🌱 Early intervention matters for young people’s mental health 🧠
E-Risk PI Helen Fisher joins @mqmentalhealth.bsky.social calling for more research into what puts young people at risk and what protects them.
eriskstudy.com/https://www
This research by GALENOS was influenced by the lived experience of our GLEAB members.
They ensured that the research on pro-dopaminergic drugs was impact focused.
You can learn more in this interview with GLEAB member Judy: www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/wh...
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A diagram of the neurotransmitter dopamine with text overlaid that reads: 'Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of pleasure and motivation. Low levels of dopamine increase feelings of anhedonia.
GALENOS researchers have found that dopamine is implicated in anhedonia, and shared their findings in a new paper published in @ebiomedicine.bsky.social
Other neurotransmitters are involved as well and more research is needed to fully understand the complex causes of anhedonia.
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An orange stickman looks down sadly. Text overlaid reads: 'Anhedonia is the loss of interest or joy in life's usual rewards. It's a common symptom of depression and other mental health conditions.'
Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure from activities that are normally enjoyable, like hobbies, socialising, or eating.
It’s often linked to conditions like depression and can make things feel flat or uninteresting.
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Understanding anhedonia is very complex and in order to understand it better collaboration has to be done. This entails those with lived experience working together with the mental health professionals.
What is anhedonia? And why does it matter for mental health research?
Psychotherapist and GLEBE member Sandra helps us to understand what anhedonia is and how it impacted her life.
Plus, learn about the latest research into anhedonia from GALENOS 👇
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/un...
GALENOS is investigating the effects of estrogen-based treatments in adults with SSD by compiling the existing evidence into one big systematic review.
You can read more about this project, and view the evidence yourself, here: www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/es...
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Postmenopausal women have estrogen levels that are comparable to mens.
Reduced estrogen levels in women have been linked to worsening symptoms of SSD during hormonally sensitive periods such as menstruation, after childbirth (postpartum), and during menopause.
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Estrogen is a hormone that supports growth, heart health & reproduction.
Women have higher levels because it’s key for female reproductive functions.
Men make smaller amounts & rely more on testosterone for development.
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Men typically experience an earlier onset, often in their late teens or early twenties, while women tend to develop symptoms later in life, frequently around menopause.
These observations prompted researchers to explore if increased levels of estrogen could stabilize symptoms of SSD.
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Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) affect millions of people and can cause hallucinations, feelings of detachment from reality and cause difficulties that can disrupt a persons quality of life.
Decades of research have revealed key differences in how SSD develops in men & women.
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GALENOS's own Gin Malhi, Andrea Cipriani & Georgia Salanti were delighted to present at #WCP2025 about literature based discovery science.
They shared how GALENOS synthesizes existing evidence to reduce waste & improve efficiency in #mentalhealth research.
#WorldMentalHealthDay
"The first time I was accepted as a Lived Experience Expert at GALENOS was exciting. It felt incredibly affirming to be connected to such respected institutions as @mqmentalhealth.bsky.social and @ox.ac.uk "
Read Daniel's experience of advising GALENOS here: www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/re...
Just arrived in Basel for the Symposium of the Swiss Society of Psychiatric Epidemiology. This afternoon I will be giving a short presentation on @galenos.bsky.social
Looking forward to all the other presentations too! #SSPE #GALENOS
Can AI speed up #mentalhealthresearch?
Professors Malcome Macleod from @uniofedinburgh and James Thomas from @ucl discuss how AI can be used to review literature, but why it will never really replace human beings.
Watch their discussion here 👇
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/Ho...
If you're going to the SSPE Symposium in Basel this month don't miss the presentation from
@thomytonia.bsky.social on how GALENOS uses triangulation to produce the best research outcomes.
#researchmatters #mentalhealth
A picture of a young woman with dreadlocks next to a quote which reads: "This co-production exceeded all my expectations. It’s the most involved I’ve ever been in anything. Normally, our input would just be quotes in a paper. This time, we helped shape the direction.”
"For me, co-production means, 'Hey, I have an idea, and I’m empowered to share it to improve this cause'.”
Glebe member Promise Adetoro shares why it's essential to involve people with lived and living experience in research.
👉www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/influence-of-c...
Tomorrow is #ResearchAppreciationDay, we would like to say thank you to our amazing research community for your support of us and #OpenScience.
🎉 Celebrating the curiosity that changes our world, let's show some love for the researchers who inspire us!
A blue background featuring the OU logo and text that reads: 'Research Appreciation Day. Explore the Open Access repository of research outputs from The Open University's research community. Discover research on ORO oro.open.ac.uk'.
Tomorrow is #ResearchAppreciationDay! Celebrate OU research with Open Research Online (ORO) - our Open Access repository making knowledge free and accessible to all.
💡 OU researchers: don’t forget to deposit your work!
🔎 Explore: oro.open.ac.uk
#OpenAccess #ORO
🧵Building your career in health research?
Then these expert-backed tips are a must-read.
Ahead of this Saturday's #ResearchAppreciationDay We’ve asked Associate Professor Lawrence Mbuagbaw for 6 tips for a career in research.
You can read the full list here: www.mqmentalhealth.org/career-tips-...
"For years I didn’t feel included in conversations about mental health especially when it came to research.
So when I was invited to contribute to the GALENOS project, it wasn’t just another meeting it was a moment of recognition."
Read GLEAB member Clara's story: www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/pa...
This video, produced by MQ Mental Health Research, features two psychosis study participants who discuss the symptoms of their conditions, experience of early intervention services and decision to take part in #psychosis research.
youtu.be/okufNrQ88ek
@mqmentalhealth.bsky.social
What happens when lived experience meets mental health research?
GLEAB member Kelvin Opiepie shares a powerful reflection on identity, inclusion, and the value of diverse voices in shaping better mental health outcomes.
Read more: www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/be... #MentalHealth
What's it like being a member of the GALENOS Lived Experience Advisory Board?
Vice Chair Richardson Mojica explains what the GLEAB do, what he's learnt from being involved in research, and why it's important to stay curious.
youtu.be/NdgHtwgM-Cs
Emily Wheeler and Niall Boyce sitting on stage at the British Neuroscience Conference in front of a large screen with the conference logo.
"In complex projects like GALENOS that face the challenge of how to deliver meaningful lived experience engagement, we must get used to discomfort. If you're experiencing this, it likely indicates that you're on the right path."
- Emily Wheeler
#bna2025
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/re...
At the British Neuroscience Association’s Festival of Neuroscience, GALENOS emphasized the importance of integrating lived experience into neuroscience research.
Read more about the event and why researchers must get comfortable with discomfort here:
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/re...
#bna2025
"One thing co-production is not - is having one voice louder than the other. It's not about putting lived experience above research or research above lived experience. If one voice dominates, you lose the very essence of what co-production is meant to achieve."
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"Co-production can be complex because it means different things in different contexts."
GALENOS Glebe chair Tate Kambeu recently spoke at the International Association of Youth Mental Health conference in Vancouver.
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Want to know more about GALENOS's methodology?
Dr Virginia Chiocchia shared more information recently at the Female Empowerment in Life Science (FELS) Research Day at the @unibe.ch
You can also find out more about GALENOS here 👇
www.galenos.org.uk/blog-news/ex...
Want to know more about GALENOS's methodology?
Dr Virginia Chiocchia shared this recently:
“I was really pleased to showcase the methodology of the GALENOS living systematic reviews and triangulation process at the Female Empowerment in Life Science (FELS) Research Day at the University of Bern”.
