanding of LGBTQ+ identities, and prejudice and discrimination from healthcare staff, were significant barriers participants experienced when accessing treatment. Findings also indicated that healthcare systems and process need to be more inclusive, staff need to have an understanding LGBTQ+ identities, and that young people need agency in the choices made around their care.

We also found that: 

• Around 1/3 of participants (29%) do not feel safe/supported as an LGBTQ+ person by their GP
• 88% of participants told us they experience one or more mental health condition or related behaviour, with this figure rising to 94% for trans participants
• Half of participants (50%) reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or actions
• There were significant barriers to accessing Gender Identity Services, with average waiting time for a first appointment varying by location from around 2 to almost 5 years
• Over 1/3 of participants (38%) do not know where to go for information and help with sexual health
• Just 1 in 3 (35%) participants would feel comfortable talking about sexual health issues with their doctor.

Read the Report – Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People Health Report.

National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person

Dept of Health and Social Care – July 2023

This document sets out a framework for how police and health services should improve the response to people with mental health needs.

An agreement between policing, health and other relevant partners that sets out the principles around the Right Care, Right Person approach which aims to ensure that individuals in mental health crisis are seen by the right professional.

This agreement is between:

• Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
• Home Office
• NHS England
• National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC)
• Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC)
• College of Policing

Further information – National Partnership Agreement: Right Care, Right Person

Progress in improving NHS mental health services

House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – July 2023

This report finds that mental health service staff shortages are holding back mental health services from improving and expanding. Increased workload is leading to burnout for remaining staff, which contributes to a higher rate of staff turnover and a resulting vicious cycle of more staff shortages. The PAC calls on the NHS to address the fact that staff increases are being outpaced by the rise in demand for services. Mental health services are also lagging behind physical services in the area of good data and information to a concerning degree. Another area of particular concern is a continuing lack of progress in treating mental health services with equal priority as physical services.

Read the Report – Progress in improving NHS mental health services

Health in 2040: projected patterns of illness in England

The Health Foundation’s REAL Centre in partnership with the University of Liverpool – July 2023

Produced by The Health Foundation’s REAL Centre in partnership with the University of Liverpool, this report aims to support policy-makers prepare for the future by looking at patterns of illness over the next two decades. The analysis lays out the potential scale and impact of the growth in the number of people living with major illness as the population ages, assigning scores to 20 conditions based on how likely the illness is to affect people’s use of primary care and emergency health services and likelihood of death. The report projects that 9.1 million people will be living with major illness by 2040, 2.5 million more than in 2019.

Read the Report – Health in 2040: projected patterns of illness in England

Clinical guide for front line staff to support the management of patients with a learning disability and autistic people – relevant to all clinical specialties

NHS England – 24th July 2023

This guidance supports healthcare professionals deliver good quality care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

Clinical guide for front line staff to support the management of patients with a learning disability and autistic people – relevant to all clinical specialties

Made in communities: the national evaluation of the Better Mental Health Fund

Centre for Mental Health (CMH) – 2023

The Better Mental Health Fund was set up by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in 2021 to address mental health challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. The CMH (commissioned by OHID to evaluate the Better Mental Health Fund nationally) worked with local areas to understand how they used the Fund to improve mental health and wellbeing in their communities, and what can be learnt for policy and practice longer term from this unique programme. This report is the result of the evaluation and shares key learning points on how investment in public mental health can reap the biggest benefits for local communities.

Read the Report – Made in communities: the national evaluation of the Better Mental Health Fund

Listening to experts: Mental health and media literacy

Ofcom – May 2023

The effect our online behaviours and experiences have on our mental health and of those we care about is a topic that many of us have considered. As part of Ofcom’s duty to promote media literacy we commissioned a rapid exploration to identify the innovative practices, projects and initiatives being trialled by a range of organisations across the UK, bringing together online media literacy and mental health support.

The goals were to:

• better understand the intersections between mental health and media literacy;
• learn more about which organisations are involved in this type of work;
• find out more about this work and who benefits from it; and
• share the findings with the media literacy and mental health sectors and consider further opportunities.

Ofcom defines media literacy as “the ability to use, understand and create media and communications in a variety of contexts”. We commissioned this work primarily for Ofcom to better understand how to provide media literacy support that will be effective for people experiencing, or at risk of, mental health challenges.

We hope the richness of the information provided through the case studies, and the ideas for action, will also be of interest to delivery organisations, funding and commissioning organisations, policy-makers and others interested in mental health and media literacy. This document reflects what we heard from service managers, practitioners and service users – many of the words in this report are their words, and it is their lived experience that has provided the basis of the four principles and connected ideas for action. Fundamental to this work is the understanding that we are online, that it’s personal and that the quality of anyone’s mental health can change at any time.

Read the Report – Mental health and media literacy

Virtual reality could help people with psychosis and agoraphobia

NIHR – 20th July 2023

A new therapy which uses virtual reality helped many people with psychosis manage excessive anxiety which prevents them leaving home (agoraphobia). Research found that the virtual reality therapy required less therapist time than usual care, and could be delivered by staff with no experience of delivering talking therapies.

People with psychosis have lost some contact with reality. They may see or hear things that other people do not (hallucinations), or believe things that are not true (delusions). Almost 2 in 3 people with psychosis also struggle with agoraphobia. They can be helped by talking therapies but there is a shortage of trained therapists. This study assessed whether virtual reality could be used to deliver effective therapy.

The researchers worked with people with lived experience of psychosis to develop the virtual reality therapy. Those receiving the treatment wore a virtual reality headset, and explored an electronic version of an everyday situation they found distressing (getting on a bus or visiting the doctor, for instance).

All participants in this study received usual care (prescribed medications, regular visits from a community mental health worker and occasional outpatient appointments with a psychiatrist). Half received virtual reality therapy in addition. The study found that the virtual reality therapy generally had a positive impact. People in the group who received it were less likely to avoid situations they found uncomfortable, and were less distressed. Those with severe agoraphobia described lasting benefits.

Further information – Virtual reality could help people with psychosis and agoraphobia

This Alert is based on: Freeman D, and others. Automated virtual reality therapy to treat agoraphobic avoidance and distress in patients with psychosis (gameChange): a multicentre, parallel-group, single-blind, randomised, controlled trial in England with mediation and moderation analyses. Lancet Psychiatry 2022;9:375-388.

Uncertain Times: Anxiety in the UK and how to tackle it.

Mental Health Foundation – 2023

The Mental Health Foundation (MHF) has chosen anxiety as our Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 theme to provide a better understanding of what anxiety is, when it becomes a concern, and what we can do to help ourselves and each other when anxiety starts to become a problem.

This briefing looks at what our research has uncovered: the prevalence and rates of anxiety amongst different groups of people, and the current key drivers and risk factors for anxiety. It then considers the main ways of coping with anxiety and provides recommendations to governments across the UK for preventing anxiety.

Read the Report – Uncertain Times: Anxiety in the UK and how to tackle it.

Green social prescribing linked to £635m of NHS savings, study shows

The Wildlife Trusts – July 2023

Improving the uptake of nature-based health and wellbeing prescribing could alleviate pressure on the NHS and save more than half a billion pounds a year.

That is according to a new report from the Institute of Occupational Medicine Health which found that, if just one of The Wildlife Trusts’ programmes was adopted by the 1.2 million people who would be expected to participate, the NHS could save approximately £635.6m annually.

The schemes in questions are a suite of initiatives that connect people with the community and look to harness the health benefits associated with being more in touch with nature.

Read the Report – A NATURAL HEALTH SERVICE: IMPROVING LIVES AND SAVING MONEY