The big question: does AVATAR therapy offer enough benefit to justify the cost, intensity and safety concerns?

A thoughtful read for anyone interested in digital innovation in psychosis care.

Full blog: buff.ly/kGbOkCC 🔗

The trial found small reductions in voice severity at 12 weeks and small, sustained reductions in frequency. 📉

But no lasting impact on distress or broader outcomes. And almost 1 in 3 participants in the VR arm were admitted to hospital during treatment. ⚠️

The authors argue for:
👉🏽 routine ED screening before treatment begins,
👉🏽 better clinician training, and
👉🏽 more research in under-represented groups.

Full blog: buff.ly/AKchacc 🔗

The review shows BED in about 14% of adults starting obesity treatment, with 26% reporting moderate binge eating. Night eating syndrome and bulimia nervosa also appear, but far less often.

So… are services screening for this? 🎯

Why it matters 👇
👉 Assess trauma and mentalisation together
👉 Look out for neglect, where links are strongest
👉 Use trauma-informed, mentalisation-focused care
Full blog: buff.ly/GDRBMbV

The correct link is: buff.ly/GDRBMbV

The correct link is: buff.ly/GDRBMbV

Thanks for letting us know. We'll correct that and repost

Thanks for letting us know. We'll correct that and repost

Pancreatic and oesophageal cancers showed the highest suicide rates. Prostate cancer showed the lowest significant increase.

A reminder that timely, compassionate support remains essential.

Full story here: buff.ly/usfcyHq

Risk varied by stage and prognosis. Stage 4 cancers carried an aIRR (adjusted incidence rate ratio) of 3.1, while stages 1 and 2 did not show increased risk.

Psychological support should begin at diagnosis and continue through the first six months.

Want to understand why recovery happens for some and not others and what this means for future personalised care?

👉 Read, reflect, and share with colleagues.

buff.ly/Vz9KOzz

Researchers saw that diagnostic switching was fairly rare, but remission happened often.

Genetic predisposition to depression and chronic pain increased the likelihood of switching diagnoses, while metabolic traits were linked to higher chances of remission.

Read the full blog: buff.ly/Vz9KOzz

Across studies, perceived racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination was linked with psychosis risk in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

The message is clear: racism is not just context, it’s a causal factor in mental health inequalities.

👉 Read our blog: buff.ly/EysiuO7

Women with a history of domestic abuse were younger, more likely to be unemployed, face serious financial problems, have PTSD, addiction problems or missed service contacts.

The study calls for more proactive, trauma-informed care that recognises these risks.

👉 Read our blog: buff.ly/NdiOJI9

The model showed good accuracy (C-indexes ranging from 0.74 to 0.81) and worked fairly across ethnic groups and diagnoses.

If implemented safely, it could guide earlier interventions, helping clinicians act before a crisis hits.

Read our summary 👉 buff.ly/vkXjTlN

We've blogged about this kind of gamified cCBT a fair bit over the last few years: www.nationalelfservice.net?s=sparx