One in five young people accesses mental health services by the time they reach the age of eighteen. Numbers have been accelerating before the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular rise after 2010 - only six percent who were born in 1991 having accessed services by the same age [link here]. Another study reported in the same article links this trend to ‘worsening sleep quality, economic pressure, a reduction in children and youth services, and social media and smartphone use.’
Becoming more resilient through social support
Social support from friends, family and/or a partner can serve as a buffer against some mental health difficulties (in particular depression). Making new friends can be harder as an adult (rather than childhood) as people have less free time. Nevertheless, it may be easier than you first imagine. This article [link here] describes a woman’s experience of finding new friends through some apps designed for this purpose.
Using progressive relaxation and calming methods to fall asleep
Whilst this article [here] presents this as a new ‘trend’, the use of progressive relaxation with calming techniques (involving breathing and mental strategies) has been used successfully for many decades to help with falling asleep. I have provided some recordings on my resources webpage [here] which describe this form of approach. These were recorded some 30 years ago (and so could probably be helpfully updated). However, as noted in the article, it can take longer than two minutes to have the desired effect.
Some general ways that we can all deal with stress
In the UK at the moment, therapy to help with the effects of stress is not always possible to access in a timely manner. However, there are various things that we can do to help ourselves which may make a difference. This article [here] lists some such activities which can, in any case, be a minor part of the recommendations that a therapist might offer in a treatment package.
No clear link between paracetamol, autism and ADHD?
As reported [here], US President Donald Trump suggested that paracetamol could be linked to an increase in the rates of autism. A recent review of other reviews has found that whilst a link is still possible, no clear link has been proven. It advises women to continue to use the drug to help with pain and fever. The review also raised doubts about a link to ADHD or other ‘neurodevelopmental outcomes’. Trump’s comments may have triggered unfounded guilty feelings in some mothers who used the drug during pregnancy. Hopefully, this report will settle these.
Methods of managing pain
Pain can have a huge impact on mental health. It can directly affect mood as well as limit us from doing the things that we enjoy and that keep us healthy. Chronic pain is thought to affect nearly half of UK adults. This article [here] lists some methods of managing pain other than by taking medication. Medication can result in negative health effects for some people in the long term. I recommend a book which I edited, written by Chris Pennington and due to be published in 2026. It is called ‘How to Beat Pain: A Brief, Evidence-based Self-help Treatment’ [details here].
Some ADHD services close to new patients
The BBC reports [here] that fifteen of 59 local, specialist ADHD services in England have closed their waiting lists to new patients. These services are apparently under immense strain.
Dramatic increase in OCD in younger adults
According to a report [here], the number of people aged 16-24 who are experiencing obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) has tripled over a decade. Various factors are thought to have contributed to this, including pressures arising from societal problems and social media, as well as the disruption of supports and coping mechanisms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some characteristics of those who experience ADHD
It is estimated that over 2.5 million people in the UK have ADHD, many having to wait over two years for a diagnostic assessment. According to an article [here], over half a million people are waiting for an assessment. Helpfully, the author also shares nine common ‘warning signs’ that someone may have the condition. This may indicate whether or not you or your partner could have ADHD. The NHS also provides some useful information about coping with ADHD [here].
New issues with medication for psychological issues reported
Many people benefit from taking medication for their psychological issues. Best practice guidance sometimes recommends medication and psychological therapy as a combined treatment. However, there have been some recent reports about possible negative effects associated with medications: 1) A pharmacist [here] warns of possible, ‘terrible’ withdrawal symptoms associated with coming off of paroxetine, duloxetine and venlafaxine. 2) The antidepressant amitriptyline causes weight gain, increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure in many [see here]. And 3) Sedating antidepressants such as mirtazapine, amitriptyline and trazodone are sometimes prescribed for sleeplessness but can result in chronic insomnia in the long term [here]. On a positive note, the side effects of thirty antidepressants have been ranked for the first time. There are large differences between them. The ‘take-away’ from this study is that different antidepressants are likely to be appropriate for people with the same diagnosis [see here].
The keys to a healthy romantic relationship
Several psychological principles have been found to lie behind a healthy, long-term, romantic relationship. This article [here] describes each principle as a floor of a seven-story building. Examples of such floors include ‘managing conflict constructively’ and ‘cultivating fondness and admiration’.
Daytime posture can affect sleep at night
Sleeping is important to many aspects of feeling good, both mentally and physically. Spending time hunched over a screen can result in ‘tech neck’ according to this article [here]. This can apparently affect available sleeping positions and result in nightime discomfort. The article advocates good daytime posture.
Some common medications and disturbing side effects
Often, the negative effects of taking medications emerge after they have been released to the market. This article [here] describes how, when the painkiller tramadol is taken with certain widely used antidepressants, there is an increased risk of seizure. Another article [here] describes how some people have reported that the hair loss drug Propecia can result in mood swings, loss of sex drive and a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviours.
Sound advice for better sleeping could make matters worse for some
Helpful tactics for getting a good night’s sleep could, in some instances, backfire. For example, standard advice is to avoid looking at screens before sleep. However, lying in the dark while in bed can, for some, create a mental vacuum which can attract worry and overthinking. This can make drifting off to sleep more challenging. More information about potential pitfalls is provided in this article [here]. A take-home message is to use these strategies flexibly in a manner that best works for you.
A brief positive note on the treatment of post-natal depression
Could computers replace some of our mental abilities?
I always marvel when I see the handwritten manuscripts of authors who wrote in the period before computers existed. The ability to organise information so well in our minds in this way may have been lost to the word processor. Now a neuroscientist [here] warns that artificial intelligence could ‘… kill your memory, fracture your attention span and wreck your creativity over time’. As computers offer new abilities, we may lose our mental equivalents. This could result in a kind of ‘digital dementia’. With mental as well as physical abilities, the phrase ‘use it or lose it’ would seem to apply.
Young adults seem less responsive to talking therapies
A study, described here, has found that young people (aged 16-25) with anxiety and depression are 25% less likely to recover with talking therapy treatment. They seem to find it more difficult to ‘navigate’ services for adults, finding it harder to regularly attend therapy sessions. This is of particular concern as rates of common mental health problems are increasing in this group. More than a quarter report now experiencing such difficulties, up from 17.5% in 2007.
Waiting list woes for those who experience mental health difficulties
Whilst waiting lists are reducing for those who have some physical health issues, unfortunately, this article [here] says that this is not the case for those with mental health issues. In May 2025, there were almost 15000 patients with a severe mental illness who had been waiting longer than 78 weeks for treatment. The article includes a case study of someone who has had ‘complex PTSD’ who, whilst desperate for help, has only seen a psychiatrist once in the ten years that she has had the issue.
More information about mental health challenges that might be triggered by social media
I have previously written about some of the stresses associated with social media consumption, for instance, here. The effects of online activities ‘ghosting’ (cutting off contact with someone) and ‘gaslighting’ (causing someone to question their perception of reality) have been reported [here]. Broadly speaking, they can trigger depression and paranoia in some younger people.