Tobacco use and alcohol intake key risk factors for head and neck cancer

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The International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium is a collaboration of research groups leading large epidemiology studies to improve the understanding of the causes and mechanisms of head and neck cancer. This overview paper provides a summary their findings over the past decade.

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Eating disorders and suicide

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David Steele considers the implications of a Swedish population registry study, which finds that people with eating disorders and their close relations are at increased risk for attempting and/or completing suicide.

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Later menopause linked with lower risk of depression

The menopause is about more than just hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings!

Meg Fluharty summarises a recent systematic review and meta-analysis that looks at the association of age at menopause and duration of reproductive period with depression after menopause.

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New alcohol guidelines: what you need to know

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Olivia Maynard takes a sober look at the new Department of Health alcohol guidelines, which say it’s safest for both men and women to not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.

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Does teenage cannabis use lower intelligence?

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Ian Hamilton presents his debut blog on a recent prospective cohort study on the relationship between teenage cannabis use, IQ and educational attainment.

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Psychotic-like experiences associated with self-harm, according to new systematic review, but further research is needed

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Katrina Witt critiques a recent systematic review of psychotic-like experiences and the risk of self-harm and suicide in the general population.

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Microglial activity in psychosis and schizophrenia

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Samei Huda summarises a small PET brain imaging study, which looks at two cohorts (Ultra High Risk of Psychosis v Controls and Schizophrenia v Controls) to compare relative levels of microglial activity.

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Childhood bullying and mental illness in young adulthood

The risk of psychotic experiences was found to be increased for both self-reported bullies and victims at age 8 and 10.

Jasmin Wertz appraises a recent Finnish cohort study, which explores how different forms of children’s bullying involvement are associated with mental illness and use of specialised psychiatric services in young adulthood.

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Suicide risk assessment and intervention: need for a new approach?

A young man suffering from Social Anxiety stands alone as a group of people walk past rapidly

Olivia Kirtley and Alys Cole-King consider the implications of a new BMJ review on suicide risk assessment and intervention in people with mental illness.

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Does parental drinking influence children’s drinking?

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Natasha Clarke helps us understand a recent systematic review of prospective cohort studies, which explores the links between parental alcohol drinking and alcohol consumption in their offspring.

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