The British Journal of Psychiatry

There has been much recent debate about diagnosis in neurodevelopmental disorders, both within and outside of psychiatry. Using the examples of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, we argue for the virtues of the clinical diagnostic hierarchy to improve formulation and make better decisions about treatment.

Psychedelics hold promise for psychiatry, yet clinical translation remains premature. Addressing the challenges of psychedelics in psychiatry requires advances in mechanistic study, clinical implementation, regulatory governance and public discourse in parallel.

Individuals with co-occurring autism and psychosis are poorly supported by current psychiatric systems yet commonly present to both autism and psychosis services. Diagnostic overshadowing, fragmented pathways and unadapted interventions drive poorer outcomes. Psychosis services must embed neurodevelopmentally informed assessment, formulation, staff training and routine treatment adaptations to de…

This article outlines recommended approaches for future Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-driven research on anxiety disorders that are aligned with the National Institute of Mental Health's translational aims. It discusses 'intermediary' psychological processes, multidimensional sampling, experimental designs and the integration of environmental and developmental factors.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems in adolescents are increasing. Universal school-based interventions may play an important preventative role. AIMS: The aim of the Approaches for Well-being and Mental Health Literacy: Research in Education (AWARE) trial was to evaluate two universal, school-based interventions that previously yielded evidence of impact in other countries: Youth Aware of Mental H…

Background Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating eating disorder with high mortality and chronicity rates owing to the paucity of effective existing treatments. Several clinical trials using psilocybin therapy have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy and safety in psychiatric conditions, including anorexia nervosa. Aims This study aimed to further assess the safety, feasibility and potential efficacy …

Background Autistic people are at an elevated risk of premature mortality; however, few studies have identified factors that explain this association. Co-occurring psychiatric conditions are a strong candidate, given that autistic people are at a high risk of such conditions and these conditions are broadly associated with premature mortality. Aims We aimed to investigate the degree to which co-o…

Background Depression is often accompanied by multisystem comorbidities, but the time trajectories of these comorbidities remain unclear. Aims We aimed to define the temporal sequence of comorbidity accrual relative to depression diagnosis, and examine how this trajectory differs in recurrent depression. Method A total of 32 953 individuals with depression were identified in the UK Biobank cohort…

Summary A gap exists in the UK in recognising, understanding and meeting the mental health needs of refugee women in the perinatal period who have experienced war and conflict. Women survivors of war who have been exposed to conflict-related gender-based violence have increased vulnerabilities during pregnancy.

Summary Lithium is the only true mood stabiliser as it is able to both treat and prevent mania and depression. In practice, its popularity has declined despite discovering it has anti-suicidal and neuroprotective properties. Here, we argue for recognition of its benefits and advocate for its clinical use more widely.