To carry out a qualitative evidence synthesis to explore what influences the diet and physical activity of adolescents living in five countries that constitute the Transforming Adolescent Lives through Nutrition (TALENT) consortium (Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, India, South Africa and The Gambia).

A search of electronic databases was conducted for qualitative articles published between 2000 and 2019.

Studies that explore influences on the diets and physical activity habits of adolescents aged 10–19 years.

Of the twelve included studies, none were identified from The Gambia or Cote D’Ivoire. The existing qualitative literature focussed on three major areas in relation to adolescents’ diet and physical activity: (1) the influence of body image and self-esteem; (2) social and environmental influences and (3) poverty. The limited existing literature focusses heavily on girls’ experiences particularly in relation to body image and dysfunctional eating practices.

In-depth research exploring adolescents’ perceptions of diet and physical activity is needed to better understand how both boys and girls, at different stages of adolescence, perceive health, diet and physical activity. More research with young people is required especially in countries where little exists to cover a wider range of issues that play a role in diet and physical activity.

To assess concordance with guidelines on monitoring vitamin D levels and prescribing prophylaxis or replacement. To assess the association between the implementation of local guidelines and prevalence of vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with various adverse health outcomes including osteoporosis, fractures and myalgia. Most recently, vitamin D deficiency has been hypothesised as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection. Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include incarceration, ethnicity, diet and a diagnosis of psychiatric disorder. Vitamin D deficiency is known to be prevalent among individuals within forensic mental health institutions.

Local Trust guidelines advise that vitamin D levels should be checked within one-month of hospital admission, followed by checks at three-monthly intervals. Recommendations for prescribing depend on patients’ vitamin D levels; deficient (<25nmol/L), insufficient (25 < 50nmol/L) or adequate (50-150nmol/L). We assessed concordance with these guidelines at Broadmoor Hospital, UK.

Medical records, laboratory results and drug charts were assessed for a total of 75 patients across 15 wards. Data were collected using a standardised audit tool, including; date of admission, admission vitamin D level, most recent vitamin D level and the dose and frequency of vitamin D prescribed.

76.4% of patients had their vitamin D levels checked within one month of admission. 66.7% of patients had their vitamin D checked within the last 3 months. For patients with an admission vitamin D level recorded, 43.6% had deficient vitamin D levels, 43.6% had insufficient levels and 12.7% had adequate levels. For patients with a more recent serum vitamin D level, 14.5% had deficient levels, 38.7% had insufficient levels and 46.8% had adequate levels. For patients with a documented serum vitamin D level, 21.4% were prescribed the correct dose, 22.9% were under-dosed, 14.3% were over-dosed and 41.4% received no dose where guidelines suggested they should.

Comparison of admission and most recent vitamin D levels suggests a general improvement in prevalence of vitamin D deficiency associated with the implementation of local guidelines. However, we identify significant areas for improvement. A substantial proportion of patients lacked admission or regular monitoring of vitamin D levels and a substantial proportion of patients were under-dosed or received no dose where guidelines suggested they should have. We propose that better concordance with guidelines may improve clinical outcomes further. This may prove especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, given a potential association between vitamin D deficiency and severity of respiratory infection.

Evidence supports the use of group therapy for symptom reduction and improving functioning in people with psychosis. However, research guidelines highlight the importance of establishing the feasibility of interventions. Adherence is an important indicator of feasibility and an essential step in supporting the development of the evidence base for group interventions. This review aims to estimate adherence, and possible barriers and facilitators, to psychotherapeutic groups in people with psychosis.

Embase, Ovid MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched for cross-referencing terms related to group therapy and psychosis. Studies were assessed against inclusion criteria and methodological quality was evaluated. Data wasextracted from each paper including the average session attendance, demographic, clinical, study and therapy-related characteristics and the impact of these on adherence levels evaluated.

Fifty-nine original research papers were included, reporting on 52 independent studies which consisted of 66 therapy groups comprised of 2109 participants. Average adherence was 76.4% (s.d. = 17.4). Adherence was improved by receiving incentives and was higher in participants of older age. Study sample size was inversely associated with adherence levels. Study quality was variable with approximately 61.5% found to be at risk of bias. The results support the feasibility of group therapy and suggest that adherence in people with psychosis is not dissimilar to those for people experiencing common mental health difficulties. These findings, alongside efficacy evidence, support the use of group interventions in people with psychosis but also highlight the need for further high-quality research on the efficacy for these approaches.