Susie Rudge highlights a recent paper in the British Journal of Psychiatry which suggests that people with depression should be encouraged to replace passive sedentary behaviours with mentally active ones for the best possible chance of symptom improvement.
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Dafni Katsampa reflects on a new piece of qualitative research led by a 15 year old researcher, which focuses on teenagers’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and presents a set of recommendations for parents and families that cover mental wellbeing, the importance of routine, exercise and screen time.
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Gordon Johnston and Michel Syrett prepare for the #HealthSMI event on 24th June by blogging about a recent pilot RCT of a health coaching intervention (Walk This Way) to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in people with serious mental illness.
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Francesca Bentivegna summarises a recent study of the benefits of reading for pleasure in childhood, which finds an association 3 years later with consuming more fruit and being less exposed to both cigarette and alcohol use.
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Suzan Hassan writes her debut elf blog on a recent research paper that highlights the factors associated with regular physical activity participation among people with severe mental illness.
Today sees the launch of the new Closing The Gap Network in York. Follow #ClosingTheGapSMI on Twitter for live updates throughout the day.
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Ben Janaway writes his debut elf blog on the STEPWISE RCT which is out today in the British Journal of Psychiatry: Structured lifestyle education for people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and first-episode psychosis.
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Peter Byrne, the Public Mental Health lead at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, welcomes a new BMA report entitled: “Tackling the Causes – promoting public mental health and investing in prevention”.
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Simon Brett summarises a robust systematic review that looks at the effectiveness of physical activity as a treatment for depression in adolescents and young adults.
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Donncha Mullin summarises a recent meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, which establishes a strong link between exercise and depression.
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Kirsten Lawson considers the findings of a recent narrative review and synthesis, which looks at the power of support from pets and companion animals for people living with mental health problems.
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