The Mental Elf

17/10/2025

🏳️🌈 Out at work?

A new Mental Elf blog unpacks a systematic review of international studies on LGBTQ+ workers’ mental health.

📊 Depression, anxiety and suicidality were widespread
🚨 Emergency service workers and junior doctors were among the highest-risk groups
📉 Only half the studies compared LGBTQ+ workers to cis/het colleagues
🌍 Research was uneven across countries and jobs

There’s a legal framework for inclusion, but policy doesn’t always translate to safety, support or culture.

Read the blog to explore what we know, where the gaps are, and what should happen next.
🔗 https://buff.ly/lyXXIj2

Depression, anxiety, and suicidality are higher among LGBTQ+ workers, especially in hostile or unsupportive workplaces. But are research and policy keeping up? This new review sets out the case for change.

16/10/2025

🧠 NEW BLOG: Genes, brains and self-harm

Self-harm is one of the strongest predictors of su***de, and it’s common in young people.

This major new cohort study in the British Journal of Psychiatry explored how genetic risk and brain structure might influence who goes on to self-harm.

⚠️ Key findings:
➡️ Higher polygenic risk = higher odds of self-harm
➡️ Brain differences linked to increased risk
➡️ Disadvantaged girls were most vulnerable
➡️ Genetic testing not yet ready for clinical use

Read the blog summary on The Mental Elf 👇
https://buff.ly/RooRNwo

Self-harm is common among adolescents and a strong predictor of su***de risk. A major new cohort study in the British Journal of Psychiatry explores how genetic risk and brain differences might explain who’s most at risk, and why.

15/10/2025

🧰 One more tool in the toolbox?
A new umbrella review looks at single-session interventions (SSIs) for mental health problems.

📚 24 systematic reviews
🧪 415 clinical trials
👥 40,000+ participants

🧠 Overall, SSIs showed small but meaningful effects for depression, anxiety, substance use and engagement in care.

They’re not a magic bullet, but they could offer valuable, scalable support for those waiting months for therapy.

Read the blog:

Single-session interventions represent a low-cost, one-off, scalable intervention that may help to bridge the treatment gap for mental health problems. But are they actually effective, and how do they compare to typical, multi-session interventions? This umbrella review indicates that they are an im...

14/10/2025

🎨 Painting prevention: How the arts promote health and tackle non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases (like heart disease, cancer, and mental illness) kill 43 million people a year. A major global review shows that the arts can help prevent these conditions and promote health, especially in underserved communities.

🧠 95 studies
🌍 27 countries
🧑🏾🤝🧑🏼 Multicultural and community-driven
🎭 Culturally adaptable

The arts are more than entertainment. They’re a public health resource.

👉 Read the blog: https://buff.ly/A3kfdpc

13/10/2025

Dirty air, ageing brains 🌫️🧠
Could years of commuting through city smog be leaving lasting marks on our brains?

A new study from the 1946 British Birth Cohort found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants in midlife was linked with slower thinking skills and smaller memory-related brain regions later in life.

Cleaner air could mean healthier brains — even decades later.

Read more: https://buff.ly/fzaN6Nw

10/10/2025

🧲 Can magnetic brain stimulation help relieve distressing voices?

A landmark German trial found that repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) led to modest but significant improvements in auditory hallucinations compared with sham treatment.

In this Mental Elf blog, psychiatrist Iris Sommer, who has spent years researching and using rTMS, reflects on what this means for people living with persistent voices and why cautious optimism is finally justified.

👉 Read the full blog: https://buff.ly/ggCxTYX

09/10/2025

A fascinating new study suggests that when childhood trauma occurs might matter just as much as whether it occurs.

Researchers using ALSPAC data found that trauma in late childhood (ages 11–17) was more strongly linked to chronic inflammation in adulthood—especially in a marker called suPAR.

📍 suPAR may offer a clearer picture of long-term immune activation
📍 Trauma in early/mid-childhood had weaker effects
📍 Findings support a case for trauma-informed adolescent mental health care

Read our blog to learn more about suPAR, sensitive periods, and the biology of adversity:
👉 https://buff.ly/Igc9j0P

08/10/2025

🍼 A new NHS trial found that the Circle of Security parenting programme didn’t lead to better outcomes than treatment-as-usual.

In this Mental Elf blog, Laura Hemming, a researcher and new mum currently completing the programme in Australia, offers a unique perspective that blends scientific critique with lived experience.

She asks whether we’re measuring the right outcomes, reaching the right parents, and offering support at the right time.

👉 Read the full blog: https://buff.ly/Fo45z1V

07/10/2025

Is adolescent depression more likely to come back?

This Swedish study followed over 9,000 people aged 13–40 for five years after their first depression diagnosis.

🔁 Roughly 50% experienced recurrence—whether they were teens or adults.
📊 The risk and timing were nearly identical.

These results challenge assumptions and emphasise the need for long-term support for everyone diagnosed with depression.

📖 Read our blog summary:
https://buff.ly/zmIFFuv

06/10/2025

🧠 Can ADHD medication be safely used in schizophrenia spectrum disorders?

A big Swedish study (9 years, 9,400+ people) sheds light:

✅ Lisdexamfetamine = reduced hospitalisation & mortality
✅ Moderate-dose methylphenidate = reduced risk
⚠️ High-dose methylphenidate = increased risk (esp. without antipsychotics)
🤝 Atomoxetine = reduced psychosis-related hospitalisation
❗Polytherapy = higher risk of somatic hospitalisation

This blog offers reassurance for some medications and a warning for others.
🔗 https://buff.ly/BrKjOqd

03/10/2025

Clozapine may be the gold standard for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but a new Hong Kong study has found a 25% higher infection risk compared to olanzapine, particularly for older patients.

This reinforces the importance of holistic care: vaccination, infection monitoring, and physical health checks alongside mental health treatment.

Full blog here: https://buff.ly/nmgeddH