Interrelationships between social exclusion, mental health and wellbeing in adolescents: insights from a national .

Aims: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase during which young people are vulnerable to the experiences of mental ill-health and social exclusion (consisting of various domains including education and employment, housing, finances and social supports and relationships). The aims of this study were to (i) obtain an understanding of the relationships between social exclusion, mental health and wellbeing of young people; and (ii) identify potentially modifiable targets, or population groups that require greater or targeted supports.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Mission Australia 2022 , Australia's largest annual population-wide survey of young people aged 15-19 years ( = 18,800).

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Risk Factors of Violence During First-Episode Psychosis.

Most people with a psychotic illness will never be violent; however, it is widely known that violence is more prevalent in this group compared to the general community, particularly during first-episode psychosis (FEP). Despite this, there is limited research into what contributes to this increased risk during FEP. The present systematic review aimed to identify whether certain risk factors are differentially associated with severity and timing of violence perpetration during FEP.

Virtual friendly visitor program: combatting loneliness in community dwelling older adults.

Introduction: Loneliness is a critical public health issue affecting older adults, with significant impacts on their mental and physical health, including increased risks of depression, cognitive decline, and higher mortality rates, necessitating distinct approaches for each condition given their unique implications and the exacerbation of these issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the implementation and outcomes of a Friendly Visitor Program (FVP) designed to mitigate loneliness among older adults. The program involved social work student interns providing virtual visits to older adults using computers and tablets, with the goal of enhancing social interaction and support.

Early-life gut inflammation drives sex-dependent shifts in the microbiome-endocrine-brain axis.

Despite recent advances in understanding the connection between the gut microbiota and the adult brain, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding how gut inflammation affects brain development. We hypothesized that gut inflammation during early life would negatively affect neurodevelopment by disrupting microbiota communication to the brain. We therefore developed a novel pediatric chemical model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an incurable condition affecting millions of people worldwide.

Psychometric properties of the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale in depressed youth.

Background: Youth with depression may be at a higher risk of developing bipolar disorder (BD). Self-reported, dimensional measures, like the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS), aim to assess for BD in these groups. We explored properties of this instrument within a cohort of depressed, help-seeking youth.