Sexual and gender minorities are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety caused by COVID-19. However, they also have specific variables that have been little studied but which may protect them from this adverse situation. The aim of this study was to find out whether there were differences in socio-demographic and psychosocial variables in two groups of Spanish gay young people (high and low resilience), and predictors of risk and protective factors were examined. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
As a result of experiencing oppression-based stressors and trauma, suicide rates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) individuals are much higher than in the general population, and for trans and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals specifically, rates of suicidality are even higher. To best understand how to engage in suicide prevention and intervention efforts for TGNB individuals, it is therefore crucial to understand factors that may mitigate suicidality for TGNB individuals. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Black Americans in the United States are disproportionately exposed to childhood adversity compared with White Americans. Such disparities may contribute to race-related differences in brain structures involved in regulating the emotional response to stress, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The authors investigated neuroanatomical consequences of racial disparities in adversity. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
poor quality of ethnicity coding in health records has been a constant theme, pre-dating the pandemic, requiring analysts to adjust for coding flaws prior to analysis or making do with sub-standard data quality.
New research by ONS (funded by Wellcome) on ethnicity coding in GP and hospital records provides valuable new insights into where the problems lie, both in terms of the process of staff coding of ethnicity and coding quality.
The authors concluded that perceived workplace discrimination can significantly increase the risk of employees developing severe depressive symptomatology and lead to the onset of a depressive disorder. Additionally, the authors highlighted that this relationship can be affected and differentiated by other work-related variables, such as workload and relationships with colleagues.
Perhaps the study tells us something deeper about the discrimination and stigmatisation in mental health that needs to be tackled. The research relied on the psychiatric diagnosis and classification of TGD young people as ‘gender dysphoric’, meaning that their gender identity and/or expression had been pathologised. The authors themselves acknowledge that the diagnostic labels they had to use were ‘pathologising and inappropriate.’
A distinct implication of this study is to promote the need of LGBTQ+ tailored suicide prevention strategies in Canada, confirming that LGBTQ+ adolescents are more likely to be at greater risk than cisgender, heterosexual peers. Such programmes could include gender-affirming care for gender diverse adolescents, which has been associated with reductions in suicidality (Sorbara et al., 2020), as well as focus on bullying and cyberbullying risk among LGBTQ+ adolescents.
Although the analysis pertains to data from the USA, the unconditional acceptance of structural racism in social and health systems is refreshingly welcome. The paper should raise awareness and offer plausible, credible and convincing mechanisms, as well as proposals for how to respond.
The Digital apps and reducing ethnic health inequalities report, published by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, measured the variation in use and experience of online apps by ethnicity. It then used the findings to make a series of recommendations for NHS leaders and providers.
Stressful family conditions may contribute to inequalities in child development because they are more common among disadvantaged groups (ie, differential exposure) and/or because their negative effects are stronger among disadvantaged groups (ie, differential impact/susceptibility). We used counterfactual mediation analysis to investigate to what extent stressful family conditions contribute to inequalities in child development via differential exposure and susceptibility. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
There is growing interest in early intervention in psychotic disorders. However, gender differences in the outcomes of such treatment have not been studied in a randomized clinical trial. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Throughout the life stages of women with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD), lower estrogen levels are associated with more severe disease course. At perimenopause in the mid-forties, estrogen levels decline to remain persistently low after menopause. This period is hypothesized to increase relapse risk and reduce antipsychotic effectiveness in preventing relapse.
Women are more likely than men to experience symptoms associated with psychosis, such as voice hearing, and more likely to seek mental health support. However, little is known about the emotional experiences of girls and young women who seek help for symptoms of psychosis to inform gender sensitive services and access routes. The current review offers the first focused insights into barriers and facilitators relating to help seeking for girls and women experiencing symptoms of psychosis.
Equality and diversity is an overlooked yet critical aspect of PPI. Discrimination and inequality compound the power imbalance that exists in involvement. If this is appropriately attended to at systemic and organisational levels, there is an opportunity to genuinely involve patients in research and strategic decision-making in an empowered and mutually beneficial way that simultaneously challenges structural inequality.
Studies show ethnic inequalities in rates of involuntary admission and types of clinical care (such as psychological therapies). However, few studies have investigated if there is a relationship between clinical care practices and ethnic inequalities in involuntary admission. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Women are predisposed to maternal depression due to childbirth difficulties and parenting responsibilities, leading to long-term negative consequences on their children. The uptake of mental healthcare by British mothers of African/Caribbean origin is low due to the lack of access to culturally appropriate care. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Blog post. The bold ambitions of integrated care systems (ICSs) to improve population health and tackle health inequalities, coupled with greater integration of health and care services, should definitely be a golden opportunity to do things differently and better. However, if ICSs want to prove that this is indeed a new era, they will need to act quickly to involve groups experiencing marginalisation and discrimination, including Disabled people.
Recruiting more men to nursing could help address the NHS staffing crisis, as well as meet patients’ needs. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Conclusions
Auditory, visual, somatic, olfactory, and tactile hallucinations were experienced by deaf people with psychosis, with audio-visual being the most prevalent type of hallucination
The content of hallucinations was religious, paranoid, and/or sexual in nature
It appears that clinicians and researchers need to consider both individual sensory experiences and preferred communication style (e.g., sign, lip-reading, hearing-aid, using or not using their voice) when assessing voice hearing in prelingually deaf people with psychosis.