{"title":"Attachment-informed mental healthcare systems as 'organisational caregivers': ideas for the future.","authors":"Alberto Salmoiraghi, Nicolò Zarotti","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.94","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2024.94","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the past 50 years, mental health services have evolved significantly, influenced by shifts in theoretical and practical approaches to mental disorders. Key among these changes are the biopsychosocial and recovery models, which highlight resilience and quality of life in treatment. However, traditional psychiatry has often struggled to embrace these changes because of reductionist perspectives that overlook psychosocial factors, resulting in fragmented care and reduced accessibility. Proposed solutions have faced implementation barriers in absence of a coherent theoretical framework. Here, we outline how attachment theory may offer a promising framework to drive systemic change in mental health by emphasising secure emotional bonds at both the organisational and individual level. Within an attachment-informed culture, services may act as 'organisational caregivers' that promote continuity of care, independence and stronger clinical relationships. In turn, this may foster more inclusive, responsive and resilient mental healthcare systems that prioritise patients' needs and empowerment.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"259-264"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314406/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142494068","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":"Whose trauma is it anyway? Creating more equitable mental healthcare in a system that harms.","authors":"James Downs","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.103","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2024.103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Past experiences of mental healthcare which have been perceived as harmful can present significant barriers to accessing treatment again. This article draws upon research and lived experience to consider the ways in which conceptualisations of 'trauma-informed care' may better incorporate the role of iatrogenic harm, thus providing more acceptable and equitable treatment for those who have previously found treatment to be harmful. A more restorative approach is offered, founded in shared responsibility and compassionate relationships, to help minimise harms and create a more healing system for patients and clinicians alike.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"265-268"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314401/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142738287","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}
BJPsych BulletinPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2025.10088
Matina Shafti, Daniel Pratt, Peter Taylor, Andrew Forrester
{"title":"The duality of self-harm and aggression: implications for research and practice.","authors":"Matina Shafti, Daniel Pratt, Peter Taylor, Andrew Forrester","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2025.10088","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2025.10088","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This editorial explores dual harm - the co-occurrence of self-harm and aggression - particularly among forensic populations. Historically approached as two separate and even opposing behaviours, emerging evidence shows that those who engage in self-harm and aggression experience greater adversity and poorer outcomes. This underscores the importance of enhancing our understanding of dual harm. We review key developments within the field, including how dual harm may be best conceptualised and managed, and identify critical gaps in the literature. In order to improve the care and outcomes of those who engage in self-harm and aggression, emphasis is placed on adopting more integrated approaches that consider the duality of these behaviours, as well as the complex needs of this high-risk group, within research and practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":"49 4","pages":"219-222"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314404/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144752236","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":"Reimagining care: effectiveness of modifying an adolescent eating disorder intensive service.","authors":"Ellen Hayes, Nicola Tweedy, Victoria Chapman","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.45","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2024.45","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims and method: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in adolescent eating disorders and rapid changes in the delivery of intensive community treatments. This study investigates the modification from a group-based day programme to an intensive family treatment approach. A retrospective chart review was performed on data from 190 patients who accessed the intensive service for anorexia nervosa in the past 6 years. Outcomes from the traditional model were compared with the new intensive family model, namely length of admission, percentage median body mass index difference and transfers to in-patient services.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was a significant reduction in the length of intensive treatment (from 143.19 to 97.20 days). The number of transfers to specialist eating disorder in-patient services also significantly reduced, and is decreasing year on year.</p><p><strong>Clinical implications: </strong>The findings hold particular relevance as intensive services for adolescent eating disorders continue to be established within health services, with no clear unified approach to treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"242-248"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140943901","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":"The Royal College of Psychiatrists should become British, not Royal.","authors":"David Curtis","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.97","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2024.97","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The royal charter of the Royal College of Psychiatrists is generally taken to enhance its status. However, the concept of a hereditary monarchy is intellectually indefensible and the realities of the British monarchy exacerbate inequalities in the UK. The connection is particularly problematic for psychiatrists because of their role in the compulsory detention and treatment of patients. The Royal affiliation can only serve to emphasise the power inequalities in society associated with these activities. College members should feel free to discuss whether this situation should continue or whether we should be British rather than Royal.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"269-271"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314413/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142614154","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":"Integration of neuroscience into psychiatric training and practice: suggestions for implementation.","authors":"Isabel Mark, Norman Poole, Niruj Agrawal","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.24","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2024.24","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mainstream psychiatric practice requires a solid grounding in neuroscience, an important part of the biopsychosocial model, allowing for holistic person-centred care. There have been repeated calls for better integration of neuroscience into training, although so far with less focus on implementation for life-long learning. We suggest that such training should be accessible and utilised by all psychiatrists, not solely those with a special interest in neuropsychiatry. By considering recent positive developments within the general psychiatry curricula and neuropsychiatric resource implementation, we propose strategies for how this can be progressed, minimising regional disparities within the growing world of virtual learning.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"278-284"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314409/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140861898","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":"Coping strategies in young people during the COVID-19 pandemic: rapid review.","authors":"Ranjita Howard, Harshini Manohar, Shekhar Seshadri, Aditya Sharma","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2024.49","DOIUrl":"10.1192/bjb.2024.49","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims and method: </strong>To better understand factors supporting young people's (age <18 years) mental health during pandemic-type conditions, we aimed to identify whether coping strategies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic could be dichotomised according to manifesting positive or negative psychological outcomes. Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and ASSIA databases were used to identify empirical studies that examined coping strategies used by young people experiencing psychological challenges during COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-five international studies were included, identifying that coping strategies adopted could be significantly dichotomised according to reducing or exacerbating psychological challenges. Positive coping strategies were proactive and solutions-oriented, whereas negative coping strategies were more avoidant and emotion-oriented.</p><p><strong>Clinical implications: </strong>An internal locus of control may account for why adolescents exercised more proactive coping compared with their younger counterparts, although parents of younger children may offset the impact of stressors by drawing on a proposed coping framework emphasising proactivity and engagement. This would be an invaluable addition to future pandemic preparedness planning cycles.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"249-258"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141791803","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}
BJPsych BulletinPub Date : 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2025.10141
Anna Greenburgh, Mark Bertram, Helen Baldwin, Shaun Williams, Sarah McDonald, Craig Morgan
{"title":"Moving beyond IPS: a person-centred approach to social inclusion and mental health - ERRATUM.","authors":"Anna Greenburgh, Mark Bertram, Helen Baldwin, Shaun Williams, Sarah McDonald, Craig Morgan","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2025.10141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2025.10141","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144752234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BJPsych BulletinPub Date : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2025.10125
Gavin Miller, Gordon David Lyle Bates
{"title":"Psychiatrists, Penguins and Pelicans: media psychiatrists and psychiatrists in the media.","authors":"Gavin Miller, Gordon David Lyle Bates","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2025.10125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2025.10125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To provide a useful contextual backdrop to an exhibition at the Royal College of Psychiatrists this summer, we used a question and answer format to summarise the thoughts of its curator, Gavin Miller. Gavin has chosen 12 books published by Penguin between 1949 and 1975 to illuminate the relationship between psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists and the British media. He reflects on the opportunities and pitfalls that come with the association, the motivations of previous writers and provides practical advice for any media psychiatrists considering such a role in the future. The exhibition is open to visitors to the College building in London.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144673890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BJPsych BulletinPub Date : 2025-07-16DOI: 10.1192/bjb.2025.10126
Anna Greenburgh, Mark Bertram, Helen Baldwin, Shaun Williams, Sarah McDonald, Craig Morgan
{"title":"Moving beyond IPS: person-centred approach to social inclusion and mental health.","authors":"Anna Greenburgh, Mark Bertram, Helen Baldwin, Shaun Williams, Sarah McDonald, Craig Morgan","doi":"10.1192/bjb.2025.10126","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2025.10126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many people experiencing mental ill health are trapped in cycles of worsening social exclusion. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is being implemented to support those with mental ill health into employment. However, this intervention does not address the many challenges faced by those who are more vulnerable and is less effective for those with more severe clinical presentations. Although National Health Service (NHS) guidance suggests broader support is needed, there is little clarity over what this should look like. We discuss one model, drawing on years of experience facilitating user-led services at Lambeth Vocational Services, implementing a genuinely person-centred, trust-based approach to facilitate social inclusion.</p>","PeriodicalId":8883,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144641704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}