A peer mentoring program for eating disorders: improved symptomatology and reduced hospital admissions, three years and a pandemic on.

Background: Peer support involves people (mentors) using their own experiences to assist others (mentees). The impetus to include peer support in eating disorder recovery is high, however research on implementation of peer roles in eating disorder management is limited. A previous pilot study found positive but preliminary results for a Peer Mentor Program (PMP) for eating disorders.

Psychiatric comorbidity and severity in anorexia nervosa: a comparative study of the DSM-5, the ICD-11, and overvaluation of Weight/Shape severity ratings.

This study assessed the rate of a.) the total and b.) specific psychiatric comorbidities among the three severity ratings for Anorexia Nervosa (AN): DSM-5, ICD-11 and overvaluation of weight and shape (OWS).

A new network analysis model in anorexia nervosa patients based on self-reported eating disorder symptoms, psychological distress, and cognitive flexibility.

Objectives: Cognitive flexibility and psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, have been implicated in the aetiology of Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Despite the known associations between eating disorder (ED) symptoms, depression, anxiety, and cognitive flexibility, the specific pathways that connect these constructs are unclear. We therefore used network analysis to examine the relationship between these symptoms in an AN sample.

Investigating Attraction and Retention of Staff Within Public Mental Health Services in Victoria, Australia: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Background: A large proportion of Australians are affected by mental illness each year, and treatment gaps are well known. To meet current and future demands and enable access to treatment that is safe, effective, and acceptable, a robust and sustainable mental health workforce is required. Factors reported to attract people to work within the mental health sector include aspiring to help others, having an interest in mental health and human behavior, the desire to make a difference and do something worthwhile, personal lived experience, recognition, and value of discipline-specific roles.

What accounts for turnover intention in the Australian public mental health workforce?

High staff turnover is common within the Australian public mental health workforce, contributing to workforce shortages and ultimately impacting the ability to provide stable efficient, effective, and ongoing optimal care to the community. In this study, we aimed to (a) establish the most pertinent factors associated with increased turnover intention in the public mental health workforce in Australia, and (b) establish whether such factors differ between metropolitan and rural services. We used a cross-sectional, correlational design using an online survey method.

PARP1 Regulates Circular RNA Biogenesis though Control of Transcriptional Dynamics.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a recently discovered class of RNAs derived from protein-coding genes that have important biological and pathological roles. They are formed through backsplicing during co-transcriptional alternative splicing; however, the unified mechanism that accounts for backsplicing decisions remains unclear. Factors that regulate the transcriptional timing and spatial organization of pre-mRNA, including RNAPII kinetics, the availability of splicing factors, and features of gene architecture, have been shown to influence backsplicing decisions.

Impact of chronic kidney disease on illness perceptions, coping, self-efficacy, psychological distress and quality of life.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) negatively impacts psychological well-being and quality of life (QoL). Underpinned by the Common Sense Model (CSM), this study evaluated the potential mediating role of self-efficacy, coping styles and psychological distress on the relationship between illness perceptions and QoL in patients living with CKD. Participants were 147 people with stage 3-5 kidney disease.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to healthcare, physical and mental health among patients with chronic kidney disease in Victoria, Australia.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the difficulties healthcare systems face to care for patients with chronic diseases. In the state of Victoria, Australia, the government implemented a state-wide lockdown and restricted the delivery of healthcare to limit the spread of the virus. This study investigated the impact of the pandemic on healthcare access, mental and physical health for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Assessing severity in anorexia nervosa: Do the DSM-5 and an alternative severity rating based on overvaluation of weight and shape severity differ in psychological and biological correlates?

Objective: This study evaluated the severity ratings for anorexia nervosa (AN) in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and an alternative severity rating based on overvaluation of weight/shape, on a range of psychological and biological variables.

Method: A sample of 312 treatment-seeking patients with AN (mean age = 25.3, SD = 7.

Over a decade of an eating disorders treatment program: Where to from here?

Objective: Currently available treatments for eating disorders lack efficacy resulting in poor outcomes for patients. In this paper, we describe a number of issues that we have identified in our clinical service, which are not unique to our treatment program.

Conclusions: The issues described are common among eating disorder services worldwide and need to be addressed in order to move the field forward.

The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health workforce: A rapid review.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant adaptations to healthcare. Provision of mental healthcare in a changing environment presented healthcare workers with unique challenges and demands, including changes in workload and expectations. To inform current and future healthcare service responses, and adaptations, the current review aimed to collate and examine the impact of the pandemic on mental healthcare workers (MHWs).

Borderline personality disorder symptoms in individuals with eating disorder: Association with severity, psychological distress, and psychosocial function.

We aimed to determine the prevalence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms in a sample of eating disorder (ED) outpatients and assess how BPD symptoms correlate with severity, distress, and function. A total of 119 individuals were assessed and divided into high BPD symptoms (H-BPD) and low BPD symptoms (L-BPD) using a cut-off score of seven on the McLean Screening for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD). Groups were compared on ED diagnosis, age at ED onset, age at assessment, illness duration, body mass index (BMI), ED symptomatology, psychological distress, and psychosocial function.

Long COVID Optimal Health Program (LC-OHP) to Enhance Psychological and Physical Health: Protocol for a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Long COVID is a collection of symptoms that develop during or following a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, which continue for more than 12 weeks. Despite the negative impact of long COVID on people's lives and functioning, there is no validated treatment or even rehabilitation guidance. What has been recommended thus far is the adoption of holistic management approaches.

Initial evaluation of the Optimal Health Program for people with diabetes: 12-month outcomes of a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate if a new Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP) compared with usual care in adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes would improve psychosocial outcomes including self-efficacy and quality of life.D This initial randomised controlled trial evaluated MINDS OHP compared with usual care. Participants were recruited through outpatient clinics and community organisations.

Autonomic nervous system function in women with anorexia nervosa.

Purpose: Abnormalities in autonomic function have been observed in people with anorexia nervosa. However, the majority of investigations have utilised heart rate variability as the sole assessment of autonomic activity. The current study utilised a variety of methodologies to assess autonomic nervous system function in women with a current diagnosis of anorexia, a past diagnosis of anorexia who were weight-restored, and healthy controls.

Therapeutic use of melatonin in schizophrenia: A systematic review.

Background: Sleep dysfunction is a common problem in people with schizophrenia, and side effects of treatment often exacerbate metabolic and cardiovascular risk and may induce extrapyramidal side effects. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is an endogenously produced hormone which has demonstrated direct and indirect antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Previous studies have explored the use of exogenous melatonin in improving sleep outcomes in the general population, yet indications for use in schizophrenia are unclear.

What is OSFED? The predicament of classifying 'other' eating disorders.

The transition from DSM-IV to DSM-5 relaxed diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and recognised a third eating disorder, binge eating disorder. However, a large proportion of cases remain in the ill-defined category of 'other specified feeding and eating disorders'. We sought to investigate the utility of a proposed solution to classify this group further, subdividing based on the dominant clinical feature: binge eating/purging or restraint.

Arterial stiffness in underweight and weight-restored anorexia nervosa.

Cardiovascular complications have been demonstrated in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) in both the state of starvation and during weight restoration, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The current study aimed to assess arterial stiffness via carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) in the acute and weight-restored states of AN. The study also aimed to determine the association between psychological distress and cfPWV.

Improving Cognitive Skills for People with Mental Illness to Increase Vocational and Psychosocial Outcomes: The Employ Your Mind Program.

Cognitive impairments contribute to difficulty obtaining employment for people with severe mental illness (SMI). We describe an evaluation of a program, Employ Your Mind (EYM), which integrates cognitive remediation with vocational rehabilitation to improve cognitive skills and psychosocial outcomes relevant to employment. Participants with SMI were referred to WISE Employment and completed the six-month EYM program.

Autonomic Nervous System Function in Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review.

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction has been suggested to contribute to the high prevalence of cardiovascular complications in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN), yet has not been thoroughly investigated. The current review aimed to synthesize the evidence of basal ANS function in individuals with a current diagnosis of AN and those with a previous diagnosis who had achieved weight restoration, as compared to controls. A systematic review of nine databases was conducted and studies that were published in a peer-review journal, in English, that included at least one assessment of ANS function in individuals with a current or previous diagnosis of AN were selected.

Bridging the gap between diabetes care and mental health: perspectives of the Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP).

Background: Mental health problems are highly prevalent in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), which adversely impact physical health and quality of life. This study aimed to explore the experiences of people with T1DM who had completed the Mental health IN DiabeteS Optimal Health Program (MINDS OHP), a novel intervention developed to bridge the gap between physical and mental health care.

Method: Participants with T1DM were invited to take part in a focus group or semi-structured interviews.

Valuing the voice of lived experience of eating disorders in the research process: Benefits and considerations.

Although the inclusion of individuals with lived experience is encouraged within the research process, there remains inconsistent direct involvement in many mental health fields. Within the eating disorders field specifically, there is a very strong and increasing presence of lived experience advocacy. However, due to a number of potential challenges, research undertaken in consultation or in collaboration with individuals with lived experience of an eating disorder is scarce.

A psychosocial intervention for individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease: A feasibility randomized controlled trial.

Aim: The current study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a psychosocial intervention, the Kidney Optimal Health Program, in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease.

Methods: Patients with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease were randomized to either a nine-session psychosocial intervention programme or usual care. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention rates and programme acceptability.

A comparison of eating disorder symptomatology, psychological distress and psychosocial function between early, typical and later onset anorexia nervosa.

Objective: Epidemiological studies suggest that the incidence of anorexia nervosa (AN) is increasing in younger populations, with some evidence that clinical differences occur according to age of onset (AOO), which may impact prognostic outcomes. The current study sought to compare eating disorder (ED) symptomatology, psychological distress and psychosocial function between early onset (EO), typical onset (TO) and later onset (LO) AN in a large sample of treatment-seeking patients with a diagnosis of AN.

Methods: Participants included 249 individuals with a diagnosis of AN who were assessed at an outpatient ED service.