By Dr Charlotte Archer, Research Fellow in Primary Care Mental Health, Centre for Academic Mental Health and Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Why did we do the research?

Research has shown that more people are now being prescribed beta-blockers, such as propranolol, by their GP for anxiety. This increase in prescriptions is particularly noticeable in young adults aged 18 to 34. Although beta-blockers can be used for anxiety, they are not recommended in clinical guidelines for the management of anxiety. It is possible that they are not recommended because, so far, the evidence is not clear for whether they work well in treating anxiety.

In addition, a recent report suggests that prescribing beta-blockers in patients with anxiety or depression could be problematic because there are concerns around what happens if too many are taken or when they are prescribed alongside antidepressants.… Read more

By Dr James Robb, Academic Clinical Fellow and Professor Lucy Selman, Palliative and End of Life Care Research Group, University of Bristol.

Almost all of us will experience the grief associated with bereavement, yet as a society we often struggle to talk about it. We have been working with the community of Weston-super-Mare to design and run Good Grief Weston, a festival to improve knowledge and support for local people. Our evaluation of the first festival, held in 2023, has now been published. As we gear up for Good Grief Weston 2024 in October (registrations are now live), we reflect here on the impact of the festival.

People often feel unsupported by their community after the death of a loved one. Moreover, experiences of grief and bereavement are unequal. People living in the UK’s most deprived areas – like Weston-super-Mare – are less likely … Read more

A University of Bristol multidisciplinary team from Bristol and Bath University has been working to understand the increase in deaths from taking both opioids and benzodiazepines (benzos). Here they reflect on how this approach has enhanced their research and made it more useful.

The problem

Drug use is a leading cause of premature death in many countries. Such deaths are increasing.

There are many reasons for this increase, including changes in the types of people who use drugs, and the rise in the use of fentanyls and other synthetic opioids.

Taking more than one drug at a time is another cause. For example, taking benzodiazepine (diazepam, etizolam, bromazolam) or z-drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone) along with opioids (heroin, methadone, buprenorphine) increases the chances of overdose and death.

Although many epidemiological and post-mortem studies have identified this risk, we still don’t know why combining these drugs increases mortality.

As a team our expertise … Read more

By Dr Natalia Lewis, Senior Research Fellow in Primary Care, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and Researcher in Residence, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board.

Back in 2022, I started my secondment as a researcher in residence at the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (BNSSG ICB). I was tasked with supporting the development of an evaluation framework for two Locality Partnerships.

My first blog and podcast in December 2023, described the process of co-developing theories of change for the Partnership Working, Ageing Well and Dying Well workstreams with stakeholders from the NHS, local authorities and voluntary and voluntary, community and social enterprise sector from the two Locality Partnerships. Co-developed from bottom up, these theories of change incorporated local knowledge and priorities which were linked with the BNSSG ICB population health … Read more