Patients with ‘underlying’ autism spectrum disorder (ASD) constitute a significant minority in adult out-patient psychiatry. Diagnoses of previously unrecognised ASD are increasing in adults. Characteristics of patients with autism within adult out-patient psychiatry have not been sufficiently explored, and there have not been any systematic comparisons of characteristics between patients with and those without autism within adult out-patient psychiatric populations.

To examine psychiatrically relevant characteristics in autistic adult psychiatric out-patients, and to compare the characteristics with non-autistic adult psychiatric out-patients.

We assessed 90 patients who were referred to a Swedish psychiatric out-patient clinic and screened for ASD during 2019–2020. Sixty-three patients met the DSM-5 criteria for ASD or ‘subthreshold’ ASD. The 27 who did not meet the criteria for ASD were used as a comparison group. Assessments were made with structured and well-validated instruments, including parent ratings of developmental history.

No differences were found between the groups regarding self-reported sociodemographic variables. The ASD group showed a higher number of co-occurring psychiatric disorders than the non-ASD group (t(88) = 5.17, 95% CI 1.29–2.91, d = 1.19). Functional level was lower in the ASD group (t(88) = −2.66, 95% CI −9.46 to −1.27, d = −0.73), and was predicted by the number of co-occurring psychiatric disorders.

The results underscore the need for thorough assessment of psychiatric disorders in autistic patients in adult psychiatric services. ASD should be considered as a possible ‘underlying’ condition in adult psychiatry, and there is no easy way of ruling out ASD in this population.

In England, a range of mental health crisis care models and approaches to organising crisis care systems have been implemented, but characteristics associated with their effectiveness are poorly understood.

To (a) develop a typology of catchment area mental health crisis care systems and (b) investigate how crisis care service models and system characteristics relate to psychiatric hospital admissions and detentions.

Crisis systems data were obtained from a 2019 English national survey. Latent class analyses were conducted to identify discernible typologies, and mixed-effects negative binomial regression models were fitted to explore associations between crisis care models and admissions and detention rates, obtained from nationally reported data.

No clear typology of catchment area crisis care systems emerged. Regression models suggested that provision of a crisis telephone service within the local crisis system was associated with a 11.6% lower admissions rate and 15.3% lower detention rate. Provision of a crisis cafe was associated with a 7.8% lower admission rates. The provision of a crisis assessment team separate from the crisis resolution and home treatment service was associated with a 12.8% higher admission rate.

The configuration of crisis care systems varies considerably in England, but we could not derive a typology that convincingly categorised crisis care systems. Our results suggest that a crisis phone line and a crisis cafe may be associated with lower admission rates. However, our findings suggest crisis assessment teams, separate from home treatment teams, may not be associated with reductions in admission and detentions.

The issue of health and well-being amongst the National Health Service (NHS) workforce has never been so prominent. Balint groups are facilitated discussion sessions aiming to help clinicians reach a better understanding of the emotional content of the doctor-patient relationship. Evidence suggests participation decreases rates of burnout and increases empathic ability. A Balint group pilot scheme for medical students was launched within Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), facilitated by both core and higher trainees in psychiatry, and supervised by a consultant psychotherapist. Feedback from both participants and facilitators was collected to gain a greater understanding of how these groups can shape our clinical interactions, and benefit the mental well-being of both patient and doctor.

We approached the University of Liverpool School of Medicine, who did not have a formal Balint programme, and proposed a pilot scheme with 4th year medical students rotating through psychiatry in CWP.

Sessions were conducted in four week blocks, during a student's psychiatry rotation, and were facilitated by two psychiatry trainees. At the end of each block, anonymised feedback was collected, and small alterations were made to the programme during the course of the pilot in response to attendance rates, punctuality and feedback.

143 students participated in the programme in the first 11 cohorts, between September 2021 and December 2022, and 72 (50.3%) submitted feedback forms.

98.6% agreed that the programme helped them reflect more on their interactions with patients, and that it helped them gain insight into how others think and feel when caring for patients.

91.7% enjoyed the groups and 97.3% would use the skills learnt in Balint group in the future.

100% of students gave a positive response when rating their overall experience of the programme.

Facilitators reported increased confidence in their psychotherapeutic knowledge, and an improvement in leadership and communication skills.

The student experience of the Balint programme was positive for the vast majority, and from a facilitator perspective, we have found involvement to be very rewarding.

Psychiatry trainee group facilitation was well received by students, allowed a greater number of groups to run, and is beneficial for trainees’ professional development.

Before this pilot, approximately only 1/3 of University of Liverpool medical students had the opportunity to attend a Balint group.

However, our findings have contributed to a decision by the University of Liverpool to extend the scheme to all 4th year students on psychiatry placement from August 2023.

There are limited longitudinal studies on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being, including the effects of imposed restrictions and lockdowns.

This study investigates how living in a pandemic, and related lockdowns and restrictions, affected the mental health of people living in Australia during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 875 people living in Australia participated in a longitudinal survey from 27 May to 14 December 2020. This time period includes dates that span pre-, during and post-wave 2 lockdowns in Australia, with strict and sustained public health measures. Linear mixed models were fitted to investigate the effect of lockdown on depression and anxiety symptoms.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety improved over time, during and after lockdowns. More adverse mental health symptoms were observed for people with a history of medical or mental health problems, caring responsibilities, more neurotic personality traits or less conscientiousness, and for people who were younger. People who reported being more conscientious reported better mental health.

Despite notoriously strict lockdowns, participants did not experience a deterioration of mental health over time. Results suggest a lack of significant adverse effects of lockdown restrictions on mental health and well-being. Findings highlight cohorts that could benefit from targeted mental health support and interventions, so that public policy can be better equipped to support them, particularly if future strict public health measures such as lockdowns are being considered or implemented for the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may represent an intermediate, prodromal phase of dementia. Although persons with MCI (PwMCI) are able to function independently, they often experience reduced ability to carry out their usual activities. This can result in social, emotional and functional challenges.

To explore the understanding and psychosocial impact of receiving a diagnosis of MCI on patients and carers.

A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted at St James's Hospital Memory Clinic involving patients who attended the clinic for assessment from 1 January 2020 to 30 April 2021 and received a diagnosis of MCI. We completed questionnaires with patients and a nominated family member or friend of each patient (FwMCI).

Forty-seven PwMCI participated in the study, and 36 nominated family members and/or friends completed the FwMCI questionnaire. In our cohort of PwMCI, most of the participants were not aware of their diagnosis; only 21% used the term MCI, and only 25% attributed their problems to a pathological cause. The majority of participants had no recollection of any discussion around the likelihood of progression. One-third of participants expressed relief that they did not have dementia. Most PwMCI reported positive psychological well-being and did not endorse symptoms of depression or anxiety. There was slight discordance of illness perception among the PwMCI–FwMCI dyads. Forty-seven per cent of FwMCI reported at least a mild degree of carer burden on the Zarit Burden Scale.

Patients’ awareness of being diagnosed with MCI is relatively limited. Public education campaigns raising awareness about MCI can help influence the ‘illness representation’ for MCI and enable people to seek timely advice and support.

Primary youth mental health services in Australia have increased access to care for young people, yet the longer-term outcomes and utilisation of other health services among these populations is unclear.

To describe the emergency department presentation patterns of a help-seeking youth mental health cohort.

Data linkage was performed to extract Emergency Department Data Collection registry data (i.e. emergency department presentations, pattern of re-presentations) for a transdiagnostic cohort of 7024 youths (aged 12–30 years) who presented to mental health services. Outcome measures were pattern of presentations and reason for presentations (i.e. mental illness; suicidal behaviours and self-harm; alcohol and substance use; accident and injury; physical illness; and other).

During the follow-up period, 5372 (76.5%) had at least one emergency department presentation. The presentation rate was lower for males (IRR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.86–0.89) and highest among those aged 18 to 24 (IRR = 1.117, 95% CI 1.086–1.148). Almost one-third (31.12%) had an emergency department presentation that was directly associated with mental illness or substance use, and the most common reasons for presentation were for physical illness and accident or injury. Index visits for mental illness or substance use were associated with a higher rate of re-presentation.

Most young people presenting to primary mental health services also utilised emergency services. The preventable and repeated nature of many presentations suggests that reducing the ongoing secondary risks of mental disorders (i.e. substance misuse, suicidality, physical illness) could substantially improve the mental and physical health outcomes of young people.

Over the past two years, and continuing in 2023, we have developed a new three day online conference ‘Great Northern Psychiatry Summer School’ aimed at medical students and junior doctors interested in training in psychiatry in the North of England. This poster seeks to elaborate on our successes designing and providing a conference that contributes to the ongoing success of the RCPsych 'Choose Psychiatry' recruitment initiative and addresses regional disparities in core training fill rates.

Participants were recruited by advertising online (including social media), circulating information by medical schools and by integrating advertising into undergraduate educational provision.

Innovative teaching methods including online workshops were used to introduce attendees to the breadth of roles available within psychiatry and the work-life balance available within the North. Experienced and charismatic psychiatrists within subspecialties were invited to present their area of work. Practical sessions including interactive discussion of video scenarios introducing attendees to the working lives of psychiatrists.

In the poster we summarize feedback received from attendees including a potential positive influence on psychiatric recruitment. The conference was popular to the point of being oversubscribed and having to limit numbers.

In 2022, 100% of attendees (n = 56) described the conference as either ‘very well’ or ‘reasonably well’ organized including a comment that it was ‘The most to-schedule online event I've attended’. 55% ofattendees suggested that the conference should remain virtual in the future. 90% of attendees indicated they were either ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to apply for psychiatry training. 70% of attendees responded that they were ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to apply for psychiatry training in the North as a result of attending the conference.

We have designed and hosted a successful 3 day online conference aimed at recruiting high quality and motivated candidates to the North of England, an area traditionally but no longer considered hard to fill. We have used feedback to improve the conference year to year and are hosting a 2023 conference online given previous positive experiences with this mode of delivery.

Public stigma and fear are heightened in cases of extreme violence perpetrated by persons with serious mental illness (SMI). Prevention efforts require understanding of illness patterns and treatment needs prior to these events unfolding.

To examine mental health service utilisation by persons who committed homicide and entered into forensic care, to investigate the adequacy of mental healthcare preceding these offences.

Forensic patients across two mental health hospitals in Ontario with an admitting offence of homicide between 2011 and 2021 were identified (n = 112). Sociodemographic, clinical and offence-related variables were coded from the health record and reports prepared for the forensic tribunal.

Most patients (75.7%) had mental health contacts preceding the homicide, with 28.4% having a psychiatric in-patient admission in the year prior. For those with service contacts in the year preceding, 50.9% had had only sporadic contact and 70.7% were non-adherent with prescribed medications. Victims were commonly known to the individual (35.7%) and were often family members in care-providing roles (55.4%). Examination of age at onset of illness and offending patterns suggested that most persons admitted to forensic care for homicide act in the context of illness and exhibit a low frequency of pre-homicide offending.

Many individuals admitted to forensic care for homicide have had inadequate mental healthcare leading up to this point. Effective responses to reduce and manage risk should encompass services that proactively address illness-related (e.g. earlier access and better maintenance in care) and criminogenic (e.g. substance use treatment, employment and psychosocial supports) domains.

Digital interventions based on cognitive–behavioural therapy and relapse prevention can increase treatment access for people with problematic alcohol use, but for these interventions to be cost-effective, clinician workload needs to remain low while ensuring patient adherence and effects. Digital psychological self-care is the provision of a self-guided digital intervention within a structured care process.

To investigate the feasibility and preliminary effects of digital psychological self-care for reducing alcohol consumption.

Thirty-six adults with problematic alcohol use received digital psychological self-care during 8 weeks, including telephone assessments as well as filling out self-rated questionnaires, before, directly after and 3 months after the intervention. Intervention adherence, usefulness, credibility and use of clinician time were assessed, along with preliminary effects on alcohol consumption. The study was prospectively registered as a clinical trial (NCT05037630).

Most participants used the intervention daily or several times a week. The digital intervention was regarded as credible and useful, and there were no reported adverse effects. Around 1 h of clinician time per participant was spent on telephone assessments. At the 3-month follow-up, preliminary within-group effects on alcohol consumption were moderate (standardised drinks per week, Hedge's g = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.19–1.21; heavy drinking days, Hedge's g = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.09–1.11), reflecting a decrease from 23 to 13 drinks per week on average.

Digital psychological self-care for reducing alcohol consumption appears both feasible and preliminarily effective and should be further optimised and studied in larger trials.

Sleep problems associated with poor mental health and academic outcomes may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To describe sleep in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This longitudinal analysis included data from 9523 students over 4 years (2018–2022), associated with different pandemic phases. Students completed a biannual survey assessing risk factors, mental health symptoms and lifestyle, using validated measures. Sleep was assessed with the Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI-8). Propensity weights and multivariable log-binomial regressions were used to compare sleep in four successive first-year cohorts. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine changes in sleep over academic semesters and years.

There was an overall decrease in average SCI-8 scores, indicating worsening sleep across academic years (average change −0.42 per year; P-trend < 0.001), and an increase in probable insomnia at university entry (range 18.1–29.7%; P-trend < 0.001) before and up to the peak of the pandemic. Sleep improved somewhat in autumn 2021, when restrictions loosened. Students commonly reported daytime sleep problems, including mood, energy, relationships (36–48%) and concentration, productivity, and daytime sleepiness (54–66%). There was a consistent pattern of worsening sleep over the academic year. Probable insomnia was associated with increased cannabis use and passive screen time, and reduced recreation and exercise.

Sleep difficulties are common and persistent in students, were amplified by the pandemic and worsen over the academic year. Given the importance of sleep for well-being and academic success, a preventive focus on sleep hygiene, healthy lifestyle and low-intensity sleep interventions seems justified.

People with schizophrenia die almost 20 years earlier than the general population, most commonly from avertable cardiometabolic disease. Existing pharmacological weight-loss agents including metformin have limited efficacy. Recently available glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide have shown promise for weight loss but have yet to be trialled in this population.

To examine the efficacy of semaglutide to ameliorate antipsychotic-induced obesity in people with schizophrenia who have been treated with clozapine for more than 18 weeks.

This is a 36-week, double-blinded, randomised placebo-controlled trial. We will recruit 80 clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, aged 18–64 years, with a baseline body mass index ≥26 kg/m2, who will be randomised to subcutaneous semaglutide of 2.0 mg once a week or placebo for 36 weeks. The primary endpoint will be percentage change in body weight from baseline.

This trial will assess the efficacy and side-effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide on body weight and provide evidence on the possible clinical utility of semaglutide in patients with inadequate response to metformin. The study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (www.anzctr.org.au) with clinical trial registration number ACTRN12621001539820.

This research could benefit individuals with schizophrenia who experience significant health issues, leading to premature mortality, owing to antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Current assessment and management models often do not adequately address the many aspects of managing complex brain disorders involving disordered affect, behaviour and cognition (ABC). A more collaborative model of care, where several specialties can jointly assess and manage patients with complex brain disorders, is gaining attention.

In this case report, we present two cases that highlight the benefits of the ‘brain medicine’ clinical model.

The Brain Medicine Clinic employs an integrated clinical model in which psychiatrists and neurologists provide integrated interdisciplinary assessments of patients with complex brain disorders, leading to comprehensive assessment. We describe the clinical model and the trajectories of two patients with complex brain disorders seen in this clinic. In these case descriptions, we explain how the brain medicine clinical approach leads to an improved patient experience.

The Brain Medicine Clinic assessments resulted in a neurobiopsychosocial formulation of symptoms and, consequently, holistic individualised treatment plans for two patients with complex brain disorders. This approach to patients’ conditions emerges from the understanding that there are multifactorial causes of brain disorders at the social, cultural, psychological and biological level.

Integrated interdisciplinary assessments allow for tailored treatment plans for individuals experiencing complex brain disorders, while creating efficiencies for the patient and the healthcare system.

As part of a wider Quality Improvement Project aiming to improve trainees’ experiences with ‘Raising Concerns’ in a large mental health trust, we sought to improve induction processes to make information on raising concerns more accessible when starting a new post. Based on change ideas generated from our driver diagram, peer-delivered information was identified as a useful tool, so a trainee-led session was introduced to the induction programme.

A 60-minute trainee-led session was integrated into the induction programme for Postgraduate Doctors in Training in August 2022. The session included sections on raising concerns, on-call advice and rota information. Following the induction, as part of our “Plan, Do, Study, Act” (PDSA) cycle, we sent a questionnaire to gather data from trainees, which covered quantitative measures, including overall helpfulness of the session and effectiveness of information on ‘raising concerns’, and qualitative feedback for how to improve the session. The session was replicated at both the December 2022 and February 2023 inductions, incorporating the feedback from each previous session.

On a 1-5 scale (5 = strongly agree), the average response for how helpful the trainee-led induction session was 4.5 from both the August and December 2022 inductions. 4 out of 6 responders from the August 2022 induction specifically mentioned the information on raising concerns as being particularly helpful. There was also feedback on improvements that could be introduced, such as increasing the amount of time for the session to allow for more questions. When asked to rate the helpfulness of the ‘raising concerns’ section, the average response was 4.83 and 4.50 for August and December 2022 inductions, respectively. Following the feedback from August 2022, we implemented changes to increase the duration to 90 minutes and include trainee reps in a separate ‘Question and Answer’ session. Unfortunately, there were only 2 responders to the December 2022 questionnaire due to a small intake, so we will evaluate data from February 2023 induction to analyse the effectiveness of changes made to the session and assess the need for further improvements.

Overall, the response to our trainee-led induction session has been positive, with good feedback both for the whole session and specifically relating to ‘raising concerns’. It has highlighted trainees’ appreciation for peer-delivered information and the need for more time in this session. The questionnaire from February 2023 induction will give more data on whether our improvements have been effective and provide ideas for future PDSA cycles.

Psychotic disorders are frequently associated with a public perception of dangerousness and belligerence. This situation has contributed to the social stigmatisation of people with severe mental illness and the resulting discrimination that this scenario entails. Despite efforts to demystify such disorders, the association between violent behaviour and psychosis remains unclear.

To explore the incidence of the main types of violent offences in a cohort of patients presenting with first-episode psychosis (FEP).

Participants were recruited from the First Episode Psychosis Intervention Program (CRUPEP) cohort between 2009 and 2016. The main clinical variables were collected, including medical-forensic records of participants registered at the Basque Institute of Forensic Medicine (BIFM), to identify any violent acts in which participants were involved, either as victims or as offenders.

Overall, 79.5% (n = 182) of the participants had no record of violent crime or offence recorded in the BIFM. Annual crime rates for the 2009–2016 period show a decreasing trend in both the general population (IRR = 0.981, 95% CI 0.978–0.983, P < 0.001) and in the FEP group (IRR = 0.019, 95% CI 0.012–0.028, P < 0.001); this pattern is more pronounced in the FEP group. Victimisation accounted for the vast majority of reported incidents; nevertheless, participants who had committed violent offences were mostly involved in intrafamily violence.

Individuals with FEP were not involved in a higher number of crimes than the general population. The types of violent acts committed by people with FEP were heterogeneous, with extreme violence being particularly uncommon.

People with mental disorders have worse physical health compared with the general population, which could be attributable to receiving poorer quality healthcare.

To examine the relationship between severe and common mental disorders and risk of emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs), and factors associated with increased risk.

Baseline data for England (N = 445 814) were taken from UK Biobank, which recruited participants aged 37–73 years during 2006–2010, and linked to hospital admission records up to 31 December 2019. Participants were grouped into those with a history of either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety, or no mental disorder. Survival analysis was used to assess the risk of hospital admission for ACSCs among those with mental disorders compared with those without, adjusting for factors in different domains (sociodemographic, socioeconomic, health and biomarkers, health-related behaviours, social isolation and psychological).

People with schizophrenia had the highest (unadjusted) risk of hospital admission for ACSCs compared with those with no mental disorder (hazard ratio 4.40, 95% CI 4.04–4.80). People with bipolar disorder (hazard ratio 2.48, 95% CI 2.28–2.69) and depression or anxiety (hazard ratio 1.76, 95% CI 1.73–1.80) also had higher risk. Associations were more conservative when including all admissions, as opposed to first admissions only. The observed associations persisted after adjusting for a range of factors.

People with severe mental disorders have the highest risk of preventable hospital admissions. Ensuring people with mental disorders receive adequate ambulatory care is essential to reduce the large health inequalities they experience.

Emergency departments are key settings for suicide prevention. Most people are deemed to be at no or low risk in final contacts before death.

To micro-analyse how clinicians ask about suicidal ideation and/or self-harm in emergency department psychosocial assessments and how patients respond.

Forty-six psychosocial assessments between mental health clinicians and people with suicidal ideation and/or self-harm were video-recorded. Verbal and non-verbal features of 55 question–answer sequences about self-harm thoughts and/or actions were micro-analysed using conversation analysis. Fisher's exact test was used to test the hypothesis that question type was associated with patient disclosure.

(a) Eighty-four per cent of initial questions (N = 46/55) were closed yes/no questions about self-harm thoughts and/or feelings, plans to self-harm, potential for future self-harm, predicting risk of future self-harm and being okay or keeping safe. Patients disclosed minimal information in response to closed questions, whereas open questions elicited ambivalent and information rich responses. (b) All closed questions were leading, with 54% inviting no and 46% inviting yes. When patients were asked no-inviting questions, the disclosure rate was 8%, compared to 65% when asked yes-inviting questions (P < 0.05 Fisher's exact test). (c) Patients struggled to respond when asked to predict future self-harm or guarantee safety. (d) Half of closed questions had a narrow timeframe (e.g. at the moment, overnight) or were tied to possible discharge.

Across assessments, there is a bias towards not uncovering thoughts and plans of self-harm through the cumulative effect of leading questions that invite a no response, their narrow timeframe and tying questions to possible discharge. Open questions, yes-inviting questions and asking how people feel about the future facilitate disclosure.

Estimates suggest that 1 in 100 people in the UK live with facial scarring. Despite this incidence, psychological support is limited.

The aim of this study was to strengthen the case for improving such support by determining the incidence and risk factors for anxiety and depression disorders in patients with facial scarring.

A matched cohort study was performed. Patients were identified via secondary care data sources, using clinical codes for conditions resulting in facial scarring. A diagnosis of anxiety or depression was determined by linkage with the patient's primary care general practice data. Incidence was calculated per 1000 person-years at risk (PYAR). Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors.

Between 2009 and 2018, 179 079 patients met the study criteria and were identified as having a facial scar, and matched to 179 079 controls. The incidence of anxiety in the facial scarring group was 10.05 per 1000 PYAR compared with 7.48 per 1000 PYAR for controls. The incidence of depression in the facial scarring group was 16.28 per 1000 PYAR compared with 9.56 per 1000 PYAR for controls. Age at the time of scarring, previous history of anxiety or depression, female gender, socioeconomic status and classification of scarring increased the risk of both anxiety disorders and depression.

There is a high burden of anxiety disorders and depression in this patient group. Risk of these mental health disorders is very much determined by factors apparent at the time of injury, supporting the need for psychological support.

Raising a concern is an integral duty for a doctor. The General Medical Council guidelines on Good Medical Practice state that a culture should be promoted that allows “all staff to raise concerns openly and safely”. Appointment of Postgraduate Doctors in Training to Representative (Rep) positions can be an effective way to allow trainee voices to be heard. Here we present the results of a Development Half-Day created to empower Reps with the knowledge and confidence to represent peers effectively within a large mental health Trust. The training session was identified as a ”change idea” in a wider Quality Improvement Project (QIP) seeking to improve trainee confidence in raising concerns.

16 Postgraduate Doctors in Training Reps were invited to attend a Development Half-Day in November 2022. The day included talks on their roles and responsibilities, respectful challenge and maintaining well-being.

Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using anonymous questionnaires completed before and after the session. The questionnaire contained 4 questions asking them to rate their knowledge of their role as a rep and confidence in raising trainee concerns. This was quantified using a 1-10 scale for each question with 1 being lowest confidence/knowledge and 10 being highest. Mean scores and standard deviations were calculated. A paired one-tailed t-test was used to assess the statistical significance of the difference in pre- and post-session scores.

9 Reps attended the Development Half-Day and completed the pre- and post-session questionnaires.

There was a statistically significant improvement between pre- and post-session scores for all questions (all p values <0.05). Importantly there was a significant increase in the confidence felt by reps in knowing where and who to raise trainee concerns to (p < 0.05).

Qualitative feedback indicated that attendees found the session useful and they appreciated that it was in-person. The only suggestion for improvement was for the session to have been held earlier, closer to when reps were initially appointed; this will be a change that will be implemented in the next “Plan, Do, Study, Act” cycle of the QIP.

Implementation of a Development Half-Day for Trainee Reps was shown to have a significantly positive impact on their confidence in their roles and their ability to respectively challenge seniors. The Reps additionally reported being better equipped at knowing where and who to raise concerns to. This will hopefully aid in their ability to signpost and empower other trainees to do the same.

The Autism Spectrum Quotient is a popular autism screening tool recommended for identifying potential cases of autism. However, many women with autism demonstrate a different presentation of traits to those currently captured by screening measures and assessment methods, such as the Autism Spectrum Quotient.

Different models of the Autism Spectrum Quotient have been proposed in the literature, utilising different items from the original 50-item scale. Within good-fitting models, the current study aimed to explore whether these items assess autistic traits similarly across men and women.

Seventeen Autism Spectrum Quotient models were identified from the literature. Using the responses of a large sample of adults from the UK general population (5246 women, 1830 men), confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the fit of each model. Measurement invariance with respect to gender, adjusting for age, was explored in the 11 model frameworks that were found to have satisfactory fit to our data.

It emerged that only two items were gender invariant (non-biased), whereas for the remaining items, the probability of endorsement was influenced by gender. In particular, women had a higher probability of endorsing items relating to social skills and communication.

If the items of the Autism Spectrum Quotient indeed reflect autism-related traits, those items should be rephrased to ensure they do not present a gender-related bias. This is vital for ensuring more timely diagnoses and support for all people with autism.

Bollywood cinema is one of the largest entertainment industries, catering to a population of more than 1.4 billion people across the world. Social psychiatry faces a challenging relationship with pop culture and understanding such portrayals of mental health culture could be valuable to public mental health. "Goodbye" is a fictional movie depicting various stages of Kubler Ross model of grief following a bereavement.

AS, AD and PD had structured discussions to analyse themes, social determinants and psychiatric correlations following bereavement in a Bollywood movie called "Goodbye".

“Goodbye” is a well acclaimed Bollywood movie. The story revolves around a family responding to a sudden bereavement of their loved one.

This story clearly depicts individual responses to the incident based on their attachment and psychosocial circumstances. It demonstrates varied responses depending upon their own perception of the processes following bereavement.

In the movie each individual is observed coping with their own roller coaster of emotions and at the same time struggling to fit into the complex demands of the moment.

Even though each individual responded differently it clearly demonstrates each of them going through Kubler Ross stages of grief reaction. It focuses on the psychodynamic makeup of each individual and their response mechanisms.

The movie begins with the daughter getting the news of her mother's death and immediately going into shock/denial. It is followed by anger which she directs towards her father for following the rituals around death in a Hindu culture. She challenges the practice of lighting the funeral pyre only by the sons. She reminisces telling her mother that once she dies she will get all her jewellery and displays guilt around this, leading to significantly low mood and bargaining as well. Once they are in the process of finishing all the rituals she comes to terms with her mother's death and reconciles with her father, showing acceptance.

The cultural milieu plays a strong role in various responses to bereavement. The family follows various Hindu rituals for 13 days, which helped them stick to each other's side and reach the stage of acceptance following the death of a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother.

This movie beautifully exemplifies how grief is a universal concept even in various socio-cultural backgrounds. It is a good study for anyone interested in understanding grief through a cultural medium. It demonstrates the importance of support network in tiding over significant life events.