OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to provide an overview of how theories were used in the development or evaluation of social prescribing (SP) intervention studies.
BACKGROUND: SP describes a patient pathway where general practitioners (GPs) connect patients with community activities through referrals to link workers. This review seeks to understand the explanations provided for the outcomes and implementation process of SP.
METHODS: Studies using a defined theory to develop or evaluate a specific SP intervention in primary care and the community sector.
METHODS: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with JBI methodology. The following databases were searched on 8th of July 2022: PubMed, ASSIA, Cochrane, Cinahl, PsycINFO, Social Care Online, Sociological Abstracts, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search only considered English language texts. Additional literature was identified by searching relevant web pages and by contacting experts. The selection of sources and the data extraction was done by two reviewers independently.
RESULTS: The search resulted in 4240 reports, of which 18 were included in the scoping review. Of these, 16 were conducted in the UK, one in Canada and one in Australia. The majority of reports employed a qualitative approach (11/18). Three were study protocols. 11 distinct theories were applied to explain outcomes (4 theories), differences in outcomes (3 theories), and the implementation of the intervention (4 theories). In terms of practical application, the identified theories were predominantly used to explain and understand qualitative findings. Only one theory was used to define variables for hypothesis testing. All theories were used for the evaluation and none for the development of SP.
CONCLUSIONS: The theories influenced which outcomes the evaluation assessed, which causal pathway was expected to generate these outcomes, and which methodological approaches were used. All three groups of theories that were identified focus on relevant aspects of SP: fostering positive patient/community outcomes, addressing inequalities by considering the context of someone\'s individual circumstances, and successfully implementing SP by collaboratively working across professions and institutional boundaries. Additional insight is required regarding the optimal use of theories in practical applications.

Homelessness among families with children under 5 residing in temporary accommodation is a growing global concern, especially in high-income countries (HICs). Despite significant impacts on health and development, these \'invisible\' children often fall through the gaps in policy and services. The study\'s primary objective is to map the content and delivery methods of culturally sensitive interventions for children under 5 experiencing homelessness in HICs.
A scoping review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist.
Databases include PubMed, Medline, SCOPUS, The Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched up to 24 March 2022.
This scoping review includes studies that describe, measure or evaluate intervention strategies aimed at improving child health programmes, specifically those yielding positive outcomes in key areas like feeding, nutrition, care practices and parenting.
Articles were selected and evaluated by two independent reviewers, with a dispute resolution system involving a third reviewer for contested selections. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using various tools including the Risk of Bias (RoB) tool, Cochrane RoB V.2.0, the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Non-randomized Studies (RoBANS) and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE), each selected according to the type of article.
The database search yielded 951 results. After deduplication, abstract screening and full review, 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. Two predominant categories of intervention delivery methods were identified in this research: group-based interventions (educational sessions) and individual-based interventions (home visits).
This review highlights effective interventions for promoting the health and well-being of children under 5 experiencing homelessness, including educational sessions and home visits. Research has supported the importance of home visiting to be instrumental in breaking down language, cultural and health literacy barriers.

BACKGROUND: Trauma is an experience (physical or emotional) that is life-threatening, harmful, or out of the ordinary and has lasting effects on mental health and wellbeing. Much of the information about trauma within homeless populations focuses on events in childhood. Using coproduction principles, we aimed to synthesise qualitative evidence exploring the impact of trauma during adulthood homelessness on mental health, including substance use.
METHODS: In this qualitative systematic review, we searched ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Proquest theses and dissertations, PsychInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published from inception until Sept 6, 2022, alongside grey literature from relevant websites. Search terms were developed based on the PICO framework. No language, date, or geographical limits were applied. Any qualitative research reporting experiences of trauma and its impact on mental health during homelessness in adults was eligible. We extracted relevant data (eg, methodology, sample characteristics, homelessness, and findings). People with lived experience of homelessness were provided with bespoke training by the lead researcher. They contributed to refining the review aims, screening, coding, and theme development. Quality was assessed using the CASP Qualitative Studies Checklist.
RESULTS: We included 26 qualitative papers, including 876 adults experiencing homelessness between ages 18 and 70 years (448 [51%] women and 428 [49%] men). All papers focused on urban settings. Eight papers were from the USA, five from Canada, four from the UK and Australia, three from Brazil, and one from Ethiopia and Iran. A framework synthesis of these 26 papers identified three preliminary themes. People experiencing homelessness make sense of trauma in three ways: internalised understanding, relationality to others, and with a survival lens. Coping strategies for managing feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression included substance use, self-rationalisation, and strategies to feel safe. Finally, when people experienced repeated trauma, they became either dissociated, and accepted their situation, or resilient, wishing to change their circumstances.
CONCLUSIONS: Further evidence is needed in rural or coastal regions, where people experiencing homelessness may face greater isolation. Trauma rarely takes place in isolation, and often previous experiences of trauma shape how people experiencing homelessness make sense of trauma and cope with it. Support to address coping with the effects of trauma should focus on ensuring people do not become desensitised and prevent deterioration of mental health and substance use. The strength of this review is its coproduction with people with lived experience. Single person data extraction with secondary checks was a limitation.
BACKGROUND: National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research as part of the Three NIHR Research Schools Mental Health Programme.

Suicide is a significant contributor to global mortality. People who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased risk of death by suicide relative to the general population, but there is a lack of information on associated candidate factors for suicide in this group. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of existing evidence on potential factors for death by suicide in PWUD.
A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O\'Malley framework. Articles were identified using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SOCIndex, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Campbell Collaboration Database of Systematic Reviews; supplemented by grey literature, technical reports, and consultation with experts. No limitations were placed on study design. Publications in English from January 2000 to December 2021 were included. Two reviewers independently screened full-text publications for inclusion. Extracted data were collated using tables and accompanying narrative descriptive summaries. The review was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.
The initial search identified 12,389 individual publications, of which 53 met the inclusion criteria. The majority (87%) of included publications were primary research, with an uncontrolled, retrospective study design. The most common data sources were drug treatment databases or national death indexes. Eleven potential factors associated with death by suicide among PWUD were identified: sex; mental health conditions; periods of heightened vulnerability; age profile; use of stimulants, cannabis, or new psychoactive substances; specific medical conditions; lack of dual diagnosis service provision; homelessness; incarceration; intravenous drug use; and race or ethnicity. Opioids, followed by cannabis and stimulant drugs were the most prevalent drugs of use in PWUD who died by suicide. A large proportion of evidence was related to opioid use; therefore, more primary research on suicide and explicit risk factors is required.
The majority of studies exploring factors associated with death by suicide among PWUD involved descriptive epidemiological data, with limited in-depth analyses of explicit risk factors. To prevent suicide in PWUD, it is important to consider potential risk factors and type of drug use, and to tailor policies and practices accordingly.

Homelessness is a complex societal and public health challenge. Limited information exists about the population-level health and social care-related predictors and consequences of persons with lived experience of homelessness (PEH). Studies that focus on population subgroups or ad hoc questionnaires to gather data are of relatively limited generalisability to whole-population health surveillance and planning. The aim of this study was to find and synthesise information about the risk factors for, and consequences of, experiencing homelessness in whole-population studies that used routine administrative data.
We performed a systematic search using EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PsycINFO research databases for English-language studies published from inception until February 2023 that reported analyses of administrative data about homelessness and health and social care-related predictors and consequences. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Of the 1224 articles reviewed, 30 publications met the inclusion criteria. The included studies examined a wide range of topic areas, and the homelessness definitions used in each varied considerably. Studies were categorised into several topic areas: Mortality, morbidity and COVID-19; health care usage and hospital re-admission; care home admission and shelter stay; and other (e.g. employment, crime victimisation). The studies reported that that the physical and mental health of people who experience homelessness was worse than that of the general population. Homeless individuals were more likely to have higher risk of hospitalisation, more likely to use emergency departments, have higher mortality rates and were at greater risk of needing intensive care or of dying from COVID-19 compared with general population. Additionally, homeless individuals were more likely to be incarcerated or unemployed. The effects were strongest for those who experienced being homeless as a child compared to those who experienced being homeless later on in life.
This is the first systematic review of whole-population observational studies that used administrative data to identify causes and consequences associated with individuals who are experiencing homelessness. While the scientific literature provides evidence on some of the possible risk factors associated with being homeless, research into this research topic has been limited and gaps still remain. There is a need for more standardised best practice approaches to understand better the causes and consequences associated with being homeless.

Homelessness is a complex social issue that significantly impairs the health of those affected. People experiencing homelessness (PEH) have a higher prevalence of adverse health outcomes, including premature mortality, compared with the general population, with cancer being the second-leading cause of death. The objective of this scoping review is to map the evidence to assess the exposure of PEH to known cancer risk factors and identify barriers and facilitators PEH experience in accessing cancer prevention services.
This scoping review will be conducted in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews. For a time window from the date of database establishment until 20 February 2023, the research team will create a detailed search strategy and apply it to the following databases: CINAHL, Embase, Global Index Medicus, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. In addition, we will search OpenGrey and Google for grey literature and contact non-governmental organisations to request relevant reports. In the first stage, eligibility criteria will be assessed through a blinded title/abstract assessment, and following this assessment, a full-text screening will be performed. Subsequently, the research team will perform the data extraction and synthesise all relevant information in relation to the scoping review question.
As this protocol does not involve gathering primary data, ethical approval is not necessary. The results of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and on institutional websites.

To determine the efficacy of intervention programs for young children (4-9 years) with emerging mental health needs, we conducted a review of meta-analytic and systematic reviews of the intervention literature. Of 41,061 abstracts identified and 15,076 screened, 152 review articles met the inclusion criteria. We reviewed interventions across multiple disciplines targeting: (1) general mental health concerns; (2) internalizing symptoms; (3) externalizing symptoms; (4) anxiety; (5) depression; (6) trauma; (7) symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; and (8) mental health concerns associated with autism spectrum disorder. Substantial evidence was found for the efficacy of behavioral and cognitive behavioral interventions for general mental health concerns, externalizing symptoms (generally, as well as ADHD, conduct, and other behavioral symptoms) and internalizing symptoms (generally, as well as anxiety) aged 4-9 years. Emerging evidence was identified for interventions targeting trauma symptoms, depression symptoms, and social, emotional and behavioral symptoms in autism spectrum disorder in children aged 4-9 years. Currently there is only limited emerging evidence regarding non-behavioral or non-cognitive behavioral interventions for programs targeting children ages 4-9 years where the aim is to deliver an evidence-based program to improve child social, emotional and/or behavioral functioning. Given the recent rises in mental health needs reported in children, targeted behavioral-and/or cognitive behavior therapy-based interventions should be made widely available to children (and their families) who experience elevated symptoms.

Il problema sociale della presbistasia e il ruolo della riabilitazione vestibolare nell’anziano: una revisione della letteratura.
Il termine presbistasia si riferisce a una condizione di comune riscontro negli anziani, caratterizzata da un progressivo e multifattoriale disordine dell’equilibrio; la fisiopatogenesi può originare dalla concomitanza di diversi fattori, tra i quali patologie del sistema nervoso centrale, da una neuropatia periferica, disordini osteoarticolari (che provocano una riduzione della velocità di marcia), patologie del sistema cardiovascolare e visivo, ma può anche avere come concausa deficit del sistema vestibolare periferico e centrale; soprattutto la Vertigine Parossistica Posizionale Benigna (VPPB) è comune nei soggetti di età superiore a 70 anni. La presbistasia rappresenta oggi una delle principali cause di cadute negli anziani e ha come conseguenza una riduzione dell’aspettativa e qualità di vita. Scopo del nostro lavoro è stato quello di rivedere la recente letteratura focalizzandoci sul ruolo del sistema vestibolare nella patogenesi e sulle possibilità terapeutiche offerte dalla riabilitazione vestibolare. Sono state inoltre riassunte nella review le altre concause del disturbo.
The term “presbystasis” refers to a common clinical condition in the elderly, characterised by a multifactorial and progressive impairment of balance. The pathophysiology may be related to various concomitant factors including central nervous system diseases, peripheral neuropathy, osteoarticular disorders (leading to a reduction of the speed gait), and cardiovascular or visual disorders, but it may also be a consequence of deficits of the peripheral or central vestibular system (which is generally represented by a bilateral and symmetric vestibular dysfunction). Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is far from being rare in subjects over the age of 70 years. Nowadays, presbystasis represents one of the main causes of accidental falls in the elderly, leading to a reduction in quality of life and life expectancy. The aim of our work was to review the current literature on presbystasis, focusing on the role of the vestibular system in the pathogenesis and on the possibilities offered by vestibular rehabilitation in the management of these subjects. Other clinical conditions related to the disorder are also discussed.

People experiencing homelessness have poor health. Physical activity is known to improve health outcomes. No published systematic review of physical activity interventions in this population exists. We aimed to systematically synthesise evidence for physical activity interventions in people experiencing homelessness.
We searched EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Library from Jan 1, 1970, to Feb 8, 2021, for studies only published in English. Search terms included \"people experiencing homelessness\" and \"physical interventions\". We included quantitative and qualitative studies of people experiencing homelessness from high-income countries with physical activity interventions in any setting that was compared with or without standard of care, evaluating any health or wellbeing-related outcome-eg, cardiovascular, depression. The Joanna Briggs Institute\'s (JBI) critical analysis tools were used for quality assessment, with very poor-quality studies rejected. JBI mixed-methods systematic reviews methodology was followed, with qualitisation of quantitative data and convergent synthesis of evidence. The protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42020216716.
We screened 2837 records, generating 14 reports (13 studies: eight qualitative and five quantitative [one randomised control trial, three quasi-experimental, one analytical cross-sectional]) of sufficient quality from the UK, USA, Denmark, and Australia, including 403 participants. Interventions included soccer (n=6), group activities (eg, gardening [n=5]), and multi-modal individual interventions (eg, bicycle provision with safety-training [n=2]). Quantitative studies reported 19 outcomes (13 objective, six subjective) quantifying physical health (eg, VO2max; n=13), mental health (eg, Beck Depression Inventory; n=5), and social wellbeing (Outcomes Rating Scale; n=1). Nine quantitative outcomes changed substantially in favour of the intervention. No change was reported in three outcomes, and the relative change of remaining outcomes could not be quantified. Synthesis of qualitative studies found themes reporting predominantly positive perceived impact on physical and mental health and social wellbeing, which corroborated the quantitative findings through convergent synthesis.
More qualitative than quantitative studies were identified, with qualitative evidence suggesting physical activity interventions can benefit health and wellbeing. However, quantitative evidence was either positive or inconclusive. Evidence suggests a tentative recommendation for physical activity interventions in people experiencing homelessness.
National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research.

UNASSIGNED: We conducted a scoping review with the aim of comprehensively investigating what tools or methods have been examined in general practice research that capture a wide range of psychosocial problems (PSPs) and serve to identify patients and highlight their characteristics.
UNASSIGNED: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer\'s Manual on scoping reviews. A systematic search was conducted in four electronic databases (Medline [Ovid], Web of Science Core Collection, PsycInfo, Cochrane Library) for quantitative and qualitative studies in English, Spanish, French, and German with no time limit. The protocol was registered with Open Science Framework and published in BMJ Open.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 839 articles identified, 66 met the criteria for study eligibility, from which 61 instruments were identified. The publications were from 18 different countries, with most studies employing an observational design and including mostly adult patients. Among all instruments, 22 were reported as validated, which we present in this paper. Overall, quality criteria were reported differently, with studies generally providing little detail. Most of the instruments were used as paper and pencil questionnaires. We found considerable heterogeneity in the theoretical conceptualisation, definition, and measurement of PSPs, ranging from psychiatric case findings to specific social problems.
UNASSIGNED: This review presents a number of tools and methods that have been studied and used in general practice research. Adapted and tailored to local circumstances, practice populations, and needs, they could be useful for identifying patients with PSPs in daily GP practice; however, this requires further research. Given the heterogeneity of studies and instruments, future research efforts should include both a more structured evaluation of instruments and the incorporation of consensus methods to move forward from instrument research to actual use in daily practice.