UCL Division of Psychiatry

On the twelfth day of Christmas... To keep you warm over the winter break, our colleagues have collated 12 papers showcasing our wide-reaching research from across 2024 for you to read over this festive period. 1. Emma Anderson and Alice Carter on the MR assumptions 2. Emma Blundell’s paper on childhood BMI and depression 3. Elvira Bramon’s review on pharmacogenetic testing for anti-psychotics 4. Ruth Cooper’s review on peer support for mental health 5. Rebecca Gould et al, paper on COMMEND trial 6. Quentin Huys on amygdala reactivity after antidepressant discontinuation 7. James Kirkbride’s review on social determinants 8. Karoline Kuckenbecker’s multi-ancestry paper 9. Alexandra Pitman’s paper on depression + substance misuse & suicide 10. Penny Rapaport et al paper on DREAMS START 11. Nicola White’s systematic review on financial insecurity at the end of life 12. The 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia https://lnkd.in/dpr_M2Wg

Out today: New evidence from our team at UCL, collaborating with the University of Kentucky and the DRISP - Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention demonstrates starkly that people bereaved by a parent’s suicide need support for many years after the death, particularly when they reach the age at which their parent died by suicide. Prof Alexandra Pitman explains these findings and support available for people bereaved by a parent's #suicide. Funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention #SuicidePrevention https://lnkd.in/dgt5bjNZ

As UK diagnoses of Bipolar have doubled, prescriptions of Lithium have halved. Prof Joseph Hayes from UCL Division of Psychiatry comments “we’ve set up a mental healthcare service that makes it quite difficult to initiate lithium” https://lnkd.in/dCX-XZ-J

Join us tomorrow, 1pm for this term's DoPamine Talk with Prof Miia Kivipelto from Karolinska Institutet. Where: Seminar Room, UCL Division of Psychiatry, W1T 7NF / Zoom Prof. Kivipelto’s translational research focuses on the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s DoPamine Talks are a termly event showcasing current research around psychiatry and mental health from UCL and abroad. Refreshments will be provided. https://lnkd.in/eK3tMsYt

This week: Lunch Hour Lecture | The antidepressant controversy 17 October 2024, 1:00 pm–2:00 pm, Online. Join colleagues Glyn Lewis and Gemma Lewis as they discuss the antidepressant controversy in this Lunch Hour Lecture. Antidepressants have been the topic of polarised debate, particularly on social media and in other media outlets. Despite this, antidepressants are prescribed to millions of people worldwide and prescriptions are continuing to rise in many countries. In this talk, Glyn Lewis and Gemma Lewis will discuss: 1.   The effectiveness of antidepressants 2.   Possible unblinding in clinical trials and how this might affect research findings 3.   The overlap between symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal and depression relapse, and what this could mean for research findings and clinical practice This UCL Lunch Hour Lecture forms part of a series organised in partnership with UCL Grand Challenges of Mental Health & Wellbeing and UCL Workplace Wellbeing. Book your place via the link: https://lnkd.in/eXRSb8w5

Tomorrow is #WorldMentalHealthDay – 10th October 2024 This year's theme is: ‘It is time to prioritise mental health in the workplace’. In line with this, from 7 - 11 October, UCL Workplace Health will be running its Healthy Mind campaign under the theme: ‘Promote, Prevent, Support: Prioritizing mental health in the workplace’ aiming to raise awareness of importance of good mental health in the workplace and how staff can access support available to them through UCL. You can find a full list of talks (including a series of Lunch Hour Lectures on Mental Health Research) as well as wellbeing courses, and who to contact for support at https://lnkd.in/eFE_6EnW. Our colleague Olga Zubko is also leading free online mindfulness sessions every other Tuesday from 12.30pm-1pm for UCL Staff

🧠 Those who migrate to another country during their teenage years are at heightened risk of developing psychosis, according to researchers at UCL. UCL Division of Psychiatry scientists analysed data from 2,132 people and found that while migration was generally associated with some increased risk of psychosis, only those who had migrated during adolescence (11-17 years) bore a significantly higher risk of psychosis. Psychosis can be the first sign of a psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia. The researchers found that migrants from Black or North African ethnic groups faced the highest psychosis risk, pointing towards the social inequalities, language differences, and discrimination many face as contributing factors. Dr Humma Andleeb said: “We hope that further research into the factors contributing to psychosis risk could help us to develop better mental health support for young migrants, to prevent them from developing a psychotic disorder.” Professor James B. Kirkbride said: “A supportive environment, with good access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, while being free of racism and discrimination, could go a long way towards preventing people from developing psychosis after they have arrived in a new country.” Read more here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ea2T4Y6K

New paper out today, led by Humma Andleeb and James B. Kirkbride finds that migrating during adolescence is associated with almost twice the risk of psychosis cf. non-migrants. "migrating during adolescence, which interrupts social network formation, and may require teenage migrants to learn a new language, navigate new social and cultural norms and customs, and manage new social environments – including potential exposure to racism and discrimination known to be associated with psychosis risk – could all play a part in making adolescent migration a particularly vulnerable period for increasing future psychosis risk.” https://lnkd.in/ea2T4Y6K

"So much of what we know about dementia comes from studies in predominantly white people in relatively affluent settings so it is important to study more diverse groups. I hope that by studying dementia in diverse groups, we can gain a better understanding of how and why dementia develops in some people and not others and this could lead to better understanding of disease mechanisms and even potentially new treatments in the future." Dr Naaheed Mukadam investigates the problem of ethnic inequalities in dementia diagnosis and care, and how to address the issue, in video series for UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences: https://lnkd.in/d8TyyRQG https://lnkd.in/d3EEDS4W #UCLDementia #WorldAlzheimersMonth

We are recruiting people to help improve dementia services for Black families with Alzheimers Society “Our goal is to create an inclusive service model to address gaps in dementia care for diverse communities" Moïse Roche Whether you have accessed Alzheimer’s Society’s services or have not yet engaged with dementia support services, you can contact Dr Moïse Roche at m.roche@ucl.ac.uk to find out how you can help improve dementia services for Black families. #UCLDementia #WorldAlzheimersMonth https://lnkd.in/datdfpS9