To assess the effect of interventions in the physical health monitoring of patients prescribed depot antipsychotic medications. We hypothesised that compliance with monitoring would improve post-intervention. It is well recognised that patients with severe mental illness have a significantly reduced life expectancy. Depot antipsychotic medication increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The SIGN guidelines recommend that all patients on antipsychotic medications should have annual physical health monitoring. Baseline data of patients on depot antipsychotic medication in North West (NW) Edinburgh CMHT in 2019 demonstrated that this was not being achieved. We sought to create interventions to improve compliance with physical health monitoring for patients on depot antipsychotic medication.

Baseline data were collected in 2019 for all patients under NW Edinburgh CMHT receiving depot antipsychotic medication (60 patients). The data addressed 9 domains including smoking status, blood monitoring, BMI and physical monitoring.

Following the baseline data collection interventions were put in place to increase compliance with monitoring. These interventions included a physical health questionnaire and training of staff in the CMHT to perform phlebotomy and ECGs.

Following these interventions the data (74 patients) were re-audited in 2020 following the same domains.

After this initial re-audit a physical health monitoring clinic was implemented in order to specifically target this patient population. The data (66 patients) were then re-audited in 2021.

Baseline data identified that domains were reached between 8% (Lipid monitoring) and 51% (glucose monitoring). Following the initial interventions 77% of domains improved in compliance. Between the two periods, notable improvements were observed in the monitoring of Blood Pressure (9% to 37%), ECG (20% to 43%) and lipids (29% to 46%). There was however a decline in all domains between the 2020 and 2021 data, with 66% of domains still having improved compared to 2019 data.

Overall, interventions have improved compliance with monitoring of physical health for patients on depot antipsychotic medications. It is likely that continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the decline between the 2020 and 2021 data. As a result of this audit a weekly physical health monitoring clinic has been set up and once formally established it is hoped that compliance with physical health monitoring will continue to improve. Limitations include effects of COVID-19 pandemic, inconsistency in documentation and patient non-attendance to the monitoring clinic. We recommend further audit cycles, with additional interventions being implemented as identified.

There are minimal data directly comparing plasma neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in aging and neurodegenerative disease research. We evaluated associations of plasma NfL and plasma GFAP with brain volume and cognition in two independent cohorts of older adults diagnosed as clinically normal (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or Alzheimer’s dementia.

We studied 121 total participants (Cohort 1: n = 50, age 71.6 ± 6.9 years, 78% CN, 22% MCI; Cohort 2: n = 71, age 72.2 ± 9.2 years, 45% CN, 25% MCI, 30% dementia). Gray and white matter volumes were obtained for total brain and broad subregions of interest (ROIs). Neuropsychological testing evaluated memory, executive functioning, language, and visuospatial abilities. Plasma samples were analyzed in duplicate for NfL and GFAP using single molecule array assays (Quanterix Simoa). Linear regression models with structural MRI and cognitive outcomes included plasma NfL and GFAP simultaneously along with relevant covariates.

Higher plasma GFAP was associated with lower white matter volume in both cohorts for temporal (Cohort 1: β = −0.33, p = .002; Cohort 2: β = −0.36, p = .03) and parietal ROIs (Cohort 1: β = −0.31, p = .01; Cohort 2: β = −0.35, p = .04). No consistent findings emerged for gray matter volumes. Higher plasma GFAP was associated with lower executive function scores (Cohort 1: β = −0.38, p = .01; Cohort 2: β = −0.36, p = .007). Plasma NfL was not associated with gray or white matter volumes, or cognition after adjusting for plasma GFAP.

Plasma GFAP may be more sensitive to white matter and cognitive changes than plasma NfL. Biomarkers reflecting astroglial pathophysiology may capture complex dynamics of aging and neurodegenerative disease.

To monitor the quality of physical health monitoring of patients prescribed depot antipsychotic medication in the North West Edinburgh Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). We also evaluated the completeness of prescriptions and Mental Health Act (Scotland) (Act) 2003 paperwork where relevant.

Antipsychotic medications are medicines for treating conditions such as Schizophrenia, but some may be associated with an increased risk of Metabolic Syndrome. Moreover, evidence indicates that patients with major mental disorder have a reduced life expectancy in comparison to those without such diagnoses. These two factors illustrate the importance of the physical health of this patient cohort being monitored on a regular basis. This project will evaluate how a local CMHT is performing, with the possibility of enacting service improvements if required.

The records of the 60 patients prescribed depot antipsychotic medication administered by this CMHT were reviewed. A check-list was created consisting of 14 categories analysing the quality of physical health monitoring, as well as compliance with prescription standards and, where relevant, Mental Health Act (Scotland) (Act) 2003 paperwork. We compared patient records against our checklist for the calendar year of 2019. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) 131 (Management of Schizophrenia) section 5.2 was used as the gold standard for physical health monitoring against which the data we collected was compared.

We identified a wide range of flaws with the current system and implementation of monitoring, and difficulty in locating the required information. There was no consistent monitoring of physical observations on electronic record, nor an accepted alternative way in which this was documented. Furthermore, blood tests were not consistently obtained either by the service or GP practices in a reproducible manner. This led to discussions within the CMHT regarding creation of a new pathway for the monitoring of this patient cohort using a Quality Improvement model, with the ultimate goal to establish a regular physical health clinic.

There is significant evidence that patients with major mental disorder do not access healthcare as consistently as those without, leading to a disparity in life expectancy. In light of the fact that antipsychotic medications can be associated with Metabolic Syndrome, we have an even greater responsibility to tackle this marked health inequality by appropriately monitoring our patients. This was not done well in this particular CMHT, but this project will lead to improvements in the service and ultimately patient care.

To examine associations between sociodemographic and mental health characteristics with household risk for food insecurity during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cross-sectional online survey analysed using univariable tests and a multivariable logistic regression model.

The United States during the week of 30 March 2020.

A convenience sample of 1965 American adults using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform. Participants reporting household food insecurity prior to the pandemic were excluded from analyses.

One thousand two hundred and fifty participants reported household food security before the COVID-19 outbreak. Among this subset, 41 % were identified as at risk for food insecurity after COVID-19, 55 % were women and 73 % were white. On a multivariable analysis, race, income, relationship status, living situation, anxiety and depression were significantly associated with an incident risk for food insecurity. Black, Asian and Hispanic/Latino respondents, respondents with an annual income <$100 000 and those living with children or others were significantly more likely to be newly at risk for food insecurity. Individuals at risk for food insecurity were 2·60 (95 % CI 1·91, 3·55) times more likely to screen positively for anxiety and 1·71 (95 % CI 1·21, 2·42) times more likely to screen positively for depression.

An increased risk for food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic is common, and certain populations are particularly vulnerable. There are strong associations between being at risk for food insecurity and anxiety/depression. Interventions to increase access to healthful foods, especially among minority and low-income individuals, and ease the socioemotional effects of the outbreak are crucial to relieving the economic stress of this pandemic.

We summarize some of the past year's most important findings within climate change-related research. New research has improved our understanding of Earth's sensitivity to carbon dioxide, finds that permafrost thaw could release more carbon emissions than expected and that the uptake of carbon in tropical ecosystems is weakening. Adverse impacts on human society include increasing water shortages and impacts on mental health. Options for solutions emerge from rethinking economic models, rights-based litigation, strengthened governance systems and a new social contract. The disruption caused by COVID-19 could be seized as an opportunity for positive change, directing economic stimulus towards sustainable investments.

A synthesis is made of ten fields within climate science where there have been significant advances since mid-2019, through an expert elicitation process with broad disciplinary scope. Findings include: (1) a better understanding of equilibrium climate sensitivity; (2) abrupt thaw as an accelerator of carbon release from permafrost; (3) changes to global and regional land carbon sinks; (4) impacts of climate change on water crises, including equity perspectives; (5) adverse effects on mental health from climate change; (6) immediate effects on climate of the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements for recovery packages to deliver on the Paris Agreement; (7) suggested long-term changes to governance and a social contract to address climate change, learning from the current pandemic, (8) updated positive cost–benefit ratio and new perspectives on the potential for green growth in the short- and long-term perspective; (9) urban electrification as a strategy to move towards low-carbon energy systems and (10) rights-based litigation as an increasingly important method to address climate change, with recent clarifications on the legal standing and representation of future generations.

Stronger permafrost thaw, COVID-19 effects and growing mental health impacts among highlights of latest climate science.

Clinically normal older adults (52–92 years old) were followed longitudinally for up to 8 years after completing a memory paradigm at baseline [Story Recall Test (SRT)] that assessed delayed recall at 30 min and 1 week. Subsets of the cohort underwent neuroimaging (N = 134, mean age = 75) and neuropsychological testing (N = 178–207, mean ages = 74–76) at annual study visits occurring approximately 15–18 months apart. Mixed-effects regression models evaluated if baseline SRT performance predicted longitudinal changes in gray matter volumes and cognitive composite scores, controlling for demographics.

Worse SRT 1-week recall was associated with more precipitous rates of longitudinal decline in medial temporal lobe volumes (p = .037), episodic memory (p = .003), and executive functioning (p = .011), but not occipital lobe or total gray matter volumes (demonstrating neuroanatomical specificity; p > .58). By contrast, SRT 30-min recall was only associated with longitudinal decline in executive functioning (p = .044).

Memory paradigms that capture longer-term recall may be particularly sensitive to age-related medial temporal lobe changes and neurodegenerative disease trajectories. (JINS, 2020, xx, xx-xx)

Biomedical research from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is poorly represented in Western European and North American psychiatric journals.

To test the feasibility of trialling a capacity-building intervention to improve LMIC papers' representation in biomedical journals.

We designed an enhanced peer-review intervention delivered to LMIC corresponding/first authors of papers rejected by the British Journal of Psychiatry. We conducted a feasibility study, inviting consenting authors to be randomised to intervention versus none, measuring recruitment and retention rates, outcome completion and author/reviewer-rated acceptability.

Of the 26/121 consenting to participate, 12 were randomised to the intervention and 14 to the control arms. Outcome completion was 100% but qualitative feedback from authors/reviewers was mixed, with attrition from 5/12 (42%) of intervention reviewers.

Low interest among eligible authors and variable participation of expert reviewers suggested low feasibility of a full trial and a need for intervention redesign.

A.P., P.T. and M.Y. are British Journal of Psychiatry editorial board members. During this study P.T. was British Journal of Psychiatry Editor, A.P. was a trainee editor and A.H. was an editorial assistant.

The pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) program was established by Canada's provincial and territorial Ministries of Health (except Quebec) to assess cancer drug therapies and make recommendations to guide drug reimbursement decisions. The pCODR Expert Review Committee (pERC) makes reimbursement recommendations, providing a rationale for the recommendation and next steps for stakeholders. The objective of this analysis was to identify reviews and reasons pERC has requested real-world evidence (RWE) data collection.

A retrospective analysis of pERC Final Recommendations (January 2012 – May 2017) was conducted. pERC Final Recommendations include drug information, reimbursement recommendation, rationale for recommendation following pERC's Deliberative Framework (clinical benefit, patient-based values, economic evaluation, and adoption feasibility), next steps for jurisdictions to consider to support their funding decisions, summary of deliberations, and evidence in brief. Reviews were included if there was a next step advising the collection of RWE to reduce uncertainty in the drug under review.

Out of eighty-four reviews, forty-one (forty-eight percent) included a next step to collect RWE to address a gap in the available evidence. Reasons for RWE data collection, in descending order of frequency, were to inform: sequencing of available therapies; magnitude of clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness or the true cost-effectiveness; duration of treatment and cost-effectiveness; defining the population or disease progression; quality of life; and dosage.

In almost half of pERC's recommendation there is an indication that there is a gap in the existing evidence that could potentially be addressed through the collection of RWE. This reflects the rising number of new cancer drugs, limited evidence supporting submissions (for example non-comparative studies), and newer drugs such as immunotherapies which may not have a fixed treatment duration. Further research includes development of mechanisms for RWE data collection to help inform pERC recommendations and assist stakeholders with adoption feasibility of reviewed drugs.

Efforts to address health disparities and achieve health equity are critically dependent on the development of a diverse research workforce. However, many researchers from underrepresented backgrounds face challenges in advancing their careers, securing independent funding, and finding the mentorship needed to expand their research.

Faculty from the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed and evaluated an intensive week-long research and career-development institute—the Health Equity Leadership Institute (HELI)—with the goal of increasing the number of underrepresented scholars who can sustain their ongoing commitment to health equity research.

In 2010-2016, HELI brought 145 diverse scholars (78% from an underrepresented background; 81% female) together to engage with each other and learn from supportive faculty. Overall, scholar feedback was highly positive on all survey items, with average agreement ratings of 4.45-4.84 based on a 5-point Likert scale. Eighty-five percent of scholars remain in academic positions. In the first three cohorts, 73% of HELI participants have been promoted and 23% have secured independent federal funding.

HELI includes an evidence-based curriculum to develop a diverse workforce for health equity research. For those institutions interested in implementing such an institute to develop and support underrepresented early stage investigators, a resource toolbox is provided.