News
Testing the feasibility of a mindfulness intervention for women with post-traumatic stress disorder and a history of domestic abuse
Researchers from University of Bristol supported by the NIHR Bristol BRC have demonstrated that it is possible to conduct a full-size randomised controlled trial of a trauma-specific mindfulness course for women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a history of domestic abuse (DA). A randomised controlled trial is a study…
Lizzy Winstone awarded prestigious Churchill Fellowship
Dr Lizzy Winstone, Senior Research Associate in the University of Bristol Centre for Academic Mental Health, has been awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to develop a project to help young people understand how social media algorithms work. The Churchill Fellowship is a UK charity…
Bristol part of £42 million boost for mental health research to unlock new treatments
The University of Bristol is part of a £42.7 million ‘Mental Health Mission’ announced by the Government to accelerate research into mental health conditions, including those impacting children. The research will develop radical new treatments, improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis and increase the use of technology to free…
Evidence for trauma-informed organisational change programmes
Trauma-informed organisational change programmes may improve conditions for staff and patients in primary care and community mental healthcare, according to research published in Health and Social Care in the Community. Evidence was very limited and conflicting, but researchers found potential improvements to: staff readiness and sense of…
Should we talk to young people about social media during mental health consultations?
Young people find the idea of talking about their online experiences during a mental health consultation acceptable, according to the results of a study published in JMIR Mental Health. Mental health professionals also believe it is important to discuss digital technology use with young people. However, less…
Identifying and managing people with an at-risk mental state for psychosis
Clinical guidelines about providing early support to patients with an at-risk mental state for psychosis might not be being met, suggests research published in Early Intervention in Psychiatry. Researchers at the NIHR Bristol BRC and the Centre for Academic Primary Care identified high thresholds…
Depression linked to immune response in some people
A link between depression and changes in counts of several types of immune cells in the blood has been revealed by researchers at the University of Bristol’s MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit. These findings, published in Molecular Psychiatry, suggest that changes to different components of…
New animation explains trauma-informed healthcare and evidence for UK implementation
A new animation, co-produced by researchers at the University of Bristol and part-funded by the Bristol BRC, explains what a trauma-informed approach in healthcare is. It also talks about how UK healthcare organisations can become trauma-informed to prevent re-traumatisation in services and improve experiences and outcomes for all. The four-minute…
Lived experience stories of self-harm may help and reduce stigma
Lived experience stories of self-harm may be helpful for those with a history of self-harm but they should reflect a range of personal journeys to encourage relatability and avoid using stigmatising language. People with recent self-harm experience were able to positively engage with lived experiences stories found online, according to…