BJPsych International最新文献

{"title":"Substance use disorders among young adults in North-Western Nigeria: descriptive survey of patterns of use.","authors":"Charles Marke, Oluwole Jegede, Hesham Mukhtar, Abigail Ojo, Yusuf Boman, Bashir Yakasai, Charles Dike","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10092","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10092","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Substance use disorder (SUD) is a rapidly growing public health challenge in developing countries across socioeconomic divides. In sub-Saharan Africa, the situation of SUD is particularly concerning and largely unexplored, with projections indicating a worsening trend.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study seeks to fill the gap by generating insights into the multifaceted nature of alcohol and drug use disorders among a young adult population in Nigeria.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This is a cross-sectional survey of 192 current students at a university of a metropolitan city in North-Western Nigeria, using the NIDA-Modified ASSIST version 2.0, adapted from the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>About half of the participants (49.7%) were heavy drinkers, 36.5% and 56.8% reported past year tobacco smoking and use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons, but only 7.4% had used illegal drugs daily in the past year. Cannabis and sedatives were the most used substances in the lifetime (56.2% and 47.9%, respectively) and past 3 months (52.4% and 51.1%, respectively). Men had greater odds of substance use in their lifetime (odds ratio 4.167, 95% CI 1.61-10.77; d.f. = 1, <i>P</i> = 0.003) and past three months (odds ratio 6.059, 95% CI 2.20-16.69; d.f. = 1, <i>P</i> ≤ 0.001), compared with women.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The burden of SUD remains a major public health concern in Nigeria despite existing legislation, regulations and policies in the country. There is an urgent need improve diagnostic, treatment and preventative resources by engaging a massive public health campaign to alert the public of the dangers of SUD.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12885046/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146158562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of exposure to community and school violence during adolescence in the African context: systematic review.","authors":"Marinos Bomikazi Lupindo, Hjördis Lorenz, Sam French, Paul Salkovskis","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10043","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Child and adolescent exposure to community and school violence in Africa is pervasive, with significant longer-term consequences for mental health and life outcomes.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To synthesise research on the impact of exposure to community and school violence, in terms of mental health and adjustment outcomes. The review focuses on adolescents in countries on the African continent, summarising existing knowledge regarding the impact on mental health and adjustment outcomes of different types of violence, and the associated mediating and/or moderating factors.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) to conduct a systematic narrative review (PROSPERO registration CRD42023390724). PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Global Health and Web of Science databases were searched and 36 articles were included in the review. These studies were conducted in countries within Africa among adolescents (10-19 years of age) exposed to violence in their schools and/or communities, and investigated mental health and adjustment outcomes related to violence exposure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Adolescents exposed to violence in their schools and communities have increased risk of negative outcomes in areas of psychological, social, behavioural and academic functioning that persist over time. Several mediating and/or moderating variables, such as social support, school climate and negative appraisals, were found.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Exposure to violence in school and the community has a significant and lasting impact on mental health and adjustment which can be exacerbated and/or ameliorated by several mediating and moderating factors. Future research will benefit from the development and evaluation of interventions that deploy early identification and of secondary prevention interventions which could mitigate effects of exposure to violence for youth in high-risk contexts and emerging economies that face additional economic challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"120-130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054169/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Complaints against health professionals regarding patients' suicidal thoughts and behaviours: retrospective study of disciplinary cases in The Netherlands.","authors":"Wilco C Janssen, Tom C Snijders, Frank L Gerritse, Sisco M P van Veen","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10051","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs) are common within healthcare systems. Diagnosing and treating them is challenging for healthcare professionals. Therefore, the way they respond to patients' STBs constitutes regular grounds for complaints filed against them. Studies on disciplinary complaints regarding STBs are scarce and thus far have exclusively focused on death by suicide and primarily investigated psychiatrists.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To gain more insight into disciplinary law cases concerning patients' STBs in The Netherlands.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A total of 108 public cases between 2010 and 2021 were codified and analysed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most complaints concerned undertreatment and insufficient involvement of the patient's relatives or other healthcare professionals. Nearly half of the complaints were filed against psychiatrists.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, compared with the number of health professionals in The Netherlands, risk of litigation appeared to be very low. Further research could be conducted on the discrepancy between the number of founded and unfounded complaints in first-instance and appeal cases.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"113-119"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pandora's Box.","authors":"","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10071","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10071","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"145-146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining the effects of mental health literacy on stigma: study of Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).","authors":"Darlington Chiobvu, Hauwa Onifade, Gwatirera Javangwe, Musa Sami","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.11","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.11","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mental illness affects an estimated 500 million people globally, with 85% living in low- and medium-income countries (LMICs). Research has shown that people with mental illness are over-represented in the criminal justice system compared with the general population. There is limited information available on institutional attitudes towards mental illness in LMICs.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study aimed to examine mental health literacy (MHL) and mental health stigma (MHS) among Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) officers.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted among ZPCS officers (<i>N</i> = 163) between August and December 2022. Data were collected using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) and Attitudes Towards Mentally Ill Offenders (ATMIO). The primary hypothesis was that increased MHL is inversely related to MHS in this group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant inverse correlation was found between MHL and MHS (<i>r</i> = 0.36, <i>P</i> < 0.001). A regression analysis controlling for age and sex showed that MHLS is a statistically significant component in this model, indicating that MHL is associated with reduced MHS (<i>P</i> < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this group, increased MHL is associated with decreased MHS. This suggests that interventions to increase MHL should be further evaluated in these settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"104-112"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054152/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Suicide prevention in Bangladesh: critical analysis of mental health law, policy and strategy.","authors":"S M Yasir Arafat","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10042","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Suicide prevention is an under-prioritised public health issue in Bangladesh. Recently, it has received academic attention substantiated by an increasing number of publications. Along with that, the Mental Health Act (2018), National Mental Health Policy (2022) and National Mental Health Strategic Plan (2020-2030) have come out. There are many challenges facing suicide prevention efforts in the country, such as suicide's criminal legal status and associated stigma, lack of a national suicide prevention programme, inadequate clinical services, and most important, the absence of a national database on suicide. This paper analyses documents critically considering initiatives for suicide prevention, highlights the urgent necessity for suicide prevention strategies in the country and identifies prominent stakeholders. A national suicide database in which law enforcement agencies have a prominent stake is urgently needed. In the long term, suicide prevention should be considered in the lens of public health.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"138-141"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054141/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rethinking suicide prevention: from prediction to understanding.","authors":"Rachel Gibbons","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.9","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the past two decades, suicide prevention efforts have expanded significantly, yet deeply held assumptions continue to shape policy in ways that may limit effectiveness. This paper critically examines key assumptions in suicide prevention, including the predictability of suicide, the role of suicidal ideation, and the conflation of self-harm and suicide. It challenges the view that mental illness is the primary cause of suicide and questions whether psychiatric hospital admission ensures safety. The paper also argues that overemphasis on prediction fosters fear-driven responses and explores how shifting the focus beyond risk reduction could foster more nuanced, compassionate and sustainable approaches to care.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"131-134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054153/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health law in Thailand.","authors":"Nacharin Phiphopthatsanee","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.14","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.14","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Thailand's first Mental Health Act was enacted on 20 February 2008, with an amendment enforced on 15 July 2019. The Act provides a framework for mental health professionals, aiming to protect patient rights and promote societal safety by minimising the risks associated with mental illness. This article highlights key practical aspects of the legislation and discusses issues regarding its real-life application.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"135-137"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054182/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wounds beyond bars: reflecting on the urgent need for psychological support and interventions in the aftermath of Syria's regime collapse.","authors":"Obada Al-Leimon, Mohammed Saadeh, Abdulrahman Ghaibeh, Khalid Elzamzamy","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10047","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10047","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Decades of systemic oppression in Syria, from the 1963 state of emergency to the 2011-2024 conflict, have caused widespread psychological devastation. Arbitrary imprisonment, torture and sexual violence have been systematically weaponised. Following the fall of the Syrian regime in December 2024, freed political prisoners face severe mental health challenges due to years of inhumane conditions and trauma. This paper emphasises the urgent need for specialised mental health interventions and outlines evidence-based pathways to healing. A coordinated, multi-tiered response, integrating local and international efforts, is essential to prioritise mental health aid, restore dignity and support survivors in rebuilding their futures.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"142-144"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054148/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147640066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relational psychiatry and suicidal states: reclaiming hope in everyday clinical practice.","authors":"Subodh Dave, Jon van Niekerk, Philip Pirie, Jo O'Reilly","doi":"10.1192/bji.2025.10066","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bji.2025.10066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing demand for psychiatric services, coupled with the increasing complexity of clinical presentations, is compounded by systemic pressures - among them inadequate resources, fragmented service configurations, and regulatory and legal frameworks that seem to apportion blame to the individual rather than recognising the wider systemic context. These factors can leave clinicians feeling disempowered and demoralised. This editorial is a call to renew hope, to reaffirm that psychiatrists, using their everyday medical and psychiatric expertise in personalising the biopsychosocial care they provide to their patients, can make a critical difference when dealing with suicidal states. Effective relational psychiatry offers hope to both clinicians and patients. We must not lose it.</p>","PeriodicalId":36441,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych International","volume":"22 4","pages":"101-103"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13054150/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147639908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}