Where I lay my head is home: residential instability and earlier onset of psychosis

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Liana Romaniuk summarises a recent US cross-sectional study which suggests that residential instability (moving home a lot) may lead to disrupted social networks and relationships, predisposing vulnerable youth to greater stress, which can increase their risk of psychosis.

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How do our genes affect our risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in childhood?

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A group of UCL masters students consider a JAMA Psychiatry study which looks at the associations between genetic risk for adult suicide attempt and suicidal behaviours in young children in the United States.

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Promising scalable brief psychological programme to improve refugee youth mental health

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Katie McQuillan reviews a recent randomised controlled trial which suggests that a brief community programme may help improve youth and caregiver psychological wellbeing in young Syrian refugees settled in Jordan.

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The international prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviour in youth

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Lucy Barrass summarises a systematic review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry that explores the international prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviour among young people across global regions.

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Computerised CBT for youth anxiety and depression: a growing evidence-base

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In her debut blog, Jemma Baker reports on a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for depression and anxiety in adolescents.

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What treatment outcomes are important to adolescents with depression? Novel findings from a Q-study

While this study demonstrated strengths in participant involvement and novelty, participants identified important missing outcomes, and the recruitment method excluded participants who may have prioritised different outcomes.

In her debut blog, Danielle Brocklebank summarises a Q-sort study which sought to identify which treatment outcomes are the most important to young people with depression.

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Parental mental illness a key risk factor for offspring mental illness: new evidence from Australia

The prevalence of developmental vulnerabilities in children increased with the number of parental comorbidities, with overall stronger associations for mothers compared to fathers.

Francesca Zecchinato summarises a new study which suggests that children of parents with experience of mental illness comorbidities represent a vulnerable population and should be prioritised in prevention and intervention efforts.

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What impact has the Russian invasion had on youth mental health in Ukraine?

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In his debut blog, Tyler Elliot considers a case-control study focusing on the impact of the Russian invasion on the mental health of adolescents in Ukraine that suggest the risk for developing mental health conditions has likely been exacerbated in war-affected areas.

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Are the kids alright? Emergency help for suicide and self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic

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In her debut blog, Molly McCarthy appraises a recent Lancet Psychiatry systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the patterns of paediatric emergency department visits for suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and self-harm incidents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Parents’ depression can be linked to children’s emotional difficulties

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Lisa Lloyd summarises a new paper in the BJPsych, which focuses on parental depression symptoms in both mothers and fathers, and how they are linked with emotional difficulties in their children.

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