wellbeing

Factors Contributing to Falling Healthy Life Expectancy in the UK

For decades, rising prosperity was expected to bring longer, healthier lives. In the UK, that assumption is not realised. While overall life expectancy has broadly stalled, healthy life expectancy, which is the number of years lived in good general health, is now falling.  ONS data puts healthy life expectancy at around 60.7 years for men […]

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Beyond Unemployment: The Mental Health Cost of Young People Being Out of Education, Employment or Training 

Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn, develop, and build a future they can look forward to. Yet many are classified as NEET (not in education, employment, or training). While discussion often focuses on the economic consequences, the impact on mental health deserves far greater attention.  For many young people, being outside education, employment,

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Understanding Autism in Girls: Breaking the Silence

Autism was viewed through a predominantly male lens and diagnostic criteria reflects how it commonly presents in boys. As a result, many autistic girls are not diagnosed until adolescence or adulthood.  Awareness is growing. We understand that autism in girls often looks different, and recognising these differences is essential for ensuring girls receive the understanding and support they deserve.  Autism in girls

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Rising Mental Health Issues Among Youth: Key Findings

The Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism: interim report was published on 31st March 2026.  For many of us, it had no surprises.  Common mental health conditions and psychological distress have increased over the past two decades, particularly among younger people, from around 15–16% in the early 1990s to around 23% by the mid-2020s.  In the early 2010s

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Coping with Anxiety in Uncertain Times

The world grapples with ongoing challenges such as political instability, economic fluctuations, and health crises and mental health has become a concern.  A rise in anxiety and stress levels across various demographics, prompting questions on how to cope in these uncertain times.   The effects of the pandemic to geopolitical tensions, can create uncertainty. Many people may feel overwhelmed by news filled with distressing information,

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Social Media’s Impact on Teen Mental Health

In the digital age, social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter are integral to the lives of teenagers. While these platforms offer opportunities for connection, creativity, and self-expression, they also pose significant risks to mental health, contributing to rising levels of anxiety and depression among adolescents. The lockdowns with the pandemic fundamentally changed how young

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Groundbreaking Study on Severe Mental Illness in the UK

Thousands of people living with severe mental illness across England and Wales are being invited to take part in a groundbreaking new research programme that aims to transform how conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and major depression are diagnosed and treated. Severe mental illness affects millions of people worldwide and is often linked

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Measles Outbreak: Importance of MMR Vaccination

Earlier this month a child died in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital of measles. Alder Hey stated that it had treated 17 children for complications of measles since June 2025. These 17 children must have caught the measles from other people, therefore there are others who have measles who hopefully have not had complications.  There were

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UK Family Hubs: A Comprehensive Support System by 2028

Every council in England will have a family hub by 2028.  To provide a single point of access for services in health, education and wellbeing. There will also be activities for children under five and youth service provision.  It is considered that this will provide an integrated and accessible support for families. It is reminiscent

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UK Bill on Assisted Dying: Key Parliamentary Vote Explained

The Commons voted on Friday (20th June 2025) for a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people. This is a landmark of social reform. The legislation passed by a vote of 314-291. This is considered the biggest parliamentary hurdle. It will now undergo scrutiny in the House of Lords.  There could be further amendments

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