Critical lack of evidence about social media use and youth mental health in clinical populations

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Amanda Sabo and Louise La Sala summarise a recent review investigating the impact of social media use on internalising symptoms in adolescents from clinical and community samples.

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Suicide prevention: expanding the narrative to preventing the crisis, not just treating the crisis

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Something a bit different today, as Kirsten Lawson summarises the recent Lancet Public Health series on suicide prevention, which looks at public health interventions, addressing the risk factors and determinants of suicide, and the transmissibility of suicide.

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Social media, smoking and young people: is there any link?

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Ian Hamilton summarises a longitudinal survey study of UK youth, which suggests there is an association between social media exposure and use of e-cigarettes and smoking.

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Trigger warnings: to use, or not to use? That is the question

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A group of leading researches at Orygen Australia review a recent meta-analysis on the efficacy of trigger and content warnings on media outlets that indicates warnings may not be as helpful as we thought.

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To seek or not to seek? COVID information-seeking linked to poorer mental health

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Olga Lainidi summarises a paper from the UK COVID-19-MH study, which explores the links between COVID-19 information-seeking behaviours during the pandemic, and depression, anxiety and loneliness.

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Sharpening the focus: viewing self-harm images online – harmful and protective?

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Jo Lockwood, Camilla Babbage and Ellen Townsend consider a systematic review exploring the impact of viewing self-harm images online, which finds that images can trigger powerful emotions and may relate to a change in cognition, affect and behaviour.

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Online experiences: a risk factor for suicide?

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Louise La Sala and Jo Robinson review a UK-wide case series study of young people who died by suicide, which explores their previous suicide-related online experiences.

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Adolescent depression is not the same as adult depression: new systematic review focuses on adolescents’ lived experiences

How are we currently supporting adolescents presenting with depression in clinical practice? Are we tailoring our approach, or are we treating them like mini adults?

Nina Higson-Sweeney reflects on the findings of a recent systematic review looking at the lived experience of adolescent depression, which has important implications for anyone supporting young people at risk of depression.

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Talking to young people about online safety: the who, what, when and how

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In his debut blog, Luke Bayliss explores a Delphi study that will help mental health practitioners to converse with young people about their online activities and impact on mental health.

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