Mental Health

Current Awareness Updates

Inquiry into the support available for young people who self-harm  This inquiry, led by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention and supported by Samaritans, explored the experiences of young people who self-harm in accessing support services. In particular, it examined: support services currently available in both clinical and the wider community settings (including schools); plans for improving and expanding this support; and the changes needed to ensure that support is made more effective and widely available. It concludes that young people who self-harm are often made to wait until they reach crisis point before receiving support.

How are UK adults managing stress during the pandemic? A survey from the Mental Health Foundation looks at how people are managing their stress during the pandemic. The most popular coping mechanisms were walking, visiting green spaces and contacting family and friends.

Laying foundations: attitudes and access to mental health nurse education Mental health nurses account for over a third of the mental health workforce in England and work across a wide range of health and care settings. However, this report finds that the pipeline of people choosing to study and qualify to become a mental health nurse is unable to meet sharply rising demand for this service. It looks at ways more people might be attracted to apply to study mental health nursing – and reasons why numbers are currently limited.

Digital interventions for suicidal thinking: a tale of two reviews.
In his debut blog, Wouter van Ballegooijen summarises two recent systematic reviews on digital interventions for suicidal thinking, which include more or less the same research, but come to quite different conclusions.

Reducing demand for inpatient mental health beds evidence review
This evidence review explores the evidence for initiatives and interventions which aim to avoid mental health inpatient admissions and re-admissions and reduce inpatient length of stay.

Should European cities be going green for our mental health?
Eleana Frisira summarises a recent scoping review on the impact that green spaces can have on the mental health of people living in urban settings.

To sign up to KnowledgeShare and receive personalised research for your field of work, complete the form and send it to academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk

Public Health Updates

Keeping up to date with current awareness

Cycling to work lowers risk of illness and death compared to driving.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
(People who cycle to work are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death than those who drive. This is seen across all occupational groups and suggests that cycling to work could benefit people from all economic backgrounds. If fewer people are able to travel by public transport due to social distancing, measures to make cycling easier and safer could improve the nation’s health.)

Lung health checks in supermarket car parks reach older smokers in deprived communities.
NIHR Evidence; 2020.
( Tests carried out on mobile units parked in supermarket car parks were a popular and effective way to check the lungs of at-risk current and former smokers in a study in Manchester.)

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on schools and childcare reopening.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Statement from the Chief Medical Officers and Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the evidence of risks and benefits to health from schools and childcare settings reopening. 23 August.)

Drinking in the dark: alcohol labelling is failing consumers.
Alcohol Change UK; 2020.
(In this study we reviewed a random sample of 424 alcohol containers on shop shelves in October 2019 to assess whether labels included the UK’s Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) low-risk drinking guidelines and other essential pieces of information that would allow consumers to make informed choices.)

Recovering from COVID-19: Post viral-fatigue and conserving energy.
Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT); 2020.
(Rehabilitation is fast becoming the new priority in dealing with the impact of this pandemic and is crucial for people recovering from COVID-19 infection. We’ve published three guides to support people to manage post-viral fatigue and conserve their energy as they recover from COVID-19. These guides are endorsed by the Intensive Care Society.)

Remember to sign up to KnowledgeShare to personalise research in your field of work and receive the latest research to your email.


New team member

Hello from your new outreach librarian

Hello everyone,

I wanted to formally introduce myself. My name is Katie Roper and I am the newly appointed outreach librarian across Lancashire and South Cumbria. I have a background in education, and it was during my time teaching in Birmingham Children’s Hospital, I realised I wanted to work for the NHS rather than alongside it.. now here we are.

My role involves supporting all staff, students, and service users to effectively and efficiently use electronic resources to make decisions and judgements based on evidence based practice.

Struggling to find evidence in your field of work? Short of time to find your own evidence?  Contact the library service to aid you with a literature search. Training can also be provided to support your own professional development.

Need help keeping up to date with current information? Contact us for KnowledgeShare request forms or speak to a member of our team where alerts can be personalised to suit your needs.

Do you know where to find the latest clinical information?  Contact the library team to ensure you have access to a wide range of resources- including; Athens, BMJ, Anatomy. TV,  individual journals and e-books accessible at home and work.

We are here to support you throughout. Feel free to pop into the library for free tea and coffee, computer access, hotdesking spaces and relaxed meeting areas.

Looking forward to working collaboratively with you all. Please send any completed forms to: academic.library@lancashirecare.nhs.uk. Remember to subsribe to this blog, using the link on the top right of the page for daily updates, bulletins and current awareness updates. Alternatively, feel free to contact me with any questions, queries or support needs; katie.roper@lancashirecare.nhs.uk

Katie Roper

Online Resources – Knowledgeshare

Knowledgeshare connects health care staff with their local NHS library and knowledge Service

You can join Knowledgeshare by completing this joining form and emailing it to the Gosall Library at academic.library@lancashirecare.nhs.uk. Using the information you provide on this form the library staff will create a profile of you in the system detailing your interests.

Read more about Knowledgeshare here

Online Resources – Knowledgeshare

Knowledgeshare connects health care staff with their local NHS library and knowledge Service

You can join Knowledgeshare by completing this joining form and emailing it to the Gosall Library at academic.library@lancashirecare.nhs.uk. Using the information you provide on this form the library staff will create a profile of you in the system detailing your interests.

Read more about Knowledgeshare here