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IntroductionDevelopments in information and communication technologies have enabled electronic health and seen a huge expansion over the last decade. This has increased the possibility of self-management of health issues.PurposeTo assess the effectiveness of the Baby Buddy app on maternal self-efficacy and mental well-being three months post-birth in a sample of mothers recruited antenatally. In addition, to explore when, why and how mothers use the app and consider any benefits the app may offer them in relation to their parenting, health, relationships or communication with their child, friends, family members or health professionals. METHODS: We will use a mixed-methods approach, a cohort study, a qualitative element and analysis of in-app data. Participants will be first-time pregnant women, aged 16 years and over, between 12 and 16 weeks of gestation and recruited from five English study sites.Evaluation planWe will compare maternal self-efficacy and mental health at three months post-delivery in mothers who have downloaded the Baby Buddy app compared with those that have not downloaded the app, controlling for confounding factors. Women will be recruited antenatally between 12 and 16 weeks of gestation. Further follow-ups will take place at 35 weeks of gestation and three months post-birth. Data from the cohort study will be supplemented by in-app data that will include, for example, patterns of usage. Qualitative data will assess the impact of the app on the lives of pregnant women and health professionals using both focus groups and interviews.EthicsApproval from the West Midlands-South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee (NRES) (16/WM/0029) and the University of the West of England, Bristol, Research Ethics Committee (HAS.16.08.001).DisseminationFindings of the study will be published in peer reviewed and professional journals, presented locally, nationally and at international conferences. Participants will receive a summary of the findings and the results will be published on Best Beginnings' website.

In 1998, a review for the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (the predecessor of the Food Standards Agency) was published evaluating the relative merits of different dietary assessment methods against a series of factors likely to affect compliance or accuracy in low-income households. The review informed the design of a method comparison study carried out in London, UK, in 2001, in which the validity and acceptability of 4 d dietary assessment methods based on 24 h recalls, food checklists and a semi-weighed method were compared with 4 d weighed inventories and other reference measures. Results were based on observations in 384 respondents (159 males, 225 females) aged 2-90 years in 240 households. Outcomes of the comparison study included evaluations of each method made by respondents, interviewers and researchers. These findings were used in the present paper to update and extend the 1998 review. Additional factors not included in the 1998 review have been considered. This updated and extended review provides the basis for discussion of the relative merits of approaches to dietary assessment in low-income households in developed economies. The evidence presented here and elsewhere suggests that the 24 h recall is the method best suited for dietary assessment in low-income households, followed by the weighed inventory, food checklist and lastly the semi-weighed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the publication of the Government's 'Levelling Up' White Paper, this paper reviews the role of institutions and governance structures across English regions in tackling spatial inequality and low productivity. It considers the recent history and changing roles of local and regional organisations and the overarching policy frameworks that oversee them as a key element of tackling spatial inequality and low productivity. Specifically, the paper looks at the frequent changes to institutional arrangements supporting economic development and the process of allocating competitive funds to local and regional bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure on mental health services has not gone unremarked and is of widespread concern in England and Wales. This can have implications when a bed is being sought for a patient who has undergone a Mental Health Act assessment and is deemed to meet the criteria for being formally admitted to hospital. Once the 24 h period for assessment under section 136 of the Act has lapsed, the ongoing detention of the patient can lead to a legal grey area. Through a fictional example this paper examines the relevant case law and statute that may be used to continue the detention and explores the ethical problems that this may cause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During Cook's 1772–75 Antarctic circumnavigation on the HMS Resolution , he recorded the positions of hundreds of icebergs. This paper compares Cook's observations and those of Halley in 1700, Bouvet in 1739 and Riou in 1789, with the Brigham Young University/National Ice Center (BYU/NIC) and the Alfred Wegener Institute datasets. Cook's description of the iceberg plume east of the Amery Ice Shelf and the iceberg distributions in the Weddell, Ross and Amundsen Seas agree with modern data. In January 1774, Cook reached his farthest south on the shelf of the Amundsen Sea Embayment, the site of the current International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration field study. Cook's largest iceberg had a 2.5 km diameter, where power-law models show that icebergs of this size or smaller comprise 92% of their total number. In the eastern Weddell, Cook's observation of a sea-ice tongue with a much greater extent than in satellite imagery remains unexplained. Although Riou's icebergs lie 1000 km east of the BYU/NIC trajectories, application of the England and others (2020) fracture and drift model to the trajectories removes the discrepancy and means that all the ship observations are consistent with modern observations and theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore higher education institution (HEI) perspectives on the development and implementation of trainee nursing associates (NAs) in the primary care workforce in England. Background: Current shortages of primary health care staff have led to innovative skill mix approaches in attempts to maintain safe and effective care. In England, a new level of nursing practice, NAs, was introduced and joined the workforce in 2019. This role was envisaged as a way of bridging the skills gap between health care assistants and registered nurses and as an alternative route into registered nursing. However, there is limited evidence on programme development and implementation of trainee NAs within primary care settings and HEI perspectives on this. Methods: This paper draws from a larger qualitative study of HEI perspectives on the trainee NA programme. Twenty-seven staff involved in training NAs, from five HEIs across England, were interviewed from June to September 2021. The interview schedule specifically included questions relating to primary care. Data relating to primary care were extracted and analysed using a combined framework and thematic analysis approach. Findings: Three themes were developed: 'Understanding the trainee role and requirements', 'Trainee support in primary care' and 'Skills and scope of practice'. It is apparent that a more limited understanding of the NA programme requirements can lead to difficulties in accessing the right support for trainees in primary care. This can create challenges for trainees in gaining the required competencies and uncertainty in understanding what constitutes a safe scope of practice within the role for both employers and trainees. It might be anticipated that as this new programme becomes more embedded in primary care, a greater understanding will develop, support will improve and the nature and scope of this new level of practice will become clearer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past two decades anti-abortionists in the Global North have been aggressively instrumentalising disability in order to undermine women's social autonomy, asserting, falsely, there is an insuperable conflict between disability rights and reproductive rights. The utilisation of disability in struggles over abortion access is not new, it has a history dating back to the interwar era. Indeed, decades before anti-abortionists' campaign, feminists invoked disability to expand access to safe abortion. This paper examines the feminist eugenics in the first organisation dedicated to liberalising restrictive abortion laws, the Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRA), established in England in 1936. ALRA played a vital role in the passage of the Abortion Act 1967 (or the Act) that greatly expanded the grounds for legal abortion, a hugely important gain for women in Britain and beyond seeking legal, safe abortions. In addition, the Act permitted eugenic abortion, which also had transnational effects: within a decade, jurisdictions in numerous Commonwealth countries passed abortion laws that incorporated the Act's eugenics clause, sometimes verbatim. This essay analyses ALRA's role in codifying eugenics in the Abortion Act 1967 and argues that from the outset, ALRA was simultaneously a feminist and eugenist association. Initially, ALRA prioritized their feminist commitment to 'voluntary motherhood' in their campaign whereas starting in the 1940s, they subordinated feminism to negative eugenics, a shift that was simultaneously strategic and a reflection of genuine concern to prevent the birth of children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of the paper `Government Debt and Private Capital Markets: England, 1727-1837,' by Gregory Clark, during the fifty-fifth annual meeting of the Economic History Association.

A new skills-based immigration system, with a preference for the highly-skilled, is central to UK policy debates in the Brexit context, arguably responding to majority public opinion on migration. Through qualitative fieldwork with British, Polish and Romanian citizens living in two local authorities in England, this paper shows what participants understand by 'low-skilled' and how there is broad support of those who 'contribute', but are 'controlled' at the same time. Migrants' narratives of downskilling also illustrate why the category of 'low-skilled' migration needs to be seen through a more critical lens in research and policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of the paper `Prices and Famine in Early Modern England: An Analysis of Tudor-Stuart Public Policy,' by Randall Nielsen, during the fifty-fifth annual meeting of the Economic History Association.

Presents an abstract of the paper `Institutional Change in Income Assistance: Fiscal Federalism During the Lancashire Cotton Famine,' by L. Lynne Kiesling, during the fifty-fifth annual meeting of the Economic History Association.

Background. Responses to anticipateddiscrimination are common among mental health service users and can have adetrimental impact on their recovery. Since 2009, the Time to Change (TTC) anti-stigma program in England has aimed to improve service users' empowerment, reducing public stigma and discrimination. In this paper, we aim to evaluatewhether service users' awareness of TTC is associated with fewer responses toanticipated discrimination. Methods. We used data collected for the evaluation of TTC from samples of mental health service users interviewed by telephone in annual surveys 2009-2014. Results. Five thousand and nine hundredand twenty-three participants completed the survey, mainly suffering from mooddisorders (depression, 28.4%, n = 1,681) and schizophrenia related disorders(15.4%, n = 915). In 23.2% of cases, participants were aware of any aspects of the TTC program, while participationin TTC was reported by 2.6%. Being aware of the TTC program was notsignificantly associated with responses to anticipated discrimination, except for those participating in the TTC campaign in 2013. Stopping oneself fromapplying for work was significantly associated with experienced discriminationin both finding (p < 0.001) and keeping (p < 0.001) a job. Concealing mental health problems was associated with a general experience of being shunned (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Awareness of a nationalanti-stigma program may not be sufficient to encourage people to seek work/educationor to be open about their illness in situations in which they currentlyanticipate discrimination. There is the need to identify new multi-levelstrategies for challenging anticipated discrimination, even focusing ondifferent target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seriousness and scale of the physical, psychological, economic and societal consequences relating to poor diets, inactivity and obesity is unprecedented. Consequently, the contextual factors underpinning the work of a nutritionist in the civil service are complex and significant; however, there are real opportunities to make a difference and help improve the health of the nation. The present paper describes the delivery of public health nutrition through two work programmes, namely action to support young people develop healthier lifestyle choices and more recently the investigation and deployment of local insights to develop action to tackle obesity. Combining the application of nutrition expertise along with broader skills and approaches has enabled the translation of research and evidence into programmes of work to better the public's health. It is evident that the appropriate evaluation of such approaches has helped to deliver engaging and practical learning opportunities for young people. Furthermore, efforts to build on local intelligence and seek collaborative development can help inform the evidence base and seek to deliver public health approaches, which resonate with how people live their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the international conference, The Proms and British Musical Life, held from April 23 to 25, 2007 at the British Library in London, England. The conference commemorated 80 years of the Henry Wood Proms by BBC. The conference featured several practitioners, commentators and historians. Three days of papers and roundtable discussion raised musicological, historical or media-related issues pertaining to new music.

Objective: To prioritise policy actions for government to improve the food environment and contribute to reduced obesity and related diseases.Design: Cross-sectional study applying the Food Environment Policy Index (Food EPI) in two stages. First, the evidence on all relevant policies was compiled, through an Internet search of government documents, and reviewed for accuracy and completeness by government officials. Second, independent experts were brought together to identify critical gaps and prioritise actions to fill those gaps, through a two-stage rating process.Setting: England.Subjects: A total of seventy-three independent experts from forty-one organisations were involved in the exercise.Results: The top priority policy actions for government identified were: (i) control the advertising of unhealthy foods to children; (ii) implement the levy on sugary drinks; (iii) reduce the sugar, fat and salt content in processed foods (leading to an energy reduction); (iv) monitor school and nursery food standards; (v) prioritise health and the environment in the 25-year Food and Farming Plan; (vi) adopt a national food action plan; (vii) monitor the food environment; (viii) apply buying standards to all public institutions; (ix) strengthen planning laws to discourage less healthy food offers; and (x) evaluate food-related programmes and policies.Conclusions: Applying the Food EPI resulted in agreement on the ten priority actions required to improve the food environment. The Food EPI has proved to be a useful tool in developing consensus for action to address the obesity epidemic among a broad group of experts in a complex legislative environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent Draft Mental Health Bill for England and Wales proposes changes to the Mental Health Act 1983 which will include, for the first time, a legal definition of autism. This article explores the specific potential issue that the definition, owing to its breadth, potentially encompasses a number of conditions other than autism, consequently leaving the definitionally dependent concept of 'psychiatric disorder' significantly narrowed in scope. The potential implications of this – primarily the concern that a range of other conditions and presentations could be unintentionally excluded from the scope of the civil powers in the Mental Health Act – are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and method: The prevalence of delaying psychiatric care until the patient has received 'medical clearance', and the definitions and understanding of 'medical clearance' terminology by relevant clinicians, are largely unknown. In a service evaluation of adult liaison psychiatry services across England, we explore the prevalence, definitions and understanding of 'medical clearance' terminology in three parallel studies: (a) an analysis of trust policies, (b) a survey of liaison psychiatry services and (c) a survey of referring junior doctors. Content and thematic analyses were performed. Results: ' Medical clearance' terminology was used in the majority of trust policies, reported as a referral criterion by many liaison psychiatry services and had been encountered by most referring doctors. 'Medical clearance' was identified as a common barrier to liaison psychiatry referral. Terms were inconsistently used and poorly defined. Clinical implications: Many liaison psychiatry services seem not to comply with guidance promoting parallel assessment. This may affect parity of physical and mental healthcare provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant attention has been paid to the history of public health in England during the final part of the twentieth century. Within this, however, the field that came to be known as specialist health promotion (SHP) has been relatively neglected. Between 1980 and 2000 those working in this field, generally known as health promotion specialists (HPSs), enjoyed a relative rise in policy and practice prominence before SHP was effectively abandoned by government and others charged with developing and sustaining public-health structures. This paper seeks to explain why the fall of SHP is important; to move towards explaining its rise and decline; and to argue for greater historical attention to be paid to an important but neglected field within health and health care. Essentially, SHP emerged from a set of loose and contingent practices known as health education. A range of important social, economic, organisational and political influences contributed to the slow construction of a putative specialism in health promotion, accompanied by the desire on the part of some (but not all) HPSs to 'professionalise' their role. Finally the projects of both specialisation and professionalisation failed, again as a result of then prevailing organisational and political influences. The importance of such a failure in a so-called era of public health is discussed. In the light of this, the paper concludes by briefly setting out an agenda for further research related to the history of SHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, through a detailed examination of the private papers of the English landed elite, argues for the important place of anger in early modern society. It investigates the verbal expression of rage, from irritation to fury, in men and women: why it was aroused, how it was articulated, its effects, and in what circumstances anger was regarded as a legitimate response. Anger was a forceful invitation to renegotiate unsatisfactory aspects of relationships. It spotlighted deficiencies in duty, unacceptable conduct, disrespect, broken promises, and frustrated expectations. The article also challenges the prevailing approach to the history of emotions and suggests that we move from a model of linear repression to one of situated experience. Rather than postulating the gradual suppression of unacceptable emotions, historians should examine the conventions governing the expression of emotions in context, as well as the many perspectives on what was acceptable behaviour and what was not. Focusing on the situated use of emotions brings to light the different emotional mentality of the seventeenth century which linked emotions in unfamiliar ways. It also enables to us to uncover the interaction of emotions and how individuals engaged in daily life with cultural scripts, as well as bringing us closer to unravelling the emotional system of early modern England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the way and extent in which the criminal law was used to control the motorist in England during the first third of the twentieth century. Problem in the development of motor vehicles travelling at greater speeds; Issue between the police and the middle classes; Whiggish view of law making; Concept of the `policeman state'; `The road hog' scapegoat.

Presents an abstract of a conference paper on the public health externalities of private water-supply in London, England.

Objective: Religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviours (RSBB) have been associated with health outcomes, with diet a potential mediator of this relationship. We therefore explored whether RSBB were associated with differences in diet. Design: Dietary patterns and nutrient intakes were derived from food frequency questionnaire completed by pregnant women in 1991–1992 (mean age = 28·3 years, range = 15–46) and by the mothers and partners 4 years post-partum (mothers mean age = 32·3, range = 19–49; partners mean age = 34·5, range = 18–74). RSBB exposures measured in pregnancy included religious belief, affiliation and attendance. We first explored whether RSBBs were associated with dietary patterns in confounder-adjusted linear regression models. If associations were found, we examined whether RSBB were associated with nutrient intake (linear regression) and following nutrient intake guidelines (logistic regression). Setting: Prospective birth cohort study in Southwest England (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children; ALSPAC). Participants: 13 689 enrolled mothers and their associated partners. Results: In pregnant women, RSBB were associated with higher 'traditional' (i.e. 'meat and two veg') and lower 'vegetarian' dietary pattern scores. Religious attendance and non-Christian religious affiliation were associated with higher 'health-conscious' dietary pattern scores. Religious attendance was associated with increased micronutrient intake and following recommended micronutrient intake guidelines, with weaker effects for religious belief and affiliation. Comparable patterns were observed for mothers and partners 4 years post-partum, although associations between RSBB and nutrient intakes were weaker for partners. Conclusions: RSBBs are associated with broad dietary patterns and nutrient intake in this cohort. If these reflect causal relationships, diet may potentially mediate the pathway between RSBB and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informality has long been valued in England, and this is true of the political process as well as the institution of the judiciary. In both cases, it is assumed that the senior figures will have absorbed unwritten conventions and will by osmosis naturally understand their respective role in the UK constitution. Much is now starting to change, at least as far as the English judiciary is concerned. It is, first, argued that informal judicial institutions did not become redundant when the separation of powers was formally introduced with a program of modernization of the judiciary in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Selected illustrations of persisting informal judicial institutions are then discussed in relation to the deliberative processes in senior courts; to judicial selection and appointments; and to the disciplinary process. Second, informal judicial institutions are deeply connected with the UK constitutional tradition. The Brexit litigation laid bare the challenges of containing political behavior within certain boundaries, and the unwritten conventions which have bound the judiciary and the executivemight now be instinctively understood and shared by only one of these two parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One would expect the common agenda of improving the quality of care in hospital sectors across nations to bring about a convergence of their quality assurance systems. However, one finds great variations in the ways in which such schemes are constructed and communicated to the general public in different countries. This paper examines three universal health care systems (England, Sweden and Japan) and explores the degree to which political institutions and public opinions affect the processes of quality assurance system building within them. It argues that the inputs from governments in response to public concerns are the key to understanding the changes in this seemingly profession-dominated policy domain; therefore policy changes are significantly affected by dynamic interactions between events, public discourses and governance structures within these countries. The findings also demonstrate that public access to information has begun to have a large impact on policy debates in all three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article remembers the "Universal News," an Catholic newspaper published in London, England, between 1860 and 1869. There were many Irish Catholics living in London by that time and the paper gradually represented the burgeoning Irish nationalism. The author suggests the paper mirrored the tensions between Irish and English Catholics, and secular nationalism and the church.

ObjectiveTo produce prediction equations for basal metabolic rate (BMR) derived from weight and height covering the age range from birth to old age.DesignCross-sectional data on BMR, sex, age, weight, height, ethnicity and measurement technique from the Oxford Brookes BMR database.SettingWorldwide.SubjectsData for 13 910 men, women and children from 174 papers published between 1914 and 2001.ResultsAbsolute and proportional regression models were developed for each sex, showing a steep rise in predicted BMR with age until 15 years, more pronounced in males than females, then a gradual fall through adulthood. Predicted BMR increased by 6% and 1.4%, respectively, per standard deviation increase in weight and height. Predicted BMR in Caucasians was 4% higher than in non-Caucasians, though the effect size was sensitive to the inclusion or exclusion of data from certain influential publications. The effect of measurement technique on BMR, closed-circuit versus open-circuit, was small, near 1%.ConclusionsIt is possible to develop prediction equations that avoid splitting the data into arbitrary age groups. Heterogeneity between publications is greater than might be expected by chance, probably due to undocumented differences in technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Physical access to food may affect diet and thus obesity rates. We build upon existing work to better understand how socio-economic characteristics of locations are associated with childhood overweight. Design: Using cross-sectional design and publicly available data, the study specifically compares rural and urban areas, including interactions of distance from supermarkets with income and population density. Setting: We examine cross-sectional associations with obesity prevalence both in the national scale and across urban and rural areas differing in household wealth. Participants: Children in reception class (aged 4–5) from all state-maintained schools in England taking part in the National Child Measurement Programme (n 6772). Results: Income was the main predictor of childhood obesity (adj. R-sq=.316, p<.001), whereas distance played only a marginal role (adj. R-sq=.01, p<.001). In urban areas, distance and density correlate with obesity directly and conditionally. Urban children were slightly more obese, but the opposite was true for children in affluent areas. Association between income poverty and obesity rates was stronger in urban areas (7·59 %) than rural areas (4·95 %), the former which also showed stronger association between distance and obesity. Conclusions: Obesogenic environments present heightened risks in deprived urban and affluent rural areas. The results have potential value for policy making as for planning and targeting of services for vulnerable groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community treatment orders (CTOs) were introduced in England in 2008. Aims To measure the rate of CTO use in England during the first 5 years following introduction.Method: The number of involuntary detentions and CTOs in National Health Service (NHS) hospital trusts was collected between 2009 and 2014. Rates of CTO use and the ratio of CTOs to detentions on admission were calculated, and how these varied between trusts.Results: The number of new CTOs each year ranged between 3834 and 4647. The number subject to a CTO per 100 000 population increased from 6.4 in 2009/10 to 10.0 in 2013/14. There was variation between NHS trusts in the use of CTOs when compared with the number of involuntary detentions CONCLUSIONS: The number of patients on CTOs increased year on year. Those on forensic sections were more likely to be discharged on a CTO than those on civil sections. There was considerable variation in the pattern of use between hospitals. Declaration of interest None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the first 15 years of Joseph John Thomson's directorship of the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge University. The laboratory under Janes Clerk Maxwell and Lord Rayleigh; Thomson's election; Thomson as a researcher; Consolidation of the laboratory's organization; Researchers and researches; The 1895 regulation; Thomson and advanced students; The emergence of the Cavendish school.

Proposes an econometric model for estimating the price and output effect of the Limitation of the Vend, a mineowners' cartel in the coal trade of London, England during the 1770-1845 period. Effect of a formal regulation on the price of coal; Purpose of the Limitation.

In this paper, some recent findings about the nature of plea negotiation in the Birmingham Crown Court in England are discussed. These findings, to which the legal profession in England reacted with hostility, raise doubts about traditionally accepted assumptions concerning the role of plea bargaining in English criminal justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offers a look at the work of the Crown Agents for Colonies, an office in London, England responsible for the business affairs of British overseas territories in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Reorganization made to the office in 1858; Advantages and commissions given to Crown Agents; Number of loans issued since 1858; Other business interests.

Summary: Antiseizure medications (ASMs) are the second most widely prescribed psychotropic for people with intellectual disabilities in England. Multiple psychotropic prescribing is prevalent in almost half of people with intellectual disabilities on ASMs. This analysis identifies limited evidence of ASM benefit in challenging behaviour management and suggests improvements needed to inform clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SummaryCurrent mental health provision for children is based on estimates of one in ten children experiencing mental health problems. This study analyses a large-scale community-based dataset of 28 160 adolescents to explore school-based prevalence of mental health problems and characteristics that predict increased odds of experiencing them. Findings indicate the scale of mental health problems in England is much higher than previous estimates, with two in five young people scoring above thresholds for emotional problems, conduct problems or hyperactivity. Gender, deprivation, child in need status, ethnicity and age were all associated with increased odds of experiencing mental health difficulties.Declarations of interestNone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a growing global awareness of the psychological consequences of long COVID, supported by emerging empirical evidence. However, the emergence and long-term trajectories of psychological symptoms following the infection are still unclear.Aims: To examine when psychological symptoms first emerge following infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the long-term trajectories of psychological symptoms comparing long- and short-COVID groups.Method: We analysed longitudinal data from the UCL COVID-19 Social Study (March 2020 to November 2021). We included data from adults living in England who reported contracting SARS-CoV-2 by November 2021 (n = 3115). Of these, 15.9% reported having had long COVID (n = 495). They were matched to participants who had short COVID using propensity score matching on a variety of demographic, socioeconomic and health covariates (n = 962 individuals with 13 325 observations) and data were further analysed using growth curve modelling.Results: Depressive and anxiety symptoms increased immediately following the onset of infection in both long- and short-COVID groups. But the long-COVID group had substantially greater initial increases in depressive symptoms and heightened levels over 22 months follow-up. Initial increases in anxiety were not significantly different between groups, but only the short-COVID group experienced an improvement in anxiety over follow-up, leading to widening differences between groups.Conclusions: The findings support work on the psychobiological pathways involved in the development of psychological symptoms relating to long COVID. The results highlight the need for monitoring of mental health and provision of adequate support to be interwoven with diagnosis and treatment of the physical consequences of long COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) have faced considerable pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, this has resulted in mental health distress and disorder. Although interventions have sought to support HCWs, few have been evaluated. Aims: We aimed to determine the effectiveness of the 'Foundations' application (app) on general (non-psychotic) psychiatric morbidity. Method: We conducted a multicentre randomised controlled trial of HCWs at 16 NHS trusts (trial registration number: EudraCT: 2021-001279-18). Participants were randomly assigned to the app or wait-list control group. Measures were assessed at baseline, after 4 and 8 weeks. The primary outcome was general psychiatric morbidity (using the General Health Questionnaire). Secondary outcomes included: well-being; presenteeism; anxiety; depression and insomnia. The primary analysis used mixed-effects multivariable regression, presented as adjusted mean differences (aMD). Results: Between 22 March and 3 June 2021, 1002 participants were randomised (500:502), and 894 (89.2%) followed-up. The sample was predominately women (754/894, 84.3%), with a mean age of 44⋅3 years (interquartile range (IQR) 34–53). Participants randomised to the app had a reduction in psychiatric morbidity symptoms (aMD = −1.39, 95% CI −2.05 to −0.74), improvement in well-being (aMD = 0⋅54, 95% CI 0⋅20 to 0⋅89) and reduction in insomnia (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0⋅36, 95% CI 0⋅21 to 0⋅60). No other significant findings were found, or adverse events reported. Conclusions: The app had an effect in reducing psychiatric morbidity symptoms in a sample of HCWs. Given it is scalable with no adverse effects, the app may be used as part of an organisation's tiered staff support package. Further evidence is needed on long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The nursing associate role was first deployed in England in 2019 to fill a perceived skills gap in the nursing workforce between healthcare assistants and registered nurses and to offer an alternative route into registered nursing. Initially, trainee nursing associates were predominantly based in hospital settings; however, more recently, there has been an increase in trainees based in primary care settings. Early research has focussed on experiences of the role across a range of settings, particularly secondary care; therefore, little is known about the experiences and unique support needs of trainees based in primary care. Aim: To explore the experiences and career development opportunities for trainee nursing associates based in primary care. Methods: This study used a qualitative exploratory design. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 trainee nursing associates based in primary care from across England. Data were collected between October and November 2021, transcribed and analysed thematically. Findings: Four key themes relating to primary care trainee experiences of training and development were identified. Firstly, nursing associate training provided a 'valuable opportunity for career progression'. Trainees were frustrated by the 'emphasis on secondary care' in both academic content and placement portfolio requirements. They also experienced 'inconsistency in support' from their managers and assessors and noted a number of 'constraints to their learning opportunities', including the opportunity to progress to become registered nurses. Conclusion: This study raises important issues for trainee nursing associates, which may influence the recruitment and retention of the nursing associate workforce in primary care. Educators should consider adjustments to how the curriculum is delivered, including primary care skills and relevant assessments. Employers need to recognise the resource requirements for the programme, in relation to time and support, to avoid undue stress for trainees. Protected learning time should enable trainees to meet the required proficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many male prisoners have significant mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. High proportions struggle with homelessness and substance misuse. Aims: This study aims to evaluate whether the Engager intervention improves mental health outcomes following release. Method: The design is a parallel randomised superiority trial that was conducted in the North West and South West of England (ISRCTN11707331). Men serving a prison sentence of 2 years or less were individually allocated 1:1 to either the intervention (Engager plus usual care) or usual care alone. Engager included psychological and practical support in prison, on release and for 3–5 months in the community. The primary outcome was the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), 6 months after release. Primary analysis compared groups based on intention-to-treat (ITT). Results: In total, 280 men were randomised out of the 396 who were potentially eligible and agreed to participate; 105 did not meet the mental health inclusion criteria. There was no mean difference in the ITT complete case analysis between groups (92 in each arm) for change in the CORE-OM score (1.1, 95% CI –1.1 to 3.2, P = 0.325) or secondary analyses. There were no consistent clinically significant between-group differences for secondary outcomes. Full delivery was not achieved, with 77% (108/140) receiving community-based contact. Conclusions: Engager is the first trial of a collaborative care intervention adapted for prison leavers. The intervention was not shown to be effective using standard outcome measures. Further testing of different support strategies for prison with mental health problems is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the several papers discussed at the annual meeting of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain held at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England on March 30 to August 2, 2006 is presented. Linguists had special sessions on morphology, and dynamic syntax. A list of linguists and their papers is presented.

Presents an abstract of a conference paper on institutional change and the development of road transportation in England from 1690 to 1840.

Background: Psychiatric mother and baby units (MBUs) are recommended for severe perinatal mental illness, but effectiveness compared with other forms of acute care remains unknown.Aims: We hypothesised that women admitted to MBUs would be less likely to be readmitted to acute care in the 12 months following discharge, compared with women admitted to non-MBU acute care (generic psychiatric wards or crisis resolution teams (CRTs)).Method: Quasi-experimental cohort study of women accessing acute psychiatric care up to 1 year postpartum in 42 healthcare organisations across England and Wales. Primary outcome was readmission within 12 months post-discharge. Propensity scores were used to account for systematic differences between MBU and non-MBU participants. Secondary outcomes included assessment of cost-effectiveness, experience of services, unmet needs, perceived bonding, observed mother-infant interaction quality and safeguarding outcome.Results: Of 279 women, 108 (39%) received MBU care, 62 (22%) generic ward care and 109 (39%) CRT care only. The MBU group (n = 105) had similar readmission rates to the non-MBU group (n = 158) (aOR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.86-1.04, P = 0.29; an absolute difference of -5%, 95% CI -14 to 4%). Service satisfaction was significantly higher among women accessing MBUs compared with non-MBUs; no significant differences were observed for any other secondary outcomes.Conclusions: We found no significant differences in rates of readmission, but MBU advantage might have been masked by residual confounders; readmission will also depend on quality of care after discharge and type of illness. Future studies should attempt to identify the effective ingredients of specialist perinatal in-patient and community care to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a summary of a doctoral dissertation on the use of time in the eighteenth century with the concept of giving account for time use taken from Old Bailey, a court in England. Assumption that Londoners were very hard-working between 1750-1800; Availability of data from the `Old Bailey Sessions Papers'; Indepth look at the validity of the assumption.

Discusses studies made concerning the economic history in Europe. Effect of cartel on the demand and supply system of coal trade in London, England between 1770-1845; Discussion on demand elasticities; Line of reasoning advanced in the study of sharecropping growth in France between 1500 and 1700.

Summary: The draft Mental Health Bill, which amends the Mental Health Act 1983 for England and Wales, proposes protections for people with intellectual disability and/or autism (ID/A) to prevent detention in hospital in the absence of mental illness. This editorial critically appraises the positive impact and unintended consequences of the proposed reforms for people with ID/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the relationship between a posteriori dietary patterns in early childhood and alcohol consumption in adolescence.Design: Data were obtained from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) prospective cohort study. Dietary information was obtained using FFQ at the age of 3 and 7 years. The association between dietary patterns, derived using principal components analysis and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores (to assess harmful intake) and frequency of alcohol consumption at the age of 17 years were examined. Secondary analysis considered sugar intake as a percentage of total energy intake.Setting: Women who gave birth between 1 April 1991 and 31 December 1992 in the Avon area in southwest England were eligible for the ALSPAC cohort study.Participants: Totally, 14 541 pregnancies were enrolled in ALSPAC during its initial recruitment phase. For this analysis, complete data were available for between 3148 and 3520 participants.Results: Adherence to the 'healthy' dietary pattern at both 3 and 7 years of age was positively associated with consuming more than one alcoholic drink per week at 17 years of age, whilst adherence to the 'traditional' dietary pattern at both ages was protective of harmful alcohol intake at 17 years of age. Sugar intake was not associated with either alcohol outcome after adjustment for ethnicity, maternal level of education, parental social class and maternal AUDIT score.Conclusions: For the population studied, changes to diet in early childhood are unlikely to have an impact on harmful alcohol use in adolescence given the lack of consistency across the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 60 000 people in England have coexisting type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and severe mental illness (SMI). They are more likely to have poorer health outcomes and require more complex care pathways compared with those with T2DM alone. Despite increasing prevalence, little is known about the healthcare resource use and costs for people with both conditions.Aims: To assess the impact of SMI on healthcare resource use and service costs for adults with T2DM, and explore the predictors of healthcare costs and lifetime costs for people with both conditions.Method: This was a matched-cohort study using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink linked to Hospital Episode Statistics for 1620 people with comorbid SMI and T2DM and 4763 people with T2DM alone. Generalised linear models and the Bang and Tsiatis method were used to explore cost predictors and mean lifetime costs respectively.Results: There were higher average annual costs for people with T2DM and SMI (£1930 higher) than people with T2DM alone, driven primarily by mental health and non-mental health-related hospital admissions. Key predictors of higher total costs were older age, comorbid hypertension, use of antidepressants, use of first-generation antipsychotics, and increased duration of living with both conditions. Expected lifetime costs were approximately £35 000 per person with both SMI and T2DM. Extrapolating nationally, this would generate total annual costs to the National Health Service of around £250 m per year.Conclusions: Our estimates of resource use and costs for people with both T2DM and SMI will aid policymakers and commissioners in service planning and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current paper describes Diet In Nutrients Out (DINO), an integrated dietary assessment system incorporating dietary data entry and nutritional analysis within one platform for use in dietary assessment in small-scale intervention studies to national surveys. Design: DINO contains >6000 food items, mostly aggregated composites of branded foods, across thirty-one main food groups divided into 151 subsidiary groups for detailed reporting requirements, with fifty-three core nutrient fields. Setting: MRC Human Nutrition Research (HNR), Cambridge, UK and MRC Keneba, Gambia. Subjects: DINO is used across dietary assessment projects at HNR and MRC Keneba. Results: DINO contains macro- and micronutrients as well as additional variables of current research and policy interest, such as caffeine, whole grains, vitamin K and added sugars. Disaggregated data are available for fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese in composite foods, enabling greater accuracy when reporting food consumption or assessing adherence to dietary recommendations. Portion sizes are categorised in metric and imperial weights, with standardised portion sizes for each age group. Regular reviews are undertaken for portion sizes and food composition to ensure contemporary relevance. A training programme and a checking schedule are adhered to for quality assurance purposes, covering users and data. Eating context questions are integrated to record where and with whom the respondent is eating, allowing examination between these factors and the foods consumed. Conclusions: An up-to-date quality-assured system for dietary assessment is crucial for nutritional surveillance and research, but needs to have the flexibility to be tailored to address specific research questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are concerns that keyworkers may be at a greater risk for psychological distress than non-keyworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little research has included keyworkers outside of the healthcare sector or has disaggregated keyworkers into different subgroups. Aims: To examine longitudinal changes in mental health over 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic comparing four different groups of keyworkers with non-keyworkers. Method: Longitudinal data were from 21 874 adults living in England (21 March 2020 to 22 February 2021). Latent growth modelling was utilised to compare growth trajectories of depressive and anxiety symptoms in non-keyworkers and four types of keyworkers: (a) health and social care workers, (b) teachers and child care workers, (c) public service workers, and (d) essential services keyworkers (such as food chain or utility workers). Results: When accounting for both time-invariant and time-varying covariates, keyworkers in the essential services category had consistently higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than non-keyworkers across the whole of the study period. There was little difference in the mental health trajectories between health/social care, teachers/child care and public service worker categories and non-keyworkers. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the risk for poorer mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic varies within the broad category of keyworkers generally, and that those working in utility, food chain and transport roles are especially at risk. Future research should focus on identifying which aspects of working conditions may be contributing to occupational stress in these groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: NHS Psychiatric beds comprise mental illness and intellectual disability beds. Penrose hypothesised that the number of psychiatric in-patients was inversely related to prison population size. Aims: To ascertain whether the Penrose hypothesis held true in England between 1960 and 2018–2019. Method: A time-series analysis explored the association between total prison population and NHS psychiatric beds; this was also tested for the male and female prison populations, using non-psychiatric beds as a comparator. Associations were explored with time lags of up to 20 years. Linear regression was conducted to estimate the size of the effect of bed closures. Results: NHS psychiatric beds decreased 93% and the prison population increased 208%. A strong (r =−0.96) and highly significant negative correlation between these changes was found. Annual reduction in psychiatric bed numbers was associated with an increase in prison population, strongest at a lag of 10 years. The closure of mental illness and intellectual disability beds was associated with increases in female prisoners 10 years later. The only significant explanatory variable for the increase in male prison population was intellectual disability bed reduction. Conclusions: The Penrose hypothesis held true between 1960 and 2018–2019 in England: psychiatric bed closures were associated with increases in prison population up to 10 years later. For every 100 psychiatric beds closed, there were 36 more prisoners 10 years later: 3 more female prisoners and 33 more male prisoners. Our results suggest that the dramatic increase in the female prison population may relate to the closure of NHS beds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]