Prevalence, management, and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infections in older people and those with dementia in mental health wards in London, UK: a retrospective observational study

Older people and those with multimorbidity have higher mortality if they become infected with SARS-CoV-2. Of 344 inpatients, 131 (38%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the study period. 68 (52%) were women and 47 (36%) from ethnic minority groups. 74 (56%) patients had dementia, of whom 13 (18%) had young-onset dementia.

Suicide risk assessment in UK mental health services: a national mixed-methods study

Few studies have looked at suicide risk assessment tools used in mental health services in the UK. We obtained 156 tools from all 85 National Health Service mental health organizations. We found little consistency in use of these instruments, with 33 (39%) of 85 organizations using locally developed tools.

A large-scale genome-wide association study meta-analysis of cannabis use disorder

Study: Variation in liability to cannabis use disorder has a strong genetic component. It is associated with negative outcomes, including an increased risk of psychopathology. Cannabis use disorder shared genetic liability with other psychopathology, say, researchers.

Association between mental illness and COVID-19 susceptibility and clinical outcomes in South Korea: a nationwide cohort study

Evidence for the associations between mental illness and the likelihood of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result and the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 is scarce. Patients with a severe mental illness had a slightly higher risk for severe clinical outcomes.

Real-time suicide mortality data from police reports in Queensland, Australia, during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interrupted time-series analysis

The study analyzed suspected suicide rates in 2020 relative to 2015–19 in Queensland, Australia. There does not yet appear to be an overall change in the suspected suicide rate. Despite this, COVID-19 has contributed to some suspected suicides in Queensland.

The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study

Loneliness is experienced by a third of older adults in the UK and is a potential risk factor for depression. 11–18% of cases of depression could potentially be prevented if loneliness were eliminated. Loneliness scores at baseline were associated with higher depression symptom severity scores.

Time-varying associations of pre-migration and post-migration stressors in refugees' mental health during resettlement: a longitudinal study in Australia

Study used data from a national refugee-based longitudinal study. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and high risk of severe mental illness were used to assess mental health. Loneliness and adjustment to life in Australia were consistently prominent as stressors.

The effect of flexible assertive community treatment in Denmark: a quasi-experimental controlled study

Flexible assertive community treatment is a community-based treatment model for severe mental illness. It has been widely implemented despite little evidence for its effectiveness. This is the first study to investigate the effect of FACT compared with treatment from a CMHT. No significant differences in total inpatient days, use of coercion, episodes of self-harm, or deaths.

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