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Background: No biological treatment has been firmly established for the at‐risk stage of psychotic disorder. In this study we aim to test if subthreshold psychotic symptoms can be effectively treated with cannabidiol (CBD), a non‐psychoactive compound of the plant Cannabis sativa. The question has taken on increased importance in the wake of evidence questioning both the need and efficacy of specific pharmacological interventions in the ultra‐high risk (UHR) for psychosis group. Methods: Three‐arm randomized controlled trial of 405 patients (135 per arm) aged 12–25 years who meet UHR for psychosis criteria. The study includes a 6‐week lead‐in phase during which 10% of UHR individuals are expected to experience symptom remission. Participants will receive CBD (per oral) at doses 600 or 1000 mg per day (fixed schedule) for 12 weeks. Participants in the third arm of the trial will receive matching placebo capsules. Primary outcome is severity of positive psychotic symptoms as measured by the Comprehensive Assessment of At‐Risk Mental States at 12 weeks. We hypothesize that CBD will be significantly more effective than placebo in improving positive psychotic symptoms in UHR patients. All participants will also be followed up 6 months post baseline to evaluate if treatment effects are sustained. Conclusion: This paper reports on the rationale and protocol of the Cannabidiol for At Risk for psychosis Youth (CanARY) study. This study will test CBD for the first time in the UHR phase of psychotic disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I am studying to work as a health visitor and have researched domestic violence as part of my training. This article has helped me to think about my responses when [...]

Young adults who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse genders and sexualities (LGBTQIA+) are more likely to experience mental health difficulties and are at significantly elevated risk of substance abuse, self-harm and suicide, relative to their heterosexual, endosex and cisgender peers. There is a need for effective mental health interventions for LGBTQIA+ young adults. Mindful Self-Compassion training is a promising approach; among LGBTQIA+ individuals, self-compassion accounts for more variation in mental health outcomes than bullying, victimization, and adverse childhood experiences combined. Furthermore, LGBTQIA+ individuals with high self-compassion report more positive identity and happiness, less self-stigma, and lower suicidality than those with low self-compassion. This paper outlines the rationale and protocol for a single-blind CONSORT-compliant randomised controlled trial, comparing group Mindful Self-Compassion to a delayed-treatment waitlist control group, for improving mental health, decreasing self-criticism and increasing self-compassion in LGBTQIA+ young adults (age 18–25 years). Mindful Self-Compassion training is an 8-week group program that focuses on cultivating self-compassion and mindfulness. While typically delivered as a face-to-face program, the proposed trial will investigate efficacy of the program when provided via videoconferencing. Videoconference Mindful Self-Compassion training has the potential to improve the mental health of Australian LGBTQIA+ young adults and provide a possible cost-effective, scalable intervention for this population. The proposed trial will be the first to determine its efficacy for LGBTQIA+ young adults and will provide the first data on the delivery of the program via videoconferencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaze direction is a dynamic social signal that provides real-time insight into another person's focus of attention. Gaze adaptation induces aftereffects in the perception of gaze in subsequent faces, typically biasing it away from the adapted direction. Previous studies found that such gaze direction aftereffects persist for about 7 min when repeatedly tested immediately after adaptation, but can survive at least 24 hr when there is no testing immediately after adaptation. These findings suggest that exposure to test faces after adaptation might affect the persistence of gaze direction aftereffects more than the passing of time. The present study systematically established the contributions of time and intervening testing on the longevity of gaze direction aftereffects. Aftereffects were induced and then traced over six postadaptation tests. Participants were assigned to four groups with a delay of either 30 s, 3 min, 5.5 min, or 8 min between adaptation and the first postadaptation test. Aftereffects were strongly affected by the number of preceding postadaptation tests, but unaffected by the delay between adaptation and test, revealing that face exposure affects the longevity of aftereffects more strongly than the passing of time, at least over the time frame studied here. Our findings suggest that exposure to a substantial number of faces with an unbiased distribution of gaze directions may be necessary to overcome gaze direction aftereffects.