Anxiety related school avoidance can affect up to 5% of a country’s students each year. VRET (Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy) is a novel therapy proven to be as effective as conventional approaches for treating many anxiety disorders. The aim of this research is to co-design and evaluate a VRET intervention for students experiencing school related anxiety.

Eighteen adolescents participated in design thinking workshops where they developed a script and storyboard for the VRET. Using an iterative approach, a VRET prototype was developed based on this work. Eighteen teenagers were subsequently recruited to engage with the VRET for one session each and provide feedback on their experience via a structured questionnaire (supervised by a study coordinator) particularly focusing on the ability of the VR experience to reduce school related anxiety.

Exposure therapy needs to produce an anxiety response to be effective. The VRET was effective in producing an anxiety response in 89% of participants. Results demonstrated that 93% of participants found the simulations immersive, 94% found the scenarios believable, and 83% could relate to ‘Dala’, the avatar in the videos. 100% of participants believed that VRET would help with school anxiety.

This proof-of-concept study demonstrates favourable face validity indicating promise for this mode of intervention for delivering targeted support to anxious students. VRET could be used as a scalable, cost effective early intervention to reduce the severity of anxiety associated with school avoidance.

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) and minimally processed foods (MPF) consumption are differentially connected to adiposity and possibly body composition. Phase angle (PhA) originates from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and is connected to cellular health. This study is the first to investigate associations between UPF/MPF consumption and PhA.

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Anthropometrical and BIA were performed. The Hellenic Physical Activity Questionnaire was used for physical activity evaluation, while a validated FFQ was used for dietary assessment. UPF and MPF intake (% energy) were determined according to the NOVA system. Partial correlation coefficients of PhA and dietary variables were assessed after multi-adjustment.

Students were recruited (n 151, 114 women).

University

Median and interquartile range (IQR) of PhA were 5·5° (5·1–6·4°) in the total sample, 6·8° (6·1–7·3°) in men and 5·3° (5·1–5·9°) in women (P < 0·001). The median and IQR for UPF consumption was 13·7 (8·1–33·4) % in the total sample, 23·8 (8·1–70·5) % in men and 12·9 (8·1–27·5) % in women (P < 0·001). The mean (sd) of MPF consumption was 60·2 (sd 15·7) % for the total sample, 59·1 (sd 16·4) % for men and 60·5 (sd 15·6) % for women (P = 0·720). The consumption of UPF was negatively (rho = –0·267, P = 0·002), while the consumption of MPF was positively (rho = 0·218, P = 0·010) associated with the PhA, after adjustment for age, sex, BMI and physical activity.

PhA relates inversely to UPF and positively to MPF consumption. The observed associations possibly reflect the effects of diet on cellular health and in turn PhA.

Growing numbers of students now seek mental health support from their higher education providers. In response, a number of universities have invested in non-clinical well-being services, but there have been few evaluations of these. This research addresses a critical gap in the existing literature.

This study examined the impact of introducing non-clinical well-being advisers on student mental health and help-seeking behaviour at a large UK university.

Survey data collected pre–post service introduction in 2018 (n = 5562) and 2019 (n = 2637) measured prevalence of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7), and low mental well-being (Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), alongside student support-seeking behaviour. Logistic regression models investigated changes in outcome measures. Administrative data (2014–2020) were used to investigate corresponding trends in antidepressant prescribing at the onsite health service, student counselling referrals and course withdrawal rates.

Adjusted models suggested reductions in students’ levels of anxiety (odds ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.77–0.96) and low well-being (odds ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.75–0.94) in 2019, but not depression symptoms (odds ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.93–1.17). Statistical evidence showed reduced student counselling referrals, with antidepressant prescribing and course withdrawal rates levelling off. Student perception of the availability and accessibility of university support improved.

Our findings suggest a non-clinical well-being service model may improve student perception of support, influence overall levels of anxiety and low well-being, and reduce clinical need. The current study was only able to examine changes over the short term, and a longer follow-up is needed.

The aim of this research is to examine the levels of post-traumatic stress, coping with stress, and post-traumatic change in university students after the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes in February 2023.

The research is descriptive and relational. The sample of the study consists of 221 university students. Personal Information Form, Post-earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale, Strategies for Coping with Earthquake Stress Scale, and Post-Traumatic Change Scale were used as data collection tools. Descriptive analyses (percentage, arithmetic mean), correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used in the analysis of the data.

It was determined that the students were highly traumatized after the earthquake, and post-traumatic stress symptoms were observed in a significant majority of the students. It was determined that the students used the post-earthquake coping strategies effectively. Post-traumatic change is positive. Inter-scale correlations are significant (P < 0.05). According to regression analysis, the level of post-earthquake trauma and the level of coping with earthquake stress are significant predictors of post-traumatic change. In addition, the damage to houses during the earthquake significantly affects the post-traumatic change.

We think that pre-planning the psychological support services, increasing social supports, and teaching methods of coping with stress that can be applied after disasters such as earthquakes will be effective in preventing post-traumatic problems in university students at risk after trauma. It is hoped that the findings of this study will assist researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in implementing effective strategies for post-disaster.

Laterality of paired organs involves the function of the eyes, ears, hands and feet. Whilst most people have a right-handed preference, about 10 per cent are left-handed. Similarly, the right eye is usually preferred to the left. Medicine is both taught and practised for those with right hand and eye preference, and left-handed medical students and doctors must negotiate the right-handed world.

This brief review looks at society's attitudes, medical training and the practice of otolaryngology in the UK towards laterality and handedness.

Literature review.

Studies suggest that left-handers are more versatile and so are more ambidextrous. Conversely, this may result in problems when a right-hander tries to undertake a procedure with the non-dominant hand.

Cultures and attitudes are changing towards those who are left-handed. Left-handed surgeons may encounter difficulties in the clinical environment throughout their training.