News round-up (25 October 2024)

Patients on NHS mental health wards are being physically harmed and sexually assaulted, because staff are unable to keep patients safe, an investigation has found. This, and other problems with mental health services, will no doubt be one of the concerns raised by the public in a new national consultation on improving the NHS, which will feed into a 10-year government strategy to be published in the spring. More positively, there continues to be a focus on offering alternatives to drug treatments, with the Northern Ireland government launching a free library of mental wellbeing apps, and a new study finding that a programme of mindfulness can be as effective as the widely-prescribed drug escitalopram in treating anxiety.

 

Main stories this week

Can Ozempic cure depression? Researchers think it might

A new study is to look at whether the weight loss drug semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) could be used to treat depression, along with a whole host of other conditions.

 

Cutting drug deaths and training social workers – VR finds new applications

The government is hoping to save thousands of lives through the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable technology designed to reduce the number of drug deaths.

 

Video games can boost cognition – and maybe mental health

Playing video games can boost cognitive abilities, while exercise can play a part in improving mental health, a large-scale study has found.

 

Every NHS patient to be given portable medical records, Streeting promises

Health secretary Wes Streeting has announced plans to introduce portable medical records, which will mean that every NHS patient will have their medical information stored in a single place.

 

Other stories this week

Patients ‘traumatised’ by mental health hospitals, investigation finds

Patients on NHS psychiatric wards are being traumatised, sexually assaulted and physically harmed, a national investigation has found.

The investigation, by the Health Services Safety Investigation Branch (HSSIB), warns that inpatient mental health services are failing to keep vulnerable patients safe.

The HSSIB’s report, which was commissioned by former health secretary Steve Barclay, highlights a number of concerns over safety, some of which are caused in part by a shortage of mental health staff.

Some mental health wards are failing to protect patients from sexual harm, and staff are normalising sexualised behaviour, the report says. It also found that female patients are regularly housed in mixed-sex wards, in contravention of national guidance. Patients are self-harming and subjected to violence, and some have even managed to escape. Hospital buildings, described as “oppressive” and “grim” are re-traumatising patients, the report says.

 

Public will be asked for suggestions on improving NHS

The government has launched a consultation asking the public for their views on how to improve the NHS.

Members of the public, NHS staff and experts are being invited to share their experience and views for fixing the NHS via the Change NHS online platform, which will be live until the start of next year, and available via the NHS App. The information provided by the public will go to inform a new 10-year plan for the NHS to be published in the spring, the government has said.

Wes Streeting, the health and social care secretary, said his three big priorities were better primary care in people’s communities, a shift “from analogue to digital” and a shift from treating disease to preventing it in the first place. The first priority would be tackled by delivering new neighbourhood health centres that would be closer to people’s homes — where they could see GPs, district nurses, care workers, physiotherapists or health visitors in one place.

 

Digital mental health campaign launched in Northern Ireland 

A digital Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing campaign is to offer self-help resources and tools for people in Northern Ireland seeking mental health help.

The campaign, supported by the Department of Health in collaboration with Digital Health & Care NI, includes a selection of mental health and wellbeing apps on the HSC Apps Library. These apps include information on topics such as anxiety, depression, stress, sleep and meditation.

Health minister Mike Nesbitt said: “This is an example of the use of digital innovation to provide timely and targeted mental health support.

“It recognises that digital technologies offer an alternative way of providing mental health support by offering increased choice, availability and access, alongside traditional mental health service delivery.”

 

Mental health problems contribute to 41% rise in sick days over last three years

The number of sick days taken in the past three years has risen by 41%, according to a survey from Totaljobs.

The survey, completed by more than 1,000 human resources managers in the UK, found that the increase in sick days was the result of a deterioration of workplace culture and employee satisfaction.

It also found that a quarter of employee turnover in the last 12 months was related to stress, burnout or other conditions related to mental health.

More than a half (55%) of those surveyed also reported a decline in employee performance, as employers struggle to fill skills gaps caused by absenteeism. Businesses attributed declining productivity to five key factors: greater workload, difficulty attracting staff, reliance on temporary staff, low morale and increased absenteeism.

 

Mindfulness may be as effective as antidepressant in treating anxiety, study finds 

Practising mindfulness may be as effective as the anti-anxiety drug escitalopram, a study has found.

The research, led by the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda in the US, recruited 276 adults who had been diagnosed with one of the following anxiety disorders: agoraphobia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or social anxiety disorder. They then randomly assigned them in a 1:1 ratio to a programme of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), or treatment with escitalopram for eight weeks.

At the midpoint and endpoint of the trial, the participants self-reported their levels of anxiety and depression. At the midpoint, those treated with escitalopram reported a greater reduction in anxiety symptoms, but by eight weeks, there was no significant difference between the groups.

The medication group, however, experienced more side effects, with more than three-quarters reporting at least one adverse event during the study, while only 15.4% in the MBSR group reported any adverse events.

The study is published in JAMA Network Open.

 

Mind offers new mental health help for women going through menopause

Mind, the mental health charity, has released new information about the impact menopause can have on mental health.

This information includes details on symptoms, what treatments are available and how women can look after themselves if they find their mental health worsening while going through menopause.

Sarah Miles, head of content at Mind, said: “Going through the menopause can have a significant impact on mental health, but the focus is often on physical symptoms. However, menopause can also lead to problems with memory and concentration, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. It is vital that we understand the effects menopause can have on our mental health, and what to do to get help.”

As well as the new web content, Mind is offering a free self-help programme for anyone going through menopause. Local Minds across England are offering a six-week guided self-help course, which women can sign up for through Mind’s website – there is no need for a referral from a GP.