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In Scotland, the number of psychiatrists employed in the NHS is dropping, while the use of locum psychiatrists is soaring – along with the cost. It’s a problem without easy solutions, but in Wales there is now an opportunity for parents experiencing mental health problems to access digital support – a model that, if successful, could be emulated elsewhere. There are some more interesting developments in the field of AI, with the big nuclear research organisation CERN lending its expertise to the development of new AI applications for healthcare that help with cancer prevention and stroke treatment. In another innovative development, AI is being used to help young people talk to their imagined future self – and boost their mental wellbeing.
World Mental Health Day 2024: Mental health at work
Today is World Mental Health Day, and the theme this year is mental health at work. The World Federation for Mental Health, which initiated the day, says that its aim is to “highlight the essential role of mental health in professional environments, advocating for workplaces where mental health is prioritized, protected, and promoted.”
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Cost of temporary psychiatrists in Scotland soars as doctor numbers fall
The cost of using locum psychiatrists on emergency contracts to treat mental health patients in Scotland has risen dramatically in the last year, according to new data collated by the BBC and Guardian via freedom of information requests.
Over the past five years, the amount the NHS spends on temporary psychiatrists has risen steadily, as the number in permanent NHS posts has fallen. The cost of those employed on emergency contracts, which are significantly more expensive, rose last year to £14.7m – almost double the figure five years ago. Some parts of Scotland are now wholly reliant on privately-supplied psychiatrics.
Some of the locum deals have allowed the temporary doctors to treat mental health patients in Scotland over video link from as far away as India.
The number of whole-time equivalent NHS psychiatrists has dropped from 781 in March 2019 to 651 in March this year. The total cost of using locum psychiatrists in Scotland increased from £20.8m in 2019/20 to £34.8m last year.
CERN trains AI models to revolutionise cancer treatment
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is repurposing its artificial intelligence (AI) applications for use in medicine.
CERN originally developed AI tools to improve the maintenance of its particle accelerator. The organisation has developed ways to manage huge amounts of data in a secure and decentralised way – which is also integral to ensuring the privacy and security of the private patient information used to feed the AI algorithm.
The projects now underway at CERN include reducing the size of radiotherapy machines and optimising them for ease of use; designing a smart programme for breast cancer prevention; and improving the monitoring of stroke.
The stroke project, for example, involves comparing images of the brain of a stroke patient with models trained by CERN. Using that data, the algorithm predicts how the patient might evolve, what therapy should be administered and the follow-up required. The tool also predicts the risk of recurrence.
NHS failing in mental health support of kidney cancer patients
Patients with kidney cancer are not having their mental health needs met, according to a new report from Kidney Cancer UK.
The report, which analyses ten years of data from the Kidney Cancer UK Annual Patient Survey, finds ongoing failures in providing vital mental health support to those diagnosed with kidney cancer – currently the seventh most common cancer in UK adults. The findings show that many patients are being let down in some of the most basic areas, affecting their ability to navigate their diagnosis and treatment with resilience and hope.
The survey found that 37% of respondents were unhappy with the way they were told they had kidney cancer, 30% were not given the name of a clinical nurse specialist and an average of 29% felt abandoned after surgery.
The charity is calling for the NHS to implement policies to ensure charities are a higher priority in the healthcare professionals support pathway.
AI-enabled future self could boost mental wellbeing
Using AI to allow young people to talk to their imagined future self may be a useful tool in addressing anxiety and encouraging better mental wellbeing, a project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has found.
The project, involving a piece of technology called Future You, enables users to have an online, text-based conversation with an AI-generated simulation of their potential future self. The idea is to help young people improve their sense of future self-continuity, a psychological concept that describes how connected a person feels with their future self.
Research has shown that a stronger sense of future self-continuity can positively influence how people make long-term decisions, from the likelihood that they will contribute to financial savings to their focus on achieving academic success.
Future You uses a large language model drawing on information provided by the user to generate a relatable, virtual version of the individual at age 60. This simulated future self can answer questions about what someone’s life in the future could be like, as well as offer advice or insights on the path they could follow.
Scientists find link between mental health at 11 and future obesity
The state of a person’s mental health as a child has been linked to their chance of becoming obese as a teenager.
The study found that children who had better mental health and psychosocial well-being at age 11 were less likely to be overweight or obese at age 17.
The study, by researchers at the University of Liverpool and Maynooth University, was published in the journal Obesity and included more than 8,000 young people.
The researchers analysed data from 4,556 11-year-olds and 3,791 14-year-olds considered overweight or obese, with the group then followed up at age 17. They suggested that age 11 “may be a sensitive period in which psychological well-being is associated with future body weight”.
Psychological wellbeing was ranked using questions answered by children and their caregivers on topics such as self-esteem, happiness with life, depressive symptoms, social support, satisfaction with appearance and online bullying.
Among those classed as overweight or obese at age 11 or 14, about 16% were considered a normal weight at 17.
Digital mental health referral scheme launched for parents in Wales
New and expectant parents in Wales can now access free digital mental health support through a new referral system.
The system, set up in partnership with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB), enables parents to access online guided self-help programmes for managing mild-to-moderate symptoms of low mood, stress and depression, with progress monitored by trained supporters, who provide fortnightly feedback and can escalate more serious cases.
CTMUHB’s perinatal team began referring patients to guided, online self-help based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in September. The self-help system uses SilverCloud, a digital mental health platform.
Jade Beasant, perinatal lead at CTMUHB said it was “an absolutely phenomenal programme,” adding: “Becoming a new parent brings with it a whole range of new pressures and demands, but the beauty of SilverCloud is that you can work through the modules in your own time, and on your own terms. This is non-jargon, patient-centred intervention at its best.”