🌤️ Hello, I’m the Mental Elf! 🌳 Follow me to keep up to date with the latest reliable #MentalHealthResearch. 🍄 Do you need some #ElfHelp? https://elfi.sh/help 🔗 https://linktr.ee/thementalelfhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mlxdtr6nsl2i🫂 Can stronger social connections really help reduce depression? Umbrella review: in-person engagement reduces depression for older adults & those at risk of isolation. Digital alone isn't enough. buff.ly/kcq7lm7 #MentalHealth #SocialConnection #Loneliness https://buff.ly/kcq7lm716 May 2026 07:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlxdtr6nsl2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mlqgj6ps5j2rNew on The Mental Elf: the first analysis of coroners' Prevention of Future Deaths reports on child suicide finds governance failures, communication breakdowns, and a lack of autism-specific support as recurring themes. Blogged by Valeria Khudiakova 👇 buff.ly/YkoBLLC #Suicide #YoungPeople https://www.nationalelfservice.net/?p=23882913 May 2026 13:40 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqgj6ps5j2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mlo2eu3tq52hNew RCT asks whether EMDR can reduce trauma symptoms in people with complex emotional needs, even without a formal PTSD diagnosis 🌤️ Short answer: yes. And the effect sizes are striking. Full Mental Elf summary here 👇 buff.ly/91hrsrm #EMDR #PersonalityDisorder #Trauma #PTSD #MentalHealth https://www.nationalelfservice.net/?p=23861112 May 2026 14:57 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlo2eu3tq52hhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mllaftkdvx2qClinicians & researchers working with adults 44+: a large UK Biobank study (N=77,093) just mapped how sleep timing, duration & daily activity shift across age and sex 🌤️ Here's what stood out 🧵 https://buff.ly/9K35Yzi11 May 2026 12:07 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllaftkdvx2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mld4r4gkce2h😔 More than half of people with depression experience chronic pain, yet it's often the last thing discussed in a consultation. 🔬 New umbrella review 📊 Nearly a million people The case for integrated care 🤝 🔗 buff.ly/Q7o50sW #ChronicPain #MentalHealth08 May 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mld4r4gkce2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mlawwddwvh2iSexual minority older adults are around twice as likely to experience depression as their heterosexual peers. 🌈 Loneliness accounts for 15% of that gap, and it's modifiable. 💙🔍 buff.ly/qKRBX4u #LGBTQHealth #Loneliness #Depression #MentalHealth https://www.nationalelfservice.net/?p=23848107 May 2026 09:51 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlawwddwvh2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mlaso2tor32hPeople experiencing homelessness are two to four times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. 🏠 And crucially, that risk holds even after accounting for mental illness. 💔 buff.ly/cgEapoR #SuicidePrevention #Homelessness #MentalHealth https://buff.ly/cgEapoR07 May 2026 08:35 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlaso2tor32hhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mks2i3hsku2rThe first modern-era trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for depression shows impressive early results. 75% remission at 2 months. But this is small, open-label, and has no control group. Bigger trials needed. 🧪 buff.ly/KGmfMhl #MDMA #Depression #MentalHealth https://www.nationalelfservice.net/?p=23824001 May 2026 11:44 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mks2i3hsku2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mkpaduheio2eMost mental health problems develop before age 25. Early intervention makes sense, but do they work? Two @mentalhealthpru.bsky.social reviews: promising but patchy. Strong evidence for psychosis. Thinner for anxiety/depression. buff.ly/DZZdMsd #YouthMentalHealth #EarlyIntervention #MentalHealth https://www.nationalelfservice.net/?p=23828130 Apr 2026 08:51 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpaduheio2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mkngjzh4km2tWe say words can hurt, but do we really take that seriously? 💬 New survey research suggests that verbal abuse in childhood is as damaging to mental wellbeing as physical abuse. Unlike physical abuse, verbal abuse is rising. 📊 buff.ly/NJmDNY4 #VerbalAbuse #MentalHealth #ChildProtection https://www.nationalelfservice.net/?p=23806429 Apr 2026 15:37 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkngjzh4km2thttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mkkpg4sjeh2tPostnatal depression affects up to 1 in 4 new mothers in the UK. New research suggests that community singing could offer lasting relief. 🎵 buff.ly/xxnBaSe #PostnatalDepression #MaternalMentalHealth #Singing #MelodiesForMums https://buff.ly/xxnBaSe28 Apr 2026 13:38 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkpg4sjeh2thttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mkklmnfdq22c🔎 Can you help improve mental health care for autistic people? The NIHR Policy Research Unit in Mental Health @mentalhealthpru.bsky.social has been commissioned by @england.nhs.uk to identify models currently being used in MH services to improve care for autistic people. 👇🏽 Please read on! 👇🏽28 Apr 2026 12:30 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkklmnfdq22chttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mkhhmyac6j2rPsychedelic therapy looks impressive in trials, but participants can tell 95% of the time whether they've been given a psychedelic or a placebo. Are the impressive results the drug or the expectation? 🍄💊 buff.ly/WlCvWYO #PsychedelicTherapy #Depression #MentalHealth27 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkhhmyac6j2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mk7wa7prqi2oPeople with psychosis are three times more likely to become obese. New research suggests that the first 12 weeks of antipsychotic treatment is the critical window. ⏰💊 buff.ly/QBuX1vf #Psychosis #Antipsychotics #EarlyIntervention #WeightGain #MortalityGap24 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk7wa7prqi2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mk5frc2yk62o'They're just being a teenager.' 'It's a phase.' 🙄 How often are emotional distress signals from young people dismissed? Cross-cultural research from Brazil, Nepal and Nigeria has lessons for all of us. buff.ly/k0zarsM #AdolescentMentalHealth #GlobalMentalHealth #Depression23 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk5frc2yk62ohttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mk2vcfbo722eScrolling TikTok for mental health info may feel reassuring in the moment, but is it accurate? 📱 New review: misinformation rates of 35% on TikTok and generally lower on YouTube (22%). Quality varies widely across all platforms. #MentalHealth #Misinformation buff.ly/z5F7f6g22 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk2vcfbo722ehttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mjzdqcajlq2eActive coping could protect young people from depression after adversity 🌱 A new study from Latin America finds that how adolescents respond to stress matters as much as the stress itself. buff.ly/0IjHfA0 #YouthMentalHealth #Depression #Anxiety #LatinAmerica21 Apr 2026 15:54 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzdqcajlq2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mjw62srv6s2pCan your thoughts actually influence your immune system? A new RCT used neurofeedback to train reward brain activity, then measured antibody responses after vaccination. Intriguing, if preliminary. 💉🔬 buff.ly/XzAUERF #Neurofeedback #Vaccination #MindBodyConnection20 Apr 2026 09:34 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjw62srv6s2phttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mjlsiu7aqh23350 automated texts over 64 days reduced generalised anxiety from severe to mild. That's a headline worth examining. 📱 buff.ly/shjXFrO #AnxietyDisorders #CBT #DigitalHealth #YoungPeople #MentalHealth16 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjlsiu7aqh23https://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mjjbzx3gjh2oNumbers can tell you how many people have dementia. They can't show you what it's like. 📸 A photovoice study gave cameras to people with memory loss. Their images went on show. The audience left changed. buff.ly/akJVdrz #Dementia #Photovoice #LivedExperience15 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjjbzx3gjh2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mjgrkyvimx2tAsking preadolescents about suicide does not increase suicidal thoughts 🧒 A 12-month study of 8–12 year olds found no evidence of harm, even in those already at higher risk. buff.ly/eRdFfop #SuicidePrevention #ChildMentalHealth14 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjgrkyvimx2thttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mjeb43pcx22g🕐 Who decides what gets researched about body clocks and mental health? Until now, mostly researchers. A new study asked patients, carers and clinicians instead. First ever top 10 research priorities. 👇 buff.ly/H4iYkj8 #CircadianRhythms #MentalHealth #BodyClock13 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjeb43pcx22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mj5km5xfj527Schools spend the equivalent of 3 full-time staff managing smartphones each year, whether we ban them or not. 📵 Banning phones may cut some costs. But new research shows it won't improve pupils' wellbeing. 🌳 buff.ly/hIupB5k #MentalHealth #SchoolPolicy10 Apr 2026 14:42 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5km5xfj527https://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3miv6ckrr662jStop, reduce or stay on antipsychotics after first-episode psychosis? 💊 New RCT: dose reduction raised relapse risk in year 1, but improved functioning by year 3. The message: personalised, collaborative care. buff.ly/3Ph5MJ9 #MentalHealth #Psychosis #Schizophrenia07 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3miv6ckrr662jhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3miilznzgzk2dCan you 'catch' suicidality from a close friend? 🫂 A meta-analysis of 1M+ people found that exposure to a friend's suicidal thoughts or behaviours triples your risk (OR 3.22). Effect strongest in adolescents. buff.ly/44zXnte #MentalHealth #SuicidePrevention02 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3miilznzgzk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mig3j25uqc2jDepersonalisation-Derealisation Disorder affects around 2% of people yet there is limited guidance on treatments specifically for the condition. A feasibility trial of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy shows promise. 🌀 buff.ly/NVEYJIH #Depersonalisation #MentalHealth #CBT #Dissociation01 Apr 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mig3j25uqc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3midl24lr3x22📱 Engagement with digital mental health interventions remains poorly understood. Four reviews, no agreed definition. Real-world use of mental health apps falls well below trial levels. One consistent finding: human contact helps. buff.ly/E5Gm7H0 #DigitalMentalHealth31 Mar 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3midl24lr3x22https://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mib2l6z6ci2jSkin-picking as self-soothing: is emotion regulation the missing piece? 🩹 Adults with skin picking (excoriation) disorder show higher emotion dysregulation 📊, lower distress tolerance 😔, and trouble naming their feelings. Could DBT 🌱 or ACT 💬 help? 🔍 #MentalHealth #BFRB #SPD buff.ly/96McJM230 Mar 2026 06:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mib2l6z6ci2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mi2dhewzxd2j🌱 Culturally inclusive parenting programme benefits UK families in deprived urban areas RCT of 674 diverse parents: Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities improved wellbeing & parent-child relationships at modest cost. buff.ly/5TSRONA #MentalHealth #Parenting27 Mar 2026 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi2dhewzxd2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/thementalelf.bsky.social/post/3mhx42skm7m27🔍 Spotting bipolar and psychosis risk earlier using routine clinical records A 28-predictor model correctly identified risk 80% of the time, outperforming existing tools in 127,000 people. buff.ly/MKZDIhZ #MentalHealth #Bipolar #Psychosis26 Mar 2026 07:41 +0000at://did:plc:nqz5etf7kbqctuocjp62fapi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhx42skm7m27