During the uncertainty of COVID lockdowns initiated in 2020 and 2021, few, perhaps, considered the impact of the pandemic on those who were already deprived of their liberty - a population for whom lockdown would come at a substantial cost.
Find out how seed funding enabled three researchers to develop their projects by including the ideas and experience of patients and the public.
It seems, perhaps, pretty obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the mental health of many people in the UK population - some of these impacts are likely to be transient, and some will have health implications for some time to come. Of particular concern are young people with a previous history of eating disorder symptoms and self-harm; they are at an increased risk of mental health problems even without the spectre of a global pandemic. Eating disorders and self-harm are linked to early mortality and reduced quality of life; there’s also an increased likelihood of developing depression and anxiety.
The University of Bristol is increasingly interested in supporting autistic and neurodiverse people, and as part of this there is a growing programme of research into the experiences of these members of our community. Bristol researchers, Felicity Sedgewick and Laura Hull, explain the latest studies in this area.
University of Bristol researchers have been working to determine the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and the relationship between anxiety and cognitive function. Understanding this will help to inform a joined-up approach to develop targeted interventions for vulnerable young people in both clinical and educational settings.
The extraordinary responses to the outbreak of COVID-19 profoundly affected great swathes of society. From the colossal burdens put onto the healthcare system, the damage done to the economy and to the everyday lives of everyone in the country, the impact to every stratum and community has been unprecedented.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the increasing resistance of bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites to the antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, typically used to treat them. It has a variety of causes; excessive use of antimicrobials, or over-reliance on a few specific types, has enabled microbes to evolve ways to circumvent their mechanisms of action. It is currently seen as a leading cause of death worldwide, with a daily mortality rate in excess of 3,500 people. As a result, more than 1.2 million people died in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant infections - and as global healthcare systems are being threatened, the rate is growing.
