Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is a relational, time-limited psychotherapy primarily evidenced to support adults with emotional and relational difficulties. The extent of evidence for CAT in younger populations is not known. This paper aimed to collate all published articles describing CAT with under-18-year-olds and establish feasibility and effectiveness of CAT in this population. An initial systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases, with a second search using key terms and author names in the Association for Cognitive Analytic Therapy website bibliography.

Thirty-seven articles were found to meet the inclusion criteria, 11 of which contained quantitative studies. Articles described CAT as individual therapy for young people or their parents, group therapy and consultation frameworks for staff and parents.

The limited evidence published on CAT in under-18-year-olds suggests that it is feasible and accessible. Further randomised controlled studies and publication of practice-based outcomes are required.

A forum theatre-based intervention was delivered to medical students undertaking their psychiatry rotation. A professionally written and acted play titled Revolving Door was adapted for undergraduate education to illuminate the lived experience of a young man with psychosis and his family. A mixed-methods evaluation, comprising a post-intervention survey and focus group, was undertaken to assess to what extent forum theatre can support medical student learning and to identify the aspects that contribute to its pedagogical value.

Quantitative and qualitative data revealed that forum theatre is an effective pedagogical method that helps medical students to improve their intellectual understanding of a condition or clinical skill and gain insight into the lived experience of patients, empowering them to make meaningful change as future clinicians.

The study highlights an innovative intervention that champions transformative learning, an aspect that is often overlooked in traditional medical education.

Parental hospitalisation harms parent–child relationships and child outcomes. Thus, supporting parent–child connection is enshrined in the Mental Health Act (1983). However, there is no recent evaluation of provision or understanding of the prevalence of parents in in-patient settings.

We sent a cross-sectional Freedom of Information request to all 50 English National Health Service (NHS) trusts that provide in-patient psychiatric services, aiming to capture the following: parental admissions; information on parental status; parenting-related policies/procedures/materials; and frequency of children’s visits.

Only 5 trusts could report the prevalence of parenthood (M = 13.9% of patients); 11 could report the information they collect on parental status; 28 provided policies; 18 provided materials for parents, carers or children; and 1 held data on child visits.

Most English NHS trusts do not hold basic information about parents in in-patient psychiatric settings. This suggests widespread failure to meet the requirements of the Mental Health Act, and probably failure to support families and ensure the safeguarding of children.

Community forensic mental health services (CFMHS) in England were developed to reduce reliance on hospital care for this population, but provision varies. It is unclear whether standard setting work has increased consistency. Freedom of information requests were therefore sent to 50 National Health Service Trusts in England, to examine the population, staffing, treatment provision and organisation of CFMHS.

Data were provided for 32 CFMHS, of which 59% were part of secure hospital-based services and 41% were standalone services working in parallel with general services. There was variation in aspects including professional composition, functions, the settings from where CFMHS accept referrals and long-term approach to patients subject to special restrictions under the Mental Health Act 1983.

CFMHS continue to vary, especially in their interface with services other than forensic hospitals. This may impede standard setting and empirical evaluation. Different approaches to centralising oversight may be needed for standardisation.

We explored interactions between criminogenic risk, discharge routes and reconvictions in a contemporary cohort of people following medium-secure care. Data from the Offenders Index were used to estimate actuarial risk for reconviction and to determine 6-year reconviction outcomes for 205 consecutive discharges from a single medium-secure service (1999–2017). Clinical details were sourced from healthcare records.

Preadmission risk was lowest for people discharged to open settings, but equivalent between those discharged to secure care or prison. Both violent and any offence reconviction outcomes were more frequent for people discharged to prison than either locked units or open conditions at all the three follow-up points (2, 4 and 6 years).

Prison discharge negated large reductions in reconvictions observed with alternative discharge routes. Actuarial risk assessment has a place in evaluating the effectiveness public protection provided by secure services.

This study aimed to explore the educational experiences of medical students and psychiatry residents within a large mental health trust, identifying areas for improvement. A qualitative methodology using four focus groups was employed, grouped by training level: medical students, foundation doctors, core psychiatry residents and higher-specialty residents. Discussions were guided by a standardised topic guide and analysed thematically.

Participants highlighted key issues including induction length and quality, access to written information, rota gaps and inadequate facilities; challenges in achieving psychotherapy competencies, teaching inconsistency, lack of supervision and insufficient development of non-clinical skills were also noted.

Enhancement of induction, supervision, psychotherapy training and non-clinical skills development can significantly improve psychiatric education. Addressing structural and systemic issues will strengthen trainee experience and support high-quality patient care.

This study investigated mental health diagnoses in autistic adults to determine whether there were any sex differences in presentation. Autistic adults attending the neurodevelopmental service at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust were included.

As part of a service audit, 150 random adults (75 males and females) were selected and their case notes were reviewed. Mental health diagnoses were common: 36% had current suicidal ideation, 20% had attempted suicide, 40% had a past or current diagnosis of anxiety and 62% had a past or current diagnosis of depression. There were more women diagnosed with an eating disorder (9% female, 0% male) and with a historical suicide attempt (21% female, 9% male). However, using a Holm–Bonferroni correction, there were no statistically significant sex differences between mental health diagnoses. Among both sexes, a significant number had been exposed to prenatal and early childhood trauma, nearly 10% had experienced physical trauma, abuse, neglect or assault, and nearly a third had been through parental separation.

This demonstrates that autistic people presenting to a National Health Service diagnostic clinic are more at risk of experiencing trauma, which subsequently increases their risk of mental illness, alongside any neurological predisposition.

DIALOG is a patient-reported outcome and experience measure. We analysed anonymised DIALOG scores routinely collected from East London NHS Foundation Trust. We aimed to (a) examine changes in DIALOG scores through the patient journey (‘assessment’, ‘review’ and ‘discharge’); and (b) assess the impact of community mental health (CMH) transformation by comparing pre- and post-DIALOG scores. We analysed 11 198 DIALOG scores from 5007 patients in 2018–2019 and 2021–2022.

DIALOG scores improved across treatment stages in both years. There was no clear difference pre- and post-CMH transformation, although in 2021–2022 there were lower satisfaction scores at referral.

DIALOG showed sensitivity to change, supporting the utility of this scale in the evaluation of mental health services. The impact of CMH transformation was difficult to assess, due to potential confounders such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Routinely collected DIALOG data can help evaluate patient outcomes over time and inform service improvements.

Antipsychotics used to treat severe mental illness (SMI) markedly raise the risk of metabolic syndrome. Early weight gain predicts worse outcomes, making timely intervention vital, particularly within the first 6 months, when the most weight loss is achievable. This meta-analysis evaluated non-pharmacological weight/body mass index (BMI) management interventions during the first 6 months of their use in people receiving antipsychotics for SMI, to identify effective components with the aim of preventing long-term metabolic complications. Systematic searches of five databases (to October 2024) yielded 1483 studies; 8 (643 participants) met inclusion criteria. Interventions included exercise, nutrition, education, monitoring and psychological input, delivered individually or in groups.

Meta-analysis showed significant weight (−1.93 kg) and BMI (−1.12 kg/m2) reductions. Group-based, multi-component programmes with psychological input were most effective.

Group-based, multi-component interventions that include a psychological element produced the greatest reductions in weight and BMI. Future research should focus on refining and embedding psychologically informed, multi-component group programmes into routine psychiatric care to optimise long-term physical health outcomes.